In a moment that many were waiting for as soon as the Broncos won the Super Bowl back in February, tonight the NFL season kicks off, which is a sure sign of fall being here. Perhaps the sport with the most passionate fans, and definitely the most metal sport besides perhaps hockey, many will be spending the next 18 or so Sundays and Thursdays parked in front of a TV. Who’s going to win the Super Bowl? Your guess is as good as ours, but we thought we’d ask some artists and band members who their team is and who we should keep an eye out for this year.
Who’s your favorite NFL team and why?
Corey Beaulieu, Trivium: New England Patriots. Having been born and raised in Maine, being a Patriots fan is pretty automatic. Being a young kid and watching the team go from bad in the early ’90s to winning multiple Super Bowls and being championship contenders every year is pretty amazing. I remember watching the game that Bledsoe got knocked out and the unknown Tom Brady came in.
Jason Goss, Toothgrinder
Jason Goss, Toothgrinder: Miami Dolphins. They have been since I was 5 years old (unfortunately there hasn’t been a whole lot to celebrate about in 2+ decades). I watched them play the Jets on TV one day with my pops. They were beating up on the Jets and it was making him so angry. I loved it, so they became my team. Also, Ace Ventura and Dan Marino helped seal the deal.
Richard Christy, Charred Walls of the Damned: The Kansas City Chiefs! I grew up in Southeast Kansas about an hour and a half south of Kansas City and I’m a lifelong Chiefs, Royals, and Jayhawks fan. I also happen to have a KC Chiefs bar in my neighborhood in Queens that serves incredible KC style BBQ and Boulevard beer from KC! It’s called John Brown Smokehouse and you’ll find me there every Sunday this season with a Boulevard Funky Pumpkin in hand cheering on the great Kansas City Chiefs!
Charlie Benante, Anthrax: I’m not a big football fan but I love a great game and my favorite team logo has always been the Pittsburgh Steelers.
CJ Pierce, Drowning Pool: The New Orleans Saints, because they need to win another super bowl in my lifetime. I couldn’t make it to the last one, the only one they’ve played!
I’m not a religious man, but I attend a church service every Sunday. That service is watching the Green Bay Packers. The entire state of Wisconsin basically shuts down on Sundays, with everyone is glued to their televisions to watch the Green and Gold. We are the only publicly owned team in the league (yes, I own a share), and probably the only team that could sell 80,000 tickets to a scrimmage. There’s really nothing like going to a game at Lambeau Field. Tailgating, brats, beer, bags, 20 below zero in the snow. Its true perfection, and people travel from all over the world to see it. The Pack have sold out every game for the last 50 years, and about a 50 year waiting list to get season tickets. No joke, people sign up in hopes that their grandchildren will be able to get them. I’ve grown up watching the Packers since I was 3 years old, and have even gotten their logo tattooed above my heart. Green and Gold until I’m dead and cold!
Richi Cavalera, Incite: I’m a diehard Arizona Cardinals fan and a season ticket holder. Been a fan forever – just always loved the team from the state I was born and raised in. They went through many hard seasons, but for the last seven years, we’ve been one of the top teams in the league.
Shayley Bourget, Dayshell: My favorite team has to be The Green Bay Packers. The main reason why is when I was about 10 years old playing Thunder Pop Warner Little League football, I remember the Packers going to the Super Bowl two years In a row. Winning the first and losing the second. After that, I was just hooked on the team and came to find a lot of great facts about them. Including winning the very first 2 Super Bowls ever. Very great team. Cocky defense at times, though.”
Jamie Preciado, Pierce the Veil: The San Diego Chargers! Born and raised in SD so it’s an easy choice! I still remember being a kid and rooting for them with my dad. Going to games and seeing them play was such an unforgettable experience to me. Go Bolts!
Brian Burkheiser, I Prevail
Brian Burkheiser, I Prevail: My favorite team is the Detroit Lions. I was born in Michigan and brought up as a Lions fan. One day we’ll win a Super Bowl, I just hope to be alive for it.
T-Bone, Voodoo Terror Tribe: I am a Green Bay Packers fan. They are the only team in the league that is owned by the city they play in and the shareholders are the fans.
Jake Oni, Oni: Detroit is my team. I was born in Detroit.
Camden Cruz, Seven Kingdoms: I would say the Steelers for their past defensive history.
David DeFeis, Virgin Steele: To be totally honest, I wouldn’t know the NFL from the NHL. I am not very sports-minded. If I can’t play it with a sword, and axe or a bow and arrow, I have no idea.
Alan Stokes, All Hail the Yeti: My Favorite NFL team is the Philadelphia Eagles. I started watching football in 1999 and was turned on to the Eagles while watching the draft at a friend’s house. The Eagles took Donovan McNabb second overall from Syracuse – I felt he brought a different style of playing the position of QB and paved a way for QB’s after him. It was at that time that Andy Reid had taken over the coaching position. I always thought he was an awesome coach, and to this day he continues to impress me. Aside from the team itself and the players themselves, I learned to gain a lot of respect for Philadelphia fans. The Eagles have only been to the Super Bowl twice and lost both, yet the fans are loyal, loud and proud, and stand behind their team. To me, that says a lot about a city!
Renee Phoenix, Fit For Rivals: My favorite NFL team is the Pittsburgh Steelers because my entire family originated and grew up in Pittsburgh! Even though I was raised in Florida myself, I stick to my roots. Plus it makes me happy to see my dad get excited when the Steelers are doing well, so I always cheer for them! My family bleeds black and gold!
Gili Ross, right, some other guys.
Stu Gili-Ross, Gallows: I am a die hard Chicago Bears fan. I make it out to Soldier Field from Los Angeles for at least one game per season and if the Bears come to California during the regular season, I’ll travel. Why does a punk rocker from London love the Chicago Bears so much? Growing up in England in the 1980’s, we only had 4 terrestrial TV channels. Around 1984, Channel 4 began showing coverage of NFL games, right on cue to expose all of us to the circus of the 1985 Chicago Bears. They were probably the total antithesis to anything I had seen in sport, especially coming from Britain. Jim McMahon, William “The Fridge” Perry and Mike Singletary were about as polar-opposite to the stoic, stiff-upper lip British cricket and soccer players we had been exposed to. Walter Payton was simply amazing to watch as well and everything from the classic uniforms and helmets to watching Dan Hampton smash opposing players into the dirt had me hooked.
The Super Bowl Shuffle record was actually the first bit of vinyl I ever owned too! ( thanks granddad ). It was just an amazing moment in time, they obviously went on to win the Super Bowl and 6 year old me has been hooked ever since on the Bears. It’s been a bitter last few seasons for the Bears, but I don’t think we are too many years away now from recapturing some of the old glory of the franchise.
Geoff Thorpe, Vicious Rumors: No question about it my friend!! The Oakland Raiders!! The outlaws of the NFL!! There just a badass group of half pro players! Half gangsters!! There not the best team anymore but they always have a nasty reputation!! Not to mention the best uniforms in the NFL!! The silver and Black attack!!
Stevie Benton, Drowning Pool: The Dallas Cowboys, featuring Dak Prescott!
Mike Luce, Drowning Pool: The New Orleans Saints, of course!
