The revelation should not come as a surprise. Phil Murphy did, after all, grow up in Needham, Mass., where his sports allegiances were crystalized long before they were convenient for his political career.

Still, Murphy deftly avoided declaring his sports fandom during his campaign for New Jersey governor because, as he said, "it gets me no votes in this state." But he is smart enough to understand that trying to hide his rooting interests now that he's governor would do more harm than good.

So here goes ...

"Let there be no doubt: I have grown up and I remain today a Patriots fan," Murphy told NJ Advance Media on Friday.

That the Patriots -- his Patriots -- are about to play a franchise supported by roughly half of his state's voting constituency in the Super Bowl doesn't matter. Murphy said he has a "soft spot" for the Philadelphia Eagles because of an appreciation for Dick Vermeil, the team's successful head coach from a generation ago.

But that soft spot doesn't change what he'll be doing on Sunday. He'll gather with his family for Super Bowl LII, and while they won't be traveling to Minneapolis to see the big game in person, they'll be rooting hard for a team that most of America is sick and tired of watching win.

"Our kids have a fair amount of (Patriots) paraphernalia," Murphy said. "I personally have no man cave with jerseys on the wall. But we'll be watching it with great interest as you can imagine on Sunday."

Murphy is hardly the first New Jersey governor to support an unpopular team. His predecessor, Chris Christie, not only rooted for the Dallas Cowboys, he was caught on camera awkwardly hugging controversial team owner Jerry Jones after a dramatic playoff victory.

"I will not be hugging Mr. Jones," Murphy said with a big laugh, nor is he about to declare that most Eagles fans are "angry, awful people," as Christie also said during a radio interview. Let's face it: When it comes to avoiding controversy as New Jersey's first sports fan, the bar is on the ground.

Christie grew up in Livingston but adopted the Cowboys, who were then the dominant franchise in professional football, as he favorite team despite the geography during their heyday. Murphy is a Massachusetts native who started rooting for the Patriots when they were a fledgling AFL team that didn't have a permanent home, much less a fervent fan base.

"When I was growing up in the 60s, they were literally awful," Murphy said. "They never sold out at home. They couldn't for love or money build a stadium. They played at Harvard, Boston College, Fenway (Park)."

They only became the feared Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. He sidestepped a question about his relationship with the stars from that team, but it's clear that while they're not vacationing together in Martha's Vineyard that they're also not strangers.

Murphy is tight with rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who is a regular fixture on sidelines at Patriots games. Connecting the dots is not a challenge, but Murphy isn't letting his fandom color his pick in the game. He isn't at all confident about the Patriots winning their sixth Lombardi Trophy.

"They have notoriously played very tight Super Bowls in the Belichick-Brady Era where, if it wasn't for the last play of the game, they wouldn't have won," Murphy said. "They won last year in overtime, they beat the Rams by a field goal, they beat the Eagles by a field goal.

"I think this is a very close game. If anything I feel like the Eagles have more momentum than the Pats do because they dismembered the Vikings (in the NFC Championship Game) - which I didn't see coming. The Patriots were fortunate to get away with a win against the Jaguars (in the AFC playoffs). I think it should be a very tight, good Super Bowl."

So will Murphy's fandom cost his politically? The answer from a survey of politicians and pundits is a firm no.

Stephen Sweeney, the state Senate president, is a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan despite hailing from Gloucester County.

"My father always taught me: When you pick something -- when you pick a team or have friends -- the most important quality is loyalty," Sweeney, a Democrat, said.

Politicians can get into the most trouble when they are perceived to be fair-weather fans. That's why Carl Golden, the former press secretary for Republican Govs. Tom Kean and Christie Whitman, said the best strategy is to be honest.

"If you're a fan, tell them you're a fan," Golden said. "Dodging and sidestepping it, dancing around it, that just sort of whets everyone's appetite and drags it out."

Ben Dworkin, director of the Rowan Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship, said it may not make a difference whom Murphy supports.

"I don't think Chris Christie won or lost a single vote because of the Cowboys," Dworkin said. "People had plenty of other reasons to have an opinion on him. The same will be with Murphy."

That doesn't mean it would be politically prudent for Murphy to hug Patriots head coach Bill Belichick after the big game. Murphy said he loves sports and New Jersey residents "should be happy to know that more often than not I'll be rooting for the home team."

Just not in this game. In Super Bowl LII, he'll be pulling for the universally hated Patriots against the Eagles, and the sports nut who grew up outside Boston knows it's better not to hide his allegiance.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.