funny thought from The Sports Guy
"One other bonus with Howard that nobody mentions: Because he's a devout Christian, even when he turns 35 in 2020, those will be Christian years -- he won't have any of that smoking-drinking-partying mileage on him, which means he could play at a high level until his early-40s (much like how Kurt Warner keeps chugging along at age 36)."
-Bill Simmons, ESPN.com http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/071218
Now that is funny.
I wish I had some clever insight on this, but I don't really. I am not sure that it is true is my deepest insight. His Airness played till nearly 40, and smoked some pretty intense cigars and Mark Sweeney of the Royals is one of the most outspoken Christians in Major League Baseball and he breaks down more often than my crappy Clearwire internet box. However it does raise an interesting question; if you were going to start a team, would rather have a "body is my temple" Christian player, or similarly talented wild man who will step on the throat of their opponent to win? Can a Christian step on the throat of an opponent? Can a Christian still follow Jesus and put a few smoking-drinking-partying mileage on themselves?
Interesting thought all around....
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
sports & race
This morning I went to a current events Sunday School class. This week's class was the story that came last week when a Golf Channel analyst suggested that the rest of the PGA Tour should "lynch" Tiger Woods in a back alley, as a strategy to catch up with the dominant Woods. Our class talked about this specific issue, this analysts subsequent suspension and whether we hold racist tendencies in our hearts. After listening to sports radio and television coverage about the incident over the course of the last week and having the conversation at church today, I am beginning to wonder if sports is the best venue for race discussion in the 21st century.
Whether you look at this incedent, the Don Imus controversy, the NBA dress code or the diminishing numbers of African-American baseball players, many of the meaningful conversations about race are happening not on CNN, but instead on ESPN. Of course this isn't anything new, Jackie Robinson integrated Major League Baseball in 1947, when Martin Luther King Jr was 18 years old. Sports is generally ahead of the social curve in terms of opportunities for minorities in the US, likely because sports are so result driven. While sports still remains behind in front office equality, one cannot forget just last year when Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy became the first two African-American coaches in the Super Bowl.
So why is sports leading the way in the conversation? I would argue because sports in probably the most integrated part of our society. It is ironic that my church would choose to talk about this controversy, since churches are possibly the LEAST integrated part of our society. Frankly the San Diego Padres have more experience walking the road of multi-ethnicity, than your pastor probably does. Schools tend to break up by ethnicity. Businesses often segregate themselves. Sports cannot. An NFL coach who doesn't want to work with non-white players will simply not be able to win, thus will not be able to work. Period.
Are sports perfect then? Nope. Not by a long shot. Many African-American players have drawn similarities between professional sports and slavery; they make the observation that while the players make money, the mostly white owners make so much more. When these players retire, they often cannot find jobs in these same organizations that they gave their bodies for. That is not a perfect system. The last calendar year has been marred by instances of racist comments first against the Rutgers basketball team, now against Tiger Woods. The NBA is facing the challenges that come when white people decide that they do not enjoy watching players who act too "street" (ie, too black).
No, not perfect...but the conversations are happening. There is value in that right? I think so, but I also think that for Christians who claim they want to be about racial reconciliation, this is an arena that we need to be in. These conversations are happening and they are happening on a very large and very influential stage. Are we part of it? Are we, the people who proudly acknowledge the depravity of all human hearts, present when people say that some athlete doesn't have a "racist bone in their body"? Are we there when Christian athletes like Deion Sanders are mocked because they don't act like white Christians, are we there? Or, are we in our segregated churches, talking to people like us. Hey, maybe we are too busy telling people to lay down the evils of sports or mourning all Sunday widows out there.
This morning I went to a current events Sunday School class. This week's class was the story that came last week when a Golf Channel analyst suggested that the rest of the PGA Tour should "lynch" Tiger Woods in a back alley, as a strategy to catch up with the dominant Woods. Our class talked about this specific issue, this analysts subsequent suspension and whether we hold racist tendencies in our hearts. After listening to sports radio and television coverage about the incident over the course of the last week and having the conversation at church today, I am beginning to wonder if sports is the best venue for race discussion in the 21st century.
