C.C. Glenn Still reeling from the Jets’ playoff loss, the author considers some Super Bowl viewing options.As the 2011 NFL season comes to a close with a Super Bowl clash between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, there’s a detached air in New York City. There are no more random battle cries of J-E-T-S. Rex Ryan’s personal league-wide vendetta is a thing of the past. Green jerseys lay balled up in the back of closets or the bottom of dumpsters, stained with beers and tears. There’s a game left, but for us –– that is, Jets fans in the East Village and other parts of New York City –– the season’s over. We’re tired. We’re confused.
For the first time since August, we have nowhere to turn. Since the football season began in August, many of us have gravitated toward the Jets, with their scrappy play. For New York City transplants, the gradual adoption of the Jets meant defecting not only from the Giants (the other “New York” team that plays in New Jersey) but also hopping fickly from less fortunate childhood teams in other states and cities.
Throughout the team’s improbable playoff run, it felt like every New Yorker was a New York fan, every bar was a Jets bar.
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Lots of East Villagers might be bummed by the absence of the Jets in Sunday’s game. But we shouldn’t lose our sportsmanship or our spirit. There are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy the most important NFL game of the year. But selecting a supreme post to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers is no easy feat with all of the East Village options.
Not everyone is into amped up Super Bowl crowds, rasslin’ for prime TV viewing real estate. So, do you prefer seats or standing room only? Food or just drinks? Essential questions we at The Local hope to answer in this grouping of neighborhood hot spots.
Claire Glass Professor Thom’s, 219 Second Avenue.Professor Thom’s
219 2nd Avenue, 212-260-9480
professorthoms.com
For the true sports bar seeker try Professor Thom’s on 2nd Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Here, you’ll find ample space for sitting and standing all in eyeshot of their 17 TVs virtually wallpapering the entire place. To boot, Thom’s will be showing the game on a more than 60-inch projection screen in the back of the bar. This is no place for the faint of heart.
Thom’s is a New England Patriots bar, known for attracting truly impassioned fans. The bar tender said Sunday will most likely draw a mixed crowd of fans, but will likely be just as action packed. They offer a full bar menu, but the nachos are your best bet here for game time snacking.
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