On January 21st, the AFC & NFC Championship games took place in two quite oppositely eventful games. The New England Patriots ousted the Jacksonville Jaguars after coming back from a 10-point deficit, and the Philadelphia Eagles routed the Minnesota Vikings by 31 points. I’m sure several football fans are just oh-so-delighted to see the same Brady/Belichick-led team appear in their 3rd Super Bowl in the last 4 years. However, many more were surprised to see the Eagles get back to the big game after 14 years, when they lost to the Pats by 3 points. Although we’ll all be watching in hopes of a close game, I can’t help but think of how much this sucks for all New York sports team fans, including myself.

We’ve already had to deal with the New York Giants, who were once favorites to some to get to the Super Bowl with the additions of Brandon Marshall, Evan Engram and a solid defense to seeing them go through a plethora of significant injuries, terrible O-line coverage (ala Ereck Flowers), shitty coaching decisions (like the blatant disrespect and benching of Eli Manning) all leading to a 3-13 record. Then there’s the Jets, a team I definitely don’t support, whose fans (I won’t name) were bugging me about my team being 0-5 before watching their team finish 5-11. It’s pathetic quite frankly and disappointing that they can’t represent when the G-men don’t make the playoffs.

Now, you got a team from Philly going against a suspicious “dynasty” from Boston, and we all have to watch? It may just be me, but I connect all sports together and this is definitely not something I’d call “eye candy” but more like “eye medicine,” considering both teams are from the same divisions as both NY teams. (No I didn’t include the Bills, but it was a good run for them, putting up a sole field goal en route to losing 10-3 to the jags). It’s also a good dose for the Giants (and I guess the Jets as well) to tell themselves, “Wow man, we really need to get our fucking acts together next season.”

Think of the history of teams between these rival cities; you got the Celtics and 76ers (albeit the latter is way more of a rivalry and I’m actually a fan of “the process” going on over in PHI). Then, there’s the damn Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.

I don’t think this can get any worse, and it seems like I’ll be forced to lean in favor of the Eagles, even after speaking with a friend who said, “at least you guys beat us,” (the Pats, yes he’s an uncultured football swine); “the Eagles are your rivals.”

My reasoning is simple: sometimes you have to work with an enemy to beat a mutual enemy. Any Pats fans can hate on me for saying that, but come on, the New England Patriots are the epitome of a boss in a video game: a bad guy with a lot of power that you want to beat.

From the Tuck-Rule to Spy-gate, to deflate-gate, to Robert Kraft being butt buddies with the commissioner of the damn league itself, all things point to suspicious activity to say the very least that led to their grandiose success. It is only because of the Giants that they lost 2 Super Bowls and never got that 19-0 record in ’07. Granted, if the Eagles win, then they wouldn’t be in that unique category anymore. Not to mention, I respect Brady’s game even though his team is coached by a guy who looked like Emperor Palpatine.

So, for now, who I root for is not set in stone. Thankfully, neither is the victor of what looks like a terrible game that the football fan in me will force my eyes to soak in. I’ll be stuck reminiscing about how my team beat both of them at some point while hoping the Knicks (of all NY teams) represent us in the playoffs. Who would’ve thought I’d put my faith in a 7’3 unicorn from Latvia surrounded by has-beens and a French rookie who goes by Frank because his last name (Ntilikina) is too hard to pronounce? What a start to 2018.