A lot of Cape Verdeans settled in the New England area so it is a given that many Cape Verdeans are Pats fans. Even those that have moved to other parts of the country still have family ties to this team, that seems to always make it to the Superbowl. This year, however, seemed like it was going to be the another heartbreak year for the Patriots.
CV Network’s Carlos Barbosa spent his time watching the Superbowl Bowl at a cousin’s house in Avon. In Cape Verde style, he was watching with 12 of his cousins. There were even some members of the group that had flown in to visit from… Atlanta. One was his cousin (Pats fan) and the other was actually a Saints fan.. but since they are a rival of the Falcons.. everyone was cheering for the same team, the Pats.
He actually wasn’t going to fly back until after the Falcons victory parade in Atlanta was over… but things turned out differently of course.
On the Cape Verde islands themselves the dominant sport is the other Football. The one you actually play with your feet. People look towards Europe and especially follow the Portuguese leagues… which makes sense.
But because of the strong ties to New England, when it comes to American sports, it’s all about the Boston and New England teams. Not only are Pats Jerseys sent home in the bidon (bee-doan), the barrels that Cape Verdean American families will fill up and then ship back to the islands to relatives there. But Downtown, my people (Chinese merchants) sell many “authentic” Patriots Jerseys for $20 each. The P may look somewhat crooked… but hey.
My Facebook was filled with many shared posts that sounded like they were talking about Trump but tongue in cheek were actually about Bill Belichick.
I also got the chance to talk to a Cape Verdean Patriots Fan who lives in DC but comes to the Onset Cape Verdean Festival every year. Here is how she watched the Super Bowl.
“Yes I’m a Pats fan and have been a long while. My husband is from Atlanta, so he is a Falcons fan.
My husband and I belong to a Super Bowl couples club, where we all come from different states but meet each year for 6 days on SB weekend. This year we met in North Carolina. Leading up to the Superbowl we play games, talk investments and retirement options, and we catch up with our family news. So how we watch it was here in North Carolina in a home setting with four TVs playing. But we all watch it in the same room to together. This year we had fans for both sides. My husband and the lady of the house are Atlanta fans. Myself and brother in-law are Pats fans. The rest are Red Skins, 49ers, and Browns fans. My brother in-law took off all his Pats items in the 1st quarter and at halftime he put on ladies Patriots leggings because he made a bet with the lady of the house that if NE lost he’d wear the leggings and let her take a picture of him. The problem is he had already thrown in the towel. Me on the other hand stayed in my Pats outfit the entire night. Now in the 2nd quarter I left (snuck out) the room where everybody was a went to another room to watch on my own to focus without all the Diggs from the Atlanta fans. My husband came to get me after 20 minutes saying I needed to stand my ground in the storm up there with everyone.
We stayed up about another hour after all the fanfare was over. The Atlanta fans and others left me and my brother-in-law to watch on our own. They all gave props to the Patriots for the game, but we know they would have like it better if ATL won. We also have a football we all sign in 2014 that we add the SB scores to indicating where we all spent SB together that year. The entire 6 days is planned out in advance to include the menus. Food was great just like family and friends. I was off and on Facebook last night and today. My girlfriend hooked me up by going to Champion Sports this morning (1st in line) to purchase our Super Bowl hats. She has already gone to the post office to mail it to me with 5 newspapers with Super Bowl on the front page.
Where I work I’m the only Pats fan so I get first hand haters’ comments for 6 months a year, but I stand my ground there by decorating my office as my wo-man cave office. It helps to be one of the senior leaders, so I make sure I treat them the way I wish they talk to me about my team. It’s all good.
Go Patriots!!!”
In the end, this big win, which created so much charged emotion in Boston, meant that the CV Community internationally, felt that same emotion. After all, in the New England Area, there are more Cape Verdeans than there are on the islands themselves.
Well it was amazing that this team came back to win the Super Bowl in the end. To the CV Community it can be a lesson to never give up. Even if it seems like the odds are stacked against you and it is pointless, you just keep doing you and supporting your community and fighting like you can win. And in the end you can be Champion. #Cityofchamps
