We have, very fortunately, managed to find a bar in Jakarta that opens up at 5:00 AM, and which has ESPN, meaning we will be able to make it to watch the Super Bowl this year. (We will be arriving there around 6:30 ideally, in time for kickoff on the East Coast of the US.) This is very very good, except for now we have to deal with the fact that we actually have to watch the game, which may kill me (TP).
I think that the Sports Guy should make a ruling about sports allegiances, since he has rules about just about everything else. For example, let’s say you live in a city that does not have its own professional teams, and more importantly, which lies in sort of near a whole bunch of sports franchises. Harrisburg, PA, would be a nice example, since it is within four hours of five major sports markets (Philly, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington, and NYC). I believe that it’s fair to pick and choose what teams you like, meaning it’s OK for someone to like the Pirates in baseball and the Sixers in basketball and the Metrostars in MLS and the Redskins in football. But what happens if a new team moves into a major market area near you, like what happened with the Ravens in football a couple seasons back and will be happening in baseball soon? I used to think that my football allegiance was the Eagles, but then the Ravens started to exist, so I threw my loyalties to them. But I’ve come to realize that I was never NEARLY as nervous about the Super Bowl my senior year, when the Ravens won, as I am right now, and I probably watched 75% of the NFL season that year (as opposed to none so far). Tested in such a way, I think that this reveals that I really am still an Eagles fan first and foremost at heart. I guess I’ve been deluding myself. I already had one nightmare about the Super Bowl so far, for crying out loud.
At any rate, we’ll be watching the Super Bowl. I’m not sure if there was really a point to that last paragraph. This is what happens when JM says "you go check email, I’ll get started on dinner."
tompepinsky.com 
eeee February 7, 2005
so, what rules apply when you happen to live in a city where there USED to be 2 professional football teams (not counting the USFL Express, or the AFL Avengers now) one of which actually was in Anaheim, but like some foolish MLB team thinks of Anaheim as being in Los Angeles. Do you go with the now geographically closest team (Chargers) or root for a team that left your city.
I know the Sports Guy probably wouldn’t concern himself so much with left coast sports, but it isn’t pretty out here!!
Given that the Pats have had their share of glory, and the Red Sox won this year I am in the Eagle camp today (although I haven’t lost any sleep over it)
Tom February 7, 2005
That’s a totally pertinent question. I say that there is no greater “screw you” to a city than a sports franchise leaving it, so I think that you are duty-bound to hate the Rams and the Raiders forever, unless they move back. So I guess that leaves you having to root for the Chargers, but maybe new rules apply that say that you can pick any team and start over now. However, there’s also the idea that if you have no team in your metro area then you can pick anyone anyway, so I don’t know.