There are times when I almost dislike my job being an NFL analyst. This weekend is one of those times. I mean I can take pleasure in my conference championship game predictions and also in the projected stats for each player provided by our Lineup Analyzer at FantasyFootballStarters.com, but speaking purely as a fan, I am unhappy with myself.
You see, in my playoffs preview done right after week 17, I took a Chicago Bears/Pittsburgh Steelers matchup for my Super Bowl 45 prediction. And it has an excellent chance of happening too. But I am simply not a fan of either team! And it is annoying in a smug way to be divided into two factions within my mind: one side that likes being right, and the either side that really is more of a fan of the Packers and Jets.
You see, I grew up as a Los Angeles Rams fan. And I remember Super Bowl 14 when the Rams took a 19-17 lead into the 4th quarter on the Pittsburgh Steelers only to give up 14 points and lose that game. I never liked the Steelers in the 1970′s before that and that cemented my dislike for them. I also remember the 1985 NFC Championship game between the Rams and Chicago Bears where the Rams lost 24-0. It probably didn’t help that I shared an apartment with a Bears fan at that time and he was most obnoxious about the Bears victory (and all their success that season).
I also, from childhood, have good memories of cheering sometimes for the Green Bay Packers. I also remember liking Joe Namath and the Jets. Other teams I cheered for as a child were the Chiefs, Colts, and Eagles. I had pennants for each of these teams on the walls in my bedroom as a child and followed each, although the Rams were always my favorite.
So here we come full circle: the NFL fan in me is hoping for both the Packers and Jets to win this weekend. The NFL analyst in me wants to be right and see the Bears and Steelers come out victorious. The likeliest scenario is that the Packers and Steelers win and that my preseason Super Bowl prediction from LAST season (2009) actually comes true, albeit a year later than predicted.
One way or another, I’m going to be happy on one side, and miserable on another.
The dichotomy of being an NFL fan and Analyst!
