I remember my first live NFL game like it was yesterday. There was a guy sitting in the row next to us who would run up and down the steeply inclined staircase in between our rows giving everyone high fives whenever a huge play was made. He was dressed in orange from head to toe and his energy circulated throughout the entire section. Though we were hundreds of rows above the actual field, it felt as though we were right in the action and as though Eli Manning could hear us taunting him by saying, “Eli, Eli” in a nasally tone.
Ever since that day, football has changed for me. It has become more than just another sport to see on a TV in a bar or to only appreciate on Super Bowl Sunday. NFL Football is a big part of who I am. Watching it gives me a rush of adrenaline and it is an integral part of my Sunday routine.
But a regular Sunday Night Football game is nothing compared to what is coming up in one short week. If you have not heard already, Super Bowl 50 is next week, and it is going to be bigger than ever. I personally think that the United States should declare the Super Bowl a holiday in the United States because it is bigger than most holidays I know. I love Super Bowl Sunday. And my love for it extends far beyond seeing the funniest Doritos commercial or the flashy halftime show (even though Coldplay is going to do wonders)—I watch to find out who will be crowned the champions of this sport that I follow so religiously throughout the year.
To multiply the excitement I already have for this monumental Sunday by 1,000, the team that I love so much is one of two teams who has made it to the big day. To inform you once again, the Denver Broncos have made it to Super Bowl 50.
A lot of things happen when my favorite team makes it to the Super Bowl as I have discovered this year and in the god-awful experience that was two years ago. First of all, the “haters” come out from hiding. The people I did not even know were football fans, or quite frankly, are not football fans, come out of hiding ready to pounce on any opportunity they have to put their two cents in about how “Peyton Manning should retire,” or “Since I saw somewhere on some social media platform that the Panthers are a good team, they are probably going to win.” It becomes very clear the people who are just commenting for the Super Bowl hype and the people who really know the game.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Broncos “fans” appear out of nowhere. This happens with every Super Bowl with whatever teams are playing. People suddenly jump on the bandwagon for a team that is in the Super Bowl so that they can feel like they are a part of the game too. I understand that you have every right to pick a team to side with when this game is played on February 7, but I think that a line should be drawn. This game is a huge deal, especially for fans that attentively watch their favorite teams all year long—not just on one day.
However, when it is all said and done, what is at the forefront of my attention is not the bandwagon hater or fan, but rather, the feeling of enjoyment I feel whenever I remember that my team has made it to the Super Bowl. It is a feeling I cannot even begin to describe. The moment the AFC Championship ended with the Patriot’s missed two-point conversion, I began to cry tears of joy. To put this into perspective, I have only cried tears of joy twice in the past six months. Once because I had the chance to gaze up at the amazing work that is the Sistine Chapel and secondly when the Denver Broncos won the AFC Championship game. This is the level of excitement I am feeling, folks.
You may understand if you too have had your favorite team make the “Pigskin Showdown” in previous years. If not, it is totally understandable if all you want to see are the hilarious commercials. I just ask that you please keep us, the loyal fans, in mind when making your comments. Because for some people, myself included, Sunday, February 7, is not just another Sunday. It is the biggest Sunday of them all.
So, here is to the Super Bowl—the only holiday that is not considered a holiday. May the best man (men) win.
