Happy 47 Day

It's April 7, when worshippers of the number 47 celebrate this seemingly random number that is so important in so many of our lives.

The Prophet Jordan first told me of the power of this number, as we rode a train into the city for a Cards-Mets game in September, 1985. He said the number 47 appears in important and random times more than any other number. I dismissed him, of course.

But the Mets won that day with Jesse Orosoco (#47) getting the Win, and Joaquin Andujar (#47) taking the Loss. I was intrigued. After that, the number 47 began appearing everywhere I looked. About a year later the Mets won the World Series, with none other than Senor Orosco on the mound.

The Skeptic Windex told me I was crazy. "Choose any number", he said, "and watch how often that appears. Try 56." So I did - and the Gods punished me. A week later Lawrence Taylor, the ultimate 56, tested positive for cocaine.

I turned back to the 47 Gods and was rewarded...in January of 1991 Scott Norwood of the Buffalo Bills lined up a 47 yard field goal to defeat my New York Giants - and shanked the most famous field goal miss in NFL history.

I confess my faith was shaken in 2000 during the Subway Series. The official image of the series was the number 47 - created by the logos for the 4 train (which goes to Yankee Stadium) and the 7 train (which goes to Shea). The Yanks beat the Mets and I felt forsaken. But I remembered that the Goddess 47 (it's a nonbinary God) counts Yankee fans among her faithful too.

Sixteen years later, in another January football game, another Laurence (Tynes this time) lined up for another 47 yard field goal to put the Giants back into the Super Bowl. He kicked it through, and two weeks later the Patriots were 18-1.

Don't fight it. The power of 47 is undeniable. And Happy 47 Day.

(for more info, go here).