SuperBACH Sunday
Well, the day is here. The Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots are about to face off in hopes of winning the Lombardi Trophy. The last time they faced off was back in 2004, a whopping 13 years ago.
It may not seem that a Baroque Period (17th & 18th century) classical-music composer and modern-day sports-stars would have anything in common. However, there are very well some similarities between the revered J.S. Bach and some celebrated players of the Eagles and the Patriots:
- Famous Children
The late Mosi Tatupu, former player of the New England Patriots who dedicated 13 of his 14 NFL seasons to the team had a son, Lofa, who enjoyed a stellar career as a Pro Bowl linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks.
Don Hasselbeck, another former Patriot’s player who in 1981 caught 46 passes for 808 yards and six touchdowns had two sons—Tim and Matt. They both became successful NFL quarterbacks. The eldest son, Matt, had a higher level of success, as he played in the league 14 seasons, 10 of those seasons in Seattle, where he led the team to a Super Bowl appearance and went to three Pro Bowls (Below Right, Matt Hasselbeck).
Like Hasselbeck’s and Tatupu’s sons, following in the footsteps of their fathers and achieving success in the same field (no pun intended) were four of Bach’s children. These children were Carl Philip Emmanuel, Wilhelm Friedemann, Johann Christoph Friedrich and Johann Christian and they went on to have careers as recognized composers.
- Competition
As the Eagles will be facing off with the Patriots this weekend in hopes of winning the Lombardi trophy, Bach had his direct competition as well; In 1717, J.S. Bach challenged fellow harpsichordist, Louis Marchand, to a keyboard duel. Bach achieved victory in this challenge and without having to do much! The day of the duel, Marchand ‘ghosted,’ failing to show. Who will gain victory in the SuperBowl LII? We will see.
- Jail Time
Patriot’s wide receiver, Michael Floyd pleaded guilty to a second-offense extreme DUI last year. Floyd fell asleep at the wheel drunk and served 24 days at Arizona’s Maricopa County Jail; he served the remainder of the 120 day sentence under house arrest.
Patriot’s now-deceased tight end, Aaron Hernandez, was serving a sentence of life in prison without parole, after being convicted of murdering linebacker Olin Lloyd in 2013.
Bach was a jailbird as well. Although seemingly minimal as compared to a DUI and murder allegation, J.S. angered Duke Wilhelm for requesting release from his position on short notice and desiring to go work for Prince Leopold of Koethen. These bold motions resulted in his arrest and serving several weeks of jail time in 1716. How criminal, Bach!
- Height
Of the active Philadelphia Eagles, Ronald Darby, Shelton Gibsy, Patrick Robinson and Jaylen Watkins are 5’11. Of the New England Patriots, Brandon Bolden, Mike Gillislee, Danny Amendola, Malcolm Butler, Patrick Chung and Jordan Richards are also this same height.
And yes, J.S. himself also stood at 5’11, which was rather statuesque for back in those days!
And last, but not least…
- Rock Stardom!
J.S. is regarded as perhaps the greatest composer in the whole world; and I think it’s safe to say that, with 208 career wins – including the playoffs – Tom Brady is the winning-est NFL quarterback of all time (take that, Kanye!).
Pretty cool, huh?
And now that you can ace the next J.S. Bach/Super Bowl Team’s Trivia Night (you’re welcome!), here is a Bach piece performed by yours truly to celebrate and give due diligence to… *cue drumroll*…SUPERBACH SUNDAY!!!!
Enjoy!
That was Bach’s Invention #1 (C Major). To enjoy more music today for the SuperBowl LII, stay tuned this evening to see Justin Timberlake halftime performance and to hear Leslie Odom Jr.—winner of the 2016 Tony Award for playing Aaron Burr in “Hamilton”—sing the National Anthem.
May the Best Team Win!
~Lesley Yvonne~
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