NYT: Increasingly, (college) Football's Playbooks Call for Prayer

[DeepModem Mom]

Increasingly, Football's Playbooks Call for Prayer
By JOE DRAPE
Published: October 30, 2005


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.

Mr. Bowden believes that prayer and faith are part of the American way....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/sports/football/30religion.html?hp&ex=1130644800&en=c10602d8049d0020&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[sonicx]

1. What does it mean if the team who prays loses?

did God abandon them?

[Gregorian]

10. Sinners. They pay the ultimate (10 yard) penalty.

Wait a minute. I'm having more inspiration...

Epiphany in the huddle.

Sacrilege on the scrimmage line.

[daleo]

11. It means he is testing their faith

Or punishing them for gay marriage, take your pick.

[Jawja]

23. No, it means the starting quarterback

got injured and couldn't play in the biggest game of the season. :eyes:

You are assuming they pray for victory. Perhaps they pray to play to the best of their ability, that they have the strength and stamina required for victory, and that no one on either team in the contest gets hurt?

I'm going to give them credit for understanding that missed field goals and the inability to block a great defensive front cost them victory.

[msongs]

2. there will be retaliation, you can bet on it it is their way nt

[kestrel91316]

3. Is tax money going to support these religious services??

If it is, they better start offering them in Buddhism, and Hinduism, and Paganism/Wicca, and Islam, and Judaism, too, and PDQ. There are many paths to truth, and if anybody's tax dollars are going to this Christian-exclusive nonsense, there will be hell to pay. And that includes holding the services on property paid for by tax dollars.

[Wilms]

4. .

[ret5hd]

7. jeebus is my waterboy...i mean quarterback...

goddamnit, i'm goin' to hell aren't i?

[fishwax]

17. And then there's this one ...

(Though, to be honest, the other statues are better ;))

[BlueEyedSon]

22. Are you allowed to tackle the messiah? Isn't there a commandment or

something?

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. He frequently get penalized

for moving in mysterious ways. And is under investigation for spiking the opposition's drinks, when he turned their water into wine.

[lolly]

19. Forgive Me

But how can Christians rail against homosexuality and the feminization of the American Male, and then create pictures like that?

That is seriously funny.

And is that Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum dancing the jig in the background?

[tularetom]

5. It's probably worse now but this is nothing new

We had a coach in HS 45 years ago that had some bible thumper preacher come out and scream at us before every home game. I thought it was stupid even then and my guess is a lot of the other players did too. I only put up with it because I thought being on the football team was a good way to impress chicks.

[fshrink]

6. Goes well with butt-fondling.

[RoBear]

13. ..

:rofl:

[TygrBright]

8. So are these much-prayed-upon college players...

...the same guys who rent dinner cruise boats to throw wild orgies on once they sign to the NFL?

Enquiring minds wanna know...

interestedly,
Bright

[Gregorian]

9. Oh jeez.

Don't they know that God plays proper football.

[muriel_volestrangler]

21. 'Jesus saves ...

... but Keegan scores on the rebound'.

That piece of graffiti is about as religious as real football ever got in the UK.

[RoBear]

12. As if Jeebus gives a rat's ass about football....

n/t

[keopeli]

14. I really have no problem with these voluntarily attended, with exceptions.

I think having a spiritual reconciliation is a good thing. I recognize that many, many Americans are Christian, and are GOOD Christians at that. (Or at least neutral with regard to practicing a form of religion.) What's wrong with a college football coach (who is an educator) showing either tacit approval of voluntary religious rituals outside team events or actively encouraging spiritual reconciliation among team members to promote harmony among races and cultures?

Whatever oversight the coach, who is an employee of a public institution, deems appropriate must prevent coercion between the staff and students, even if it is secondary (i.e. asst. coach gets his youth group to knock on the doors of teammates). Also, religious observances must never be compulsory and organized observances should not occur during regular team meetings. Individual acts of religious practice, such as personal prayers, should be done in private. (This is, after all, what Paul teaches in the Bible.)

And, if any religious practice (as is described in this article) becomes evident, I would advocate a healthy conversation on the topic annually with the team, emphasizing diversity, tolerance, and mutual support.

[donco6]

20. What's wrong with it?

"What's wrong with a college football coach (who is an educator) showing either tacit approval of voluntary religious rituals outside team events or actively encouraging spiritual reconciliation among team members to promote harmony among races and cultures?"

When you're part of a nationally recognized football program, such as Bowden's, every team member's choice is weighed in light of it's impact on his future. Sure, the coach says there are no repercussions - yeah, none at all. But what player is going to take that chance? I'll tell you - the "one or two" in the past several years who decided not to participate. The pressure is just too strong.

This is a very, very bad idea on so many levels it's hard to know where to start. For example, is it really *religion* that's pulling the team together? No - it's CHRISTIAN religion. Exclusively. Can you even imagine the coach asking parents permission to take the team to the mosque? Synagogue? No frickin' way. So it's not purely "religion" that's being used as a team building strategy, but Christian proselytizing.

Furthermore, it's not just tacit approval or even encouragement toward "spiritual reconciliation" - the coach is actually arranging church services. And, again, exclusively Christian services. This goes WAY beyond appropriateness and into the arena of using influence over impressionable youth. Disgusting.

[keopeli]

29. thanks for your response, and I see your point

Authority is often abused, and some religious zealots endorse this abuse...even encourage it. I'm from West Texas and am terribly familiar with the pitfalls of the argument.

