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Super Bowl 52 was perhaps the all-time greatest Super Bowl. Congratulations to the World Champion Philadelphia Eagles. And I’m a Tom Brady fan.
40-year-old Quarterback Tom threw for 505 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions in the loss. With 2 minutes and 30 seconds left to play, the Patriots trailed by 5 points. The Eagles defensive lineman knocks the ball loose from Tom’s throwing arm, causing a fumble. Tom looks down as he walks off the field. He knows it was on him, his fault alone.
Then with 3 seconds left to play, Tom throws the 50-yard pass into the end zone, his last attempt to tie the game. Tight end Rob Gronkowski leaps into the air surrounded by four defenders, making his play for the ball. Tom’s pass goes incomplete. The Eagles win their first ever Super Bowl.
The Patriots lost. Yet, Tom inspired in defeat. In his press conference, he said, “This sucks.” Tom might suffer over the loss for a week or so. Then he’ll be back training for next year, training for his next greater than. Tom is about the mastery of the game.
Playing football, Tom is present, continually in the moment. Regardless of circumstance, he creates what’s possible. Maybe possibility inspires more than the actual outcome. Although, I presume Tom would be happier wearing his sixth Super Bowl ring. Well, 2018 Season is his next.
Before the game, I watched the Facebook Watch “Tom vs. Time” episode “The Spiritual Game”. Tom describes football as his “first love”. He fell in love with football when he was 4 years-old watching his hero Quarterback Joe Montana play. He said, “Football allows me to be who I am.” Playing football is his authentic self-expression.
Tom’s wife is Gisele Bundchen, one of the greatest Supermodels. They have a daughter and son together. Tom has an older son, who lives in New York. In her interview, Gisele acknowledged Tom’s first love was football. She said facetiously that Tom loves football “more than me.” Her warm sense of humor expresses her unconditional love for Tom.
As Tom talked about his first great love and the freedom of it, I got it. My first great love was Aikido. Aikido is my greater than. Clearly, Tom is about world-class greatness. I’m not. Yet, like Tom, I keep discovering my greater than. When I practice Aikido I’m so alive; I’m free to be me.
I regret never risking falling in love with a woman in the past. Yet, that possibility still exists.
I fell in love with Aikido when I was 12 years-old taking Aikido class in Pearl City. Aikido gives me purpose; the freedom to be me. I believe that’s also love. Training Aikido with Sensei Dan over the years allowed me to become greater than I could have imagined. I become the man I’m proud of. Aikido has been my 30-year love story that continues.
In the “Tom vs. Time” final episode, Tom spoke about that Super Bowl loss and his remaining time for his first love. He suffered in the Super Bowl loss. Ironically, that loss was more devastating for his kids. He said, “We don’t always win. We try our best. And sometimes it doesn’t always go the way you want… Life moves on.” Win or lose, the journey of greater than you know yourself to be continues.
Tom gets the bigger picture: “I’m a lot closer to the end than the beginning.” He loves football. He loves his wife and kids. Life is about discovering its balance. That’s what Tom continues to discover.
The fundamental distinction in Aikido is balance. I use my balance, my ki, my center to throw the man to the ground weighing 100 pounds more than me. O-Sensei created Aikido to balance one’s life: “… to give life to all things, to reconcile the world, and to foster the completion of everyone’s journey.” Hopefully, both Tom’s and my journey still have a ways to go.
My legacy passes on my love of Aikido to the next generation of students. Perhaps, they will pass on that love recreated with their own love for generations to come. Maybe my first love might live forever. That’s immortality, in a sense. That’s be the life worth living.
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Photo credit: Getty Images Yes, the photo is from Super Bowl 51, not 52. It depicts Brady’s love and passion for football.