Who Should the Haters Root For This Weekend?

I think we've reached a difficult point in the season for Patriots haters who, at first glance, would simply root against the Patriots this coming weekend. On the one hand, they want to see the season end with a loss in the worst way, but if it did this weekend, that would mean the new "most obnoxious team in the NFL" would make the Superbowl. But the hatred of the Patriots far out-distances the hatred for the Chargers (maybe except for in Denver where Philip Rivers in public enemy #1).

But, what if, as a jealous Hater, you were to root for the Patriots this weekend and hope the Packers beat the Giants? It would set up the ultimate Good vs Evil battle in the Superbowl. It's safe to say that the networks, 99% of the media, and most fans want to see Packers vs Patriots. Gregg Easterbrook and others are already pondering the poetic showdown.

The story lines for this match up could legitimately fill the 2-week gap between the Championship games and the Superbowl for the first time ever. But even better, you could root for the Ultimate Warrior to take down the Evil Empire and ride off into the sunset with his great blue bull Babe (if there was ever a personification of Paul Bunyan in sports, it would be him right?).

On the other hand...the Patriots are friggin awesome and more likely than not would triumph over the Packers, leaving the legions of haters left feeling sick to their stomachs through the entire off season.

So if you hate the Patriots, do you root for San Diego to take them down now and hope Favre takes out the obnoxious Chargers in the Superbowl? I'm not sure. While you'd feel good about the fact that Favre's Packers have a much better shot of beating the Chargers than the Patriots, you'd forget one thing. The Chargers would have won their last 9 games and would have beaten the Colts and Patriots while banged up. If it ends up being Chargers - Packers, I'd put all my money on the Chargers after what they would have done to get there.

So if it were me, I'd root for the Patriots to win this weekend and set up the showdown and hope for Favre to win. The consolation prize, if the Patriots win it all, is that you'd never have to hear from the '72 Dolphins ever again. No Mercury Morris interviews would be a good thing.

And then one last "oh no" thought. If you roll your eyes a hundred times during every Packers Monday Night Football game because of the gushing over Favre -

"Now take a look at this right here. Only someone like Brett Favre, could escape that pass rush and heave it 45 yards down the field while falling down. Now unfortunately it was intercepted, but boy, you can just tell he's having fun out there, can't you? He's just incredible. No one in the history of the NFL is better at throwing the deep ball while falling down than him. And he's 38, but playing like he's 23!"

- then picture that magnified by 100, and instead of being confined to a 3 hour broadcast and 15 minutes on SportsCenter, imagine it going non-stop for two weeks with nowhere to hide from it. Pretty scary thought right?

So what other alternative is there for the Patriots hater who also hates hearing the old men with man crushes on Brett Favre wax idiotic every time he drops back to pass?

Giants vs. Jaguars. No thanks.