I never associated the Jewball season with Passover. Passover is spring. Jewball is winter. We’ve wrapped up around Purim a number of times. This year is different. A combination of League Playoffs pushing us into a post-season era and Passover coming on exceptionally early in the calendar year. And here we are. Recapping the season that was on the doorstep of a holiday that – more than any other – is about storytelling. What is a seder if not a recap of the Exdous. And just as a great seder is meant to make those in attendance feel like they were there (are there), a great recap brings it all flooding back. The moments that made our hearts leap, or broke our spirits, or moved us to scream our lungs out. But there is another connection. Passover reminds us that a great recap is not just for those who are part of the story or even those telling the story. It is just as much about to whom the story is told and to whom the story will be told. In other words, it’s about the continuity of an unbreakable chain.
We recap a season when it comes to an end, but I imagine this season recap being inserted as a link, connecting last year to the year before, and so on, all the way back to the unwritten recaps that flicker and dance in the mind of the Oracle when he drives by a patch of grass with cones set up. But when I imagine this chain, it is not horizontal – in a linear plain from past to present. It runs vertically, from foundation to future. Because each season builds on the last. There is no Silver Age without the Bronze. No Gold without the Silver. And so on and so on, until we reach our current era. We call this era The Revolution, but The Revelation would be just as apt. And I say that we are always building on prior seasons because I feel that it is no coincidence that this era was immediately preceded by The Dark Ages. I can’t explain why that is. Why we needed to suffer through the brink of extinction to arrive at our unprecedented level of success. It just happens to also be a very Passover sentiment. To appreciate a narrative arc where we start with disgrace and degradation – and we end with glory. From shame to salvation.
Hakaras Hatov first. Jewball stands on the shoulders of those who played before us, but this current era is built mainly on the work of Yaron. From the recruiting, to the on field talent, to his chat game, to the jerseys, website, stats, set up, awards, and League – hate on him all you want (seriously, we encourage it), but at the end of the day – Jewball is his world – we are just playing in it. Thank you, Dr. Bron.
It’s rare that I get to recap a season without recapping the final game of the season as well. I mean, I guess I can recap the League Playoffs. I didn’t see the semi of 193 v. Feit Club, but….we all know what happened. UPSET. The winless 4 seed knocked off the best team in the League. How? Why? I don’t care what anyone says – the reason is – Yaron is good. Sting looked like he decided to stop the drops and catch everything. Flash is a game changer. And football. It’s an Any Given Sunday sport. Meanwhile, another “upset” was brewing on Field 2. That would be the 3 seed Birds of Pray beating the 2 seed Ass Men soundly. Ass Men were turning the ball over and could not put up points. Truth is, Ass Men have not had their sh** together in a while. The defense could only hold off the very talented Birds for so long. In the finals, 193 put up a fight, but the Birds were unstoppable on this day. And, honestly, as much as I love every player and every team in this League….the Birds are like the most likeable team ever. Even without Wilmer and Zada there, you just had this squad loaded with talent and personality. Honestly, it’s like a team of Muppets. A bunch of zany Muppets who can dominate you in football. That’s the Birds of Pray. Vegh lead the way with 3 scores and 2 picks taking Finals MVP honors, but Legs was everywhere, Dobs pulls flags like a fiend, PJs is a strategizing savant, Goldberg is the enforcer, Prime is a killer, Salem we will get to, and Pray is the crescendo of this symphony.
Final note on the League is that it was a success. Not perfect. Not beloved by all. But it was a success and it should be back. It was just one of the many surreal aspects of this season that made it the Dream Season. Before we get to that….let’s not forget that we started this week on the turf and then moved to the grass and then almost got thrown off the grass. One phone call from Rabin and games were back on. So, although Bin could not perform on the field this week, he performed spectacularly off of it. Thank you, Rabin. For taking care of us on Sunday. Personally, when I thought my injury was a career ender. And really just for being the guy that connects us all to the roots of this game.
So, the Dream Season. I admit, I’ve been on a bit of what would seem like a marketing binge. Two seasons ago, The Miracle Season, last year the Magical – this year…the Dream. But, Jewball has never been one to self-promote. We entertain ourselves, sure. But we grow organically. The names…just happened. I’m not going to repeat myself – not only because I expressed it better in a prior recap, but also because we all lived it. We all recognize with eyes wide open what a dreamlike experience the past six months have been.
I have said the following many times. If you go back to the earliest of Jewball Chronicles, you will find this idea: Jewball attracts the best people. BUT Jewball can only survive with good football. While, I believe some in our history valued Jewball primarily for the social element, and even questioned when it was too “serious” or “competitive” and called such qualities anti-Jewball….I will always vehemently disagree. And, I’d like to use this season – The Dream Season – to make my point.
When the football is great, everything follows. Again – When the football – the action on the field, the commitment to quality and performance and accomplishments in the physical, visceral realm – is high caliber….everything else falls into place. This was my 21st Season of Jewball. Maybe it was Rabin’s 26th. No one can argue that there was ever a season where more talent showed up for us. I mean, guys! Take a step back for a second. Think about what we are purely in terms of a talent pool. At every position. It’s not even arguable. Is there room to improve?! Of course! And that’s the best part! I guarantee you that there is not one player reading this who doesn’t think they can do better next year than they did this past season. And…I bet they are right. So, although we have never had more talent and our talent has never played better….we are still not at our peak. How f****ing awesome!
