Mike McCarthy revealed the Dallas Cowboys' theme for 2023 on Wednesday.
While the expression may have been surprising to some, it's meaning did not shock anyone who's been taking note of the statements made by McCarthy and key Cowboys players during the off-season.
Carpe Omnia.
It is similar to the more popular Latin phrases carpe diem (seize the day) and carpe momentum (seize the moment), but has an expanded scope.
Carpe omnia means “seize everything.”
The spirit of the phrase is to seize every available opportunity to fulfill one's potential in every area of life.
It is yet another reiteration of the intention of Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys to bring a 6th NFL championship to Dallas.
As a guest on The Pivot, Micah Parsons admitted that he's “tired of watching Super Bowls in suites.”
In July, Dak Prescott admitted that the season will be a bust if the team doesn't win a Super Bowl this year.
And then there are all the times McCarthy has recently referenced 2023 as a 20 or 21-game season.
In short, anyone who's been paying attention to the Cowboys over the past few months already knows they have a Lombardi on their minds, and they aren't being shy about it.
The theme of Carpe Omnia just applies a common phrase to their shared expectations.
MIKE MCCARTHY'S SYMBOLISM
The visual representation of this year's theme that exists at The Star is a reminder of some of the goals the Cowboys have for this year.
In the center, right underneath the words “carpe omnia,” there is a navy blue rectangle with several images inside of it.
They are:
- An image of 5 Vince Lombardi Trophies
- The NFC Championship logo
- The Super Bowl 58 logo
- Team photos from each of the 5 seasons that the Cowboys previously won a Super Bowl
Those images all surround a silver frame that contains no image, just the year “2023.”
According to Mike McCarthy, the frame is empty, because the team has to determine what will fill it through their accomplishments this year.
McCarthy explained, “It illustrates that pictures say a thousand words. But the reality of it is an empty frame is everything, because it is all the possibilities, capabilities, what's in front of us.
“Are we going to do what we need to do every single day, everything that we can possibly do to fill that frame and be part of the history and tradition of the Dallas Cowboys?”
In the upper right section of the illustration, there is a rendering of a warrior-like figure. The image is of a Nihang Singh Warrior.
According to Dallas Cowboys insider, Kristi Scales, the image is of Guru Hargobind, a Sikh guru who lived during the 1600s and introduced the process of militarization to Sikhism.
Others familiar with Sikh culture, however, insist that the image is of Hari Singh Nalwa, a legendary conqueror.
There are several depictions of Nalwa in attire bearing the symbol of the Akali which may have been started by Hargobind.
Akali translates to “army of the immortals.”
The reference to immortality makes sense considering how the legends of Super Bowl victors seem to live on, especially when connected to a franchise like the Dallas Cowboys.
While these historical figures are legendary for different reasons, it seems that either reference to Sikh culture connects the theme of “carpe omnia” to honor, glory, and triumph.
