The New England Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl, and to mark the team’s recent AFC Championship win, the Empire State Building rubbed it in for all the New York Jets fans.
It’s not uncommon for the iconic building to let up in honor of major sports victories, but the celebration of the Patriots’ win stung for some New Yorkers. “Santa Clara bound! Shining in @Patriots colors in honor of their AFC Championship win,” the official account for the Empire State Building tweeted alongside a video showing the building with the Patriots’ color scheme.
The Patriots are the biggest rivals of the Jets, and the colors showing up in the home of the Jets hurts especially hard for fans due to their complicated history. To see these colours looming over the city, as the Pats are gearing up to face off against the Seattle Seahawks next month, cut a little to deep for many.
Thankfully, when the Seahawks won the NFC Championship, the colors were changed to represent a team that doesn’t quite have the same animosity among New Yorkers. “The stage is set. Lighting in green and blue @Seahawks colors to celebrate their NFC Championship win,” the official Empire State Building account tweeted alongside the video.
Check out some of the furious reactions to the Patriots' colors lighting up the Empire State Building below.