As some may know, I've quit following the NFL. I've realized it's no longer worth the emotional investment, and I enjoy living in a country where the sport of football is virtually non-existent (I wasn't able to be disappointed about the lockout ending until a few days after it happened, because I wasn't following the whole mess). I made a point this season of not paying any attention to the NFL, and even avoiding it to the best of my ability. Was such a thing possible, given that I'm still plugged into American media through the internet?
Surprisingly, it was easier to isolate myself from the NFL than I realized. If I saw a football-related post in my blog subscriptions, I just skipped it, and I diverted my eyes if I came across football headlines. I actually managed to make it to Super Bowl Sunday without being certain of who was playing in the big game, though I had a hunch based on things that had slipped past my imperfect barrier.
It turns out my hunch was correct, as I found out this evening. The Super Bowl was Giants vs. Patriots, and as I learned from an accidental headline reading, the Giants won. Such an outcome only confirms my decision not to follow the NFL, as the Giants are a team I can't stand (as are the Patriots, meaning I would've had nobody to root for).
I'll save you the trouble of following the NFL for the rest of history. There are a few teams I truly hate, namely the Packers, Giants, Patriots, Cowboys, and Steelers. One of those teams will win the Super Bowl every year, even if none of them looks like a particularly strong contender going into the season. Take it to the bank. Heartwarming stories just don't happen in the NFL (OK, I guess the Saints two years ago could be an exception, but we'll just say they're the exception that proves the rule).
It's hard to believe that I used to follow football pretty closely, and now I haven't watched four of the last five Super Bowls. Suits me just fine, frankly. Baseball, for all the disappointment it gives me, is the only one beautiful enough to get heartbroken over. I'm sure I've gone off on that subject more times than anyone cares to hear though, so I'll stop.
One last thing I'll say: I thought it was interesting that this matchup was a repeat of the Super Bowl matchup four years ago. Similarly, the 2011 NBA Finals was a rematch of the 2006 matchup, and in baseball we nearly saw a rematch of the 2006 World Series, but the Tigers fell short. Crazy, huh? Everything felt like it was part of a big cycle, or something.
Here's hoping that 2012 will be a more interesting year for sports, and that this one ends with the Texas Rangers finally winning the World Series. Here's also to another year of being NFL-free!
