Wouldn't it be funny...
In January of 1987, I (Manuel Morales) received a phone call from a local billboard company, inquiring if I would be interested in creating a NY Giants painting in support of their Super Bowl XXI quest. The painting was created in two days, then photographed, scanned, reproduced onto vinyl, and displayed 10 days prior to the big game. They later went on to win Super Bowl XXI.
In January of 1990, I contacted the billboard company to see if they would like to collaborate again to create another billboard. They agreed with the condition that the NY Giants needed to get to the NFC Championship game and win. The painting was created. However, the NY Giants playoff loss to the Vikings cancelled the project.
Later on in August, 1990, we decided to go forward with the creation of a second NY Giants billboard, since the artwork had already been created, and hopes were high as to the NY Giants Super Bowl XXV quest for the 1990 season. The inside joke at the time was - "Wouldn't it be funny if every time we did this, the NY Giants would go on to win the Super Bowl". What was then wishful thinking, later become reality!
A Gift Turned Away
After the second NY Giants billboard, I approached the NY Giants organization to see if they would like for me to create a third billboard for their team in the future. Their response was a "thanks, but no thanks". This correspondence set the stage for me to hand over the destiny of the 3rd billboard over to the fans themselves. As the saying goes - a gift turned away goes to the one that wants it.
The Tradition of the Unfinished Painting
When the two NY Giants billboards were created, Bill Parcels was their head coach. Then several years later Bill Parcels returned to NY as head coach to lead the NY Jets to the AFC championship game, at the time, not much thought was given to creating a third Tempt Destiny™ billboard.
Then came a discussion I had with my brother of whether I should create a third Tempt Destiny™ billboard and this time, do it for the NY Jets since Bill Parcels was now their head coach. In addition to that fact, Bill Parcels superstitious nature also influenced why I did not complete the Giants paintings as originally intended until "after" the NY Giants won the Super Bowl. The football in the paintings was to be silver to symbolize the team's Super Bowl quest. Instead, the footballs displayed on the billboards were outlined in brown and transparent (see billboards below)
When the team completes their season by winning the SB, I can then complete the artwork by painting the football silver to commemorate the trophy won. This tradition is how these billboards came to be called Tempt Destiny billboards.
The Tempt Destiny Legacy
Historical Fact:
Each time a Tempt Destiny billboard is created the team depicted goes on to win the SB, a 4-for-4 track record.
Beginning with the SB XLIV, we will do two different types of Tempt Destiny billboards, one of choice and one of chance. If the team with the most votes does not make it to the SB, then we will do the next TD billboard for the team that has the most votes of the two competing SB teams. For the 2009 season, the Vikings fans had cast the most votes, but their team did not win their conference championship game resulting in no Tempt Destiny Billboard of Choice. Of the two teams competing in SB XLIV, the Saints fans had placed more votes than the Colts fans and so the first Tempt Destiny billboard of Chance was created featuring the Saints (see press release).
With the Saints SB XLIV victory over the Colts, the Tempt Destiny Billboard of Chance track record is 1-for-1. When you combined the Tempt Destiny Billboard of Choice track record of 3-for-3, the overall Tempt Destiny billboard track record is now 4-for-4.
Tempt Destiny Billboard of Choice – 3-for-3 (SB XXI, SB XXV, SB XLII)
Tempt Destiny Billboard of Chance – 1-for-1 (SB XLIV)
TemptDestiny.com
What started off as a simple gift in support for the NY Giants has now come to fruition. The billboards, program, and web site name of Tempt Destiny™ was chosen because it best represents what this quest is all about. As define in Webster's Dictionary, Destiny - "that which determines events: said of either a supernatural agency or necessity; ultimate fate; fortune." To tempt such fortune is what being a champion is all about, hence, Tempt Destiny™.
I invite you to join with me and others to Tempt Destiny™ in hopes of extending the winning 4-for-4 Tempt Destiny™ billboard record to 5-for-5 in support of your team - BRING IT ON!
Tempt Destiny™ Logos
Now that you know the complete history of this program, it will help you to understand what the Tempt Destiny™ logos are about.
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Tempt Destiny™ Symbol:
The three dots represent the legacy of the three Tempt Destiny Billboards of Choice and their subsequent SB victories. The dots and partial circle combined to form a question to the answer being sought at TemptDestiny.com. When the fourth and final Tempt Destiny Billboards of Choice takes place, the circle will be complete and so too, the Tempt Destiny program. |
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