“When you start supporting a football club, you don’t support it because of the trophies, or a player, or history, you support it because you found yourself somewhere there; found a place where you belong.” – Dennis Bergkamp
Being born and raised in the Boston area, it was a given that my heart would always be with our local teams. The Red Sox are my favorite; I love everything about the team and consider Fenway Park holy ground. The Garden is where the legacies of Bobby Orr and Larry Bird will always live.
Football, however? I never really connected much with football. First, there’s too much math in it for me, with “first and 10” and downs and yards. Also, I can be in Boston in under an hour for the Sox, Bruins, or Celtics. Getting to Foxborough is more complicated. Still, the Patriots are my team and always will be.
Recently, I started going to a club I belong to for Football Sunday. I must be honest; it was mostly because of a beautiful porch with a beach view and some great snacks. Meatball subs, chili, chicken wings, all overlooking the ocean and the Boston skyline — what’s not to like?
It was the crowd, too. No, not the screaming thousands in the stands, but just friends and sometimes neighbors catching up over a cold one. Kids are coming in and out from the beach, parents get a chance to socialize, and everyone is bonding over the Pats. Tom is gone, and this season isn’t going well for them, but it’s a shared experience, even when we don’t win.
Everyone that shows up for the game has a point of view on it. It’s the officials; they hate us! No, it’s the defense, the offense, or the coaching. Hardly anyone agrees, but the discussion is lively, the food is good, and everyone brings a different outlook to the day.
On one recent Sunday, in addition to a bar full of Patriots fans, we had a few New York Jets fans in the house. The game was relatively close at times; there were good and bad calls, tackles, interceptions, and some great throws and catches. There was also more than a little good-natured trash-talking happening, but that is as much a part of the game as the 50-yard line.
Especially between teams from Boston and New York, there will always be rivalry in sports, but just as the quote suggests, there can be a sense of belonging even among people who don’t always agree.
In any conflict, there is always more than one side. When you experience another side of any issue, at the very least, you will learn something. You’ll see that someone who roots for another team might not be that different from you.
The camaraderie and community I’ve found watching a game I don’t fully understand with new friends I’m just getting to know has been incredible. Wouldn’t it be something if other current events were like rooting for a team on football Sunday?
What if the political debates involved meatballs, wings, and lively discussion over adult beverages? Somehow, I don’t see that going well, which is too bad. The expression “decisions are made by those who show up” rings true, whether in our community or the field of play. Nothing good ever comes out of a process that only includes one side. It didn’t ruin my good time that there were Jets fans alongside Pats fans. Why would it?
Town Meeting in Marblehead always has a bit of rivalry and competition. Perhaps if they allowed a concession stand with hot dogs and ice cream, the arguments and audience comments might be friendlier.
I don’t expect politics to change much, but in the meantime, gathering with fans, sharing a meal, hooting and hollering at bad ref calls and good interceptions has become part of my Sunday Funday. I might not be a football expert — yet — but I have perfected a chili recipe and learned what first and 10 means. Go Pats!