- Sep 22, 2013
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The sports-elegiac poem Casey at the Bat (written by Ernest Thayer in 1888) tells the unusual parable of a seemingly-indomitable American baseball player named Casey (aka, 'the Mighty Casey') who shocks the world by failing to hit a landmark home run as the audience discovers that no one is perfect(!).
The Mighty Casey is a sort of folkloric rendition of Job, a man who must face the reality of restricted ambitions/aspirations.
We might think of the titan-like New England QB Tom Brady as a real-life 'Mighty Casey.' Brady failed to win his unprecedented 6th Super Bowl title this year, as the shocking-underdog Philadelphia Eagles, playing injured with their backup-QB Nick Foles, managed to hold them down and defeat them 41-33. True, the Eagles played incredible well-coordinated teamwork-oriented professional football throughout their 'darling NFL season,' but no one would have immediately guessed that Brady (whom many sports-writers were comparing to all-time QB legend Joe Montana) would be handed a devastating loss by a backup-QB!
So we could definitely think of Tom Brady as a real-life Mighty Casey, especially since modern media sports-marketing has incredible dollar-value and capitalism-rhetorics attached to televised sports and Super Bowl ads. You could imagine then there were even pre-planned Super Bowl ads about Brady easily winning(!).
So, let's continue to be 'elegiac' and propose that the Eagles' inspiring victory in Super Bowl 52 was arguably the greatest underdog-upset in all of sports history(!) --- why not?
So as Americans revel in this 'nifty underdog victory' parade, the rest of the world prepared for the momentous Winter Olympics in PyeongChang (South Korea), an Olympics which featured a surprising and politically-inspiring 'dual-delegation' from both North Korea and South Korea. This is the first time the two divided nations unified for any public event, and they did so to sort out some of the very troubling and controversial political-hotbed scenarios from 2017 --- namely, North Korea's controversial nuclear-missile tests during Labor Day weekend which drew the arguably necessary ire of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Perhaps the lessons of Brady being the 'Mighty Casey' might inspire global leaders to consider how peaceful athletic competition can inspire real-life political creativity (and even spiritual catharsis!).
Russia was banned from sending a national delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics because of doping-allegations from the Sochi Games, though they were allowed to send individual Russian athletes to bring home medals for their country. Russia is also preparing to host the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament (a nice social-boon for a country arguably still reeling after the breakup of Communist USSR).
Isn't that what sports/Olympics are all about?
The PyeongChang Olympics (which have already started) feature terrific American talents seeking multiple gold-medals. One standout is excellent American female skier Lindsey Vonn, who just might be able to provide TV audiences with a necessary dose of political optimism on the global stage.
GO EAGLES!!!
====
BRADY: We were so disappointed with the Super Bowl.
VONN: Well, Eagles fans were surely pleased.
BRADY: Americans have much to look forward to in the Olympics!
VONN: Yes, our ski-team is poised for a stellar-showing in South Korea.
BRADY: Eagles fans are boasting about the Declaration of Independence.
VONN: Yes, that valuable liberation-document was signed in Philadelphia.
BRADY: I suppose President Trump is cheering you on in PyeongChang!
VONN: President Trump knows the value of these Olympics.
BRADY: Indeed, South Korea and North Korea stand united for the first time.
VONN: Many sports-fans are calling you the 'Mighty Casey.'
BRADY: I suppose then that many sports-fans will refer to you as Cinderella!
VONN: We'll see...
BRADY: I wonder how much sports-culture impacts political 'etiquette.'
VONN: Greatly, I think, because of the Munich Massacre (1972 Summer Olympics).
BRADY: That involved Palestinian terrorists killing Israeli athletes, right?
VONN: Indeed, and maybe the 2018 Winter Olympics will provide the world cheer.
BRADY: Good luck to all of us then...
VONN: Except you, my blues-poem friend (I hope you get that 6th title someday)!
====
The Mighty Casey is a sort of folkloric rendition of Job, a man who must face the reality of restricted ambitions/aspirations.
We might think of the titan-like New England QB Tom Brady as a real-life 'Mighty Casey.' Brady failed to win his unprecedented 6th Super Bowl title this year, as the shocking-underdog Philadelphia Eagles, playing injured with their backup-QB Nick Foles, managed to hold them down and defeat them 41-33. True, the Eagles played incredible well-coordinated teamwork-oriented professional football throughout their 'darling NFL season,' but no one would have immediately guessed that Brady (whom many sports-writers were comparing to all-time QB legend Joe Montana) would be handed a devastating loss by a backup-QB!
So we could definitely think of Tom Brady as a real-life Mighty Casey, especially since modern media sports-marketing has incredible dollar-value and capitalism-rhetorics attached to televised sports and Super Bowl ads. You could imagine then there were even pre-planned Super Bowl ads about Brady easily winning(!).
So, let's continue to be 'elegiac' and propose that the Eagles' inspiring victory in Super Bowl 52 was arguably the greatest underdog-upset in all of sports history(!) --- why not?
So as Americans revel in this 'nifty underdog victory' parade, the rest of the world prepared for the momentous Winter Olympics in PyeongChang (South Korea), an Olympics which featured a surprising and politically-inspiring 'dual-delegation' from both North Korea and South Korea. This is the first time the two divided nations unified for any public event, and they did so to sort out some of the very troubling and controversial political-hotbed scenarios from 2017 --- namely, North Korea's controversial nuclear-missile tests during Labor Day weekend which drew the arguably necessary ire of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Perhaps the lessons of Brady being the 'Mighty Casey' might inspire global leaders to consider how peaceful athletic competition can inspire real-life political creativity (and even spiritual catharsis!).
Russia was banned from sending a national delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics because of doping-allegations from the Sochi Games, though they were allowed to send individual Russian athletes to bring home medals for their country. Russia is also preparing to host the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament (a nice social-boon for a country arguably still reeling after the breakup of Communist USSR).
Isn't that what sports/Olympics are all about?
The PyeongChang Olympics (which have already started) feature terrific American talents seeking multiple gold-medals. One standout is excellent American female skier Lindsey Vonn, who just might be able to provide TV audiences with a necessary dose of political optimism on the global stage.
GO EAGLES!!!
====
BRADY: We were so disappointed with the Super Bowl.
VONN: Well, Eagles fans were surely pleased.
BRADY: Americans have much to look forward to in the Olympics!
VONN: Yes, our ski-team is poised for a stellar-showing in South Korea.
BRADY: Eagles fans are boasting about the Declaration of Independence.
VONN: Yes, that valuable liberation-document was signed in Philadelphia.
BRADY: I suppose President Trump is cheering you on in PyeongChang!
VONN: President Trump knows the value of these Olympics.
BRADY: Indeed, South Korea and North Korea stand united for the first time.
VONN: Many sports-fans are calling you the 'Mighty Casey.'
BRADY: I suppose then that many sports-fans will refer to you as Cinderella!
VONN: We'll see...
BRADY: I wonder how much sports-culture impacts political 'etiquette.'
VONN: Greatly, I think, because of the Munich Massacre (1972 Summer Olympics).
BRADY: That involved Palestinian terrorists killing Israeli athletes, right?
VONN: Indeed, and maybe the 2018 Winter Olympics will provide the world cheer.
BRADY: Good luck to all of us then...
VONN: Except you, my blues-poem friend (I hope you get that 6th title someday)!
====
cant be the greatest coach ever if you have to cheat to achieve greatness.
