I'm Going to My Neighbours for a Superbowl party: Who am I cheering for?

[Leaffan]

Seriously. I'm a hockey fan.....

I know Brady and the Patriots would like to set a record for consecutive wins, and the Giants would like to end that. But, who should I cheer for, and (more importantly) why?

[Manduck]

As a Leaf fan, you should cheer for the losers :p

[kaylasdad99]

Cheer for whoever brings the best beer, guacamole, chicken wings and/or BBQ cocktail weenies.

Cheer for the funniest commercial.

Cheer for Bud Light in the Bud Bowl.

Cheer for all of the puppies in the puppy Bowl.

Cheer for your neighbors for throwing an awesome party that you don't need to drive home from, so you can get as plastered as you feel your Monday Morning work schedule will permit.

[jackelope]

I'm not a Patriots fan, but I'm rooting for them to win. For one thing, the 2007 Pats are probably the best team in the history of football, and for another, it will shut up all the Dolphins fans. (You probably know this, but the Miami Dolphins are the only modern-era team to have played a perfect, all-win season. They did it in 1972-73.) The Patriots are playing epic football this year; I'll tell my grandkids about watching this season.

Also, it's more fun to be rooting for the winner, and I'd bet long, long odds that the Patriots are going to kick the shit out of the Giants.

ETA: If you want to sound somewhat knowledgeable, before the game you should say aloud that "The Giants just don't have anyone who can cover Randy Moss."

[sweepkick]

As a Leaf fan, you should cheer for the losers :p


Ouch! :D

[The Tof]

The Super bowl is kind of goofy, everybody has various reasons for rooting for whoever since their team is eliminated by that point.

I am <grudgingly> rooting for the Patriots for 3 reason's...

A> I generally root for the AFC team.. since my team is in the AFC- I feel as though it's "My" side. So, with one noted exception (hailing from Oakland) I will usually root for the AFC.

B> As a Charger fan, I would like to see Junior Seau get a Championship Ring.

C> I will never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever root for Eli Manning.

[glee]

If there's a hot girl there, find out who she supports! :D

Here in England we get a live feed, so I shall be supporting the Patriots (because I approve of excellence).

[Love Rhombus]

I deeply disapprove of Tom Brady's dumping of Bridget Moynahan. Therefore I root for ze Giants.

[Caricci]

Root for the team whose home is closest to your home. That's be the Pats, right?

[jali]

The Giants.
Because.. they're the... um... Giants.

[zamboniracer]

While glee is on the right track, if there is a hot girl there you can ignore the game itself and work on her! ;)

[Evil Captor]

You should probably root for the team with the most devoted fans, since this is indicative of which team is best in terms of goodness and niceness, as opposed to football skill. In winter games like the Super Bowl, this can easily be ascertained by checking to see which team has the most fans willing to remove their shirts for the entire game and paint silly messages on their chests.

[VarlosZ]

If you have no natural rooting interest and wish to enjoy the game to a similar degree as a fan, I suggest you place a wager on one of the teams. Seriously, I think it's money well spent. Say you place a $100 bet on the Giants +12.5 points. You might say that $100 is a lot of money to spend on having somewhat more fun watching TV for four hours tonight. And you'd be right, except you're not spending $100: it's not rational to consider only the downside of the wager. You could win. This means that, going forward, you should be considering the expected value of the wager when deciding what betting the game costs you.

If you're just betting with a friend, then there's no vigorish and your expectation will be very close to $0 -- the bet costs you no money, and you get to enjoy rooting hard for one team. If you bet with a sportsbook or bookie, the bet essentially costs you the negative expectation that comes from their juice. So, if you risk $110 to win $100 (a standard rate), the bet costs you $5. That's still very reasonable, I think.


All that said, if you don't want to wager any money, it probably makes more sense to root for the Patriots, since it's usually more fun to root for the winner, and they'll probably win. And they're on the cusp of achieving something historic. . .

. . . unless you like rooting for the underdogs, in which case root for the Giants. Also, as a biased Giants fan, let me just say that they have a reputation as one of the classiest sports franchises around -- the Patriots, not so much; "ruthless efficiency" is more what they're known for.

[Rysto]

In winter games like the Super Bowl, this can easily be ascertained by
checking to see which team has the most fans willing to remove their shirts for the entire game and paint silly messages on their chests.
The game is in Arizona....

[ivylass]

Ivylad will be rooting for the Giants, namely because he wants the '72 Dolphins to stay the one and only.

Me, I'm just watching for the commercials.

[EddyTeddyFreddy]

I deeply disapprove of Tom Brady's dumping of Bridget Moynahan. Therefore I root for ze Giants.
But he was with her for the birth of their baby, doesn't that count for anything?

[Moriarty]

I say just root for a good game (which hopefully comes down to the last minute).

