Football fandom alive and well on campus

In May of 2013, it was announced that the 50th Super Bowl would be held in Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. As Super Bowl Sunday approaches on Feb. 7, many students continue to follow football closely, despite the 49ers’ abysmal season.

One such student is sophomore Akhil Marimuthu.

Marimuthu was always a fan of the 49ers, but the Arizona Cardinals captured his interest earlier this season when they beat the 49ers 47-7.

“What really caught my eye was [the Cardinals’] offense,” Marimuthu said. “Ironically, I only started following them after watching them beat my main team.”

Marimuthu is a self-described “football fanatic” and said that he has been following the NFL since he was “in the womb.” Watching football was an essential part of his Sunday afternoons as he was growing up.

Some students, however, have always supported teams other than the 49ers and are now voicing that support proudly.

For example, sophomore Karthik Ramachandran has always been a diehard fan of the New England Patriots and can publicly voice his support for the team now that the 49ers are not in the championships. Ramachandran believes that his team can make it all the way.

“The Patriots have both the best quarterback and tightend in the league, and their receivers are pretty decent too,” Ramachandran said. “I think they have a good chance at the Super Bowl. They have very little competition in the American Football Conference.”

The Carolina Panthers, which finished with the league’s best record at 15-1, has caught the eyes of some students as well.

Senior Camille Bismonte, whose family is from Chicago, has always been a fan of the Chicago Bears, but now likes the Panthers as well.

“I think [the Panthers’] main strength this season was that their quarterback [Cam Newton] got a lot more mature,” Bismonte said. “He doesn’t take as many risks anymore.”

Though the Niners won’t play on their home field in the sport’s 50th Super Bowl, it’s likely hundreds of students will be tuned in to the big game on Feb. 7.

“Football isn’t just a game,” Marimuthu said. “It’s a way of life.”