Football fans near and very, very far | From my perspective | The Tribune

My parents bought Broncos season tickets when I was a kid, so I grew up going to Bronco games every year. It was fun in spite of the snowy weather and freezing temperatures. We would bring thermoses of hot chocolate and bundle up with warm layers and parkas. Sometimes we had to depend on the helping hands of the folks at the end of the rows because our seats were high up in the stands and the steps were frozen. The cold weather didn’t stop us. After all, we were Broncos fans.

Now, I’m a Buffalo Bills fan. I have a t-shirt with the words “I married into this” next to a Buffalo Bills logo. My husband grew up in Buffalo and comes from a large, close family. Some of his cousins live in Niagara Falls, Canada and Toronto while others live in Florida, Boston, and cities throughout the U.S. Before each game, messages crowd our large family Facebook group to cheer the team on and share photos of kids and pets dressed in Bills outfits. It’s a great way to connect with extended family as we cheer on the team. Although some family members attend games in Buffalo, others have traveled to Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and even London to cheer on the Bills.

But nothing in our family compares to Bills fans in Antarctica. Palmer Station is the northernmost U.S. research station in Antarctica. The National Science Foundation (NSF) Palmer Station was built in 1968 and is one of three NSF research stations in Antarctica. In the summer, about 45 people work there and in the winter that drops to around 20. It’s an important center for marine and biological research, climate research, atmospheric studies and seismic activity data research. There are 26 buildings which include labs, work areas, a pier and all the daily necessities for the researchers. Almost 3,500 meals are served during the year.

In 2013, Ken Halanyach, an Auburn University professor and Auburn football fan, was working on a ship near Palmer Station. During one of the teams’ games back home, he persuaded the Palmer Station manager to raise an Auburn flag on the ship.

Husband-and-wife researchers Megan and Darren Roberts follow the Denver Broncos even when they’re researching penguins in Antarctica. Years ago, according to an article in the New York Times, Darren followed a Google graphic that illustrated a football on a digital field to keep up with the game plays. In 2016, when the Broncos won the Super Bowl, Megan and Darren were on a research ship near Palmer Station. They convinced the ship’s captain to steer the ship close enough to the station to connect to the internet and listen to the radio broadcast of the game. The captain agreed even though he was a fan of the opposing team. Another year, Megan and Darren were busy counting penguin colonies and measuring giant petrel chicks when the Broncos lost to the Bills in the playoffs.

Meredith Nolan is another devoted Bills fan who has spent time in Antarctica. Nolan is a graduate research assistant with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and studies the effects of climate change on zooplankton. During her time at the Palmer Station, she knew that keeping up with the Bills would help her stay connected to the outside world and boost morale. She wears her Bills hat and shirts and spreads the word about upcoming games.

Fortunately, now Palmer Station uses Starlink for high-speed internet access. In December, Starlink satellites began pinging from the United States rather than Chile which enabled Nolan to stream the Bills game live on YouTube. Using her iPad, now she can follow the games in action. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, the Bills lost to the Chiefs which left the Bills just one game short of the Super Bowl.

“It was quite a bummer,” Nolan said in a text message. As the ship made its way toward the treacherous Drake Passage, she posted a crying face emoji then celebrated a great Bills season. Nolan’s dad, Jim, grew up in upstate New York, so she gives credit to him for the deep Bills loyalty in her family.

On Super Bowl Sunday, some fans watched the game from other countries or in airports and during flights. NASA provided an uplink to the International Space Station so astronauts could watch the game but only during their free time. In our technologically connected world, we’re fortunate to have options to stay in touch with events around the world. Sports is simply one avenue for connecting with others near and far and hopefully this year some fans at Antarctica’s Palmer Station had a chance to be part of it all.