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Super Bowl LIII is only a few hours away. Ever since the Rams won the NFC championship, the topic of the Super Bowl has been a complicated one for some fans in the St. Louis area.
When the Rams went from St. Louis to Los Angeles a couple of years ago, St. Louis was left without an NFL team. The parting was contentious, mostly because of the despicable team owner, Stan Kroenke. A vile human being, Kroenke has become the ultimate villain here in the Lou. He treated us like crap even though we supported the Rams financially and emotionally for years (even in those years when the team stunk). While the players all had wonderful things to say about St. Louis and the fans, Kroenke basically gave us the finger as he skipped on over to sunnier, richer Los Angeles. Kroenke is the worst of the worst.
Some football fans in St. Louis still root for the Rams. They were here for a long time and after all, the move wasn’t the players’ fault. Other football fans root for whomever plays the Rams, citing their intense hatred for Kroenke (and not wanting him to get a drop of glory or a cent of their money from merch, etc.).
Enter the New England Patriots. They aren’t loved in St. Louis either due to Super Bowl XXXVI when the Pats beat the Rams by cheating (allegedly). And well, Tom Brady isn’t exactly America’s Sweetheart.
What is the lesser of two evils?
I like Jared Goff over Brady and overall would rather see the Rams win than the Patriots. However, it will hurt my heart to see Kroenke celebrating if that happens.
Are you watching today? Who are you rooting for?
Amie Writes 
I didn’t know about the Rams owner/issues, but I am rooting for them. I would like Brady and Co. to be beaten for the second year in a row.
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Yes ultimately that is what I would like also.
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I’ll get this out of the way first: I grew up south of Boston. I am and probably always will be a Pats fan, even if I’ve lived in Seattle long enough to feel like #12. The cheating stuff gets old, and Tom Brady is a sweetheart to enough people that he keeps going… and in the end, while I know lots of people love to hate them, I know that if their home team was doing this kind of amazing wins, over and over, they wouldn’t think it was cheating, they’d think it was greatness. Hmm… wasn’t planning to be quite so enthusiastic. See, it’s in the blood. We are wicked proud of our Pats!
However, I found this piece very interesting. I took no interest in the Rams or their move. Honestly, I’m not a big sports fan; I just like my home team, for deeper reasons that probably are a bit like your girl scout’s camp ties. But your explanation here is interesting and made me care about how this all felt to St. Louis fans. That’s what writing is all about, right? Connections, sharing, enlightening. Nice piece!
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You should be proud of the Pats, they are very successful! Their record really can’t be argued. I’m sure the cheating thing gets old. The accusations from SB 36 (illegal taping of the Rams’ walkthrough) were never proven, though doubt will always remain. It’s human nature, I think. Especially since it came after the Jets incident. Tom Brady may not be my cup of tea, but I can absolutely see why he’s a hometown hero. I wish him well.
Sports are so interesting, right? The feelings here in St. Louis about the Rams departure run deep and are definitely complicated. But fans elsewhere who didn’t live through it really don’t understand. It’s not their reality and that totally makes sense. It’s all about perspective.
So thank you for sharing your perspective with me! I always appreciate insightful comments.
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It’s all very interesting. I may be a Pat’s fan, but I don’t drink the Kool Aid… there is always more perspective to consider.
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So true. And congrats on the recent SB win!
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