Brewers: Hiura, Suter Fandoms Face Off in Friendly Super Bowl Rivalry

This time of year, Brewers fans usually get the pleasure of knowing that pitchers and catchers report for spring training, soon to be followed by the rest of the team. Of course, as we all know, the MLB lockout has put a pause on those types of activities.

But before mutli-sport fans officially turn their attention to baseball for the spring, there is one more huge event they need to get past first. Naturally, I’m referring to “The Big Game,” a.k.a. NFL’s Super Bowl.

Even if one’s favorite team isn’t actually in the Super Bowl, millions of Americans will tune in to watch, whether it be for the game itself or for the commercials. Football fans will gather for Super Bowl parties either at someone’s home or at their favorite local hangout.

While many Brewers fans might wish that their favorite players also happen to be Green Bay Packers fans, those players come from all over and have a variety of fandoms just like you and me. A couple even have direct rooting interest in today’s game.

As it turns out, Brewers infielder Keston Hiura and pitcher Brent Suter will have their personal fandoms facing off in today’s Super Bowl.

Last week, the MLBPA Twitter account was able to connect with former Brewers first-round pick Keston Hiura and veteran lefty reliever Brent Suter to discuss their NFL fandoms ahead of today’s game.

Though Suter was born in Chicago, the Milwaukee pitcher went to high school in Cincinnati as a kid before going off to Harvard for college. He and his family call Cincinnati home and he has been a die-hard Bengals fan.

Meanwhile, Hiura is one of a contingent of current and former Brewers (including Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun) who hail from California. Hiura himself attended Valencia High School in the Los Angeles area, as well as the University of California-Irvine, also just outside L.A.

But as Hiura states, he didn’t have a specific NFL team to root for growing up since no teams were based out of L.A. anymore when he was young. So, when the Rams made their return to the city in 2016, he finally had a team with which to devote his fandom.

Now, no Super Bowl discussion is complete without predictions. Unsurprisingly, Hiura has the Rams victorious in a lower-scoring affair than most would expect, while Suter says the Bengals get their first Super Bowl win on a walkoff field goal.

Enjoy whatever it is you do (or don’t do) for today’s big game. Then, it’s time to get excited for some baseball!