The 2012 Super Bowl is less than a week away and since the game doesn't affect the fan bases of 30 of the league's 32 teams not everyone has figured out who they're rooting for. You have the New England Patriots, who have won three Super Bowls in the last decade. And you have the New York Giants, who won this game just four years ago.
Giants Vs. Patriots 2012: Who Are You Rooting For In The Super Bowl?
SB Nation’s Super Bowl roundtable has given their opinions on some of the key matchups and players. Now it’s time to draw from our inner fandom: Who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl?
So who do you root for in the Super Bowl?
That’s the question SB Nation’s Super Bowl roundtable took on. We have a collection of fan bases represented including the Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Chiefs. Our roundtable participants are Ryan Van Bibber (Turf Show Times), David Fucillo (Niners Nation) and Jason Garrison (Cincy Jungle), as well as myself, SB Nation’s NFL editor (and Arrowhead Pride).
Ryan Van Bibber: I'm legally bound to oppose the Patriots. As a Rams fan (yes, I know), New England's Super Bowl win in the 2001 season, the one that started it all, is forever tainted by Spy Gate revelations. Can the Rams' loss really be blamed on that? It's a stretch. Still, errant video cameras, the Tuck Rule Game, etc. all combine to make it hard for most people to like the Patriots.
I also pull for the Giants a little bit because of Tom Coughlin. How many times this season did we hear he was going to be fired? It’ll probably still pop up every now and then during the offseason if New York loses the Super Bowl. It’s hard not to root for someone who just a few weeks ago was thought to be on the firing line and now stands just one game away from winning his second Super Bowl in the last four years.
Jason Garrison: This is a tough question to answer. As a Bengals fan, I can't say that I'm a fan of the Patriots or the Giants, mostly because they have completely dominated the Bengals when they've matched up over the last several years. However, when it comes to the likability factor, I have to agree with Ryan: the Patriots, for several reasons, are hard to like.
So, I'll be rooting for the Giants. New York is the underdog and Americans have a love affair with underdog stories and I'm no exception (see Rudy and a billion other sports movies).
David Fucillo: I actually am almost legally bound to root for the New England Patriots. My dad is originally from Boston so he has been a Patriots fan his whole life. When the Patriots have been in the Super Bowl I’ve rooted for them each time. I’m not a huge believer in having an AFC team AND an NFC team, but family obligations make this pretty much a requirement.
Oh, and as a 49ers fan, the Giants just broke my heart. I suppose I should wish them well, but I remain at least a little bit bitter that the 49ers basically handed them the NFC Championship Game. Trent Dilfer praised Eli Manning all Sunday night for his huge performance against the 49ers, when in reality he had two dropped interceptions and got the crap kicked out of him by the 49ers defense. Yes, I remain bitter.
Joel Thorman: I'm a Chiefs fan and we're trying to create New England Midwest here in Kansas City with former Patriots like GM Scott Pioli and QB Matt Cassel. Thus, I have to root for the Patriots and hope that they win, which gives the Chiefs faith that what they're doing will work out in the end. (Let's just ignore the fact that the secrets to their success, Belichick and Brady, aren't in KC.)
I usually root for the underdog in situations like this but the Giants, who are the underdog in Vegas, just won the Super Bowl four years ago so they don’t really feel like much of an underdog.
Previously: Rob Gronkowski Vs. Giants Secondary Is A Key Matchup | Giants Receivers Have Edge Vs. Patriots Secondary
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