Gathering
for the Big Game
The New England Patriots (helmet pictured, on top) and
New York Giants will square off in Super Bowl XLII |
It’s not a massive contingent, percentage-wise, of
football fans among Smith students. But come Sunday, when
the year’s biggest sporting event airs nationally,
Smith’s National Football League fans will faithfully
gather to cheer on their teams.
As they did last year,
nearly 100 students will watch the game together in the
Campus Center Carroll Room. That game pitted the Indianapolis
Colts against the Chicago Bears. But given this year’s
regional competition, between the New England Patriots
and the New York Giants, the crowd can be expected to swell.
“We expect that well over three quarters of the crowd
will be Pats fans,” predicts Patrick Connelly, assistant
director of student activities, who is coordinating the party. “The
crowd is rowdy, loud and all about having a good time.”
A large-screen television will be brought in for the purpose.
But like tailgaters outside a stadium, the students will
show up long before the 6:17 p.m. kickoff to participate
in football and New England Patriots trivia games and try
their luck in raffle drawings to win Patriots goodies and
wear.
But when it’s game time, spectators will likely be
drawn to the big screen to catch the action—and the
sights.
“Many of these students grew up watching football
and are very knowledgeable about the game,” says Connelly.
Students’ favorite players? Like the rest of the country,
many Smith football fans are crazy about Patriots quarterback
Tom Brady, “but [Patriots receiver] Wes Welker and
[Giants quarterback] Eli Manning are favorites, too.”
Connelly expects the SuperBowl party to be an annual event.
The party is sponsored by the Campus Center Activities Board,
which coordinates numerous cultural events throughout the
year.
Who knows? If the Patriots keep up their winning ways, the
SuperBowl party could become a New England football tradition.
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