It’s typically the largest audience of any American television broadcast each year…
It’s the second-largest day of American food consumption… (insert ‘egad’ here…)
It’s also a day when even the far-more-than-casual fan tunes in…
It’s Super Bowl LVI. The Rams at the Bengals (…well, really the Bengals at the Rams — at SoFi Stadium in Souther California). Los Angeles vs. Cincinnati. The NFC vs. the AFC.
On Sunday, we’ll make this story a little more personal, tapping into some of the more in-depth insights that make this game especially special. But there’s one insight that’s been brewing in me for maybe three, four weeks now. One that’s significant. One that applies arguably everywhere elsewhere…
I’m pondering the relationship between expectation, gratitude and joy.
How do the three fit together?
Back to football, for a moment…
By all accounts, the Los Angeles Rams expected to be in this game.
Also by all accounts, the Cincinnati Bengals did not.
Said talented Cincinnati quarterback, Joe Burrow, a week ago, “If you told me that we were going to the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season, I would’ve called you crazy.” To be clear, he was by far not the only one.
It’s not that the Rams were cocky nor the Bengals were selling themselves short. But no doubt one of the great balances of life is learning how to hope for the best while still holding onto reality.
Crazy.
There’s seems this fascinating phenomena when observing what happens when our expectation bar rests lower than reality. And please know, I’m not suggesting any intentional lowering of the bar. I’m simply acknowledging that there’s something especially sweet that accompanies unexpected success…
Maybe it’s joy.
Maybe it’s gratitude.
Maybe it’s an awareness of blessing… even ones that aren’t promised nor asked for.
Whatever it is, it is beautiful and good.
And so we ponder our expectations elsewhere…
… in our work… our relationships…
… our politics… our aspirations…
… our health… our faith…
… and more.
Once again we see that while sports is oft identified as “just a game,” its implications and opportunity for learning extend way beyond any arena or competitive playing field… Where have we set our expectations so high that we are missing out on something so beautiful and good?
The weekend, no less, will bring much to watch…
The expected rise of the talented Rams are the last stop on the unexpected journey of the upstart Bengals… featuring QB’s Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow — such likable leaders… and also the youngest combo of head coaches ever to meet in the Super Bowl…
I can’t wait.
What a joy…
Respectfully…
AR