With the recent NFL playoff excitement, I find myself thinking this year's Super Bowl situation is win-win. Since my home team - the Eagles - fell short for another year, it may as well be the Colts and the Bears - the only two other teams in the NFL that I even remotely follow.
The reason I follow these teams is that my mom is from Indianapolis and my dad is from Chicago.
Every time either team is playing, we, as a family, root for the Colts or Bears, which works out because they do not usually play each other ... until now.
On Super Bowl Sunday, my parents will not trade their loyalties to favor one team as a family. It will be full-out war.
My parents spent at least 20 years in their hometowns before getting married and moving to Philadelphia. Naturally, each of them was brought up cheering for their home team and no one else.
Because of my split football upbringing since I was born in Chicago, but spent most of my life in Philadelphia, this Super Bowl will be nothing more than an excuse to get together with friends and watch funny commercials with a football game on the side.
At home, however, I can only imagine what state my house will be like during those four hours of football. Hopefully, my parents will leave my little sisters to decide for themselves who they want to win, even though they may be indifferent.
My e-mail inbox has already been flooded with hype from aunts and uncles rooting for the Colts with the instant rebuttal from my dad, one of the few in-laws from Chicago.
For example, this is a verbatim e-mail from my dad:
"Accordingly, Maddie and Clare (my younger sisters) may opt to root for the nine-time world champion Chicago Bears because they are the best team, but Emily and Katie (older sister and me) must join their father in rooting for their birth team: Da Bears."
This year, the Super Bowl is a question of hometown pride at my house, and time will only tell if football will be a strong enough force to make my house divided.
Living in South Bend also presents an interesting scenario. There are so many students from the Chicago area as well as Indy. Having an all Midwest Super Bowl is unique and I am sure roommates will be at odds for bragging rights on Feb. 4.
I just hope students, as well as my parents, realize that the Super Bowl is just a game and they are able to reconcile after a few hours of well-deserved gloating.
