Many at The Buffalo Tavern were rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles to beat Tom Brady and the Patriots.
With beer and pizza in-hand, Burlington residents gathered around television sets Sunday night hoping for an underdog victory in Super Bowl 52 featuring the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots.
As Mike Woodson put it, “Anybody but the Patriots. I can’t stand the Patriots.”
Cindee Wilson, rooting for the Eagles, agreed.
“(The Patriots) are winning too much. Year after year after year, and I’d like to see the underdog win,” she said.
Cindee Wilson, who watched the game at The Buffalo Tavern in Burlington, admitted her viewing of the Super Bowl came after a season of not watching NFL football games. Protests started this season when former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick did not stand for the National Anthem in 2016 to draw attention to police brutality and racial inequality. Kaepernick's actions, and the ensuing protests of several NFL teams, stirred controversy that, for many, made them stop watching NFL games all together.
With a son in the military, Wilson found the players' actions disrespectful. She said she was happy to watch the game at a bar, so those monitoring viewership would not count her home TV among those tuned in.
Tom Engberg shared similar sentiments, saying he also did not watch NFL games this season.
“I don’t really care about the game,” said Engberg. “They turned me off with all that taking a knee bit. It just happens to be on while I’m here.”
Wilson said she was there to watch the game, and doesn’t care much for the halftime show or commercial “hoopla.” However, others like Rhonda Wilson “live for the commercials.”
A fan of comedic ads, Rhonda Wilson said commercials offer something to make viewers laugh.
For Miranda Byrd, whose husband owns Parkside Brewery, Super Bowl traditions center around food. Every year, Byrd participates in a chili contest, and her “Grandma M’s chili” was a past winner. This year, she shared the special recipe, prepared with Parkside beer, with others.
Whether tuned in for Justin Timberlake's performance, the commercials, pizza and wings or after a season away from the NFL, Rhonda Wilson neatly summed up the attitude of some Burlington viewers.
“It’s time for a change."