- Sep 22, 2013
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This is an Eagles (NFL) parable inspired by their Super Bowl 52 [2018] victory.
This parable was also inspired by the film Any Given Sunday.
Cheers,
====
Dena was a dazzling Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) cheerleader who studied at Penn State University and was a cheerleader actually for the celebrated (and televised) Nittany Lions college-football team. Dena joined the Eagles cheerleading squad in 2016, and she was eager to see her team go all the way to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the Eagles failed to make the playoffs in 2016 and 2017, while the seemingly-indomitable an millennium-dominating New England Patriots (led by Goliath-like QB Tom Brady) made it to the AFC Championship game in 2016 and won the Super Bowl in 2017(!). However, in the following year, the upstart and well-choreographed Eagles (led by phenom-QB Carson Wentz) jumped out to a strong 1st place position in the NFC and held a #1 power-ranking in the entire NFL (just ahead of Brady's Patriots). Dena was in pure heaven.
Late in that terrific Eagles season, the Eagles lost their phenom-QB Carson Wentz to a season-ending injury (torn-ACL), requiring the team to use their backup-QB Nick Foles. Dena was demoralized, and the entire team worried. However, Foles managed wondrous psychologically-crucial late-season victories over the ambitious Oakland Raiders, the unpredictable New York Giants, and the gritty L.A. Rams before downing the tough Atlanta Falcons and mighty Minnesota Vikings in the NFL playoffs...Foles' Eagles had managed to reach the Super Bowl! Foles was suddenly the NFL darling, and people were asking things like, "Will Foles be the backup-QB who carries the Eagles out of the shadows the same way Tom Brady emerged out of the shadow of then starting Patriots phenom-QB Drew Bledsoe?" Dena was so anxious for Foles and her Eagles to win that she made a special prayer at her local Catholic church (before the big game).
"Dear God, I know Nick Foles is young and unproven compared to our sensational (but injured) Carson Wentz. However, I also know our Eagles team is mighty and very well-organized, so you have to listen to my prayer. Help this Foles-Eagles team coordinate itself well enough and for long enough to overcome the machine-like precision and dominating-football play of those Godzilla-like New England Patriots! I promise I won't ask you for anything else next NFL season!"
Dena's prayers were answered. In Super Bowl 52 [2018], the Eagles played tightly and in a very well-organized fashion and pulled off an incredible 41-33 victory over Brady's Patriots, despite being considered an underdog. To Dena, it was the greatest upset in Super Bowl history and the greatest thrill as an Eagles fan and cheerleader. Dena decided to become a more 'diligent' and faithful Catholic, since God listened to her prayers and helped her underdog Foles-Eagles team surprise the dominating New England Patriots. Dena decided to buy a set of Eagles commemorative Super Bowl 52 dinner-plates for her family! Everything was going well for Dena, and she remembered her fun days as a Nittany Lions cheerleader (but this was way way better). Dena decided she was a very very happy professional football cheerleader and looked forward to a long career cheering on the Eagles (and whoever would continue to be the star-QB --- Nick Foles...or Carson Wentz!).
"Dena, I'm happy for your team and its incredibly wonderful success in Super Bowl 52. Nick Foles was able to coordinate the offense successfully, since the Eagles were well-coached and well-choreographed the entire season(!). I'm sure next year, the 'fun controversy' generated by who exactly should be the 'starting-phenom-QB' (Nick Foles or Carson Wentz!) will be perceived as a welcomed breath of fresh-air in an NFL somewhat spiritually beleaguered in this age of free-agency and merchandising because of the endless and now almost-tedious domination of the Brady-led New England Patriots. However, now I demand something of you, Dena. I want you to be the secret Eagles cheerleader priestess. I want you to make a prayer before each game, with enough optimism in your heart to believe the Eagles will continue to be 'patriotic' (and steroids-free!) athletes!"
That's the voice-of-God (and divine message) Dena heard in her dream after the Eagles' Super Bowl victory that incredible season. Dena truly believed it was God who came to her in her dream to deliver that message and prayer-request, and Dena intended to follow the wish-request to the letter, so she resolved to make those kinds of prayers before each Eagles game the following season (regardless of who was the starting-phenom-QB...Nick Foles or Carson Wentz!). Dena decided she was a worthy 'Eagles priestess' (just as God wanted her to be!). Dena went to her cheerleading squad meeting the next week (for a post-season wrap-up). She discovered that a new recruit (a wild-eyed UPenn graduate named Lara) was interested in joining the Eagles cheerleading squad for the following season. Lara looked a little eccentric, and when Dena pulled her aside and asked her honestly, "Why do you want to be an Eagle?" to her bewilderment, Lara eerily replied, "I'm an angel of Satan!" Dena realized a great spiritual struggle was fast-approaching (and secretly hoped God would be with the Eagles!).
