Hey, this doesn't happen very often. We'll stop celebrating this victory all in good time. Until then . . .
Lord, thanks for bringing them back safely. And thank you for all the answered prayers. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
It'll all be over soon enough. The joy, the satisfaction, the celebrations. The Super Bowl XLVIII Champion Seattle Seahawks will slip away into the off season and fans will be left to reminisce about the greatest season ever for our football loving city.
Reflections about the gala event outside of the game must include evaluations of the expensive commercials designed to grab viewers' attentions in creative and unusual ways. Before I comment on the overall group of ad presentations, I will say Coca Cola did themselves no favors with their mix on America, the Beautiful. Boycotts have been threatened and clearly the multi-cultural approach to who America is at its core did not resonate with most Americans.
In another commercial Bob Dylan shocked his ol' '60's fans by advertising a car. KIA, Chevy, Jaguar, and Maserati all competed for dazzling recognition of their brands, surprising as it was to see Maserati take a stab at tantalizing an American football audience. Tim Tebow gave a good performance, poking fun at himself in the process for T-Mobile.
And, as expected, Budweiser continued to demonstrate their class and dominance of the best ever Super Bowl commercials with their Welcome Home and the devoted puppy offerings. Sensational tear-jerkers for those of us who respond to the emotional appeal of soldiers and beautiful animals in action.
With the exception of the Budweiser and car commercials, most of the others were forgettable with a few managing to rate an "awful" from our household. Sometimes I wonder if the firms who create them do drugs on a regular basis. Overall, minus the exceptions, this was the worst bunch of Super Bowl commercials I've ever seen, and I've watched many Super Bowls.
Regardless of the commercials, this long awaited Super Bowl win for this fan since 1976 gave the world a look at a powerful defense whose motto has been "Leave no doubt". Boring for those who had no personal interest in the game due to it being a blowout, disappointing and heartbreaking for Denver fans, this victory was off the charts thrilling for longsuffering Seahawks fans. The best team won. A true joy and pleasure to watch and savor. It'll be a long off season.
Father, I continue to ask your blessing on those you've called to the game of football. You give such amazing gifts and talents to all kinds of people. May those who are called by your Name never forget to give you all the credit for their abilities. Apart from you, we can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Thank you, Lord. To you be all the glory. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
Thank you, Lord, for those you called to play football, for those who give you all the glory, for those who will come to know you because of them. Thank you for the respite. Please bless your sons as they compete. Keep them safe from all harm. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Some of us are drama kings and queens, and some of us definitely are not. During the pre-Super Bowl Media Day, the feeding frenzy of photographers, interviewers, sportscasters, and any number of media representatives from television, radio, and print forums gather in front of podiums and tables filled with football players and coaches stationed there for this mandatory event.
For some people I know, it would be a torturous time filled with trepidation and anxiety. I'd love it except for one thing: it would be the media. And sometimes the media are hostile, unfair, looking for incriminating soundbites/bytes, and anything to defame or humiliate those at the podiums and tables. Their prejudices and/or expectations rule over their journalistic capabilities, and they fail miserably to convey "real" and instead insert caricatures.
Even though I'm always up for an audience – in spite of rarely having one – I can certainly understand not wanting to attend such an event. If you're uncomfortable being exposed, anticipate questions that might get too personal, if you're not accustomed to speaking in front of a crowd, don't consider yourself articulate or desire to express feelings or opinions, being placed in this environment to be prodded and probed by members of the media absolutely would not be a welcome or understandable situation. And should not be forced upon you.
Seattle Seahawk premiere running back Marshawn Lynch was warned by the NFL Commissioner if he did not participate in this Media Day event, he would be fined $100,000. He seriously considered not attending but relented, attending, and for several minutes expressed his appreciation for the attention but concluded he just didn't understand it. Marshawn Lynch is not a talker, he's a doer. I don't know if the way some of the media has treated him in the past, focusing on mistakes he's made, has anything to do with his aversion to speaking with the media, but I wouldn't blame him if it did. He has consented to giving interviews to particular media members, probably those he felt he could trust to reveal who he truly is as a person who grew up in a hard way and who operates a foundation in his native Oakland to help kids just like he was get a headstart on a better life.
Marshawn Lynch at Super Bowl Media Day
For the most part, the members of the NFL network gave a favorable response to Marshawn's brief interviews, but one self-important local sports media figure, who is nationally revered as a football guru, insulted him and made it crystal clear why Marshawn Lynch shouldn't ever consent to speak to him. Few things in this media frenzy have infuriated me as much as this individual's reaction to Marshawn. I'm not even printing his name here because it would give him recognition he doesn't deserve.
Why is it the media, who is no more a participant in the sports' realm as it is in the political realm, should be able to dictate who and what can be said and done for their benefit? And how is it they can decide exactly how individuals must act in situations that are difficult and/or uncomfortable for them? The media, even in sports, thinks of itself much more highly than it ought.
Lord, justice, please. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
A special player on our team:
Father, please continue to bless Marshawn's life. Be close to him and keep him safe from all harm. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Okay, I'm not talking about board games or card games or actual games. I'm talking about "the games people play". And let's face it, there are plenty of games played in publishing. Even Christian publishing. Gasp!
And I can't play them. I just can't. Some of the required steps to secure an agent, a contract, attention, I don't do well. I'm not speaking of synopses, or the three chapter submissions, or the practical aspects of sending a manuscript. I'm speaking of the "do's and don'ts" of expected conduct. If I've met someone, I'm not going to pretend I haven't.
Maybe it's that "I gotta be me" thing. Things must make sense to me. And some things just don't. Maybe a lot of things don't.
Just some thoughts on the publishing scene . . .
Father, help me to be the one you want me to be. Always. I'm desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Some of you might've read my post on Saturday. Or maybe you caught this one. Or perhaps here. Pictured below are three young professional football players who I respect and to whom I'm loyal. And since this is the time of year when hysteria strikes the sports media, I'm happy to contribute my own brand of attention to the game since my team finally gets to play.
Thank you, Lord, for these gifted young men who dedicate themselves to the craft you've given them. Help them at all times to do what you've called them to do, to be the ones you designed them to be. Please continue to bless their lives, their efforts to honor you, and their hopes and dreams as they follow you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
" . . . You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. . . ."
Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)
" . . . Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
