Only recently has the NFL and all surrounding merchandise caught on that women like football, and not just for the commercials or the recipes. There are actual football-fluent women out there. I know many of them. We’re kinda awesome. Personally, I am bound by the Law of Geography as a Steeler fan – I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. For gosh sake’s, we have our own team polka (We’re from the town with the Great Football Team—we cheer them Pittsburgh Steelers!) Ask to hear my Pixburg accent. It’s glorious.
Jane from DearAuthor is bound by that same law to be a Green Bay Packers fan – I believe she’s also a shareholder, which is so freaking cool. Hubby and I are on the waitlist for season tickets, but the waitlist is, like, 9 years long. I have a better chance of getting vouchers for Almack’s and a special license to marry my dog than I do season tickets to Heinz Field. But anyway, as Female Football Fans bound by the Law of Geography, today is a huge, huge day. Steelers vs. Packers? Oy. Two smaller cities with NFL teams that have a HUGE national – and international – following. If I wear my Steelers hat, I get comments no matter where I am in Jersey. SteelersNation is everywhere (and for fun – tweet #steelersnation while looking at TwerribleTowel.com to see your tweet make the Terrible Towel twirl in an ad agency in Durham, NC). And Packers fans are everywhere, too. It’s forty-give kinds of awesome.
So what kind of bet could Jane and I create for this game? Book reviews? Website content? Slave for a month (with what time?!)? Then Jane had a good idea: the loser will compose a sonnet to the winner’s team. Done! So, based on the results of tonight’s game, expect some epically goofed up iambic punt-tameter (HA!).
Who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl? And dude, are you as suspicious as I am that the commercials will yet again be mean, cruel humor with a nice icy overlay of sexism this year, like they were last year?
Also: GO STEELERS!
My hubby and I both own shares of the Packers—but I’m a die hard Bears fan!!! I love to watch the game just for the commercials!!!
Need I say—May the best team win!
Go Packers! A lifelong fan; went to school at St. Norbert College (where the Packers start training camp), went to multiple games while in college, and own Packer toothbrushes, dishes, flags, clothing, etc. My dad has a share and we went to the shareholders meeting this summer. It was wonderful and my kids (22 and 16) loved it. We live in Atlanta so only see games when they play the Falcons.
Several family members are at the game and we are set at home with brats, beer and cheeseheads!
Trying to decide whether to root for the Packers or the Steelers is like trying to decide whether I prefer to be stabbed in the abdomen or shot in the chest—both are equally horrible. After some thought, I’m going to root for the Steelers’ defense.
I’m a Football Fan. I’m the one who is watching whatever game is on, Saturday or Sunday. I’m currently wearing a Chiefs t-shirt, because someone else paid for DH & I to go to a KC game this fall (I’m in their broadcast area), and we felt it important to at least appear to be cheering for the home team. When one of the hosts asked if I was enjoying the game, I said yes, but I’d enjoy it more if they would shut up and let me watch the damn game! My husband has on a t-shirt celebrating the Saints victory last year, purchased when we made a whirlwind trip to the Big Easy for his birthday.
The Super Bowl always annoys me in some respects. We watch the games closely and use our DVR a lot, to replay what we see on the field, and we catch up during commercials. This is the only game we can’t do that. To not get lost, you have to stay caught up, and the commercials are just as important as the game.
As a hereditary Bears fan (both my parents grew up in Chicagoland before transplanting to southern California), I have to root for the Steelers, just because they are playing the Pack.
Here we go Steelers, here we go!
—from fellow sw pa gal to another 🙂
I live in Pittsburgh so I have to be a Steelers fan or I would be run out of town 🙂 They love their polka here, I once heard it for over half an hour at a Pittsburgh wedding reception during the dollar dance – I started downing drinks trying to lessen the pain.
KCfla – I am from near Altoona, small world!
What Joanna S. said so well-my feelings exactly!! GO Packers GO!!
