XLVIII

The Power of social media is quite amazing. Whether you're scrolling through your newsfeed on Facebook or browsing Twitter, there is no possible way you can't know who won the Super Bowl last night. One thing I have noticed is that people tend to think of their favorite football team as an extension of themselves. Who "their team" is defines them. Last night, whether they were rooting for the Denver Broncos or the Seattle Seahawks, people referred to them as theirs or mine. A few lines I read/heard yesterday:

"Can't wait to see my Broncos take another ring."


"The Seahawks have been my team since day one, everybody else is just getting on the bandwagon."


We also tend to see people defending players like they were their own flesh and blood. Although, of course, most fans have never personally met the players.


"Richard Sherman is a good guy. He's brilliant too - graduated from Harvard."


"Manning still had the greatest season of all time and shattered multiple records."

While it is no secret how much Americans love football, it is astonishing just how much we let it define who we are. Like many consumer behavior revelations, it is absurd how much some people let the sport affect their lives. But then again... most of us wouldn't date a Montana Grizzly.