I love football.
It's no secret. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a football girl through and through.
And I am pretty darn proud of that. Female football fans are not weird; no, they are a beautiful and rare commodity. And you know what? Those are the girls that get bigger diamonds ;)
What I love even more than football though is playoff football.
I am a firm believer that it becomes a whole different game when it hits the playoffs. Teams care more. Fans care more. And the game is played with 10x's as much passion.
Miracles happen during playoff football.
Miracles happen in all sports.
I realize that the title of this post is a tad bit misleading, but I honestly believe that miracles can happen during a game of any sport.
These are the moments that fans, players, coaches and commentators live for.
These are the moments that send chills rushing up and down your spine and cause you to break out into goosebumps.
These are the moments that make us believe again.
These are the moments that live on forever long after the last fan leaves the stadium and the last light is turned off.
These are the moments that inspire generations to believe in miracles.
For example, something my parents generation remembers well is the miracle on ice during the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.
They were just a group of college kids, amateurs and a second rate coach but they shocked the world.
Their average age was 22 and many of them only had the experience of playing in college under their belts. Not a single person believed that these boys could beat out the powerhouse Soviets.
However, after an incredible game the Americans took the lead for the first time in the last ten minutes, in the final seconds the announcer asked the now famous question, "Do you believe in miracles?!" At the final buzzer, players and team officials poured onto the ice in celebration. They had done it. Against all odds they had taken the gold away from the Soviets.
It's ironic to me that America now uses these "Dream Teams" because of them we seldom get to dream. But on one cold weekend in 1980, as America and the world watched, a group of remarkable young men gave the nation what it needed most - a chance, for one night, not only to dream, but a chance once again to believe.
That's the beautiful power of sporting events.
They can get us to dream and believe in miracles.
They can bring us out of our own problems if only for a couple of hours.
They provide a safe haven where strangers come together in the same desire.
I started this post talking about football and I will end talking about football.
Saturday brought one of the greatest games the sport of football has ever seen.
My Ravens came into Mile High Stadium as the underdogs and they left as winners.
They shocked the world.
They performed a miracle.
No one had picked them to beat the Manning led Broncos, but like so many times before the underdog came out on top.
That's why this sport is so incredible, no matter what you think the outcome, no matter the odds, you can be surprised.
And this team shocked everyone.
Even I was surprised, wonderfully so, but still surprised. I truly thought that Manning had us beat. I learned the lesson that you don't count out a team that is riding a veteran's last season, no matter the odds.
This win made me believe in miracles.
Truly it was the Mile High Miracle and will go down in history as one of the greatest games ever played between two of the greatest players the league has ever seen.
Much love my friends and GO RAVENS!
-L
