New Jersey governor Chris Christie defends Cowboys fandom
New Jersey governor Chris Christie caused a stir yet again Sunday when he was shown on television celebrating with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones during FOX's broadcast of the Cowboys' wild-card game against the Detroit Lions.
Christie, a well-known Cowboys fan, has been seen at the side of Jones during games before, drawing the ire of his constituency, most of which is split between Philadelphia Eagles fans and New York Giants fans.
In an interview with WFAN on Monday, Christie said he was fine with the insults and taunts he receives on social media and other outlets, remaining steadfast in his devotion to the Cowboys, which he told the New York Post dates to the days of Roger Staubach.
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“Believe me, I would take all the abuse that I’m taking from some of these folks in return for Cowboys playoff wins," Christie said, according to CBS-2. "As a fan, that’s what it’s all about. … Just because I’m Governor of New Jersey doesn’t mean that I change who I root for — that’s it."
"What makes make me laugh about some of the people who get really upset about this, you know, we haven’t a heck of a lot of success for a long time as Cowboys fans,” Christie said. “So what be angry at me for? There’s nobody yelling at me when we’re losing to the Giants on the last game of the season to miss the playoffs. Then losing to the Redskins on the last game of the season. ... So I’m not listening to any of these people who are giving me a hard time now that we’re having a little bit of success."
Christie also said he hopes to attend the Cowboys' divisional round game against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday in Wisconsin.
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The Cowboys' win over the Lions on Sunday was their first playoff victory since 2009.
- Ben Estes