This Week’s Forecast: 100% Chance of FOOTBALL
by Kari Litscher
Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?! BVM sisters are! Near and far, they cheer on their favorite teams and players. Being a fan can be both exhilarating and heartbreaking, but they continue to support their favorite teams and players—win or lose.
Sisters gather together or venture out to local spots to watch the games and cheer on their players. For those at Mount Carmel Bluffs in Dubuque, Iowa, sisters and residents can reserve the movie theater to watch games.
Kate (St. Wilma) Keating, BVM: Chicago Bears
“I never really knew much about football until I lived in Des Moines, Iowa, in the ’70s. Learning about football really came in handy when I taught high school in Chicago years later. When the Bears won the Super Bowl, the faculty did the Superbowl Shuffle at the school assembly. We were a big hit! Now, I really know football . . . we even do ‘pools’ around here on Superbowl Sunday!
Margaret (Paul Joseph) Sannasardo, BVM: Chicago Bears
“On a Sunday afternoon when ‘Da Bears’ were playing and my dad, brother Paul, and I were watching the game, we would shout out from time to time . . . ’GO BEARS!’ My mother would call out from the kitchen where she was preparing our Sunday dinner, ‘Oh, are the Bears winning?’ More times than not, they were not winning! However, they did win the Super Bowl in 1986 . . . and we all did the Super Bowl Shuffle!”
Josette Kelly, BVM: Denver Broncos
“When I moved to Colorado to teach religion and music at Sacred Heart of Jesus School in 1987, the football teams of the University of Colorado’s local campus and the Denver Broncos were enjoying winning seasons. Those were the glory years of John Elway and Peyton Manning. Now that I’m in Iowa, I watch closely for the Broncos to play the Bears, the Chiefs, or the Packers, giving me a chance to see them play on local television.”
Terese (Ellena) Shinners, BVM: Green Bay Packers
“Sports is in my family DNA. We all played sports and have a couple of relatives who were professional athletes. Although we follow other teams, almost everyone pays close attention to the Green Bay Packers. The family is a third-generation Packers season ticket holder. I was only a peripheral fan until the Brett Favre era . . . now I pay close attention to the team because it’s fun and allows me to ‘speak Packer’ to other family members. I have been to games at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. For fans, that has the mystique of a pilgrimage.”
Luann Brown, BVM: Green Bay Packers
I have been a Packers fan all my life, coming by it naturally being raised in Kenosha, Wis. I remained steadfast and loyal through the 1980s when the Bears were dominant. I saw the Packers win the 1997 Super Bowl, watching from Quito, Ecuador. My lifelong dream to attend a game in Lambeau Field came true in 2014 when a friend gave me four tickets. I took Eileen Fuchs, BVM and two friends from Chicago. To make things interesting, the game was against the Bears and, of course, the Pack prevailed!
Fran Donnelly, BVM: Minnesota Vikings
“I’m a fan of two college teams: the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. For the pros, I love the Minnesota Vikings. I’ve been a fan for 50-plus years, through thick and thin . . . My current favorite player is T.J. Hockenson, and my recent favorite is the new quarterback, Josh Dobbs. I find watching a complicated game of football stimulating and something to yell at and cheer for . . . relief therapy!”
Elizabeth Avalos, BVM: San Francisco 49ers
“I became a 49ers fan by happenstance. I was living in Los Angeles with an avid LA Rams fan who would get on the 49ers. Because I grew up in San Francisco, I felt I needed to represent them! I enjoy the game and believe sports can be a way of bringing diverse people together in a fun way. When I see players hugging each other and their coaches, win or lose, it is touching.”
Patricia (Albertine) Rogers, BVM: San Francisco 49ers
“Since I moved to San Francisco in 1965, the 49ers have been my favorite team. Even when they moved to Santa Clara a few years ago, they will always be the San Francisco 49ers to me. My all-time favorite game was in 1981 when Joe Montana threw that famous pass to Dwight Clark for ‘The Catch.’ The Cowboys were defeated and the Niners went on to win the Super Bowl.”
Through ups and downs, injuries and trades, BVMs have been steadfast in cheering for their favorite team . . . some may even be known to do a little “trash” talking!