Over the years, I have snarkily listed evidence that might change my mind about the existence of God. You know, like the Cincinnati Bengals winning the Super Bowl. I figured this ask would never come to pass. After all, the Bengals have been to the Super Bowl twice in franchise history and hadn’t won a playoff game in thirty years. What I didn’t count on is the Messiah showing up; his name is Joe Burrow.
Well, here we are. In two weeks, my Cincinnati Bengals will play the Los Angeles Rams for all the marbles! After Evan McPherson kicked the game-winning field goal, my granddaughter turned to me and said, “Grandpa, why are you crying?” Polly and my sons knew why I was crying — a seminal moment in my life, a moment I shall never forget. Win or lose the Super Bowl, these Bungles-turned-Bengals have warmed and thrilled this old man’s heart. Sure, it’s just a game, but there are moments in the life of a long-suffering fan, that the “game” is much more than just another game.
If the Bengals do indeed win the Super Bowl, I will keep my word and consider their win over the Rams as evidence for the existence of God. The problem, however, will be ascertaining WHICH God is a Bengals fan? Jesus? Allah? Jehovah? Apollo? Anu? Buddha? Or maybe Satan/Lucifer is behind the Bengals’ win, his way of thwarting the Rams?
Regardless, I will praise the football gods for the Bengals and their magical, thrilling 2022 season. And if it’s not too much to ask, God, it’s been over thirty years since the Cincinnati Reds have won the World Series. Pretty please? I really will “believe” if you deliver on this one. 🙂
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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I 100% thought of you and this very question last night, Bruce! Man… what a game. So many of my friends (who are NOT Bengals fans; I am deep in Colts territory) texted or messaged me on FB with congrats and assurances that they will be pulling for my stripey-helmeted team come Superbowl, it was truly heartwarming. Congrats, my fellow Cincy fan! WHO DEYYYY!!!
Bruce, you picked the perfect illustration for this post. By the way, I experienced something that was close to what I would imagine the “Second Coming” might be like when the Steelers won their first Super Bowl in 1974. My father was so nervous about the game that he couldn’t watch it and made us all pile in the car and go for a drive. I swear that there were no other vehicles on the road while we wandered around for hours. Then, when the Steelers won, the whole Pittsburgh region went wild with joy. Everyone was ecstatic. Steeler fans had been wandering in the wilderness for forty years with lousy football teams, but now they had a Ring! When the team came back to Pittsburgh the fans came to the airport to greet them, and treated the team in a manner not unlike that greeted ol’ J.C. during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 😄 Hope your team does well!
Bruce, I couldn’t help but think of you every time the Bengals won this post season and since my Jets will never even be in the post season in this millennium I have declared myself a Gerencser Bengals fan in your honor. Thanks for the vicarious thrill.
Goddess. Gaia. Feminine Divine. Whatever. I’m in one of my more pagan moments, so I’m including Her in your list of Higher Powers that don’t seem to really function as powers.
It’s obvious. It’s Nike, the greek god! So yes you will have to believe in him IF the Bengals win the Super Bowl, and the Reds make it to the World Series and win. You heard it here first, I’m prophesying! Then you’ll have to do what other worshippers of Greek gods do. What? I have no idea. Pretty sure it doesn’t involve the Christian God and his son, Jesus. Oops.
What an incredible season, and both the victories over the Titans and the Chiefs were legendary, two very good teams. Joe Burrow has been amazing. It’s so refreshing to have some new teams in the Super Bowl, too. I think the Bengals, in this newly minted Year of the Tiger, have a good chance to win it all. Bravo.
Both times the Bengals went to the Super Bowl, they lost to my favorite team, the 49ers. (I really started to follow the game when Joe Montana came along.) Since the Rams are this year’s opponents–and because a Bengals’ victory will warm Bruce’s heart, whether or not it changes his belief–I am rooting for them.
Today begins the Year of The Tiger on the lunar calendar. Maybe that’ll help Bruce’s favorite team.
I am cheering for the Bengals in your honor, Bruce. Hopefully I am not the jinx. And not for nothing, as they say here in NJ, if a deity is more concerned with sporting outcomes than in caring for humans who are suffering, it’s a jerk of a deity.
Yay glad your team won! I think it is ordained by the gods themselves, as Feb 1st begins the year of the water tiger. And what is more watery than Bangladesh? Yes, it is OK to indulge religiosity for one day, after all athletes always thank Jesus, but only if they win.
Well, on the Lunar Calendar, it is the Year of the Tiger. Good luck to your team, Bruce!
Bruce, I don’t have your theological ability, so I will just ask your expert opinion. Is the Bengals success a sign of God’s supreme intervention to win Bruce back, or is it simply Satan’s effort to thwart gods great ineffable plan?
Whichever it may be, good luck to your Bengals!