by Rabbi Josh Knobel
The festivities commenced late this morning, as the parade began on South Street and marched slowly toward center city. With thousands upon thousands of fans lining the streets, nearly the entire city of Philadelphia shut down in honor of its first Super Bowl champions, the 2017-18 Philadelphia Eagles.
Although the city’s other sports teams have brought various banners home throughout the years, any Philadelphian will admit that the city bleeds white and kelly green, the colors of its NFL franchise. And, for the most part, bleeding has been the history of this fanbase. Despite coming close in 1980 and again in 2004, the Eagles had not won a Super Bowl in the championship’s 52-year existence. Worse yet, their closest rivals in New York, Washington and Dallas boasted 12 titles among them.
For years, disappointment served as the hallmarks of Philadelphia sports, with fans discovering a sense of kinship in their shared history of disillusionment and disdain. But beneath that veneer of cynicism lay a spark of hope, one that until this past Sunday, lay unrealized.
Though one must remain cautious about the social and individual perils of professional sports, especially football, I couldn’t help but smile as I watched my fellow Pennsylvanians celebrate this morning with an almost religious fervor. And why shouldn’t they? Their connections, not unlike the bonds that tie together Jews across history and space, come from a shared sense of history and common purpose.
As such, there may be a thing or two that the spiritual person can learn from sports fandom, and few seem as insightful as the mantra of this year’s Eagles team: “An individual can make a difference, but a team can make miracles.”
As we continue to pursue Judaism’s hope of creating a more just and compassionate world, we, too, may often fall prey to the cynicism that accompanies disappointment. But, during those times, we must fan the spark of hope, remembering that underdogs can win, and that by coming together, fueled by our common history and purpose, we, too, can make miracles in the lives of our community, our city, and our world.