Massachusetts "house divided" celebrates Patriots, Seahawks with large snow sculpture
As lifelong fans of the Patriots and the Seahawks, a Mattapoisett couple may be picking sides this Super Bowl Sunday, but they're celebrating both teams with a massive snow sculpture on their front lawn.
Mark Mooney and his wife, Judy, have been happily married for 38 years. But when it comes to football, they don't always see eye to eye.
"In my house, we're kind of like a house divided a little bit," Mooney said.
Mark is a lifelong Patriots fan while his wife loves the Seattle Seahawks.
"Not speaking for my kids, but… go Patriots!" Mooney joked.
To honor both teams and their accomplishments heading into Super Bowl Sunday, Mooney built a large snow sculpture featuring each team's logo.
"We've got the Super Bowl trophies, the six Patriots ones versus the Seahawks single one," he explained.
Using snow from last week's storm, the Mattapoisett man spent hours creating the sculpture.
"It takes about six hours total," he said. "Piling up the snow is probably the biggest part and then carving it out."
And when the game is over, he doesn't destroy his hard work.
"Whatever team wins gets to keep the logo up," Mooney said. "We'll scrape the other logo off and put like 'Super Bowl Champs' up."
Mooney says the tradition dates back to 2009. "When my kids were small, making piles," he recalled.
Over the years, he's built everything from football helmets to carved team logos out of snow mounds, using the displays to connect with his community.
"It's just expressing my 'Patriot-ism,' right? And my love for the town, and being able to share my enthusiasm with them," Mooney said.
The sculpture will remain on his lawn for as long as Mother Nature allows. As long as the cold sticks around, he says neighbors are welcome to stop by, show their own "Patriot-ism," and snap a selfie.