MR. IRRELEVANT
Brock Purdy was the very last draft pick, aka “Mr. Irrelevant”, yet here he is in the Superbowl playing against Patrick Mahomes. Pirkei Avot teaches us: “Don’t underestimate people – for every man has their hour.”
It so happens that both in college and NFL football, he was not chosen to be the starting QB. But he stepped up when those before him had injuries or weren’t effective. Another Pirkei Avot quote: “In the place where there’s no man – try to be the man (needed).” Step up, even if you or others don’t consider yourself a starter-type.
MAHOMES
We did a lot about Mahomes for past Superbowls – put Mahomes in Search-Bar at shabboshouse.org
THE SWIFT EFFECT
There’s no question that a tremendous influence on this game and its aura has nothing to do with football. She’s not a player, not a football expert, she has almost nothing to do with the sport until very recently, yet has an outsized disproportionate impact on viewership demographics and numbers. She brought a millions of new people under the NFL tent. Even the type of advertisers (more health and beauty ads this year than any other year) has shifted thanks to the Taylor Swift effect.
The lesson? Of course, we are not as famous, obviously don’t have her sphere of influence, but something can be learned about our role in helping get others involved and connected Jewishly. We don’t have to be super religious, or have lots of knowledge, or even have been interested for a long time. As long as we share our interest and enthusiasm for it with others, we each have circles or know Jewish people who are outside “the Jewish tent” and we can serve as a Swift effect for them, to help them join in.
THE TIGHT END POSITION
Travis Kelce is getting a lot of play, both for his work on the field, as well as his relationship with Taylor Swift off the field. Last year much was said of his playing against his brother Jason Kelce on the Eagles in the Superbowl. His is the Tight-End position.
Tight-End is interesting because it’s a hybrid position that has shifted emphasis. For many years it was more of a blocker (more of a defensive player) that would occasionally receive. But it has morphed over time, especially with a player like Kelce into more of a receiving position (an offense position, advancing the ball) than a blocking one.
Jewishly, this is important, as both defense and offense are important for Jewish identity. We have to ward off and distance ourselves from those things which may negatively impact our Jewish identity, but also do (and more so now!) more things that further and advance and enrich our Jewish identity. Defense is not enough nowadays for tight-end, and neither is it enough for Jewish identity.
SPEAKING OF TIGHT-END AND JEWISH IDENTITY
It so happens that we knew Mr. Alan Frank, whose son John Frank, was tight-end for the 49ers during two of their Superbowl wins, and especially in the second Superbowl caught a Joe Montana pass in the drive for the last touchdown. A Jewish tight-end for the 49ers! He was in medical school part time during the NFL and left in his NFL prime to pursue a career in medicine. He established medical clinics for hair loss & rehabilitation in NYC and Columbus Ohio (his home state).
THE ANTI-SEMITISM SUPERBOWL AD
It’s just 30 seconds but don’t miss it. It happens in a driveway. Sadly, this year it especially resonates.
Again, our primary goal is to increase light, not just focus on negative, offense not just defense, but some of this has to be said and done. The good people like the neighbor in this clip mean the world in times like these. Thanks to Mr. Kraft for paying for this ad.
It appears might be an Israel ad for Hostages but can’t tell yet if that’s actually aired on Superbowl.
BY A FIELD GOAL?
Chris Berman, a longtime ESPN sportscaster, says this game will be decided by a field goal: 23-20. Predictions are predictions, but lately Superbowls have been tighter games. Some of the games on the path to this Superbowl have been decided by a single field goal! All this speaks to the importance of touchdown’s younger and less appreciated sibling: the field goal – and the kicker.
Who makes a fuss about the kicker? We’re not talking QB or Wide Receiver, you know.
First of all, this brings up again of that great Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers) teaching: “Do not be dismissive of anyone, not anything, because everyone has their moment.” Yes, there are memes that ridicule football kickers, and there are sports pundits that wish the coach would have forged ahead for a touchdown instead of a field goal altogether. But football kickers have their moments, when all depends on them, when they make it or break it, when the pressure is all on that one shot.
Secondly, there’s a teaching that “there are some mitzvot that people trample underfoot” they consider them insignificant or trivial. But it is often specifically those mitzvot which make all the difference. There are mitzvot that people tend to underestimate, to not think much of. Each of us do that in our way. The language is significant – “we trample them underfoot”. But imagine what a well-placed powerful targeted and focused “kick” could do for these mitzvot (and ourselves!) propelling them through the goal posts, even from a distance…
And about THE WORD “TOUCHDOWN”
This is a general football word, not particularly significant for any given year. In fact it may be one of the most significant football words. When we ordered football-themed tablecloths they came automatically with decoration that read “Touchdown”. Everyone wants that touchdown.
Chabad especially wants that touch-down. Chabad is very into bringing spirituality down to the physical, bringing heaven down-to-earth. Chabad Chassidus, going back to the Tanya, sees our our goal (yes, touchdown) to discover/reveal and make/create this physical earthly world of us to be a vessel and dwelling for the Divine. It’s not enough to study and pray, to meditate and contemplate (all good and necessary things, btw) but to fuse the lofty spiritual with our tangible physical, to seek and find G-dliness in daily life, to make our human existence holy – and down here. The buzz word is “Dirah b’Tachtonim” a dwelling place down below, and every Chabad kid knows this term, just like you don’t need to be a football maven to know what a touchdown is.
It’s all about touching down, bringing it down, that’s our end-zone. Touch-down!