LAS VEGAS -- The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs are just hours away from kicking off Super Bowl LVIII here in Las Vegas.
It's a national spectacle that will be enjoyed by all walks of life, though Arizona Cardinals fans join in 30 other supporting groups that wish they were competing.
Around the desert, there's been a surprising amount of discussion of who Cardinals fans "should" be rooting for.
We can get this out of the way right now: You can root for anybody. You pay taxes (hopefully?) and with the widespread legalization of sports betting, it's understandable if you want your parlays to win big.
Now that we've got that out of the way - Cardinals fans shouldn't feel good about rooting for the 49ers in the next few hours.
The allure of cheering on the hometown kid in San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy is understandable. Purdy - born in Queen Creek and playing for Perry High School - piecing together an impressive campaign in the Arizona high school football scene.
However, Purdy hasn't taken a snap for an Arizona-based team since 2017. It's cool he's a local kid finding success even as an underdog, but that novelty has worn off.
Then, you have the people who simply want to say the Cardinals, "at least lost to the Super Bowl champions."
The 49ers have five Super Bowls entering today. They'll be okay even if they lose. Losing to whoever wins the Lombardi also does absolutely nothing - but good for those looking at the moral scoreboard,
For those simply wanting an NFC West team to bring home the hardware - twice a year you see these guys and it's nothing short of eye-rolls and barking. Rivalries make sports fun, and that includes rooting for the downfall of your enemies even when you don't have a hand in it.
Regardless - enjoy today. Watching the Super Bowl is one of the best days of the year for a football fan, and hopefully you can indulge in all of the buffalo chicken dip and wings possible.