In case anyone out there has no idea who will play in Super Bowl XLV on Feb. 6, the Green Bay Packers will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Cowboys Stadium. For me, these next two weeks will be interesting. Unlike many of my fellow students who hail from areas around the Steel City, I am not a black and yellow fan; I support the green and yellow.
Yes, I love the Green Bay Packers, and I am not afraid to admit it.
However, I am more excited about the outcome of this past Sunday’s game, the NFC Championship game that pitted the Pack against the Chicago Bears. This rivalry has been going on since the dawn of time (or 1921, whichever you prefer). Growing up in a Packer family, I learned to be anti-Chicago before I even knew what a football was. So when the offer to watch the championship game with a group of fans for both teams came up, I jumped on it.
Even before kickoff, however, I knew the game would make me miss my family.  Every Sunday we travel to grandma and grandpa’s house to watch the game, eat and enjoy each other’s company. This week, part of me longed for Clearfield, even though I was excited to watch the game with a new group.
The funny thing is that as soon as I arrived at the new game location, I felt like I was at grandpa’s house. No, my Uncle Joe was not pacing around and Packer merchandise didn’t line the walls. In a weird way, though, I felt like I was with family, but not in the traditional use of the word.
This does not mean my real family felt so far away. My mom texted me throughout the game, giving me updates on everyone’s reactions and conversing about plays, which made me feel like I was there.
Fast forward a few hours. After the Packers secured their spot in the Super Bowl, I went to 9 p.m. Mass. The sermon and one of the readings were about rivalries, and I just had to silently laugh. After going through a game that was highly based on rivalries, hearing the word in church was slightly ironic to me. It also put it into prospective; though I will always and forever be a Packers fan, at the end of the day, I know it is only a game.
This doesn’t mean the Super Bowl does not mean anything to me. I really hope my boys in green and gold bring Lombardi back to TitleTown, USA, that another trophy can be found in Lambeau Field at the Packers Hall of Fame and that Aaron Rodgers gets his ring and can finally fully shake the shadow of Brett Favre.
I am excited to see what happens. I am also excited to banter with my Steelers fan friends. However, all I ask is keep it classy. This goes for all fans, not just the supporters of the reigning teams.
While the game means a lot to us here in America, God could care less about who wins the Super Bowl. While rivalry is fun, it does create hostile situations, and such unfriendliness is one of the worst parts about the sport. I’m grateful I got the opportunity to hang out in a Bears fan’s house after the final score. It was actually just as pleasant as watching the game.
I would like to congratulate the Chicago Bears for a game well played. I would say this even with the score reversed. As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, I hope that the game in two weeks is just close and exciting as the championships have been. I would like to see some good football.
So in two weeks, no matter whom you cheer for and even if you don’t like football, I ask for one thing: Please pray, not for a certain team to win or lose, but for a fair and well-played game. Pray that no one suffers serious injuries and ask for the safety of both teams. They are men who just do their jobs, and they may be praised – but they are not immortal.
One last thing: Go Pack go!

CAITIE RYAN
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