The Original Superbowl
Regardless of where you live and whatever sports you’re into, it was an undeniably thrilling conclusion to the 2024 Super Bowl. The Kansas City Chiefs staged a remarkable comeback in overtime against the 49ers to secure their third title in five years, a victory that will echo through the annals of football history. Yet as we celebrate the athleticism and strategy displayed on the gridiron again this year, it's worth pausing to consider how long this will last. For the Chiefs players and staff, and likely their fans, the memory will endure for a lifetime, but what about the collective consciousness of the world? Will future generations still recount this game's heroics in a century, or a millennium?
The original "Super Bowl" of antiquity was the Battle of Thermopylae in Greece, which occurred more than 2500 years ago. It is one of the most fabled and recounted stories in human history. Our question isn't intended to diminish the 2024 Chiefs or the sport of American Football. Instead, it underscores the monumental stakes faced by the 300 Spartans in their epic showdown against the Persians in 480 BC, a desperately one-sided matchup made even more incredible when you consider the fact that the Spartans were actually defeated (imagine if the 2024 49ers were able to pull that off in 2503 years time).
The Chiefs demonstrated unwavering determination with 10 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, clawing their way back to put the game into OT. Two-and-a-half millennia ago, the Spartans similarly refused to yield, defending their turf against overwhelming forces despite insurmountable odds. Some historians (usually Greek, no offense guys we know you’re excited) claimed the Persian army outnumbered the Greeks one or two million to 7000. It was more likely somewhere between 150,000 and 300,000 Persians with just 300 Spartans fighting beside around 6700 other Greeks. That said, if DraftKings were taking bets back then, they wouldn’t have given you high odds for slapping down 25 iron spits on the Persians.
The Spartans, renowned for their valor and discipline, anchored the line against the mighty offense of the Persian army. Led by their captain (actually, he was the king) Leonidas I, the Spartans and their allies held a narrow pass for three days, facing relentless waves of Persian attacks. Although the pass has long since vanished beneath layers of soil more than 60 feet (20 meters) deep, at the time of the battle it was barely wider than two standard American football fields. This is incredible when you consider how much space an 11 man football team has to wage war, comparatively speaking. The Battle of Thermopylae really was the ultimate game of inches, except instead of being relegated to the locker room with a long overdue beer, the losers would be sentenced to death.
In the end, although the Spartans fought fiercely to the last man, they were ultimately overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the Persian forces. Despite their defeat, this act of pure bravery and sacrifice has been immortalized through the ages, inspiring countless generations with their indomitable spirit and steadfast dedication to their cause. It’s what inspires us today as modern day Spartans: taking our ice cold showers in mid-winter, eating our salads before anything, grinding out the workouts while others sleep, and chasing those finish lines and Trifectas. The spirit of those ancient Spartans still fuels our pursuit of personal excellence in our modern lives - perhaps more than ever. And though the 2024 Super Bowl and the Battle of Thermopylae took place more than 2500 seasons ago, and one ended in a defeat for the more celebrated competitor, in both cases we witnessed a testament to the human spirit – a refusal to back down, no matter the circumstances.
Inspired by the Chiefs (or the Spartans)? Sign up today for your own battle!