The first Superbowl I’ve ever watched was the battle between the famous Dallas Cowboys powerhouse of the mid 90s and Bill Cowher’s inspiring underdog Pittsburgh Steelers (Superbowl XXX, played in Tempe, Arizona).  I was in America a little more than a year and was the only kid in my small Russian Jewish immigrant neighborhood in Rochester, NY who rooted for the Steelers.  Like most immigrants, my buddies all followed the probable winners (which explains why most immigrants vote Democrat).

And alas, Kordell Stewart and Rod Woodson proved no match for the dream team of Emmit Smith, Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, and Troy Aikman.  Ordered to bed by my parents in the middle of the game, I found out that my team lost in the morning from my father’s “Democrat and Chronicle” newspaper.  And what a tough morning that was!  To hear mocking snickers in a pidgin of Russian and English slang from my friends on the school bus!  Well, it was good practice for being a paleoconservative – going against the tide of popular opinion, fighting the good fight in the face of hostile crowds.

From then on, I developed a rule for all future Superbowls:  if a NY team isn’t playing, root for the underdog.  But this year I’m not following this rule.  Even though the Seahawks seem to be a slight underdog, after their cornerback’s idiotic rant, I’m supporting the Broncos.  My prediction:  31-24 Broncos.  As for the game day menu, I decided to replace the customary beer with Mateus – a wonderful Portuguese rosé wine that should go well with the pizza.  Cheers!