Whether you look at this incedent, the Don Imus controversy, the NBA dress code or the diminishing numbers of African-American baseball players, many of the meaningful conversations about race are happening not on CNN, but instead on ESPN. Of course this isn't anything new, Jackie Robinson integrated Major League Baseball in 1947, when Martin Luther King Jr was 18 years old. Sports is generally ahead of the social curve in terms of opportunities for minorities in the US, likely because sports are so result driven. While sports still remains behind in front office equality, one cannot forget just last year when Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy became the first two African-American coaches in the Super Bowl.
So why is sports leading the way in the conversation? I would argue because sports in probably the most integrated part of our society. It is ironic that my church would choose to talk about this controversy, since churches are possibly the LEAST integrated part of our society. Frankly the San Diego Padres have more experience walking the road of multi-ethnicity, than your pastor probably does. Schools tend to break up by ethnicity. Businesses often segregate themselves. Sports cannot. An NFL coach who doesn't want to work with non-white players will simply not be able to win, thus will not be able to work. Period.
Are sports perfect then? Nope. Not by a long shot. Many African-American players have drawn similarities between professional sports and slavery; they make the observation that while the players make money, the mostly white owners make so much more. When these players retire, they often cannot find jobs in these same organizations that they gave their bodies for. That is not a perfect system. The last calendar year has been marred by instances of racist comments first against the Rutgers basketball team, now against Tiger Woods. The NBA is facing the challenges that come when white people decide that they do not enjoy watching players who act too "street" (ie, too black).
No, not perfect...but the conversations are happening. There is value in that right? I think so, but I also think that for Christians who claim they want to be about racial reconciliation, this is an arena that we need to be in. These conversations are happening and they are happening on a very large and very influential stage. Are we part of it? Are we, the people who proudly acknowledge the depravity of all human hearts, present when people say that some athlete doesn't have a "racist bone in their body"? Are we there when Christian athletes like Deion Sanders are mocked because they don't act like white Christians, are we there? Or, are we in our segregated churches, talking to people like us. Hey, maybe we are too busy telling people to lay down the evils of sports or mourning all Sunday widows out there.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
relief in defeat
The Seahawks are out of the playoffs.
The Cougars are not going to go undefeated.
So why do I feel pretty good this evening?
I think that it has something to do with some emotional detachment. I have been so busy defending the Seahawks from a skeptical national press and trying not to jinx the Cougs, it's nice not to have to get worked up for awhile. I can simply enjoy the Super Bowl. I can pay attention to the Cougars again in March. Mariners won't stress me out until April (though I am really pulling for them to make a run a Bedard). Whew...it's kind of nice to exhale.
I have always held out some dream to go into sports journalism. I really respect the hosts on ESPN Radio and like every other sports yahoo in America I will occasionally say to myself, "I can do that" (which is of course, debatable). Unfortunately, I am too much of fan to ever feign objectivity. So instead, I get myself too worked up and then get philosophical after defeat.
Hope you all enjoy the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl. I will be watching in total emotional freedom here in Moscow.
The Seahawks are out of the playoffs.
The Cougars are not going to go undefeated.
So why do I feel pretty good this evening?
I think that it has something to do with some emotional detachment. I have been so busy defending the Seahawks from a skeptical national press and trying not to jinx the Cougs, it's nice not to have to get worked up for awhile. I can simply enjoy the Super Bowl. I can pay attention to the Cougars again in March. Mariners won't stress me out until April (though I am really pulling for them to make a run a Bedard). Whew...it's kind of nice to exhale.
I have always held out some dream to go into sports journalism. I really respect the hosts on ESPN Radio and like every other sports yahoo in America I will occasionally say to myself, "I can do that" (which is of course, debatable). Unfortunately, I am too much of fan to ever feign objectivity. So instead, I get myself too worked up and then get philosophical after defeat.
Hope you all enjoy the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl. I will be watching in total emotional freedom here in Moscow.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
the gospel
Lately I have been growing tired of the word "gospel". Mind you, I am not tired of Jesus. I am not tired of Christianity. I am not tired of talking about the "good news" (the literal definition of gospel) of God becoming a man. I simply tired of the word.
How did I get here? Well, recently I was at InterVarsity's national staff conference and that is where I realized how I was feeling. The theme of the conference was not being "ashamed of the Gospel", which is something that apostle Paul talks about in his letter to the Romans. When I first saw this theme I cringed. Cringed! I felt so guilty. After all, my job is to be someone who communicates Jesus' offer of relationship and salvation to the world. I should love this theme. Yet I cringed.