I’m a hereditary 49ers fan on my mom’s side, but my uncle’s family on my dad’s side is from Altoona so if I value my life I’m a Steelers fan. Can’t stand Ben R. but oh well.
Here we go, Steelers, here we go!
I WAS neutral (in the heart of Redskins territory) but now I’m pro Packers so I can see SB Sarah’s sonnet.
heehee
I may be in Jets country now, but I’m I grew up in Pats country. If they aren’t in (mega-choke), I’m not watching. I’m more of a Celts/Sox gal. That Daniels hit this afternoon is still traumatizing my brain. Good luck tonight, but as a Pats fan, we’ll see you next year! MVP Tom Brady and All!
Actually, I’m rooting for the Packers (although, I am a Cowboys fan in real life) because I absolutely HATE Ben Roethlisberger. I really don’t use that word lightly, but I cannot even hear his name and not see red! Even though he’s never been convicted, so I understand that America is an innocent until proven guilty system of law. However, I don’t care. The circumstantial evidence is more than convincing that he has at the very least severely roughed-up (if not actually sexually assaulted and/or raped) at least two women. I’m sorry his teammates must suffer my ire-by-association, but he’s their leader – so they must also go down with his ship (as it were).
That about sums up my feelings on it too. I don’t particularly care for most sports and normally I wouldn’t care who wins. I am bound by loyalty to my mother to have a mild dislike of the Steelers (she hates them—because apparently some Steelers fans were rude about her beloved Vikings during their superbowl matchup when she was in college), but again, I normally wouldn’t care too much. But, because of Rothlisberger, I want the Steelers to be humiliated. I want them to be beat so bad that it becomes a national joke. So far, it doesn’t look like I’ll get my wish, but if we lived in any sort of a just world, there would be humiliations galore for them.
Looks like I’m writing poetry. Ouch – what a game.
BAHAHAHAHAHA I look forward to reading it.
Sorry was that laugh a little too gloating? How about this one : MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
:-p I say it with love, and with much anticipation for your poetry
By the way, I’m actually a Redskins fan. But the skins are like a special needs child – we love and support them, but realize we may need to look elsewhere for our Superbowl hopes. And since you’re legally banned from liking the Ravens if you like the Skins (and they’re not in the Superbowl this year either) I came to root for the Packers through a convoluted system of animosity.
So I can’t gloat too much. My team didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of even making it to the Super Bowl :-p
Ode to a Cheesehead?
Sad loss, but unfortunately the Pack played better.
I’ll never, ever eat another Dorito.
Too much emphasis on sex in the commercials this year (as usual).
Other than the young Darth Vader commercial and the one at the beginning with the young bear’s report card/papa bear taking him for “McDonald’s” I thought the commercials this years were all really LAME!
I was pulling for the Packers (for lack of a better option, being a Falcons fan). But it was a good game – I’m glad it didn’t turn into a blow out.
And I have to say that while football is becoming a bit more female-friendly, ESPN radio is not. Now I’m not one to cry “sexism” and the term “feminist” makes me shudder – I work in a very patriarchal field and love it – but I’m am becoming increasingly annoyed when listening to Mike & Mike at the gym in the morning because of their complete inability to recognize that they have female listeners. I was a 4-year NCAA athlete in college, am an avid sports fan, and can hold my own with (or dominate) most guys out there when it comes to football knowledge. I’m not saying we need Tampax and Nuva-Ring commercials on ESPN or during the Super Bowl, but I wouldn’t mind being acknowledged as a football fan. Perhaps just using a pronoun other than he/him/guys when describing fans…
Sorry, this has obviously been annoying me for a while. Rant over.
Alas, poor Steelers! I didn’t get to watch the game; I was on a train from Portland. The conductor announced the scores every few minutes, but he was clearly not a football fan. His first goof was saying that the Lakers were in the lead, then when the game was over, he announced that the Dodgers had won. WTF?!? Was Tiger Woods also playing? What about the Colorado Avalanche?
as I am from WI I am a Packers fan. Thankfully it was playing at 8:30AM in Korea and I headed down to the local bar and was one of 12 foreigners watching the game live!
