Super Bowl 2015: Two Polarizing Teams
By Lori Paddock
The Super Bowl 2015 challengers, the Patriot and Seahawks, bring more than an East versus West match up. They highlight regional cultural differences in this county.
For many Steelers fans, we’ll watch the Super Bowl because we love football. We would rather be watching our team compete in their 9th Super Bowl and win their 7th, but that is not to be this year.
The west coast versus east coast discussion has always been more prominent in baseball, but with the NFL western divisions having a such a good showing this year, the discussion fits here now.
The Patriot have a lot of non-fans (or haters). Perhaps it is because of their Super Bowl dominance during the first decade of this century. Many people will point to the team’s arrogance and the apparent “bending” or outright breaking of the rules. The team persona is based on a traditional leadership heirarchy – Belichick and Brady. Everyone else is a follower.
More from Still Curtain
- Steelers news: Rashard Mendenhall calls out Big Ben, Brian Flores interviews for HC job, and more
- Steelers play it safe in recent 2023 NFL mock draft
- Kenny Pickett gets his guy in latest Steelers mock draft with trades
- Steelers face potentially dark reality if Matt Canada doesn’t pan out
- Senior Bowl sleepers the Steelers must have on their radar
Seattle is a relative newcomer to the Super Bowl scene. With their win last year, perhaps the fans have moved on from the bitter loss from the Steelers in Super Bowl XL. Either way, Seattle fans bring a passion, a loud, in-your-face passion, that is different from New England fans. The team mentality is more of a collective persona. Pete Carroll embraces debate and everyone finding out how to work for each other. Individuality that melds toward a common goal is a theme.
So what is polarizing?
Is it the New England “arrogance” and traditional leadership versus the Seattle “bombastic” rhetoric or almost “hippy” style of team building?
Is it the “old” versus the “new?”
Is it Dunkin Donuts versus Starbucks?
Whatever it is, this Steeler fan is only interested in seeing a good game. I can’t find it in me to root for the Patriots this year, but I’m not exactly rooting for the Seahawks either.
The NFL better hope this is a cleanly officiated game. See Kim’s post on the pressure on the NFL for this game. As she says, there cannot be even the perception of a slip up.
I want to see a good game, but I feel someone is going to go away a sore loser and we’ll hear the whines for days. Maybe I’ll be wrong and we’ll just celebrate the victory and move on. Either way, I’m feeling “meh” about it all.
Looking forward to the Steelers in 2015! On to Training Camp!