If the Patriots win, you've witnessed the culmination of one of (perhaps the) greatest football seasons of all time.

If the Giants win, you've witnessed one of (perhaps the) greatest upsets of all time.

Either way, you win (assuming you make headway with that hot girl).

[Genghis Bob]

. . . I will never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever root for Eli Manning.

Wow. Why the hate?

[HazelNutCoffee]

I don't think my friends are cheering for anyone - they said they would never cheer for the Patriots, but that they don't want the Giants to win either. :dubious: It was a lot easier last year when the Bears were playing. Not that I know enough about football to become that invested in the game. I'm just going for the dip. And the beer.

[ZebraShaSha]

One of the best Superbowls you'll ever see? If this game is anything like the last time these teams faced each other, it will be an exciting evening.

[blondebear]

Who should you cheer for?

Tom Petty, of course!

[Hal Briston]

You should be rooting for the Giants, of course. There are two reasons:

1) As jali already mentioned, because they're the Giants.
2) Fuck the Patriots. Fuck them up their stupid asses.

Wow. Why the hate?Basic jealousy. He already stated he's a Chargers fan, and Eli told the Chargers where they could shove their #1 pick. So even though the Chargers got Rivers, Merriman, et al from the deal, they still cry every time Eli's name is mentioned. Shame, really...the Chargers got some excellent players out of the deal. Just, you know, not Super Bowl caliber players.

[Shirley Ujest]

I'm cheering for two things:

The commericials and if my square wins.

[Ruby]

Giants all the way, baby.

Being a Colts fan, we no like the Patriots so much. :D

[Count Blucher]

Giants all the way, baby.

Here's a picture I took back in September with my cameraphone (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a362/quietman1920/092807_18051.jpg). The fix may be in. :D

[Troy McClure SF]

But he was with her for the birth of their baby, doesn't that count for anything?
Low-expectation havin' motha fucka (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Chris_Rock#Bring_the_Pain_.28HBO.2C_1996.29)!

[Lisa-go-Blind]

I cheered for the team with the hotter star quarterback (Giants).

[Ellis Dee]

I cheered for the team with the hotter star quarterback (Giants).heh, even a hetero Giants fan like me can tell you did indeed go blind if you think Eli Manning is hotter than Tom Brady.

[Lisa-go-Blind]

heh, even a hetero Giants fan like me can tell you did indeed go blind if you think Eli Manning is hotter than Tom Brady.
Pfff, Tom Brady is a bland-ass pretty boy.

[The Tof]

Basic jealousy. He already stated he's a Chargers fan, and Eli told the Chargers where they could shove their #1 pick. So even though the Chargers got Rivers, Merriman, et al from the deal, they still cry every time Eli's name is mentioned. Shame, really...the Chargers got some excellent players out of the deal. Just, you know, not Super Bowl caliber players.

Wow. Thank you so much for answering for me. Clearly you have excellent insight into my thoughts, and the feelings of Charger fans. Or perhaps you feel comfortable with generalizing.

I will respond to say that Jealousy has very little to do with it. Which is to say that jealousy would imply that I dislike Eli because he plays well and I feel he should have been our player. I think a poll of Charger fans would put you way off base on this.

You are, admittedly correct with the root cause. When we had the top pick in the draft, Eli essentially spit in the face of the organization and IMO it's fans by announcing his intention to refuse to play for us. When he was drafted, he stood on the platform and pouted like a 5 year old.

He did all he could to make the team look bad. The team I have spent my football loving life rooting for.

So, despite the fact, that we did end up with several quality players. (And, by the way, I would dispute whether they are Super Bowl players- although that is another thread). Eli can have all the success he earns. (He and his team earned their win today) I just won't root for him. Ever. You're not going to piss on my head and tell me it's rain, and expect me to like it.

(By way of contrast- My want for, say, the Patriots to lose was purely driven by jealousy.. because they were so much better than everybody all year along. Well, until today.)

[dnooman]

I'm not a Patriots fan, but I'm rooting for them to win. For one thing, the 2007 Pats are probably the best team in the history of football, and for another, it will shut up all the Dolphins fans. (You probably know this, but the Miami Dolphins are the only modern-era team to have played a perfect, all-win season. They did it in 1972-73.) The Patriots are playing epic football this year; I'll tell my grandkids about watching this season.

Also, it's more fun to be rooting for the winner, and I'd bet long, long odds that the Patriots are going to kick the shit out of the Giants.

ETA: If you want to sound somewhat knowledgeable, before the game you should say aloud that "The Giants just don't have anyone who can cover Randy Moss."


I laugh at you.

Tell yo' grandkids what went down.

The better team won. Period.

Covering Moss isn't an issue when Brady is being put on his ass by the Giants D-line.

[Leaffan]

Great game! I started out ambivalent and became more a Giants' fan as the game progressed. Of course I'm very, very, very used to rooting for the underdog.