Reflections on Super Bowl LVII and The UAE
Super Bowl Sunday — wow, what a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Did you watch the game?
Both teams were strong. Aside from a bad punt by the Chiefs, a couple of controversial penalties between both teams, a holding call on the opposing team, and a slippery slope of a field, the Chiefs led the way at 38–35 in the second half after the Eagles had taken a strong lead in the first at 21–14.
Not even a right ankle injury that star quarterback, two-time champ and MVP, Patrick Mahomes suffered from kept him from out running the Eagles’ defense of 26 yards with two minutes and 55 seconds left before the game tied, which led them into a winning field goal (Gardner, Deen, Bumbacca, 2023). Impressive. Seriously.
As one of the highest-scoring Super Bowl games in history, Super Bowl 57 was a thrilling showdown with numerous records either broken (longest punt return) or tied (Gardner, Deen, Bumbacca, 2023).
It was such a great game although I did not choose any teams or sides.
Do you have a favorite team?
I kind of lost my zest for football when the kneeling protests occurred back in 2016. Remember that? In my mind, it was a childish act for overpaid professional ball players who have no idea what me and so many other service members have gone through for the American Flag.
We want the American public, and the public in general, to take a stance with us in what our flag and anthem stands for. We have fought for the American public and the freedoms for which it stands for. We fought for their right to protest. So much so, that we risked our own lives to defend it.
This is why we want the public to know how much we, and they, should respect it. “All gave some, some gave all.”
Speaking of, the freedoms that we have been given so richly in the land of the free and the home of the brave should not be taken for granted.
This reminds me of a brief period when I was deployed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during my term in the U.S. Navy. It was quite a culture shock as a young, female enjoying my liberty along the guys I served with in a t-shirt and shorts when I was seeing Middle Eastern women dressed in black garb covered from head-to-toe walking behind the men a few feet behind.
This Islamic-Muslim enriched region, comprised of seven Arabian emirates with Persian influence, each unique in culture and traditions, is rich in history, and attracts migrators and traders from all over. The UAE is not just known for its lucrative oil and gas reserves (the third largest oil producer in the world), but also inhabits a very diverse populace, housing over 200 nationalities including people from Egypt, Palestine, Pakistan, Jordan, and Syria. It is a rich economical center with Dubai being the largest hub for commercial and financial corporations as well and tourist attractions all over (Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, 2022; Peterson, Crystal, 2023).
Back when I visited, pre-tourist tower (The now famous Burj Khalifa building that boasts of 163 floors), it was an interesting desert region that my American eyes had never seen before offering rich cultural food, exotic scents, real gold and Persian rugs eager for a currency exchange of the American Dollar.
I went on a camel ride for the first time and fell off because I was drunk. We pulled into port on my 20th birthday (good times!) I was trying to soak up the last few hours of liberty I had before dreading the fact that I would have to go back to the ship per Navy regulations of liberty port calls (mainly liberty restrictions are in place from leadership to maintain good order, discipline and unit readiness while experiencing the local community. Specifically, liberty restrictions are in place because unruly behavior can greatly impact foreign relations and tarnish the image that we so often try to portray in the highest regard — an important fact when sustaining alliances and remaining as a strong presence in foreign lands.
Aside from some of the restrictions that we had to adhere to — what an amazing time I had!
Have you ever been overseas? The world is beautiful, interesting, amazing, exciting and scary all at the same time!! It was my first time really engaging with a culture that I was not used to.
This was one of many experiences in the military that helped me to appreciate the American way of life.
Speaking of the American way — back to the good ‘ol sport of fútbol Americano.
As Wikipedia or Google explains, this American team sport is comprised of two opposing teams with eleven players on a rectangular field with goal posts at each end. The goal is to score in the opposing teams goal post, known as the end zone, by kicking, throwing or carrying the two-dimensional ellipse of the prolate spheroid shape of a ball over the goal line. Inside note: unlike its spherical cousin, the football is shaped in this manner so that it can spiral properly when thrown (Wikipedia, 2023).
It is divided into four quarters with fifteen minutes on the clock for each quarter and a halftime break point. Whoever scores the most points in the end when the time expires in the fourth quarter and the last play of the game is complete.
It’s pretty exciting to watch. Especially when two teams are strong like the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
What originally stemmed from rugby and soccer, became quite a well-known and famous intense, high-contact sport filled with tackles, rushes, passes, and receptions.
And, who doesn’t like that kind of excitement? Unless you’re a bore. :-)
“I learned all about life with a ball at my feet” — Ronaldinho
References
Gardner, S., Deen, S., Bumbacca, C. (2023). Super Bowl 57 final score: Chiefs top Eagles 38–35 thanks to late-game magic from Mahome. Retrieved February 13, 2023 from https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/super-bowl-2023-live-score-eagles-chiefs-results-highlights/svatf7fy09w1v8cjntgac5zo.
Peterson, J.E., Crystal, J.A. (2023). United Arab Emirates. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved February 14, 2023 from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Organization-of-the-Islamic-Cooperation.
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (2022). 12 Fascinating Facts About the UAE. Retrieved February 14, 2023 from https://visitrasalkhaimah.com/blog/12-fascinating-facts-about-uae/.
Wikipedia (2023). American Football. Retrieved February 14, 2023 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football.
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