conundrum:
A confusing and difficult problem or question
If you're anything like me, you've enjoyed the success of the NDSU Football team. Going back 52 years, they've had a lot of success but it isn't until recently that they got what I think is the greatest accomplishment, not only in the Football program's history but in the entire athletics department's history. You probably already connected the dots based on the title that I'm talking about great American Carson Wentz.
Being that I'm a loyal North Dakotan, I can't help but be amazed by what he's already doing in the NFL. People who aren't from here are impressed as well, but I think there's a difference as a fellow fellow from the plains. Everything he's done up to this point; the championships, putting NDSU on the map and having such early success as a professional pale in comparison to the fact that he also seems like such a genuine and respectable guy. Truly, he seems to be one of the best of us.
But all those things are now apart of the problem for me. I grew up in Fargo but didn't really become a fan of NDSU until I was immersed in Gopher country and saw & heard all about their athletics even though they were terrible. So I jumped on the Bison bandwagon, round about the time of the E dub disaster.
But before all that, there was the Vikings. Truthfully, I wasn't into sports growing up except for when I had a personal attachment to the competition. The one exception that I think back to of my early days was a set of box seat tickets that I won from a random drawing. I don't remember then specific about that day but I consider the experience the foundation of my Vikings fandom.
So the conundrum I have, which I imagine every North Dakotan and Fargoan Vikings fan has at present is in figuring out how to manage the divergent fandoms. For the first time since '09 the Vikings have a real shot at making the Super Bowl. Half way though the NFL calendar and only the Eagles & Rams seem to be legitimate fellow contenders from the NFC.
If it ends up being Rams/Vikings or Rams/Eagles in the NFC championship, the choice is simple. Vikings/Eagles would counter balance all that simplicity with it's own complexity. Sincerely, I hope it doesn't come that. I mean sure, either would make for an easy choice in the big game but the Vikings being defeated by Carson Wentz is pretty much a nightmare scenario for me. And it's not like either the Vikings or the Eagles are on a one season, Super Bowl or bust campaign. Each are set up to succeed at high levels for several seasons to come. It gives me a headache and there's still eight weeks of Football before the playoffs begin to have to deal with the possible collision.
Maybe I'm the only one that's thought this far ahead about this. Maybe all the Bison fans who have bought into Eagles nation because of Carson will be on that side of the aisle. And I think I know what I'll end up doing, but I don't like it. The win/win seems like a lose/lose. But maybe one of you has already been giving this a lot of thought and has a way to be loyal to both home town hero and favorite team, without copping out with a root for both approach.
If worse comes to worse I'm rolling with team Skol but would very much value some insights & suggestions about the hypothetical situation!