I’m not sure that it says too much, but it allowed Ruben Navarrette Jr. an opportunity to use the meritocracy of atheletics as a foil to illuminate the patriotism- and race-baiting that we’re seen take place in our presidential election.
Read about it here.
this will just take a second…
+ The link I gave for the NFL Eliminator Challenge was busted. Shame on me. Let’s try that again. The name of the Group is “Prayers For Blowouts”, the password is “pfb”. And this is the link to the game on ESPN. only 3 signed up as of right now, so your chances of winning a tacky prize are pretty high.
+ I know we’re in danger of violating our Mark Batterson quota for the week, but here’s some great pictures of him at St. Andrews in Scotland. Color me jealous.
+ In case you were wondering, after getting beat in Game 1 of our softball finals 9-8, we lost again in Game 2, 12-9. With the score tied in the last inning, I gave up a grand slam. It wasn’t fun to watch him glide around the bases. Then in the bottom of the inning I made the last out of the game (although, I must say, left-center field dude caught it with his back against the fence). Later on, I saw the guy who hit the granny at the ice cream shop we took our kids to. I walked up behind him and pretended to choke him and called him a punk. He was all smiles of course. I said, “How did that feel?”, he said “It felt great”. What can I say? At least I’m helping other people have a good time. Until next season…
Of course not. If he did, he wouldn’t be taking a year off to rehab his surgically repaired knee. He would have just said “Knee, be healed” at the end of June and went out and won the British Open in sandals and a beard.
Talk of a Jesus complex aside, you’ve got to love this bit of fun that Tiger and EA Sports had with one of the glitches a gamer found in Tiger Woods 08 last year (video of that is here).
Tiger’s response? Well, you can watch it for yourself.
By the way, you know how you can tell that video is a fake? It’s easy. Tiger would never hit his second shot into a green-side pond like that.
I mean, really…who do they think they’re fooling?
(h/t: Awful Announcing)
They're each other's everything!
I was hoping, to some extent, to ignore the Beijing Olympics.
Mainly, I don’t like the idea of China raking in a bunch of cash, of how their human rights standards and Big Brother security undermine what should be a joyous event. Let’s just say the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver are considerably more appealing.
Try as I might, though, I’m sucked in
For one, there’s the added element of the China-US medal race, adding an element of “us versus them” not seen since the Cold War. It’s not easy to get riled up when you’re battling Australia or Jamaica for athletic supremacy. China’s quest for dominance smacks so much of nationalism that I feel compelled to respond in kind. So, anyway, Go USA! Or whoever’s battling the Chinese, which is why I found myself cheering as Kenya’s Wincatherine Nyambura Ndereba sprinted to a second place finish in the women’s marathon, crushing the silver medal hopes of China’s Zhou Chunxiu.
The Olympics have a way of bringing that out. I can still picture being on vacation (Sun River?) during the 1988 Calgary Games. The music brings me back, and the names of athletes you only hear from every four years, but ring like old friends.
But then I have to deal with those horrible human interest stories. I have to deal with endless interviews of athletes and their families. I have to go from rejoicing as Michael Phelps makes history, to watching an interview with him where he comes off a jerk. And I have to watch Debbie Phelps bask in the glow of the publicity, when I can’t help but picture her as every Little League mom the rest of the parents and kids couldn’t stand. I have to pray somehow Usain Bolt gets beat by someone, because even though it’s amazing to watch him dominate so easily, I can’t handle one more shot of him pointing to the stands after a race.
It’s hard to say what I want. On one hand, maybe we’re better off just not knowing who these guys are. I mean, don’t you need some level of self-obsession to destroy your opponents? But there’s also the flipside, where Kirby Puckett and Michael Jordan are still worshipped as legends, despite the fact Kirby was charged with sexual assault and spousal abuse, and His Airness is known regarded as a Grade A-hole.
In all fairness, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt aren’t that bad…yet. And, on the plus side, excessive focus on Debbie Phelps did bring us the image of the guy sitting in front of her during the 100m Fly (around the 3:35 mark).
You know who seems the most likable athlete so far? Stephanie Brown Tafton, the woman who barely made the US team, then proceeded to chuck a discus farther than anyone else in the field. She was also remarkably gracious and soft-spoken in her interview. I’m just saying.
Oh, and I also have an affinity for Logan Tom, but for entirely different reasons.
The PFB Sports Survey is an occasional feature here at Prayers For Blowouts where we throw a few sports related questions at some of the most notable voices among Christian authors, pastors, musicians, and pharmacists to see if they like sports as much as we do.
Today’s spotlight is on Mark Batterson, who may or may not be a football fan…we’ll let you decide.
Mark serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. He has two Masters Degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, Illinois and is the author of a best-selling book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.
