Can you say round two? The NFL Conference Championships revealed that this year’s Super Bowl will be a rematch of 2008’s title game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. Four years ago, New York’s Big Blue stunned the sporting world and upset the previously undefeated New England Patriots. After a four-year hiatus from center stage, Tom Brady and the Pats are back, eager for revenge and ready to reestablish their status as a dynasty in professional football. Meanwhile, Eli Manning and the G-Men, amidst an improbable playoff run, are ready to claim their fourth ring in franchise history.
But the Super Bowl is about more than just crowning an NFL champion, eating a few too many pigs in blankets and betting on how many talking baby commercials will air before halftime. The Super Bowl is an iconic American tradition, a day where our nation’s culture is on full display. When New York and New England take the gridiron on Sunday, they’ll clash beyond the line of scrimmage: they’ll clash in styles, traditions and ways of living. In anticipation of Super Bowl XLVI, North by Northwestern takes a look at how New York and New England stack up off the field.
MUSIC
“What a city!” exclaimed the exalted John Lennon in his 1972 hit, “New York City.” From Sinatra to Hova and everyone in between, the list of musicians singing the Big Apple’s praises goes on and on. Beantown has produced its fair share of artists, but while it’s tough to trump funk sensation Bobby Brown, Boston is also the reluctant home of some massive musical misses. True, New England’s John Mayer may be an automatic win in the soundtracks of romantic comedies, but let’s give the W to the birthplace of hip-hop.
Advantage - New York
FOOD
Seafood fanatics know that New England boasts some of the best coastal cuisine in the country. The Maine Lobster Festivalhas been running strong for 65 years now and decadent New England clam chowder is a staple in restaurant menus everywhere. Still, New York-style cheesecake is a formidable opponent and Brooklyn’s renowned Sicilian pizza is some of the sauciest on the planet. Plus, New York is the alleged inventor of General Tso’s chicken, giving it the decisive edge in this one.
Advantage - New York
POLITICS
The Empire State was the proud home of presidents Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt, but New England has sent an astounding eight men to the White House. Could former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney be the ninth? The Commonwealth alone was the first state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, was the birthplace of the Revolutionary War and held the first primary for the Presidential elections.
Advantage - New England
MANNERISMS
Yes, those Boston accents can be wicked hahhhhhd to decipher, but New Yorkers harbor unfavorable reputations of impatience and foul-mouthedness. After watching this, it’s hard to argue against the friendlier folk of the north.
Advantage - New England
FILM
The Big Apple is where Don Corleone makes an offer you can’t refuse and it’s the neighborhood that calls for the Ghostbusters when something’s strange, but New England is where Andy Dufresne makes his legendary prison escape. Beantown certainly puts up a fight in the cinematic department, acting as the setting for Good Will Hunting, The Departed, The Parent Trap and countless other classics. However, New York’s star-power is overwhelming; there’s no way the state that gave us Denzel Washington, Robert DiNero, Al Pacino and Alec Baldwin will walk away with a loss here.
Advantage - New York
TELEVISION
Sure, Boston is “where everybody knows your name” in Cheers, but Jerry and company from Seinfeld, the Central Perk gang from Friends and the T.G.S. cast from 30 Rock prove New York to be far superior in this one. New England pales in comparison, although Connecticut does play host to Who’s the Boss? and The Gilmore Girls. N.Y.C. is simply the gold standard for sitcom settings, acting as the backdrop for classics such as I Love Lucy, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mad About You. Throw in the wildly popular How I Met Your Mother and the New York television scene becomes legen...wait for it...dary!
Advantage - New York
COLLEGE LIFE
Half of the illustrious Ivy League is derived from New England, which is also home to M.I.T., BU, Williams and Boston College. New York is no scrub in this category either – just ask a tri-state theater kid about the parties downtown at NYU. Still, when you factor in UConn as the reigning NCAA Men’s Basketball champions, New England reigns supreme here.
Advantage - New England
If the actual game is anything like these match-ups, football faithful are certainly in for a close one. As for New York’s narrow 4-3 victory off the field? Wahlberg isn’t quite impressed.