For those of you who are Texas Tech football fans, what you witnessed tonight at the Super Bowl was a team with a strong defense. The clear winner in this game was what some people consider fact: great defenses win championships. The Denver Broncos, a team I don't follow all that closely, have a great defense, and Cam Newton, who for the most part was a dominant quarterback (like him or not) during the season, was a non-factor in this game. Shut down. Stopped. Hit and hit hard. The Denver defense was, in a word, punishing.
Von Miller, a Denver linebacker, was named MVP for the Super Bowl which stated how dominating the defense was for Denver. The thrill for me in this game was the fact that Gary Kubiak, a stroke survivor, a good guy, and former Texans coach, and his defensive coordinator Wade Phillips were rewarded for years of hard work that paid off in the form of a Super Bowl. Kubiak is from Houston originally (my home town), played for A&M, and then played for Denver along with Elway. Phillips is the son of Houston favorite Bum Phillips, played at UH, and has coached for many years, so I had interest in Denver winning.
The room where I watched the game with about five others was decidedly pro-Denver. Consequently, there were moments of frustration (the Denver offense was not moving the ball as they wished) and moments of excitement (the dachshund "wiener" dog Heinz commercial) and moments of confusion (trying to explain to each other just who "Coldplay" is and what are they saying/singing?).
It's been said there are holidays in our country, but that Super Bowl Sunday is officially a day where the US connects and plans activity solely centered around a game. The NFL has done a tremendous job of marketing this event. It is, for all intents and purposes, our biggest national holiday unofficially.
In spite of all of this, our hope is not in the game of football or the "bigness" of the event we call the Super Bowl. As Isaiah writes, "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble an fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (40:30 and 31)
Hope you enjoyed the game if you watched it, and that you and your gathering had great fellowship. Hope your team won. And, our hope is in the Lord who renews our strength.
Hope Men's Ministry
