I was almost as happy the Patriots finally lost a Super Bowl as I was the Eagles – my original hometown team – finally won last week.
Almost, but not quite.

aving been an Eagles fan for as long as I can remember, it felt good to finally get a Super Bowl win. I have watched them compete in two others in my lifetime. The first being against the Oakland Raiders my first year in Germany in 1981. The Eagles had a terrible showing  - their offensive line barely there.

The 1981 team was my favorite having spent my high school years watching quarterback Ron Jaworski and Coach Dick Vermeil while living in Croydon, a suburb of Philadelphia in Bucks County where M. Night Shyamalan makes all his movies.

The second was the 2004 matchup with the Pats as they fell 24-21, so you can see why I was happy with the matchup this time.

I almost didn’t watch the game as there seems to be a direct correlation between the games I watch and the games the Eagles lose. But I thought at least they made it to the Super Bowl, which was going to be good enough for me. I thought we were headed down the same road until Brandon Graham stripped the ball from Brady and gave the Eagles the game.

I was hoping it would be a Titans versus Eagles Super Bowl, mainly because we could have gotten press passes to that one like we did for the Titans vs Rams in the 2000 Atlanta game, but it wasn’t the case.
I’ve adopted the Titans as my new second favorite team, but you know it’s too difficult to give up your original hometown team, or maybe just for me, I don’t know.

I moved to Warren County in 1995 and have lived there ever since; Tennessee has been my home for a majority of my lifetime but I’m still stuck on the Eagles, never giving up on them.

I remember when I first moved here I often heard the phrase, “You aren’t from around here.”

It took a lot of years to get to know people in McMinnville while I was working for the paper and eventually it felt like home but took some time.

I’m in the same boat again somehow, having moved work locations from McMinnville to Smithville. While people don’t often say, “You aren’t from around here,” it’s been difficult setting up new relationships as the new news guy.

I carry a business card with my cell phone number on it and gather as much information as I can but what I lack is participation. I feel like the Maytag repairman sometimes as I fight to gather a sports schedule for the year, school event information, and the usual stuff a reporter reports on.

So, if you’re a coach, booster club member, parent with information on an upcoming sports season or just want to get something in the community calendar, I’m here and welcome your help.

You can reach me at news@smithvillereview.com

Contact Steve Warner at news@smithvillereview.com