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Father and son share friendly rivalry as Super Bowl approaches
WE ARE JUST A WEEK AWAY FROM THE SEAHAWKS AND PATRIOTS FACING OFF IN A 2014 SUPER BOWL REMATCH IN SAN FRANCISCO. THE RIVALRY DOESN’T STOP ON THE FIELD FOR ONE LOCAL FAMILY, IT HITS MUCH CLOSER TO HOME NBC5’S YUNIER MARTINEZ SHOWS US THE RODRIGUEZ FAMILY IN UNDERHILL TAKE A LISTEN TO THIS YOU GOT SAME TV THE SAME SNACKS BUT TWO DIFFERENT GAME DAY LOYALTIES BETWEEN A DAD AND A SON AHEAD OF SUPER BOWL SUNDAY <“it’s going to be a party.”> IN THIS underhill home, SUNDAYS HAVE ALWAYS MEANT FOOTBALL <NAT> REPRESENTING THEIR TEAMS AND THE BOND BETWEEN A FATHER AND HIS SON Gerber Rodriguez, Underhill, VT <“A lot of excitement every Sunday. Every Sunday.”> GERBER RODRIGUEZ BECAME A SEATTLE FAN LONG BEFORE HE BECAME A DAD GROWING UP IN SEATTLE, THE CITY’S TEAMS WERE HIS TEAMS AND WHEN SAM WAS BORN HE TRIED TO PASS THAT LOVE ON Gerber Rodriguez, Underhill, VT <“When he was a kid, I put him on, on the Seahawks gear.”> SURE, THERE ARE Seahawks gear.”> SURE, THERE ARE PHOTOS ONES SAM KEEPS HIDDEN …BUT IN NEW ENGLAND LOYALTY COMES FIRST Sam Rodriguez, Underhill, VT <“This is my home. You know, I root for my home team, root for my, like, represent my community.”> TWO TEAMS. TWO GENERATIONS… ONE LIVING ROOM… THEN CAME THE SUPER BOWL AND A GOAL-LINE PLAY THAT STILL LIVES IN NFL HISTORY Gerber Rodriguez, Underhill, VT <“I thought the game SAM WAS YOUNGER BUT IT’S A MOMENT HE NEVER LETS HIS DAD FORGET get of, the Malcolm Butler interception.”> THE BANTER COMES WITH THE TERRITORY SO DOES THE NOISE ANOTHER SUPER BOWL JUST RAISES THE VOLUME BUT WHAT DOESN’T CHANGE IS WHY THEY’RE HERE Sam Rodriguez, Underhill, VT <“It’s just something that brings us closer together. You know, it’s actually, it’s, like, great time that we can just spend together watching the game that we both love.”> BUTTED Gerber Rodriguez, Underhill, VT <“It’s been amazing and it’s been amazing seeing him grow and and how, how much love he has for the game. And, it’s it’s just great.”> SO AS THE GAME NEARS THE CELEBRATION IN THIS HOME COMES WITH PLENTY OF… Gerber Rodriguez, Underhill, VT <Food! We make a lot of food. Yeah. We probably going to have like 30 people here, if not more. And and, and to watch, the music I then the halftime shows, is going to be awesome.And the commercials too. So, yeah.”> NOW THE TRASH TALK BETWEEN DAD AND SON IF THAT IS ANY INDICATION, IT’S SAFE
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Father and son share friendly rivalry as Super Bowl approaches
For one family in Vermont, Sunday football is a tradition, even if it means cheering for opposing teams.Gerber Rodriguez has been a Seattle Seahawks fan since his youth in Seattle, where the city’s teams were central to his sports identity.When his son Sam was born, he introduced him to the Seahawks, dressing him in team gear. But growing up in New England, Sam developed his own loyalty to the New England Patriots, embracing a sports identity distinct from his father. The experience goes beyond wins and losses, creating a bond between the two. One defining moment occurred during Super Bowl 49, when a goal-line interception became a lasting point of memory for the family. Sam recalls the play vividly and has never allowed his father to forget it.As Super Bowl 60 approaches, the Seahawks and Patriots will meet again, bringing a renewed sense of excitement to the Rodriguez household. The game will be marked by friends, food and spirited debate, but at its center is the connection between father and son, grounded in shared dedication to the sport.“This is something that brings us closer together,” Sam said. “It’s a time we can spend together watching the game that we both love.”For Gerber, the most rewarding part has been watching his son develop his own passion for football. “It’s been remarkable seeing him grow and how much love he has for the game. It’s just great,” he said.
For one family in Vermont, Sunday football is a tradition, even if it means cheering for opposing teams.
Gerber Rodriguez has been a Seattle Seahawks fan since his youth in Seattle, where the city’s teams were central to his sports identity.
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When his son Sam was born, he introduced him to the Seahawks, dressing him in team gear. But growing up in New England, Sam developed his own loyalty to the New England Patriots, embracing a sports identity distinct from his father.
The experience goes beyond wins and losses, creating a bond between the two. One defining moment occurred during Super Bowl 49, when a goal-line interception became a lasting point of memory for the family. Sam recalls the play vividly and has never allowed his father to forget it.
As Super Bowl 60 approaches, the Seahawks and Patriots will meet again, bringing a renewed sense of excitement to the Rodriguez household.
The game will be marked by friends, food and spirited debate, but at its center is the connection between father and son, grounded in shared dedication to the sport.
“This is something that brings us closer together,” Sam said. “It’s a time we can spend together watching the game that we both love.”
For Gerber, the most rewarding part has been watching his son develop his own passion for football.
“It’s been remarkable seeing him grow and how much love he has for the game. It’s just great,” he said.
