Well, football fans (and non-football fans who will tune in anyways in order to stay in the cultural loop), it's Super Bowl Sunday. So I suppose it's time to address the elephant in the room, and that is what an absolute nightmare match-up this game is for former St. Louis Ram's fans. Seriously.
For those unfamiliar with the history here, it's a long story, in two parts...
Part One: Seventeen years ago, the Patriots crushed the hearts and souls of Ram nation, while embarking on their road to becoming a "dynasty." The Pats Super Bowl record since is why the vast majority of the world is unequivocally rooting for the L.A. Rams today, but for St. Louis fans, the decision is not so simple. Which brings us to part two.
Part Two: In 2016, after several tense years full of negotiation and city bashing (from the then St. Louis Rams owner no less) the team returned to L.A. This could be painted as a city scorned story, but it wasn't the fact that the team left that stung, it was how it happened. In the team's wake was a trail of misrepresented, incomplete stats meant to disparage a city that had supported the Rams (emotionally and financially) for years. Of course, it worked, and the team is now back in La La Land.
To put it simply: There is no outcome tonight that will be satisfying for the fans of the St. Louis Rams. (A fellow St. Louis expat got into greater detail for "Sports Illustrated" here.) But I think it's clear which offense cut deeper (yet I still can't bring myself to root for the Patriots). I will be tuning in to Super Bowl LIII (and I have never meant this more) for the commercials.
Ultimately, I would never deny either fandom their right to excitement at today's game. I genuinely hope that you enjoy the game and that it's a good one. I ask only that you not judge the St. Louis fans for silently hoping that the stadium loses power and they're forced to cancel the game altogether.
...bi-daily smile...