I thought about my cringing later that day. I tried to identify what in the world was wrong with me. Then it finally hit me (or perhaps God did the hitting, I am not too sure) I am not tired of the gospel, I am tired of the connotations that I have with word, namely an oversimplified, one size fits all interpretation of Jesus' message.
Unfortunately, I am not sure that I have better definition of the gospel then a simplified one though. Is the good news that God became man? Is the good news that He died so that we don't have to? Is the good news that I can have relationship with God? Is the good news that whole world can have relationship with God? Is the good news that Jesus taught us to love the least among us? Is the good news that Jesus led His followers to talk about Him with gentiles (non-Jews), a necessary step for me and most people I know to be part of the Kingdom of Heaven? Is the good news heaven? Is the good news now? Is the good news Jesus' whole life and ministry? That would take a much longer blog post!
The good news of Jesus is so meaty, so multi-layered, so frickin confusing and so beautiful. I have given my life to it. I have been redeemed by it. I have seen it transform people that I love. I have seen destroy my pride more times than I can count. I want the world to know and more importantly, experience this amazing good news and really interact with God. At least I know that I am not ashamed of that.
Lately I have been growing tired of the word "gospel". Mind you, I am not tired of Jesus. I am not tired of Christianity. I am not tired of talking about the "good news" (the literal definition of gospel) of God becoming a man. I simply tired of the word.
How did I get here? Well, recently I was at InterVarsity's national staff conference and that is where I realized how I was feeling. The theme of the conference was not being "ashamed of the Gospel", which is something that apostle Paul talks about in his letter to the Romans. When I first saw this theme I cringed. Cringed! I felt so guilty. After all, my job is to be someone who communicates Jesus' offer of relationship and salvation to the world. I should love this theme. Yet I cringed.
I thought about my cringing later that day. I tried to identify what in the world was wrong with me. Then it finally hit me (or perhaps God did the hitting, I am not too sure) I am not tired of the gospel, I am tired of the connotations that I have with word, namely an oversimplified, one size fits all interpretation of Jesus' message.
Unfortunately, I am not sure that I have better definition of the gospel then a simplified one though. Is the good news that God became man? Is the good news that He died so that we don't have to? Is the good news that I can have relationship with God? Is the good news that whole world can have relationship with God? Is the good news that Jesus taught us to love the least among us? Is the good news that Jesus led His followers to talk about Him with gentiles (non-Jews), a necessary step for me and most people I know to be part of the Kingdom of Heaven? Is the good news heaven? Is the good news now? Is the good news Jesus' whole life and ministry? That would take a much longer blog post!
The good news of Jesus is so meaty, so multi-layered, so frickin confusing and so beautiful. I have given my life to it. I have been redeemed by it. I have seen it transform people that I love. I have seen destroy my pride more times than I can count. I want the world to know and more importantly, experience this amazing good news and really interact with God. At least I know that I am not ashamed of that.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
self awareness
So I am back in the blogging world. Blogging again is kind of a New Year's Resolution of sorts. I have realized that when I don't blog stuff seems to just pile up inside of me and I am less honest with myself and in turn the rest of the world. To top all of that off, I tend to not blog (or even do the old fashioned journaling) when I feel like I have nothing to say. Unfortunately, when I get out of the habit of thinking about what is going on in my life, I have less to say. It is a vicious cycle.
So I am back. Unfortunately, I really don't have much to say for this first of (hopefully) many 2008 blogs. I am in St. Louis for InterVarsity's National Staff Conference so I should have a lot to chew on over the next couple of days.
Talk to you soon.
So I am back in the blogging world. Blogging again is kind of a New Year's Resolution of sorts. I have realized that when I don't blog stuff seems to just pile up inside of me and I am less honest with myself and in turn the rest of the world. To top all of that off, I tend to not blog (or even do the old fashioned journaling) when I feel like I have nothing to say. Unfortunately, when I get out of the habit of thinking about what is going on in my life, I have less to say. It is a vicious cycle.
So I am back. Unfortunately, I really don't have much to say for this first of (hopefully) many 2008 blogs. I am in St. Louis for InterVarsity's National Staff Conference so I should have a lot to chew on over the next couple of days.
Talk to you soon.
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