Taylor Swift, Super Bowl and Mr Not Irrelevant

Losing sucks, especially in overtime in the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl

Professional sport championships are the arena for the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Patrick Mahomes and the NFL’s Kansas City Chief’s are building a dynasty of thrills. Four Super Bowl appearances in the last five years, three wins, and two in a row. I cheered for the losers, San Francisco 49ers.

The story for me wasn’t Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, it was Brock Purdy.

Purdy is the 49ers’ quarterback, aka Mr. Irrelevant. Anywhere else but the NFL, he would be known as least likely to succeed.

Mr Irrelevant

One of the NFL’s quirkier traditions for more than four decades is naming the last pick in the draft, Mr. Irrelevant. That was Purdy. He was an inferior passer. He wasn’t quick on his feet. Purdy wasn’t dynamic. He was the 2022’s No. 262 pick, chosen by the 49ers. He was presented a jersey with Mr. Irrelevant on the name plate. Training camp rolled around it was debatable whether he would even make the roster. He was their fourth-choice quarterback and most observers imagined he would be back working for his family’s hot-tub business in Arizona before the season rolled around.

Much to everyone’s surprise, he won the third-string job out of training camp, and Purdy became the final man standing by December 2022 after the two veteran quarterbacks went down with injury. Purdy started for the 49ers in 2023 and led them to a remarkable season and post-season. For sheer impact, what Purdy provided the 49ers will be close to impossible for future Mr. Irrelevants to eclipse.

I like Purdy because I can relate to him. I wasn’t Mr. Irrelevant but I was least likely to succeed in a calling as the pastor of one of Canada’s largest churches.  My name plate would be Turtle On A Fence Post.

Turtle On A Fence Post

When you see a turtle on a fence post you know someone put him there.

The grace of God, and a wonderful partner in Jocelyn, put me on a fence post to show that the least likely can bring glory to God. Purdy is Mr. Not Irrelevant in my books.

Is there a “yes” for you? What are you waiting for?

Did you cheer for the Chiefs or the Niners? Are you cheering for yourself? Please join the conversation and post a comment below.

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