My Dad And His Rooting Interest

While chatting on the phone with my dad earlier this week, the conversation eventually came around to Arizona being in the Super Bowl. My dad mentioned that two of his students are from Pittsburgh originally, and are big Steelers' fans. My dad said he told them he had to root for Arizona for two reasons:

Reason 1: Because back when the Cardinals were still in St. Louis, Terry Bradshaw and the Steelers used to regularly humiliate the Cardinals. One game in particular that stuck in his craw was a game where he remembers the Cardinals apparently knocking Bradshaw out of the game early, then jumping out to a 3+ touchdown lead. Except Terry returned in the second half, showing no ill effects of whatever laid him low, and lead a Pittsburgh comeback. I get the impression my father doesn't believe Bradshaw was actually injured, and so he's still holding a grudge.

Reason 2: As he put it himself, 'I unfortunately passed the Cardinals' fandom on to my son, then abandoned him'.

I found that second reason pretty amusing. I have a hard time gauging how my dad feels about me having taken up the Arizona Cardinals' fan banner. Most of the time I think he feels bad for me that they've been so lousy. At the same time, he holds (or did hold) considerable ill will towards the Bidwells for moving the team, so I think part of him enjoys the fact they continued to stink, that they deserved it*. In the past when he's asked me how the Arizona Caards have been doing, I had the sense he was fighting himself. He didn't want to know, but he kind of did. or maybe he already knew the answer and just didn't want to have to commiserate with me about it. Or listen to me scream bloody murder about the performance of Jake Plummer**.

* He views the current state of the Kansas City Royals the same way, that their ineptitude is payback for benefitting from the Denkinger call in '85. I don't believe he's moved past that one. Or that he's bothered to try.

** Or scream bloody murder about how Jake was being blamed for the performance of the team in excess of any damage he might be inflicting.