It seems that we all were a bit ahead of the curve when it came to faith and football. A week ago, a number of you readers engaged in a vigorous conversation on whether religion should be considered when a coach/general manager makes football personnel decisions.
One of those engaging in the debate sent me this excellent New York Times article published Oct. 30. The article deals with many of the issues explored last week, many of them wonderfully drawn out with solid detail.
Here’s the heart of the story:
Every preseason for 30 years, Coach Bobby Bowden has taken his Florida State football players to a church in a white community and a church in a black community in the Tallahassee area in an effort, he said, to build camaraderie. He writes to their parents in advance, explaining that the trips are voluntary, and that if they object, their sons can stay home without fear of retaliation. He remembers only one or two players ever skipping the outing.
Since becoming the football coach at Georgia in 2001, Mark Richt, too, has taken his team to churches in the preseason. A devotional service is conducted the night before each game, and a prayer service on game day. Both are voluntary, and Mr. Richt said he does not attend them.
On game days, Penn State players may choose between Catholic and Protestant services or not go at all. Coach Joe Paterno and the team say the Lord’s Prayer in the locker room after games.
As in politics and culture in the United States, college football is increasingly becoming a more visible home for the Gospel. In the past year more than 2,000 college football coaches participated in events sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which said that more than 1.4 million athletes and coaches from youth to professional levels had attended in 2005, up from 500,000 in 1990.
Is it right for faith to play a role in football? What about athletes who are of different faiths from the majority of their team? When is the ACLU going to get involved? How has the Supreme Court affected faith in football? These are all great questions that go to the heart of some of the church and state debates. Also a great example of why sports are a superb microcosm of life.
On a similiar note, The Indianapolis Star ran a great profile of Danny Granger. He is the Indiana Pacers’ first-round draft pick who will hopefully lead them to the NBA finals this year and he also happens to be a devout Jehovah’s Witness. Read on for an interesting profile of a green NBA player with a great deal of potential to become a bright star in the professional sporting world.
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Comments (12) |
November 1, 2005, at 8:58 am
Faith has always been linked closely to football. As Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy told one of his quarterbacks in the 40’s, “You’ll need to go to confession for those four mortal sins you threw.”
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November 1, 2005, at 11:54 am
If camaraderie really is the purpose of those Florida State football church visits, then football is indeed a microcosm for the Christian faith picture in America, especially for those of us in evangelical circles, for whom belonging appears to pass for belief. We’ve managed to reduce Jesus to a sort of superhero coach who brings the team together and lets them live forever as long as they obey the team rules and punch in the right code at the pearly stadium gate. Go team.
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November 1, 2005, at 12:49 pm
Wow, the Lord’s Prayer after games at Penn State? That does sound like something the ACLU would be interested in.
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November 1, 2005, at 1:44 pm
“He remembers only one or two players ever skipping the outing.”
The power of pressure exherted by a coach. This seems to be the problem with this “voluntary” God-talk. College students—who subject themselves to hazing in order to fit in—are going to “go along” with evangelizing because they want to fit in and get in the good graces of the coaches. Saying it is “voluntary” doesn’t make it any less coercive.
There is also the “ghost” of race involved in all of this, with white authority figures deciding to “save” the lives of predominately African American athletes.
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November 1, 2005, at 3:15 pm
two words - Touchdown Jesus
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November 1, 2005, at 3:26 pm
Amen!
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November 1, 2005, at 3:58 pm
And when will coaches start taking their players to a mosque, recognizing that such athletes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (basketball) and Ahmad Rasshad (football) did some religious exploration as athletes and then converted? Then maybe that’s why they don’t go there, to keep them on the sideline with Jesus.
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November 1, 2005, at 4:00 pm
Michael,
Your assertion that race is involved in this is issue off the mark. If we’re going to stereotype, let’s stereotype at least semi-accurately. Your assumed characterization of African American football players as unsaved is simply wrong.
Many African American football players come from communities that are quite religious. The idea that these “white authority figures” saving these people is a ghost is misses the boat.
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November 1, 2005, at 4:19 pm
Daniel,
I think it’s fair to say we are both exaggerating a little to make a point. The coach speaks of the broken homes and communities these players come from, which feeds my approach. While it’s true that many players may come from religious communities, the most religious people in those communities tend to be women and those over 50. Whether the athletes themselves have been “saved” is a much more open question.
I still believe that race is a very odd undercurrent in these sports and God stories. White evangelicals leading mostly non-white students seems to have some racial overtones. At the very least, the juxtopisition of the the white evangeilcal tradition with Black church, Islam and Latino Catholics and Pentocostals is a fascinating mix.
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November 1, 2005, at 4:58 pm
[…] update: More related discussion over at GetReligion. […]
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November 1, 2005, at 10:20 pm
Michael:
In the NFL, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has always had major leadership clout among African-Americans. In previous generations the names Reggie White and Mike Singletary leap to mind.
Daniel: Know any of the major names right now?
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November 2, 2005, at 1:32 pm
It is too bad that Paul Ramsey isn’t around to chime in on this. Didn’t he write an essay when young condemning football as immoral and unChristian?
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