Ritani

So you’re dating a sports freak, but you honestly couldn’t care less about his favorite teams.  I know, it happens.  Most of the time, you can ignore it: curl up with a magazine or book on the corner of the couch while he’s watching the game; have a few drinks with your girlfriends when he’s at a sports bar.  Most of the time, you can have some really valuable “me” time while he’s basking in his “him” time.  But, for one day of the year, you have to watch sports.  On Superbowl Sunday, you have to watch the game, you have to be interested, and you have to know who you’re rooting for and why.  Ladies, it’s just one day per year: just let yourself go, read up on a few quick talking points, and – who knows – you might just wind up having a great time.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!

Whether you’re ready or not, Superbowl Sunday is just a few days away.  Time to start getting ready.  First step, as previously noted, is to pick a team to root for.

Okay- so who’s playing?

It’s the New York Football Giants versus the New England Patriots in a winner-take-all battle that’s surprisingly filled to the brim with drama and history.

Great.  So how do I choose who to root for?

First step in choosing which team to cheer for is to pick which city you have more of an allegiance to.  These two cities have some of the most bitter and intense sports rivalries of all time, so make the choice: Boston or New York.

Forget geography- who’s the better team?

Actually, it’s really hard to say.  The Patriots are all about offense: they have, in Tom Brady (you know- he’s married to Giselle and wears Uggs), one of the league’s best quarterbacks and not only is he one the best quarterbacks currently playing, but he’s putting together a career that may go down in sports history as being the best of all time.  The Giants, on the other hand, have been mostly fueled by their defensive efforts: their defensive line (those REALLY HUGE guys who try to tackle the quarterback) has been playing on a brilliant level.  The Giants, with their great defense, in addition to the heroics of their quarterback, Eli Manning, have put together a great playoff run.  If you asked me to tell you who I think will win on Sunday, I’d go with the Giants, because I’m of the opinion that defense wins playoff games.  And I’m a New Yorker.  And I hate the Patriots.

So what’s all the drama you were talking about?

The Giants and the Patriots have met once before in the Superbowl; this occurred in February of 2008.  In the 2007-2008 football season, the Patriots were unstoppable.  That year, they won more games in a single season than any football team of all time: a total of 16 games!  This may not seem like much, but it’s a nearly impossible feat in the NFL, since injuries are so widespread and the game itself, on a week-to-week basis, is so generally unpredictable.  The Patriots’ first loss that season came in the form of one of the biggest Superbowl upsets of all time: Tom Brady and his mighty Patriots fell to the Giants in a stunning 4^th quarter  victory led by Eli Manning and his Giants.  This year’s Superbowl will be a rematch of that incredible game which Tom Brady still cites as one of the hardest losses of his career.

Eli Manning, on the other hand, still has a lot to prove.  After winning a Superbowl in the most dramatic fashion, he is still a very underrated quarterback in today’s NFL.  This is mostly due to the fact that his brother, Peyton Manning – quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts – is among the best quarterbacks ever to play the game, so you can say that Eli has been living in his brother’s shadow for quite some time.

Add this background info to the New York/Boston sports rivalry which has been building for almost a century, and you have a huge amount of hype and drama for what promises to be a great football game.

Any predictions?

Yes- I predict the Giants beating the Patriots by one score- either 3 or 7 points.  I expect this game to be hard-hitting, high-scoring, and tons of fun to watch.  Enjoy the game, everyone!

Any tips for proper football etiquette for when I’m watching with the guys?

Just have fun and don’t be afraid to get swept up in the excitement!  And if you’re confused (and trust me, you will be confused- football is a very complex sport), don’t be afraid to ask questions!  Just let go and be one of the guys.  I guarantee you’ll have a great time!