New Yorkers are no strangers to sports heartbreak, but Sunday night brought a different kind of sting - and it came in the form of lights on one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Just hours after the New England Patriots punched their ticket to the Super Bowl with a gritty 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship, the Empire State Building lit up in red, white, and blue - the team colors of the Patriots. For fans in the Big Apple, where the Patriots are anything but welcome guests, it felt like a slap in the face.
To add salt to the wound, the Empire State Building’s official X account posted a video of the light display with the caption: “Santa Clara bound! Shining in @Patriots colors in honor of their AFC Championship win.” That post ignited a firestorm online, with New York fans calling the tribute everything from “disgraceful” to outright “treason.”
Let’s be clear: the Patriots aren’t just another NFL team to New Yorkers. They’re a bitter rival - especially to fans of the Jets and Giants - and the history between Boston and New York sports runs deep. So when one of the city’s most beloved symbols suddenly turned into a beacon of Patriots pride, fans weren’t just surprised - they were furious.
“@NYCMayor Can we stop lighting up the Empire State Building in celebration of non-New York teams?” one fan pleaded on social media.
Another chimed in, “Zero percent chance Boston would ever do this for a NY team. Disgraceful.”
The sentiment was echoed across the city: this wasn’t just a lighting display, it was a betrayal.
This isn’t the first time the Empire State Building has stirred up controversy with its celebratory lights. The building has a long-standing tradition of honoring major sports victories - regardless of the team’s hometown.
When the Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC Championship, the building lit up in green and white, much to the dismay of Giants fans. That backlash was so intense that even the New York governor had to weigh in, clarifying that the state has no control over how the building chooses its colors.
Had the Broncos won on Sunday, the building would’ve glowed orange. But instead, it was the Patriots who came out on top - and the building followed suit.
On the field, the Patriots earned their Super Bowl berth the hard way. Trailing 7-0 in the thin Denver air, they dug deep.
A clutch fourth-down stop near their own goal line gave them life, and rookie quarterback Drake Maye made the most of it. With just over two minutes left, cornerback Christian Gonzalez picked off Jarrett Stidham - who was filling in for the injured Bo Nix - at the Patriots’ 36-yard line.
From there, Maye sealed the win with a gutsy third-and-5 scramble, picking up seven yards to ice the game.
It was a gritty, defensive slugfest - the kind of win that echoes through franchise history. In fact, New England became just the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship game while scoring 10 points or fewer.
The last time it happened? Buffalo over Denver in 1991.
Before that, it was the Rams shutting out Tampa Bay in 1979.
And now, in Mike Vrabel’s first year at the helm, the Patriots are heading to Santa Clara for the big one.
But back in New York, the celebration didn’t sit well. While the Patriots were busy punching their ticket to Levi’s Stadium, the Empire State Building was unintentionally punching New Yorkers in the gut.
Rivalries in sports are built on emotion, history, and loyalty - and when those lines get blurred, fans don’t forget.