HOW TO ROOT IN THE PLAYOFFS: WILD CARD

by wwtb?, Pacifist Viking

If you're like me (or like roughly 20 of every 32 NFL fans), your favorite team isn't playing anymore. You're also not ready to give up on professional football: you still want to watch games. But your fantasy season ended in the regular season, and you've worked too hard to kick your vicious gambling habit. So how do you find a rooting interest in the playoffs?

It's easy: root for the team whose fans have suffered the most. Look at each match-up, and try to surmise which teams' fan base has gone through more heartbreak, more losing, and more disappointment. Oh, if one of these teams is your favorite team's division rival, root against that team, of course. But otherwise, root for joyless fans to find joy. I'll help you figure out who to root for.

Washington Redskins v. Seattle Seahawks

The Redskins last won a Super Bowl in the 1991 season, and that's a pretty long stretch. Not long by Vikings, Bills, or Browns standards, but still a pretty long time. And the other pro teams in Washington aren't giving their fans any joy. But of course, that's all a bit hollow compared to what the Redskins suffered this season after Sean Taylor was murdered--there are degrees of suffering that make all sports seem shallow.

Of course, Seahawk fans have had a lot of sports suffering, too. No Seattle team has won a championship since the 1979 Supersonics (who are, by the way, probably moving out of Seattle). The Seahawks have been to the playoffs the previous four seasons, and each season lost a playoff game they could have easily won. They lost the "We'll take the ball and we're going to score!" game in overtime at Lambeau Field, they lost a game by seven to the Rams that featured a dropped game-tying pass, they lost a Super Bowl that they could have won (don't forget, the Seahawks when down by four would have had 1st and goal in the fourth quarter if not for a holding call), and then lost in overtime to Chicago in a game featuring several drops (they did win the Tony Romo game, though).

I would lean toward rooting for Seattle: no titles in the city since '79, sports fans losing their basketball team, and a football team that's been close but short for years. But death trumps everything else: the Redskins are playing for Sean Taylor, and so you should probably root for Washington.

Jacksonville Jaguars v. Pittsburgh Steelers
Sometimes it's easy. Steeler fans get adored by the national media, get to watch their team in many prime time games, and just saw their team win a Super Bowl two seasons ago. Jaguar fans haven't suffered in any great way (they've only existed since 1995, after all). You don't have to feel for Jags fans, but there's no reason on earth to sympathize with Steeler fans. Root for the Jaguars.

New York Giants v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I can't really see any reason to root for either of these teams. Buccaneer fans just saw their team win a championship in the 2002 season. Giant fans haven't seen a championship since 1986, but it's New York. Giant fans are probably also Yankee fans, so really, what reason do you have to sympathize with them? This is a push: there's no reason to like either of these teams.

Tennessee Titans v. San Diego Chargers
This is what it's all about. You can be indifferent to Titan fans: they've only had the team for a decade. But Charger fans?

The Chargers won an AFL championship in 1963, but nobody ever talks about or even seems to count AFL titles (though they should). Their playoff record is 7-13. They last won a playoff game in the 1994 season. In 2004 and 2006, they had teams capable of winning the Super Bowl, but lost playoff games by three points each year.

No championships since 1963 (and that a championship that nobody counts)? No playoff wins since the 1994 season? Significant heartbreaking playoff losses in the past few seasons?

If you're looking for a long-suffering franchise to root for in the 2007 season playoffs, try on the San Diego Chargers.