Philosophy predicts Super Bowl winner

Philosophically speaking, I grew up as ãa child of the Enlightenment.ä Reason and science could explain all phenomena, including those in the world of sports, and there was no need for the supernatural. Concepts implying a Divine plan, such as ãa team of destiny,ä did not fit into my world view.

However, after becoming acquainted with the contrasting philosophical perspectives offered by the German philosophers Karl Marx and Wilhelm Hegel, I became more flexible in my outlook. The flow of history and the values and social patterns of a society, Marx asserted, were determined by material factors, especially those of an economic nature. Hegel, on the other hand, in emphasizing a spiritual perspective stated that, ãGod governs the world ... The carrying out of His plan is the history of the world.ä

When the owner of the Florida Marlins last year spent whatever millions were necessary to acquire the services of some of baseballâs outstanding players, it was not unexpected or surprising, from a Marxian perspective, that the Marlins emerged as winners of the World Series. However, when I witnessed such dramatic football games as the Broncosâ two playoff victories over Cleveland, featuring ãThe Driveä and ãThe Fumble,ä and the miraculous victory of the Minnesota Vikings over the New York Giants in their recent playoff game ÷ a victory secured by Minnesota scoring 10 points within 90 seconds at the end of the game ÷ a strong mystical feeling arose within me that other-worldly factors were determining the outcome of those games.

Two philosophical world views were warring within me, each seeking supremacy. For my own peace of mind, the conflict had to be resolved, but how? Finally, it dawned on me that I should examine closely the new data yielded by this yearâs Broncos season, considering especially the ãteam of destinyä motif reflected in their ãRevenge and Redemption Tourä ÷ the pathway that the Broncos needed to traverse to return to the Super Bowl.

As I reviewed the unusual events involved in the 1997 Broncos losses at the hands of Jacksonville, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and San Francisco, I had to wonder whether more than coincidence was involved. A second opportunity against Jacksonville, because Denverâs Michael Dean Perry failed to leave the playing field on time, enabling Jaguars to score the winning points; an almost miraculous 54-yard field goal against the wind by the Kansas City Chiefs on the last play of the game, the dropping of nearly a dozen passes by the usually sure-handed Broncos receivers in Pittsburgh, the return of San Franciscoâs Jerry Rice this season for only the Broncos game ÷ these stood out as the dominating features of the 1997 Bronco losses, the necessary prelude for their ãRevenge and Redemption Tourä to Super Bowl victory.

Did the conjunction of these unusual happenings reflect a transcendental plan in operation? This was the question I pondered before the Denver-Pittsburgh and the Green Bay-San Francisco championship games. If a Divine pattern was operating, I reasoned, the Broncos and San Francisco would both win in order that the ãRevenge and Redemption Tourä might be completed.

When Green Bay instead of San Francisco won, belief in a Divine pattern underlying the ãRevenge and Redemption Tourä was no longer tenable. I was on the verge of readopting the rationalistic and materialistic world view with which I had grown up, when serendipity intervened. I was led to recall Green Bayâs 41 to 6 thrashing of the Broncos the previous season. Avenging that humiliating loss by defeating last yearâs Super Bowl Champions in this yearâs Super Bowl was far more meaningful than defeating San Francisco. The Broncosâ ãRevenge and Redemption Tourä was still operational.

It was now clear to me that we are witnessing the archetypal ãteam of destinyä pattern allied to another archetypal pattern, ãthe heroâs journey,ä originated by Carl Jung and amplified by Joseph Campbell. John Elway is on that heroâs journey, having overcome the obstacles of two playoff road games and the stigma of past Super Bowl defeats. On Super Bowl Sunday, he will complete the heroâs journey by leading the Broncos to victory.

Broncos fans, rest assured. Victory is ours. Itâs written in the stars.


Seymour Weinberg is a student at Metro State college and vice president of the Metro State College Bahaâi Club