Separation of Church and Sport?

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was critiqued in a USA Today editorial for believing Jesus is the only way to God.  Erik Raymond and Kevin DeYoung (among others) have written responses.

The USA Today writer, Tom Krattenmaker, said in the editorial:

According to a December 2008 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life, 65% of American Christians believe that many religions can lead to eternal life.  Our pluralism is a defining and positive reality of American life — but not one that is much valued by those who define the faith coursing through the veins of sports culture.

The comments about this in particular have been interesting.  Here are two:

• From Dale LaRoy Splitstone: “Honestly, do you really think God gives a damn what the majority of American Christians think about salvation? At the judgment day, there’s only one opinion that’s going to matter.”
• From DonAW: “The 65% of American Christians who believe that many religions can lead to eternal life had better take a closer look at their ‘playbook.’  Someone is wrong, and I am betting it is not the Maker of the World.”

HT: Justin Taylor

Cricket is Nothing Like Baseball

This past weekend I took a trip to the cricket cages for batting practice.  I learned two things: 1) Cricket batting technique is not in the same universe as baseball hitting.  2) Bowling (pitching) uses muscles a baseball pitch does not.  The next day, the right side of my torso felt like it was given a beating.

While bowling, you cannot bend your elbow as you throw.  As far as batting goes, the point is not to hit the snot out of the ball like in baseball.  Sometimes you only need to block the ball because the main point is to protect the wickets.  So often I let quality balls go by me that were, in my mind, “out of the strike zone.”  Other times, I tried a baseball swing.  Word to the wise: this doesn’t work.

I definitely caught onto bowling more easily.  I actually bowled well by the end of the afternoon.  Batting was a different story.  Very hard to unlearn nearly 20 years of baseball technique.  In baseball, you extend your arms, throw your hands at the ball, swing all the way through, and turn your hips for power.  In cricket…well, you don’t do any of that.  Take a look…

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Bowling.  They bowl from 22 meters, which is a bit longer than the 60 ft. 6 in. from the mound to the plate.

I look like I play the part.  You wear so much armor, as I call it, that it’s hard to actually focus on hitting.

There are no foul balls, since the field is circular.  This ball, going behind me, would be in play.

My best connection of the afternoon.  Looks like a baseball swing, huh?

And finally…this is what you call a “whiff.”  I can hear my dad saying to me, “Keep your head in there!”

A Flooded Faurot Doesn’t Stop Nebraska

I’m not as big of a football junkie as I used to be (my fiancee appreciates this, I’m sure).  In fact, I hardly watch sports at all anymore.  However, it’s hard to not appreciate a great contest between two rivals, especially on national TV during prime time and during a flash flood watch.  On Thursday night exactly that happened, and I listened to the Nebraska-Missouri game online here in South Africa.

Nebraska won with a flury of fourth quarter points.  They were down 12-0 going into the quarter and rallied for 27 unanswered points to beat Missouri 27-12.   Honestly, that was the best fourth quarter performance of any team I have seen.

“So what?” you might ask.  Well the irony lies in the fact that ESPN announcer Ron Franklin said of a Missouri t-shirt with a hit-list of Big 12 quarterbacks on it: “They had a Zac on there…I don’t know Zac…the Zac they had on there.”

The quarterback the shirt was referring to was Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee.  This was during the Missouri-Illinois game earlier this season in which Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert played exceptionally.  Against Nebraska?  Well, let’s just say that Gabbert looked like a normal sophomore without an “S” on his chest.  And now, I imagine that Franklin is eating his words.  Lee didn’t play like an all-conference star, but he made the plays when he needed to, and he lead his team to victory.

Great game.  Great comeback.  That’s what college sports are about.

Jordan’s and Robinson’s NBA Hall of Fame Speeches

Voddie Baucham writes an analysis of Jordan’s and Robinson’s induction speeches.  Here’s a sampling:

Jordan’s Speech was self-centered, indulgent, arrogant, and at times embarrassing.  In contrast, David Robinson rose to the occasion and made a brief, inspiring, encouraging speech (see his speech here) that made his family, his team, and his friends proud.

…Modern American sports serve as an incubator for the self-centeredness that resides in each of us.  The better one performs, the harder it is to avoid “the big-head.”  I cannot imagine how difficult it would be do handle Michael Jordan’s level of success.  What else could he be?  Where would he acquire humility, class, and selflessness?  Ironically, many argue that these are the very character traits team sports build in young people.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Nevertheless, these traits were definitely present in David Robinson.  But where did they come from?  Did the Spurs do a better job at fostering this character than the Bulls?  I doubt it.  Did the Naval Academy do a better job at fostering it than the University of North Carolina?  Perhaps.  However, I believe the key is in the speech.  The “seed of faith” planted by his mom and dad; the ‘preaching’ by teammates like Avery Johnson, and the Christ to whom Robinson referred in his closing remarks all came together to shape the man who made that speech.

March Madness Over the Pond

The hardest part thus far about being in South Africa (after being away from my fiancee, of course), is that I will not see one NCAA basketball tournament game.

I’m compelled to root for Memphis.  I thought they should have won last year.  I’ll try to keep up with the tournament online.

It’s either Memphis or Binghamptom.  Watch out for the Bearcats, they’ll getcha.

One of the Longest Shots I’ve Ever Seen

The Beauty of Beating Colorado in Football

In case you are unable to read it clearly:

There’s something to be said for finding a way to win…but to steal the ball, then stomp on the coach’s kid as you score?  And destroy any hopes CU had to win the game…Whoa Nelly!  There is no place like Nebraska!

In the Bleachers at the College World Series

Every year when I go to the College World Series, it brings back memories of growing up in Omaha and loving this week more than any other week of the year.  It reminds me of why I like baseball.  It reminds me that a long day in the sun at the ’Blatt with friends means more than simply watching baseball.  It makes me look forward to the day when I can take my kids to the ballpark and enjoy the sights and sounds of this great game.