Amelia Parreira
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Super Bowl Sunday is one of my favorite days of the year.
There’s nothing quite like gathering in the living room with my family and friends as we insanely scream at the television, while a bunch of 300-pound guys plunge head-first into another bunch of 300-pound guys. Most importantly, it’s one of the only days of the year where I can scarf down three chili cheese dogs without a single ounce of guilt.
Even more importantly, however, is that feeling of pride and joy I get when that one team I cheer for earns the championship title.
I had never thought that there would be a year where I absolutely could not take a side — until this year.
I am a huge San Francisco 49ers fan, so I naturally have negative feelings regarding their main rival, the Seattle Seahawks. But putting loyalty to my own team aside, I feel as though I still cannot bring myself to have a soft spot for the Seahawks.
To me, team sportsmanship and good character are more important than keeping top-notch statistics. This is something the Seahawks have yet to achieve. Sure, maybe not all of them reflect poor personalities, but the only ones who take the spotlight in the media do, making it difficult for the whole team to have anything but a bad name.
Take cornerback Richard Sherman, for instance.
After winning the 2014 NFC Championship Game over the Niners by a score of 23-17, Sherman reacted by shouting angry remarks in an interview with reporter Erin Andrews directed at wide receiver Michael Crabtree. How does someone earn an incredible title like that and still throw a tantrum afterward?
It still leaves me in awe.
And, of course, it wasn’t just that one time. No, Sherman went on to plenty more interviews with the same attitude. For example, in an ESPN interview with host Skip Bayless, Sherman refused to answer questions and only took advantage of the moment to insult Bayless, calling him “ignorant,” “pompous,” “egotistical” and other related terms.
Sherman is not the only Seahawk with appalling behavior. Running back Marshawn Lynch has gotten an exceeding amount of attention for being constantly uncooperative with the media, speaking a word, if anything at all, in interviews and press conferences. I’ve heard people say it’s just because he’s shy, but I say that’s bull. Lynch appeared on a recent episode of Late Night with Conan O’Brien with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, not showing any struggle to keep up the conversation. Heck, he even smiled! That just shows that maybe he has just been acting like a stubborn hardhead all along. Come on, either stay on terms with your contract or get off the field.
I am just so glad the Seahawks lost.
Now, the Patriots — I have never been too fond of them, either, and I certainly don’t hate them as much as the Seahawks, but my respect for them has especially plummeted over the past few weeks. I don’t know how they managed to get away with under-inflating footballs in a big championship game, much less any game, but all I know is that it’s wrong and never should have happened. A true winning team wins with integrity, not because it created an advantage over another team and cheated its way to the top. I don’t have too much else to say about the Patriots because, well, it’s pretty much self-explanatory.
Maybe this Super Bowl win will give them enough confidence and security to stop feeling the need to cheat. Probably not, though.
I just hope that next year’s Super Bowl is actually worth my attention.