Go PACK!
Commercials decidedly lacked epicness this year. There were only three things I liked this year: Lil Darth Vadar. The Bridgestone beaver one. All the movie trailers.
I was torn this year. As a Ravens fan, hate the Steelers. As a Bears fan I know I _should_ hate the Packers. But…
…But… But I have major hornypants (to use a SB phrase) for Aaron Rodgers. The things that belt mime does to me *fans self*
What was I saying? Oh yeah, glad the Pack brought home the trophy. Look forward to the poetry.
Here here. We did have a party at my house, but it was all about the food for me.
I have (some) loyalty to the Steelers because they were one of my grandfather’s favorite teams & Kurt Warner (a player I lurve) was once their QB. Unfortunately, I just can’t bring myself to root for the guys who currently boast a(n accused) rapist as their current quarterback.
Which is why I was BEYOND THRILLED when one of Papa’s other favorite teams made it to this year’s Superbowl and (WOOHOO!!!) won!!!
Always bet on the food product team! Cheeeeeese!
Growing up, I learned that there were two immutable Wisconsin laws. First, you cheered for the green bay packers. My 99 year old grandmother was watching last night, let me tell you.
Second, you must always have a can of beer at the ready. I’m sure aforementioned granny was drinking, as she should be.
Ha ha ha. I’m sure if every mention is prefaced by Super Bowl winning QB, Aaron Rodgers, a former Cal player, all will be fine.
Bring on the poetry.
Sarah, you are totally getting off easy. I think Jane needs to send you a cheese hat and you have to post a picture of yourself wearing it while you’re writing that poem. Hell, I’ll send you the cheese hat.
About five seconds after the game ended, some idiots across my backyard decided to come outside to set off a bunch of fireworks and start yelling drunken nonsense for the next half hour. If they were anything like just about every group of friends and family I knew that got together to watch the game, the partying and beer swilling started before noon and went past the end of the game. I suspect there are some hurting people calling in sick to work this morning.
Jane, don’t forget – Aaron Rodgers, Superbowl MVP too. 🙂
W00T PACKERS!!!
So as a Chicagoland native, I know the rules: Bears over Packers 4evah, BUT – Bears lost so I must root for NFC Central, oops I mean NFC North. The Black and Blue division! Esp since my poor, bedraggled, never-get-their-heads-out-of-their-butts Titans can’t get their act together.
As for the commercials – I must say that I really found the Groupon commercial belittling Tibet to be quite distressing. Not sure what they were trying to accomplish, but I definitely put it in the ‘epic fail’ category.
@tae: I watched the Steelers play the Cowboys in the SuperBowl at a bar in Spain, starting at midnight until 4am, surrounded by UT Austin students. That was a very OUCH loss. Watching the SuperBowl in a completely unexpected location like that is so memorable – especially if, unlike me, your team wins. 🙂
@LEW: I so agree with you. I’m completely baffled by the routine inability to recognize female sports fans who are as knowledgeable about the game as anyone else.
@Jane: the laws of Pittsburgh are similar. Plus we have the Pirates, who are so bad it’s high comedy – and therefore we need more beer to soothe the pain. Can you spare some?
Also: iambic pentameter is difficult, but words like “Polamalu” make it much easier and more fun!
I hate football! My husband is a diehard Eagles fan. I didn’t see any of the game. I am looking forward to checking out all of the ads.
LOVE football, but being from Portland, OR, I don’t have a “team”.
I also love romance centered in the sports world.
I’d love a list of fav sports centric romance/erotica to read!
???
Anyone?
I am very very late to this party but I just want to say that I wish I had seen this before the Super Bowl so I could have been super-excited with you since the Steelers are only the best football team EVER (don’t let the loss get you down, Sarah!).
I feel like people not from Pittsburgh just don’t understand the passion we have for our black and gold team.
PS. Thanks for getting the Pittsburgh Polka in my head …