As I write this Super Bowl LX is just a few days away. It will feature the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots. I am a little bit miffed that the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl again - I mean it was just seven years ago since they last won with Mr. Superstar Tom Brady, and I was really hoping that a bunch of other teams would get a chance to go to the Big Game now that he has retired. Like who, you may ask? Well, it would be really nice if my favorite NFL team (for the past 45 years mind you!), the Las Vegas Raiders, could get their act together and appear in the Super Bowl again. Or my 2nd favorite team, the New York Jets, would be nice to see too! However, given that they both finished in the bottom two this year, it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon. But hey - at least the Raiders will get the first pick in the upcoming NFL draft, so there is a glimmer of some hope!

I am often asked why I like those teams, since it has been forever since either of them were actually any good. The Raiders last visited (and lost) the Super Bowl in 2003. That was 23 years ago. And the Jets? Even worse - their last and only visit (which they won) was in 1968! That was 57 years ago - three years before I was even born!

So why do I still support them, especially since I don't live in either Las Vegas or New York? Well, it is hard to say, other than I am not a fair weather fan. The Raiders have effectively always been my favorite team - ever since I became aware of the NFL back in third grade. And the reason I like the Jets is because when I was a little kid I remember seeing an episode of the Brady Bunch where Joe Namath (the Jets' quarterback when they won the Super Bowl) was a guest star, and it made an impression on me.

Also, I feel like it is actually more fun, and less pressure, to cheer for bad teams. Yeah, when I root for the Raiders or the Jets I actually have some mild hope that they might win - and I am not too disappointed if they end up losing. I never take their games too seriously, and that is good for both my blood pressure and my temper. And if they do somehow win, then I am elated and can go around giving other people grief - for a week at least.

I feel the same way about our local NBA team: the Utah Jazz. I have constantly been let down by my hopes for them, but I still cheer for them anyway. I am hoping that all these teams will win a championship before I die, but I am not holding my breath. Hope springs eternal... but reality still gets its way every time it punches me in the gut.