I’m not such a football maven myself (pretty much all sports for that matters) so especially grateful to the UAlbany student (and alumni!) sports enthusiasts over the years who guide and help me develop these Superbowl insights and messages each year. This year I’m also thankful to my Chabad on Campus colleagues, Rabbi Shlomo Litvin of U-Kentucky in Lexington and Rabbi Meir Rubashkin of SUNY-Oneonta for their knowledge and insight with this as well.

CELEBRATING THE KICKER

Who makes a fuss about the kicker? We’re not talking QB or Wide Receiver., you know. This year, however, many games this season (especially in the playoffs that) were decided by a single field goal, the path to this Superbowl LVI was often decided by the kicker. Specifically Evan McPherson! Rarely is the kicker a bandied about football celebrity player. This year is the Year of the Kicker.

First of all, this reminds of the great Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers) teaching: “Do not be dismissive of anyone, not anything, because everyone has their moment.”  Yes, there are plenty of 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 also 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…

13 YEARS VS. 1ST YEAR

The QBs for both the Rams and Bengals were first-draft picks. But there’s a difference. The Rams QB Matthew Stafford reached the Superbowl in his 13th year, while the Bengals QB Joe Burrow got to the Superbowl after his first full season (not counting his injured season last year) in the NFL. Sometimes our path in life is quicker and easier, sometimes it is more roundabout and takes a lot longer. It’s going to take the time that it needs to take.

This is important to keep in mind, as it can be frustrating. We often have expectations, figured-out timelines, with hopes and thoughts of when things ought to work out and fall into place. But it doesn’t always happen as planned, sometimes our route in life has all types of detours and challenges, and it may take 13 years to reach what we thought could or should happen in one or two years. Sometimes we have to make big moves and switch things up to make it happen. But Stafford’s longer path to the Superbowl is a reminder that there’s also a long route, and many of us are on that path.

Not that Joe Burrow had it easy, by the way. Yes, this is his first full season, but remember he was badly injured last year and had to be out of the rest of the season. Many sports players don’t bounce back as well from such injury, but Joe Burrow did. He turned around a negative situation, uplifted a team that no one thought would make it all the way, there was a lot of uphill climb for the Bengals to make the Superbowl. Joe Burrow’s story teaches is that we can turn things around, and Matthew Stafford tells us that it may take time, but not to be disheartened.

MAKE MOST OF SECOND CHANCES

Lots of that in the year’s Superbowl. The Ram’s Cooper Kupp missed their last Superbowl die at an ACL injury, now he’s back to make up for it. Joe Burrow lost his last season to his torn ACL, but recovered and healed to win his way to the Superbowl. Odell Beckham Jr. was released from contract and restarted again with the Ram’s. Gotta make most of our second chances. This is the message of Teshuvah (repentance/return) there’s always a second chance! Don’t write yourself off or count yourself out. There’s always a possible comeback.

DON’T OVER-CALCULATE

Those in the know explained to me that the Rams have a unique approach to building their team. Due to the salary-cap, most teams are very eager for good draft picks and calculate that into their trades, sometimes thinking out a few years so as not to upset their chances at good draft picks. But the Rams somehow throw that caution to the wind and try build the best team they can now – without worrying what will be down the road.

Generally, long-term vision is a good thing. Pirkei Avot says that a wise person is someone with foresight, who thinks ahead, who sees beyond the current moment. And its good to plan, to be prepared, to include the calculus of the future into our current decision-making. All that is true.

But we can still learn from the Rams a concept the Rebbe often quoted called “Chatof Echol, Chatof UShtee” which means grab a Mitzvah opportunity as it comes. Don’t wait around, evaluate, just do it – as Nike says. Grab it! There’s a Tanya equivelant to Carpe Diem called “Hayom L’Asosom!” Don’t overthink, just make it happen now. The figuring out can happen later.

Actually word is that Rams Head Coach Sean McVey attributes the Ram’s last Superbowl loss to over-thinking. Sometimes too much analysis can keep us from doing what needs to get done NOW!

ANIMAL VS. ANIMAL

Here’s a piece of trivia pointed out by alumnus Jamie A: This is the fifth time than we have Animal vs. Animal (Rams vs. Bengal tigers) in Superbowl history.

Taking this into a Jewish lens, a ram is a Kosher animal, whereas a bengal tiger is not. Now, don’t get me wrong, we’re not saying (in the slightest!) that Cincinnati Bengals are somehow less kosher than the LA Rams! Of course, not. But an Animal vs. Animal Superbowl behooves us to recognize the different attributes and aspects of our Animal Soul (see Tanya) some of which are kosher and upgradeable and useable in our service of G-d, and some aspects are less kosher and we need to ignore/dismiss/move-away from.

Actually the Rebbe Rashab (5th Chabad Rebbe) in his Kuntres Avodah explains how the Animal Soul inside ourselves can vary from a passive sheep to an active goat to an aggressive bull. Each comes with its own set of pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses. Passive animals don’t do much harm – that’s true, but they don’t have the horsepower or strength or initiative to accomplish.

So an Animal vs. Animal Superbowl gives us opportunity to reflect on our inner spirit Animal and how we can harness that and make the most of it in our spiritual journey and mission.

HOME-STADIUM, AGAIN!?

For 54 Superbowls no team played the big game in their home-stadium. But this year in LA and last year in Tampa were the exception, and totally random at that! What are the odds! But even in their “own” house, its not a home-game for the Rams. Most of the fans in the stadium are overall NFL/Superbowl fans not specifically Ram’s fans, and they are not at any technical game-rules advantage – even in their own home. But despite that, they are at home, they are playing in familiar home-turf, can’t discount that plus.

Not sure what to make of this – but its certainly a fascinating oddity. Perhaps its like “home away from home” (part of our Shabbos House slogan) or maybe akin to how even in Jerusalem, even at the Kotel, we pray for “the return to Jerusalem”, because it feels like home, but not fully or technically there yet.

Look for a few more Superbowl 2022 insights coming soon!

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, in the real world and in real time. The Chassidic buzz word is “Dirah b’Tachtonim” a dwelling place down below. 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!