Mark, who is a daily blogger, is married to Lora. They live on Capitol Hill with their three children: Parker, Summer, and Josiah.
His new book, Wild Goose Chase, releases on August 19, 2008…which just so happens to be today!
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1. What number best describes the role sports play in your life on a scale of 1 to 10?
MB: Used to be a 10. Played basketball at least an hour a day 365 days a year in high school! Still a 9.
2. Rank your 3 overall favorite sports, college or pro.
MB: 1) NFL football. Nothing like Sunday afternoon during NFL football. Usually watch 2-3 games on Sunday. And then I “warm down” with Monday Night Football.
2) Basketball. Love to watch it and play it.
3) Corn Hole. I’m only half-kidding. It’s a tailgate game. Also called “bags.” Here’s a link if you have no idea what it is: http://www.rhettandlink.com/videos/the-cornhole-song#
3. What is the one team that you root for more passionately than any other, and is there a team that you hate, maybe a little too much?
MB: Until the ugly divorce in Green Bay it was the Packers. Been a die-hard Cheesehead since I was seven. But I’m a little lost. I actually have three teams. I was born in Minnesota and I’ve lived in DC more than a Decade so I’m a Packers, Vikings, Redskins fan. I know that will ruffle some football feathers. Not supposed to have three teams. But what can I say? A team I don’t like? That’s easy. Sorry Patriots fans, but I was definitely cheering for the Giants!
4. Do you play fantasy sports?
MB: I played fantasy football a few years ago. Didn’t make a single trade. And I won the league. They kicked me out!
5. What is the most memorable sporting event you have ever attended in person?
MB: The more memorable was my first football game—Vikings vs. 49ers. Tommy Kramer threw three touchdowns passes in the fourth quarter to win the game.
6. What is the best highlight and/or worst lowlight of your sports playing career as a child or as an adult?
MB: In my most memorable game, we (Naperville Central) came back from a 21 point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat our cross-town rivals (Naperville North) to win the conference championship! And I had a few dunks in college that were definitely adrenaline rushes!
7. If you could change one thing about sports, what would it be?
MB: Why just Monday Night Football? Why not Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday? Did I mention I like football?
8. Do you have an opinion on Christian athletes who, without being prompted, talk about their faith in post-game interviews?
MB: Go ahead and glorify God!
9. High school gym class…your favorite 45 minutes of the day or the source of countless nightmares and embarrassments?
MB: Definitely my favorite and best subject in High School.
10. Sports are often the whipping boy of pastors and clergy because so much passion, money, time, and energy is poured into them. Do you think this criticism is valid, or are sports okay as a diversion from the stresses of life?
MB: I think sports are a great diversion!
11. If you had to compete against other authors, in which of these 5 competitions would you have the best chance of winning? 5-mile run, 18 holes of golf, free throw shooting contest, arm wrestling match, or a game of bowling.
MB: Definitely the free throw shooting contest. Blind-folded.
12. What is your favorite sports movie of all-time?
MB: Killer question. Favorite sports movie would have to be Rocky IV. Hoosiers is a close second.
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You can click here for an exhaustive (but not exhausting) list of everyone who’s been featured as a PFB Sports Survey participant.
If you’d like to be considered for the PFB Sports Survey, or know someone who should be, send along a name and email address to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail(dot)com.
Are you familiar with the NFL Eliminator Pool concept (also known as Suicide Pools)? I’m sure most of you are. Each week you pick an NFL team to win its game outright (no spreads involved). If your team loses, you’re out. If they win, you move on to the next week, but you may no longer pick that team. This continues each week, until one person is left standing as the Eliminator Champion.
I’ve been involved in various Eliminator Pools for the past 4 or 5 years. In every single instance I’ve been knocked out by week 3. Except once. In 2005 I was a part of the Eliminator Pool Group in Dan Shanoff’s Daily Quickie Group from ESPN.com. There were over 900 participants, and somehow I survived all the way through the entire season without getting knocked out, along with 8 other people.
I’m not gonna lie, it was one of the sports highlights of my life. So much so, that I took a screenshot of my computer for proof that I did it. (I already know I’m a dork, no need to tell me).
ESPN has just opened up the Eliminator Game for 2008, and I’ve created a group for Prayers For Blowouts readers. (the password to join the group is “pfb”) You probably need an ESPN account name to join, but most of you already have one anyway, I’m guessing. It’s free to play, and the winner might even get a nice little prize courtesy of PFB, so sign up and join our group to put your prognosticating skills to the test.
Good luck!
I never thought Olympic swimming would be appointment viewing, but last night it was. That Phelps needed 3 teammates to come through in his quest for the unprecedented 8th Gold only made it that much more thrilling.
