I love Superbowl Sunday. It's a fantastic time to gather with friends, overeat stuff you would never normally chow on a regular day, and gather to watch grown men beat the crap out of each other on a field. Where else can you find millions of Americans boozing, gambling, overeating and screaming at a tv, all without judgment of one another? And you get funny commercials and a halftime show as a bonus prize. And maybe, just maybe, you get to see an epic game. Not tonight though. Sometimes you go to a gun fight just see the other guy get shot in the head.
I haven't missed a Superbowl that I can remember. And it's not because I'm such an enormous football fan. I just love the day. I love it more when my team is actually in it, but I love the vibe and spirit the whole day brings. The whole country seems to be a little bit friendlier on Superbowl Sunday. I love when we all rally around something together.
My Patriots have been to the big game seven times, they have won three. Their first trip there in 1986 remains one of my dirty little secrets til this day. Granted, no one will care about this secret now, but it was a big burden twenty eight years ago.
This was a HUGE deal where I grew up. In 1985, Boston sports teams were just heating up. And in that 1986 season, we had an amazing thing happen. All four of our sports teams made it to the championship rounds. Of course the Red Sox would take another few decades to revisit their opportunity for glory, but it was amazing to see them in a World Series. The Celtics and Bruins were old pros. But the Patriots were something new for us…this was completely foreign, making it to the final game.
There was an incredible amount of hype leading up to the game. There used to be several weeks off in between the final postseason game and the Superbowl. Just enough to get everyone excited and well informed. And it trickled its way into my high school.
As the Patriots entered the post-season, our school became filled with pride. Posters were made, and team jerseys became the normal dress code. We even started hanging clever posters that screamed things like "SQUISH THE FISH!!!" as they approached our final post-season rival, the Miami Dolphins. And we did.
And then we had just over three weeks until our final game of the season. We were to play the Chicago Bears. And this is when things started getting interesting for me.
I started watching all the news on the teams, and the showdown that was about to take place. It was everywhere. And the Bears started to become interesting to me.
I like football. I'm not a huge fan though. I know enough to care, but it certainly doesn't consume my Sundays. But with all the commentary that was flooding the news about these two teams leading up to the actual Superbowl, I took notice.
How could someone like me not pay attention to the player profiles and interviews being done? I began to follow the stories of leaders like coach Mike Ditka and Mike Singletary and the oversized fan-favorite WIlliam "The Refrigerator" Perry. And while the arrogance of quarterback Jim MacMahon was a complete turnoff, it was the kind soul of a running back named Walter Peyton who truly made me a fan. His generosity and kind soul had earned him the nickname "Sweetness," both on and off the field. If you want to win a fan like me, you have a guy like that on your team.
Everyone at school, and in our neighboring towns were rooting the Patriots on…except me. I secretly cheered the Bears on. And to this day, I still do.
They crushed us that night back in early 1986, . And they should have…they were the better team. At the time, I pretended to be bummed out, along with everyone else who had supported the Pats. Inside, however, I knew I had picked a winner.
Sometimes it's hard to bet on the winning team if you stand alone in your judgment or feeling. No matter. I was a young kid back then, concerned what would happen if come forward with my real feelings. Boy, have times changed. At this point in my life, I will always bet on the person I believe in the most. End stop. If that means I stand alone, I'll own it.
A lot has changed since Superbowl 20. Walter "Sweetness" Peyton passed in 1999 from a rare liver disease at the age of 45. He is remembered as one of the best running backs to ever play the game. Mike Singletary went on to lead a number of professional football teams. And that 1985 Chicago Bears team is frequently referred to - along with the 1972 Miami Dolphins team - as the best football team to ever be assembled. And I learned how to look for greatness in a team. You don't just root for what's close or convenient. Sometimes, ever if it's out of you comfort zone, you root for the winning team if you are really trying to figure out who's the best.
So there's my secret. The Patriots are great, but I'm really a Chicago Bears fan. I have been since 1986. And I'm proud of it.
And for those of you who missed it, this was part of the 1985 Bears legacy. Yikes! And enjoy :)
https://archive.org/details/SuperBowlShuffle
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