The Miracle in Minneapolis: Super Bowl LII

 

I’m not sure if miracle is the correct word to express what happened on Sunday, but I am still in shock that the Eagles were able to pull it off.

Villanova University won the NCAA championship my senior year of high school. The day of the parade, I had an afternoon statistics double. The teacher walked into the room, looked around, and dismissed the class for two connected reasons. The first was that the Wildcats were marching triumphantly  down Broad Street, and the second was that there were only four students who attended an afternoon statistics class instead of going to the parade. I was one of those four.

I am only old enough to remember one other major league sports victory, the 2008 World Series, when the Phillies beat Tampa Bay in five games.

Prior to 2008, all of Philadelphia’s championships were in the 1980s or before: the 76s in 1983, the Phillies in 1980, the Flyers in 1975, and the Eagles in 1960, seven years before Super Bowl I.

I have always maintained a healthy skepticism of Philadelphia sports teams; assuming we will lose, so that I can be pleasantly surprised if we win. However, this season seemed different. My skepticism was diminished, but not eliminated, after the tenth week, when Dallas fell 37 – 9 against us. Just a few weeks later though, my skepticism returned in full force after Carson Wentz suffered a season ending injury.

I spent Sunday night watching the game. For almost its entirety, the Eagles led the Patriots. Near the end, we led by five points, enough for the Patriots to claim victory through just a touchdown, the extra point would have been unnecessary. Then we got a field goal; the score was 41 – 33, the Patriots wouldn’t just need a touchdown, but they’d need a two point conversion just to tie the game. With nine seconds left, Brady threw a 51 yard Hail Mary pass; incomplete.

The feeling of a victory like that is indescribable. Dwight Eisenhower was president the last time we won, and I hope we won’t have to wait this long to do it again