And boy did they ever come through. Though it was Phelps who regained the lead on the 3rd leg of the relay, it was a team effort that won it, as evidenced by the post-race huddle between the four swimmers when one of them could be overheard as saying, “This is the best team I’ve ever been on.”
Over at StuffChristiansLike.net, Jon muses that even though Michael Phelps will make millions in endorsements, he could probably be a kazillionaire if he received a dollar for every preacher who used him as a future sermon illustration.
If you made it out to church this weekend, did your pastor get in on the game early and drop in a Phelps reference?
In order to thank you, dear readers, for your support of Prayers For Blowouts, we reward those of you who reach the 50-comment plateau with a chance to take the PFB Sports Survey.
Today’s spotlight is on reader Danny Bryant, who claims no relation to Kobe, but we’re just not buying it.
Danny teaches Bible at The Covenant School in Nashville, TN. He has two blogs, Abundant Redemption and Coram Deo Sports. He’s working on a collection of short stories based on the Pentecostal cult he grew up in that moved from Southern California to Nashville when he was fifteen. Seriously..
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1. What number best describes the role sports play in your life on a scale of 1 to 10?
DB: 9.5. It used to be 10, but I think I’ve come down a little the past few years. I think I might hit 11 when the Bruins are playing.
2. Rank your 3 overall favorite sports, college or pro.
DB:This is like asking me which of my children I love more. I love them in different ways.
3. What is the one team that you root for more passionately than any other, and is there a team that you hate, maybe a little too much?
DB: I grew up in LA, so I’m a huge UCLA fan. I drafted Chase Utley, Garrett Atkins, and Troy Glaus in fantasy baseball because they’re Bruins. I’m hoping to somehow get Cade McNown on my ffb team this year.
I hate the Tennessee Volunteers. I moved to Nashville my freshman year of high school. I met an extremely obnoxious group of people wearing orange. I think I enjoy watching UT lose more than watching UCLA (which will probably ruin this year’s college football season for me since the Vols will probably beat UCLA.
4. Do you play fantasy sports?
DB: I play ffb every year. I took second last year because Willie Parker’s ankle broke on the first play of the game. His backup got 30 points and I only needed 19 to win the championship. I should be over it by the time I’m playing with my grandkids. I’ve never had more than one team, but I think I’m going to have two this year. This is also my first year playing fantasy baseball. A little too much work.
5. What is the most memorable sporting event you have ever attended in person?
DB: I was there when Magic Johnson broke Oscar Robertson’s assist record. Either that or the 2006 Final Four.
6. What is the best highlight and/or worst lowlight of your sports playing career as a child or as an adult?
DB: Can I count coaching? I’m an assistant high school basketball coach and we made it to the state tournament this year. That was an amazing experience.
7. If you could change one thing about sports, what would it be?
DB: SEC fans would have to take humility medication.
Since that doesn’t exist, I’d have players stay with one team for their whole career. I miss guys like Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn.
8. Do you have an opinion on Christian athletes who, without being prompted, talk about their faith in post-game interviews?
DB: As long as it is flowing from a gospel-changed heart, I have no problem with it. It bothers me when it is contrived. Obviously, I can’t really see what is prompting it, but when a guy like Josh Hamilton thanks God, it carries a certain weight.
9. High school gym class…your favorite 45 minutes of the day or the source of countless nightmares and embarrassments?
DB: I only took PE my freshman year. My teacher was my basketball coach and let us play 6 on 6 football everyday. I loved it.
10. Sports are often the whipping boy of pastors and clergy because so much passion, money, time, and energy is poured into them. Do you think this criticism is valid, or are sports okay as a diversion from the stresses of life.
DB: As image bearers, athletes glorify God whether they’re aware of it or not. One of my favorite pastors is Tim Keller. He says an idol is a good thing that becomes an ultimate thing. Sports and competition are good things that we make into ultimate things. Bashing sports is the lazy man’s route to writing a sermon. It takes more thought and courage to talk about the sinfulness of our hearts than it does to complain about athletics.
11. If you had to compete against other PFB Readers, in which of these 5 competitions would you have the best chance of winning? 5-mile run, 18 holes of golf, free throw shooting contest, arm wrestling match, or a game of bowling.
DB: Free throws. I’d be in the NBA if all I had to do was make unguarded 15 footers.
12. What is your favorite sports movie of all-time?
DB: Hoosiers
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Anyone who (legitimately) racks up 50 comments can participate in the Sports Survey, and revel in the fame and glory that comes with it. You could be next!
Over at his blog, Pastor Perry Noble ponders some questions about the upcoming college football season. I thought we’d repost them here, and y’all can give him some answers in the comments section below.