====
This parable was also inspired by the film Any Given Sunday.
Cheers,
====
Dena was a dazzling Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) cheerleader who studied at Penn State University and was a cheerleader actually for the celebrated (and televised) Nittany Lions college-football team. Dena joined the Eagles cheerleading squad in 2016, and she was eager to see her team go all the way to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the Eagles failed to make the playoffs in 2016 and 2017, while the seemingly-indomitable an millennium-dominating New England Patriots (led by Goliath-like QB Tom Brady) made it to the AFC Championship game in 2016 and won the Super Bowl in 2017(!). However, in the following year, the upstart and well-choreographed Eagles (led by phenom-QB Carson Wentz) jumped out to a strong 1st place position in the NFC and held a #1 power-ranking in the entire NFL (just ahead of Brady's Patriots). Dena was in pure heaven.
Late in that terrific Eagles season, the Eagles lost their phenom-QB Carson Wentz to a season-ending injury (torn-ACL), requiring the team to use their backup-QB Nick Foles. Dena was demoralized, and the entire team worried. However, Foles managed wondrous psychologically-crucial late-season victories over the ambitious Oakland Raiders, the unpredictable New York Giants, and the gritty L.A. Rams before downing the tough Atlanta Falcons and mighty Minnesota Vikings in the NFL playoffs...Foles' Eagles had managed to reach the Super Bowl! Foles was suddenly the NFL darling, and people were asking things like, "Will Foles be the backup-QB who carries the Eagles out of the shadows the same way Tom Brady emerged out of the shadow of then starting Patriots phenom-QB Drew Bledsoe?" Dena was so anxious for Foles and her Eagles to win that she made a special prayer at her local Catholic church (before the big game).
"Dear God, I know Nick Foles is young and unproven compared to our sensational (but injured) Carson Wentz. However, I also know our Eagles team is mighty and very well-organized, so you have to listen to my prayer. Help this Foles-Eagles team coordinate itself well enough and for long enough to overcome the machine-like precision and dominating-football play of those Godzilla-like New England Patriots! I promise I won't ask you for anything else next NFL season!"
Dena's prayers were answered. In Super Bowl 52 [2018], the Eagles played tightly and in a very well-organized fashion and pulled off an incredible 41-33 victory over Brady's Patriots, despite being considered an underdog. To Dena, it was the greatest upset in Super Bowl history and the greatest thrill as an Eagles fan and cheerleader. Dena decided to become a more 'diligent' and faithful Catholic, since God listened to her prayers and helped her underdog Foles-Eagles team surprise the dominating New England Patriots. Dena decided to buy a set of Eagles commemorative Super Bowl 52 dinner-plates for her family! Everything was going well for Dena, and she remembered her fun days as a Nittany Lions cheerleader (but this was way way better). Dena decided she was a very very happy professional football cheerleader and looked forward to a long career cheering on the Eagles (and whoever would continue to be the star-QB --- Nick Foles...or Carson Wentz!).
"Dena, I'm happy for your team and its incredibly wonderful success in Super Bowl 52. Nick Foles was able to coordinate the offense successfully, since the Eagles were well-coached and well-choreographed the entire season(!). I'm sure next year, the 'fun controversy' generated by who exactly should be the 'starting-phenom-QB' (Nick Foles or Carson Wentz!) will be perceived as a welcomed breath of fresh-air in an NFL somewhat spiritually beleaguered in this age of free-agency and merchandising because of the endless and now almost-tedious domination of the Brady-led New England Patriots. However, now I demand something of you, Dena. I want you to be the secret Eagles cheerleader priestess. I want you to make a prayer before each game, with enough optimism in your heart to believe the Eagles will continue to be 'patriotic' (and steroids-free!) athletes!"
That's the voice-of-God (and divine message) Dena heard in her dream after the Eagles' Super Bowl victory that incredible season. Dena truly believed it was God who came to her in her dream to deliver that message and prayer-request, and Dena intended to follow the wish-request to the letter, so she resolved to make those kinds of prayers before each Eagles game the following season (regardless of who was the starting-phenom-QB...Nick Foles or Carson Wentz!). Dena decided she was a worthy 'Eagles priestess' (just as God wanted her to be!). Dena went to her cheerleading squad meeting the next week (for a post-season wrap-up). She discovered that a new recruit (a wild-eyed UPenn graduate named Lara) was interested in joining the Eagles cheerleading squad for the following season. Lara looked a little eccentric, and when Dena pulled her aside and asked her honestly, "Why do you want to be an Eagle?" to her bewilderment, Lara eerily replied, "I'm an angel of Satan!" Dena realized a great spiritual struggle was fast-approaching (and secretly hoped God would be with the Eagles!).
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