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Last night’s Patriots-Broncos game set viewing records, which is amazing since the Broncos were completely out of it by half time. Even I, a die hard fan, couldn’t stand watching our defense give up touchdown after touchdown and asked my husband to please turn the channel. And so Tebow Fever may take a rest for a few months until the 2012 preseason.
Another day, another story about God and the National Football League. This week, in the midst of its purple-and-black playoff blitz, The Baltimore Sun recently offered a look at the young life of Ravens cornerback Cary Williams, who had a very troubled decade or two before turning things around with a little help, apparently, from God and a good church.
There is nothing like a good sex scandal to boost circulation. A quick glance at the covers of the magazines offered for sale at your grocery store will confirm the maxim that sex sells. The escapades of film stars, royalty, and sports heroes have long been a staple of this genre, (politicians too, but they do not generate the same intensity of interest).
Even though I’m a huge Broncos fan, I’m not exactly counting on us continuing in the post-season after tomorrow’s Patriots match-up. Don’t get me wrong, I’m hoping for the improbable, just not counting on it. Which means that if we want to talk media coverage of Broncos Quarterback Tim Tebow, our time is probably running out (this season).
Just what we needed, another mainstream media controversy about who is a Christian and who is not. This is getting ugly.
That was my delayed reaction this morning after reading an excellent St. Louis Post-Dispatch profile of a young, hip new imam:
ESPN reports that Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow became the U.S.’ favorite athlete in their monthly poll. And media coverage reflects this popularity. Many stories are simply about his amazing game last Sunday or his works among the community. But many others deal with religion. And some of them more successfully than others. If you need a refresher for why we’re talking Tebow and religion this week, Cathy Lynn Grossman explains in her piece headlined “It’s Tebow time: Denver quarterback inspires nation” for USA Today:
If I had to sum up, in one punchy thought, what I learned while doing a graduate degree in Church-State Studies here is what I would say: When in doubt, it is wrong for the government to become “entangled” in the lives of religious groups and people.
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,I’ve got a little list â I’ve got a little list Of society offenders who might well be underground, And who never would be missed â who never would be missed!
