Favila: Waiting to see what XLIV will mean to me

As I prepare to watch the Indianapolis Colts take on the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV this evening, I can’t help but wonder how anyone born before 1967 ever got along without such a monumental event as part of their lives.

To me — someone who was born the year Kansas City beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV — the Super Bowl is part of life. Like the rising sun, it’s a given that every February the NFC champion will take on the AFC champ in a monumental showdown that is unmatched by any other sporting event.

Maybe it’s the finality of it all that makes the Super Bowl so special. Unlike other championships in which a title is won only after a series of games, the Super Bowl is a one-time, winner-take-all, no-holds-barred fight that leaves one team on top of the world and the other team wondering what might have been.

Or maybe it’s the sheer amount of hype associated with the event that makes it so unique. Like Christmas when you’re a child, the Super Bowl seems to take forever to arrive and the buildup is immense. Then, once the big day finally arrives, there’s a sort of immediate letdown and a feeling of sadness. A feeling that you just can’t wait until next year for everything to happen all over again.

The first Super Bowl that I actually remember watching was Super Bowl XII when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Denver Broncos. I was only 7 at the time, but I can clearly remember my family crowded in front of the television set at my grandmother’s house watching the game and rooting passionately for the Cowboys.

I vividly recall the way my Aunt Irma shouted in joy when her beloved ’Boys hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy in celebration. Even my grandfather, who was a man of few words and emotions, was visibly pleased with the outcome of the game.

Ironically, the exact same scene was replayed in complete reverse the following year when the Cowboys lost to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XIII. I remember my aunt was so upset that she stayed outside in the cold for nearly two hours while she waited for her anger to subside.

As for my grandpa, he simply clamed up and never said a word about the game ever again. My father later told me that he used the same strategy to get over the Cowboys losing to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl X.

Over the years, I’ve come to attach certain memories to each Super Bowl.

For example, Super Bowl XVI is the game where I decided once and for all that I was going to be a San Francisco 49ers fan because of the way Joe Montana played against Cincinnati. With that said, I naturally have very found memories of Super Bowls XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX.

As for Super Bowl XVIII, that’s the Super Bowl where I learned not to make bets you can’t pay. After hearing that the Washington Redskins were a lock to take home the 1983 championship, I put $10 on the game never thinking I’d actually have to pay up. Unfortunately, Marcus Allen and the L.A. Raiders ran wild over the ‘Skins that Sunday.

I had to get my 13-year-old butt outside that night to rake leaves so I could earn money to ante up the next morning.

As for today’s Super Bowl, the memories have yet to be set but, for one thing, this will be the first Super Bowl that I get to watch in the comfort of my own home, which my wife and I purchased last April.

Also, this will mark the first Super Bowl that I get to watch with my son. He may only be a few weeks old, but rest assured, he’ll be watching.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone!

Dave Favila is senior sportswriter for Valley Freedom Newspapers. He can be reached at davidf@valleystar.com or at 956-430-6214.