Super Bowl 2012: Favorite Team Not in Indy? Find a Reason to Root Against

Have you ever seen that tee-shirt that says: “I Have Two Favorite Teams: The Eagles and Whoever Plays the Cowboys”?

It was genuine glee to watch the squad formerly known as America’s Team come up short once again in the final game of the regular season–to see the likes of Jerry Jones and Tony Romo once again make early golf reservations.

The more smug they are throughout the year, the more vindicating it is to see them defeated.

My point is this: Even though the season for my beloved Eagles (another team passionately hated by many lately) is long gone, I spent this past weekend pulling for two teams with Gang Green-like passion.

For die-hard football fans, when your favorite team has taken its vacation far too soon, we have to convince ourselves of reasons to pull for someone else.

Sadly, both the 49ers and Ravens came up painfully short, negating the possibility of an All-Harbaugh championship.

In any sport, rooting for a team simply to spite another is an honored playoff tradition. Not only does it provide a temporary escape from the fact that our team came up short, it helps keep our attention on the sport.

Without fail, every October, you can find me rooting on the latest ball-club with a chance to knock out the overpaid, diva-Yankees.

Each spring (after I send out a search team to help me locate where I can find the NHL playoffs on my television), I look forward to the once-juggernauts Red Wings and Devils playing on thin ice–literally and figuratively.

It could be 40 years from now and you’ll still witness me and my arthritic-something supporting any team that can prevent the Lakers from advancing to the next round.

And you might as well add the over-hyped Heat to that category now.

Taking a legitimate stance against another team is part of the fun in being a fan.

Some may call it sports infidelity, but if your significant other always claims a headache, how far can the next fling be?

(Good money says Cleveland fans are collectively nodding their heads right about now.)

If nothing else, it ensures that we can save our self-pitying call-ins to the local talk-show for a little while longer.

Therefore, the Super Bowl can still be more than just an additional opportunity to eat, drink and mock the latest has-been artist on the halftime stage this year.

I have already provided myself many a reason to hate the Patriots. And as a Philly guy, rooting against the Giants is fairly obvious.

That said, it will take more than a couple cold showers in the coming days for me to wash off the guilt and shame of rooting for one of them once again.