I like the Super Bowl. For many years it was bad and now it’s good. When there were once blowouts there are now nail-biters. We even got to see Tom Petty sing one year. Did the Bills or Lions change their luck this season? We all know the answer. Did my Vikings, after a delightful season, win even one playoff game? Well, we know the answer to that as well.
Instead of watching about ten hours of the pre-game show (and is there anything worse than pre-game shows?), maybe you want to read a little about the sporting life. I’ve written more about football over the years than I would have expected. Looking back, I realize that most of the pieces are about losing or disappointment or the end of a dream that shouldn’t have been dreamt in the first place. I guess that’s like fishing in a way, but I’m not ready to parse the meaning of that just yet.
Here in New York it snowed so much last night that I don’t think I’ll have to hear insane Eagles fans cheering on the streets. Thank goodness. But if your team has lost or you just want the company of sad fans then here are some football pieces. You don’t have to be a Vikings, Bills, Browns or Lions supporters to sympathize with these—but it probably helps.
Enjoy the game!
-The Grand Delusion: Vikings Football
-Why Sports Why?: Heartbreak Season
-The Fine Art of Losing: Truly Tragic Teams
-The Fine Art of Losing (Redux): Detroit Lions Edition
-Irrational Exuberance: Thoughts on Fandom
-Playing the Villain: The Devil’s Haircut
Despite the cartoonish displays of garish polyester and $16M/minute hyper-capitalism, I expect to be berating my television for the better part of the evening. Go Birds!
I had just turned 10 when the Vikings lost their first Super Bowl to the stupid Hank Stram coached KC Chiefs. Their subsequent losses throughout the 1970’s defined my childhood. I’m not sure what I would do, now that I have achieved the grandfatherly age of 65, if they actually won the Lombardi Trophy. To say that it would be disorienting would be the understatement of the season. The Twins winning in ‘87 and ‘91 were joyful experiences but I don’t know if I could handle a Vikings championship trophy ceremony not supervised by Bud Grant.