Football is in its prime season right now: the playoffs and then the Super Bowl. As many of you know, the Pittsburgh Steelers were in the playoffs, and if you didn’t know this, then you might want to come out from under your rock. Now, I myself am not a Steelers fan. I grew up in Philadelphia and am proud to say that I am an Eagles fan. That being said, as a fan of one of the teams that DID NOT make it into the playoffs, or even get a wildcard spot, I had no intention of watching the playoffs. However, last Saturday my friend asked me to watch the game with her because she knew that I enjoyed football.
So, what did I do? I went over at 8:15 and our attention turned toward the game. I had no real interest in the game. I didn’t really care who won, who lost, who dropped the most balls or who had the most touchdowns. My friend, on the other hand, was fully invested. This was a big game for the Steelers — it determined whether they got another step closer to the Super Bowl or whether they would join the other teams that didn’t make it.
Even though I was not invested in the game, while watching, I became immersed in the atmosphere of the game and those around me. It would be easy to understand why I got involved in the game if you could have seen my friend freak out throughout it! One bad play, an interception, a missed catch, and don’t even mention the call against one of the Steelers coaches! According to her, the Bengals player pushed him first. By the time the fourth quarter hit we were both screaming at the television. We were so loud that her roommate had to ask us to be quiet! By the end of the game, I was rooting for the Steelers.
I always found it funny that when playoff season comes around people change who they root for, especially if “their” team is not participating in it. One thing I noticed is that almost nobody ever roots for “their” team’s nemesis. For example, I have never rooted for the Giants or the Cowboys — it just feels so wrong. Another thing is that during the Super Bowl, even if you’re not a fan of either team playing, everybody still watches it! For the most part, people root for teams that their friends root for, a team from a different division, or a team from their state. This is what happened to me, and now I may be watching the next game to see whether the Steelers win or not!