It's a common occurrence: you've been invited to a Super Bowl party, and you can't decide whom to root for because a) you're not a football fan (what the heck's WRONG with you?!?) or b) your team isn't playing. So how do you line up? Assuming there's no political/peer pressure in the room--say, your boss being there and really being a fan of the Schenechtady Demolishers or whatever--you're free to choose your own path.
For years, I've been using the Father Dan method of choosing a team to root for during random sports events. These rules work for football, baseball, basketball, or nearly any American team sport. Please keep in mind, however, that it is a very Leahyish and very Chicagoan formula. Your mileage may vary, depending on where you live. But really, for the Chicago sports fan, things are usually pretty simple:
- In an East vs. West game, root for the team from the East.
- In a North vs. South game, root for the team from the North.
- If one team is from New York, root for the other team.
- If both teams are from New York, root for the NFC over the AFC (or, in baseball, National League vs. American League).
- If one team recently won against a Chicago team under murky circumstances, root for the other guys.
