Super Bowl 52: Sore Loser

Pink sang the National Anthem at U.S. Bank Stadium and the Philadelphia Eagles came onto the field to ‘Dreams and Nightmares’ by Philly’s own Meek Mill and I almost cried. It wasn’t that the songs were making emotional, though Meek Mill’s music does tend to get me fired up at times, it was that I was about to go into yet another Super Bowl without a team to root for. I’m a lifelong New York Jets fan and I’m a sore loser.

Last year’s Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and more importantly the Atlanta Falcons, was the first time I could almost be involved in the game as a spectator (Note: I am not a New York Giants fan). At that point I lived and work and covered sports in Atlanta for the previous 10 years and felt a kinship with many Falcons fans. Even then I could not watch the big game, the most watched sporting event on planet Earth including the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, with the hope of a fan. I’m a sore loser and a Jets fan no matter where I live and pay taxes. The Falcons not winning the game and losing the way they did wasn’t devastating to me because I’m not from Atlanta. I’m from Brooklyn and the loss didn’t hurt. For the past 40 years of my life, 33-34 of which I can remember in regards to Super Bowls, I have never felt anything. I have never seen my team play for a National Football League championship and probably never will. Somber way to think, I know, but three-plus decades of watching the NFL and the annual Super Bowl without the Jets being involved, without wearing a jersey and screaming and yelling from my couch on every play can get you that way.

Tonight I am watching two teams with massive fan bases play what thus far has been a pretty entertaining first half and I’m envious. I want to care more about this game but I can’t. I’m a sore loser.  (Note: I am not watching Justin Timberlake perform at halftime. I’m not a fan of his either. Though I did enjoy the pregame performance by Pink)

The way Nick Foles is playing in this game he going to be the top free-agent quarterback on the market and maybe the New York Jets will be smart enough to make a play on him. Maybe they can play in next year’s Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. I’ll be at that game as a member of the media but I might finally have to be unprofessional and finally be a fan. How sweet would it be to finally watch the Jets play in the Super Bowl 20 minutes from my house? That wasn’t an actual question, it would be the best thing ever. Of course then I would have to worry about them winning the game. Ugh.