Eric on The Road

Journeys into the offbeat, off the beaten path, overlooked and forgotten - by Eric Model

Friday, February 02, 2007

Super Bowl Sub-Story: The Competition for Fans' Hearts in Northwest Indiana (NYT)

From The New York Times; By Susan Saulny; January 30, 2007:

It's Super Bowl Weekend. Much is being written about the game and everything surrounding it in South Florida.

But another interesting side story is taking place back home up in the cold north.

Never have two teams so geographically close competed for professional football’s ultimate prize, teams based in Chicago (Bears) and Indianapolis (the Colts formerly of Baltimore - but that's a whole other story). Culturally, they are Midwestern siblings. Physically, they are but 180 miles apart along Interstate 65. Around here, Sunday’s game has become better known as the “I-65 Super Bowl.”

The north-south border between Illinois and Indiana extends from the lower tip of Lake Michigan to Kentucky. The border between Colts and Bears territory is less clear, but many fans agree it runs right through this town in northwest Indiana. “We are torn, we really are,” said the mayor, Herbert Arihood.

The dividing line is as fluid as it is invisible, snaking at odd angles through homes, restaurants, offices and bars, turning husband against wife, brother against sister, shop owner against customer.

In ordinary times, Illinois and Indiana, which share a good bit of commuter traffic and extended family ties, are not known as antagonists.

But when it comes to football, “we’re talking two neighboring states but two different reputations and styles,” said Robert P. Schmuhl, the chairman of the American studies department at the University of Notre Dame, near South Bend.

For the complete article, see: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/30/us/30rivalry.html

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