Lawrence football fans watched Sunday’s Super Bowl with cool interest but without the fanaticism that normally accompanies a Kansas University athletic event or even a Kansas City Chiefs football game.

After all, it was two East Coast teams — the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles — playing for the National Football League championship.

Nevertheless, a few who watched the game from Lawrence’s downtown bars had their favorites, and it was the Eagles.

Although Philadelphia kept it close throughout the game, the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXIX 24-21.

“I’m a Rams fan, and I’m rooting for the Eagles,” said Daniel Eggleston, a Kansas University senior from St. Louis, whose team was beaten by the Patriots in the 2002 Super Bowl.

Eggleston watched the game at It’s Brothers Bar & Grill, 1105 Mass. “I don’t want to hear any more about a dynasty. The Patriots have been there three times now,” he said.

Michael Westerfield is New York Giants fan but also was pulling for the Eagles. When the Patriots went up by a touchdown over the Eagles in the second half, Westerfield shrugged his shoulders.

“They still have a chance,” said Westerfield, a KU senior from Overland Park who grew up in the New York area.

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A block away at Harbour Lights, 1031 Mass., a small group of people watched the game from the bar, including Jared Gillett, of Lawrence. He was cheering for the Eagles.

“I’ve seen the Patriots win this too many times,” Gillett said. “So why not root for the underdog?”

The negative publicity stirred up during last year’s Super Bowl halftime show over singer Janet Jackson’s bared breast caused companies to promise to tone down their commercials for this year’s game breaks.

Nevertheless, at least one commercial by GoDaddy.com, the world’s largest Internet domain registrar, caught fans’ attention with a busty brunette popping a shirt strap during an appearance before a committee of old men, causing one of the men to require an oxygen mask.

“That will certainly get me to call up that (Web) site,” Westerfield said.