In addressing the law, I would rather make good proactive laws than narrow reactive laws. I envision a society that tolerates many diverse religious beliefs. It would not disappoint me to one day see Muslims among Christians and atheists among Mormons. I want to encourage this diversity and I want laws that do the same. I want the law to assume that educators, even sports coaches, are good people. Then, communinities and governing boards can oversee their actions.

I know very well that this is not the reality of today in many places. On the other hand, it does exist in some wonderful pockets of our country. I believe that by encouraging tolerance and reconciliation, respect and grace, we can transform Christianity in America into a more tolerant place.

Christianity makes up over 80% of our population. It is both a pipe dream and an insult to think you can make it go away or hide in the closet. I believe a more productive and progressive approach would be to encourage diversity and tolerance and respect, rather than become adversarial and prohibitive.

Frankly, atheist parents, just like muslim parents, can deal with their children and the society they encounter. In general, they have many options and resources available (excluding the indigent).

Finally, I don't believe everything I read and I don't take a reporter's perspective just because s/he is the messenger. I can see perfectly legitimate reasons for trying to encourage respect and diversity among teammates.

Thanks for the rich discussion!

[tanyev]

27. It bothers me because I think our society went off the deep end a long

time ago with competitive sports. It's not hard to see it as a metaphor for war. You have two groups of people, who in regular life are very, very similar. They have family and friends, classes and jobs, and probably share many of the same interests. However, put them in a sporting venue, and they become combatants. The fans buy into the myth that they are the good guys and the other team is the bad guys and must be defeated at all costs. In their minds, it becomes a battle of good and evil where a win is confirmation of your favor in God's eyes.

People who accept this way of thinking can easily accept an idea of nationalism where you are good simply because you live within a certain geographical boundary and you are bad if you live in another geographical boundary.

It's just a game. If these coaches and players are sharing their spirituality within the context of a balanced life, where their sport is just one part of who they are, OK. But that's not the message I get when I see sporting events on TV.

[donco6]

28. Yes, excellent post.

I agree.

[keopeli]

30. I agree with you also. Competition has become a bane to our country

However, I don't think the blame lies in "competition" itself. The problem is in the way it is taught.

There is not only great joy to be had in winning and great lessons to be learned in losing, but healthy competition is a way to better ourselves collectively.

Having said that, I admit that, in our country, competition is an aberration because of the emphasis on winning. This is true in war, in football, and in politics. It is the competition itself that makes us all better, therefore we are all winners. Science is often competitive to a degree, but usually all embrace when the game ends.

We've totally lost that, and we need it back.

[BiggJawn]

15. Then why bother with conditioning and practice?

Hey, if GAWD lets His face shine upon you, there's no team alive who can defeat you, even though you be blind men with trick knees.

And if He likes the OTHER guys, better, you're fucked.

As the Green team with the Golden Dome proves to the Black and Gold guys with the train every year....

Remember, Kiddies, "Nothing FAILS like PRAYER"...

[bluestateguy]

16. That's fine for private schools, not for public schools

When coaches organize religious events for the team it then becomes an endorsement of a particular religion by the team. That's not acceptable at a public university. Private schools are free to do so, and the kids who enroll in those schools should know that.

[lolly]

18. Interesting Article on this phenomenon . . .

In fact, I think I first saw it linked here at DU--it concludes

As battles over the blurring of the lines between church and state (particularly on Texas football fields) frequently make their way to the courts, it would appear the sports arena has become the most shared and sacred public space in American culture. Although many would argue that religion in America has been in a continuous decline for the past 200 years, quite possibly it has simply found another venue.

http://www.poppolitics.com/articles/2001-03-09-sport.shtml

I've also seen reviews for a book called, I believe, "Muscular Christianity." Apparently, in the late 19th-early 20th century, people started becoming concerned that Christianity was too "feminized" and men were losing interest--so it was re-invented as "Muscular Christianity," with Christ as a strong powerful warrior rather than a pacifist. The YMCA came out of this movement; Teddy Roosevelt was also a big proponent.

[ElectroPrincess]

25. Hey perhaps its OK, especially if ...

it gives The University of Nebraska "Cornhuskers" an edge? :think:

Oh yeah, if it would make a difference (which is will NOT):crazy:, I'd say the Rosary and all my memorized Novena's.

Alas, guess they have to recruit better talent. :shrug:

Remember fellow Christians, God helps those who help themselves. Well, duh. ;)

[occuserpens]

26. First, they replace education by football.

Next, they replace football by prayers.
Most remarkably, NYT does not see anything absurd about this situation.

[Demeter]

31. Excellent Summation!

Describes the decline of the American Empire in an epigram.

[bobbieinok]

32. in the 50s, Oklahoma + Notre Dame were the big football powers

it was said that when OU played Notre Dame there was more praying in OK that Saturday than on Sunday morning....all the SoBapts praying for OU and the (many fewer OK) Catholics for Notre Dame

[Bill McBlueState]

33. the Times

"Most remarkably, NYT does not see anything absurd about this situation."

How can you tell?

And do you expect to be able to tell from a news article what anyone at the Times thinks about the practice? Of course not; they should write an editorial if they feel the need to editorialize.

[TreasonousBastard]

34. There's something about the Times...

that a lot of us who read it daily notice.

Often, that they print an article is "opinion" enough. They can subtly emphasize the absurdity without hitting you over the head with it.

This subtle slant is, of course, more often noticed when it's slanted toward something we don't like.