They say Super Bowl champions are actually crowned in the offseason so what role did the New England Patriot's defensive line's shared love of anime play in their AFC run to Sunday's big game?
Speaking to The Ringer, Patriots' defensive tackle Adam Butler and Deatrich Wise Jr. shared a tale about discovering that the other was an anime fan after watching My Hero Academia together in the locker room. From there, the anime fandom grew into something reminiscent of a high school or college anime club, with more members of the defensive line joining into the weekly anime binging fun.
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You know how people say movie quotes? Well, you started hearing anime quotes, and it’s ‘Oh, you watch that too?', explained defensive lineman Lawrence Guy
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I think people get blinded by the fact that we’re regular human beings and our job is just football. For me, and I know a lot of other guys, we are still young, I am 24, and I’m still a kid. I play video games, I watch anime, I watch cartoons, and I eat cereal," chimed in Guy's fellow defenseman, Keionta Davis.
If the Patriots win Sunday's big game against the Los Angeles Rams, what anime should they watch to celebrate? Let us know a few of your suggestions in the comment section below.