I still need to finish the point – and that is….BECAUSE the football was there – the essence (the IKAR) of Jewball was completely handled…..we were given the space and grace to become so much more. To do more charity, become closer; to tap into something eternal that we always knew was there in theory, but we never fully explored to its potential. And there is more room – we can and will venture to do more – push those limits – but the Dream Season was like no other. I’m 43 so I have every right and reason to be sentimental without pretense – I am talking about the looking out for one another and the sharing of smachot – highs and lows – and the bbq in the snow, sushi, donuts, champagne, the poppers….ALL THAT plays out BECAUSE we brought our A games on the field this year.
There is nothing that recaps all that more than how we rallied for Sophia Salem. Her battle is not over –BH it has gone well – but we stick with it. I don’t want to talk about Salem here because – honestly – he’s pretty forgettable. That’s just a running joke….Salem has proven himself to be as committed as they come. Yes, he is a skilled player and an excellent teammate, but – like the rest of the Birds – he represents the best of us in all dimensions of humanity that matter. Now, we stepped up for Sophia – not because it was Salem specifically – but because it was one of our own. Period! That’s all that mattered. One of us. A Veteran, a Rookie, a religion, a race, an age….the category doesn’t factor. We know a Jewballer when we see one. The heart sees the heart. Connects to it. And that’s it. Whether you played in 2005 or 2021. You are a Jewballer. You are my brother. I rally for you. Listen, I hope we never again have the kinds of tests of the brotherhood that we had this year. Sophia was not the only focus of our prayers – it was a tough and scary year – and my hope (and belief!) is that we have so many great things ahead as the football only gets better, and the rest follows.
What does lie ahead though? Why am I so bullish on Jewball’s future? Well, I once again look at our League Champions. The Birds of Pray. Listen, you never know when a Jewballer will just up and disappear from the scene. We have seen it a hundred times. A few seasons and gone forever. But I look at the Birds roster and I see youth and loyalty and a hunger for Jewball. I see In Both. In All. And I see that in no shinier an example than their captain, Sholom “Pray” Prager. He well knows….I was skeptical at the beginning. I’d seen the flashy QB who could outrun everyone (usually due to youth) dozens of times. Sure, they have an arm….but that doesn’t make them a QB. He came into the league last year on fire, making the previously invincible Yaron seem mortal. It was jarring for us, and certainly for Yaron. But – and he claims it was due to some kind of broken hand – he fell off in the second half. The arm strength wasn’t there. The picks came. I honestly wasn’t sure if he was a QB or a WR.
But the summer came and went and Corona numbers went down and it seemed that we would have a Jewball season. The kid shows up to Rabin’s sukkah and just pounds like 8 bags of wings. Rabin’s wife starts planning his Bar Mitzvah, and the rest is history. Listen, I don’t love young/old jokes – as Beast always say – we don’t talk about age (because then we think about it)….we just play until we can’t. But, I still need to give Pray credit for being a leader beyond his years.
Do I even need to get to the numbers? Forget leading his team to the League Championship. That is an accomplishment outside of this particular equation. He accumulated 3 Jewballs this season (could have been more, but it was getting silly how dominant he was). Above that….Leads Jewball in TDs thrown and rushing TDs. And if you think he only produces on one side of the ball….he also has the most interceptions and P6s. And if all this were not enough….ughhhh…..he is an extremely humble, hard-working, fair and honest person…..who somehow is also passionate about the game and highly competitive. At the risk of over-effusiveness and creating an ego where there seems to be none – if Rabin and I created a Jewball MVP in a lab (or made a deal with the devil) so as to give Jewball a long-term bright future – the result would look like Pray. Pray, it is with both awe and gratitude that I present to you – by the powers invested in me as Recap writer – the Jewball 2020-2021 Season MVP. I see many more of these in your future, with God’s help. Amen.
My final message to you all will never waver. It is always the same as it should be and as it must be. It is the message to myself for the past 20 years. Stay in shape. Get in better shape. Let Jewball motivate your decisions. Let Jewball guide you when it comes to your health, but also your lifestyle. Ask yourself – what would my fellow Jewballers think if I did this? If it’s bad for you….don’t do it! If we would be impressed…take a pic and share it!!! : ) Remember that Jewball is for life. And to live a Jewball life…to be back – as we said – better than ever – it takes work, and discipline, and planning, and focus. I challenge you all to show up next September in BEAST MODE!
(I hesitate now…because I know what comes next….the finality of it)
Jewballers, you have made me so proud this past year. I can’t believe I am zocheh to be counted as one of you, let alone in a leadership position. Coming back to the seder….Dayenu that I should have witnessed the snow game followed by the BBQ. Dayenu that I was around for just this one season as a sub. Dayenu to have played during The Revolution. But, to have been a Commissioner of this incredible, holy, brilliant, extraordinary assemblage of individuals for about 15 years in total……I don’t even know what to say…or think….or believe.
There is selfless giving in this life and there is selfish giving. The former is a lot harder than the latter. We are supposed to train ourselves in the former. The latter comes naturally. My love for Jewball and all of you who join this family comes naturally to me. Maybe it always has…and maybe that’s why I’m still here. Meaning, my giving to this league – whether it be the setting things up for many years, or teams, or recaps, or even expenses – it is completely selfish. I cannot imagine life without Jewball. How dreary and empty it must be. What could possibly replace it in all its multifaceted magnificence?  The answer is glaring: Nothing. Nothing can replace Jewball. And because of that – and I don’t care if you are 20 and think you will be young forever or 50 and been there done that – WE HAVE TO ALWAYS APPRECIATE EVERY GAME. Every morning we wake up and can drive somewhere in this cold, angry, stupid world and get on a field with our fellow Jewballers and play this game. My brothers, we start this ride up again in about six months. Until then, In Jewball We Trust.