Prayers For Blowouts will be featuring posts from PFB Members throughout the summer. This submission is from Member #028, MC Bias.

By now most of you have already heard or read Tim Tebow’s confession that he is saving himself for marriage. Reaction was understandably mixed, with many wondering how Tebow could hold to his values while being so famous. Some of us Christians found ourselves in the midst of awkward conversations with non-Christians on how our faith calls us to sexual purity. Personally, I thought Dan Shanoff put it best: “In fact, his answer shouldn’t have surprised anyone. It is entirely consistent with his core values”.

However, I thought that there was an unfortunate moment in the analysis for a lot of people. If you listened carefully, Tebow said he was “saving himself for marriage.” People quickly took that to mean Tim Tebow was a virgin, and I do believe he is one. However, there’s a difference between saying “I am a virgin” and “I am saving myself for marriage” that is worth exploring. Suppose I show you two Christian young men. Guy 1 is a virgin. Guy 2 had sex once. Is Guy 1 holier than Guy 2? Counting and using statistics, yes. Zero is better than one, right? Guy 1, holy! Guy 2, sinner!

But that misses the point of the mindset of saving yourself for marriage. We are called to be holy in thought and approach, too, not only deeds; the Sermon on the Mount pounds this point home time and time again. Our culture has an unhealthy fascination with virginity and statistics instead of purity. Guy 1 could have wanted to lose his virginity many times, but got turned down. On the other hand, Guy 2 could be a handsome fellow with many opportunities to lose his virginity, yet he remained faithful to his values at all times except for one error years ago. Can we then say that Guy 1 is better? It’s wise to be cautious on judging too quickly in these matters. As Christians, we commit ourselves to holiness, but we also commit ourselves to repentance.

As a Christian, I am proud of Tim Tebow, not just because he is a virgin, but because he is striving towards the goal of being holy in all areas of his life. He may yet have sex before marriage; the temptations are likely to be many. (Although, I would note that Kaka, the Christian soccer player, did manage to make it to marriage, as did AC Green). But even if he does fall, I believe he will get back up and show a strong commitment to pursuing God’s will.

And that is definitely an example worth following.

(MC Bias also writes for his own blog, which you can check out here.)

Chances are you’ve seen this already, but Clay Travis (Deadspin, budding author) asked Tebow the other day if he was still a virgin. Tebow confirmed and stated that he was saving himself for marriage.

Depending on who you are, this news probably settles on you in drastically different ways.

If you grew up in church and profess to be a Christian, the news is probably unsurprising and encouraging. You’ve been taught that sex is a dish best served in the marriage covenant, and perhaps you even waited for marriage yourself. In fact, you’d like to give Tim Tebow a high five right now.

If you grew up outside the Christian church, and don’t care much for abstinence, then you may be baffled. I mean, everyone on earth knows this guy is the Heisman Trophy winner of morals, but no sex EVER? As a stud College QB? Some folks probably see this  Shakespearian-esque tragedy.

Dan Shanoff, who recently launched TimTeblog.com, commented on the story with his own perspective. Though he’s not a Christian, he believes that Tebow-Virginity story DOES matter. An interesting read, if nothing else.

Time for another rousing rendition* of Ask the Schnoz.

*this is the first rendition

Schnoz,

I wanted to get your take on Bill Simmons.  I first started reading Bill Simmons in 1997 and I really enjoy reading/listening to him. I know from your blog that you feel the same way.  He has always toed the line, but it seems that he is getting more and more sexual in his writings/podcast.  Sometimes I wonder if it is wrong for me to be listening to a lot of the stuff they are talking about.  I sort of feel the same way about Deadspin.  I haven’t visited that site as much, but the sexuality really seems to throw me for a loop.

Anyway, I respect your opinion and I’d love to get your take on Simmons and Deadspin and how we should interact with the sites as Christians.Hope you’re having a great week and best wishes with the book,

Mark

Great question Mark. While I don’t go back quite as far as you do as a Simmons’ fan, his writing and podcasts have been a large part of my life for the past 7+ years. His opinions are informed, his writing is humorous, and he seems like a good guy. What’s not to like? Well, one thing not to like is the repeated references to porn that Bill has employed throughout his tenure at ESPN. In the past these were usually passing jokes in a sports column or quick hitters in a mailbag column. But as Mark mentioned, the sex references have definitely been increasing of late. I won’t get into them all here, but suffice it to say that since the “The B.S. Report occasionally touches on mature subjects…” tag has been added to the beginning of his podcasts, he’s definitely ventured into some racy material a lot more frequently. I’m not going to judge him for it…it is what it is…but if the question is “How should we interact with Bill Simmons’ writing and with Deadspin as Christians?” My answer is “thoughtfully”.

First off, there’s no hard and fast rule for Christians as to whether it’s okay or not okay to listen to this podcast or read that website or see this movie. I’m not down with religious rules, or legalism, or whatever you want to call it. And honestly, I’m glad there’s no rules. Generic rules put in place to deem some things offensive and some permissible wouldn’t work for everyone. It might keep me from things that I would otherwise have no problem with and allow things to be filtered through that might not be good for me.

Instead, I believe it is up to each one of us to discern things on a case by case basis based on our past, our circumstances, and our goals, all with the help of God’s Spirit. (and with the help our our friends…or as the Bible puts it, Godly counsel)

Here’s how it works for me personally (if you don’t mind me getting personal for a minute): Like you, I try to keep my mind pure and live by the creed that Jesus spoke about lusting after other woman and how it is committing adultery with them. This is my goal based on past struggles, where I’m at with my relationship with my wife, and how I want to live going forward.  As a result I try to avoid media where racy pictures of women are broadcast (from movies to websites and things in between) and I try to avoid thinking about other women in a sexual way. I know this is completely counter to a sex-obsessed culture like ours, but whatever.

Considering my goals, have I been able to do that to this point as I’ve read Bill’s columns and listened to his podcast? Yes. Have I been able to do that while keeping Deadspin in my feedreader? Yes. Have I been able to do that while listening to Bill Simmons appear as a guest on the Adam Carolla podcast? No. (I tried to listen to the Carolla podcast both times Bill appeared on it but both times I turned it off halfway through because I didn’t like where it was taking my mind…and I am laughing while I type that because they’d probably get a kick out of hearing that.)

I’ll be honest, it would be really hard for me to quit Bill Simmons cold turkey. I love the work he does. But if he ever leaves ESPN and all of his articles and podcasts went as racy as I think they might go, I’d definitely need to re-evaluate. At the very least, I might have to take each article and podcast on a case by case basis. It’s not about being a prude or tiptoeing through life on eggshells because I’m afraid of sinning. It’s not about labeling Bill Simmons as evil or bad because of the topics he covers. For me it’s just about trying to honor God with who I am, trying to love my wife the way she deserves to be loved, and trying to do what I feel is right. And for each of us, that will probably look slightly different. (For instance, I kept Deadpsin in my feed, but I’ve developed the habit of immediately turning away from racy photos when I first see them. I know to most guys this is the most ridiculous and counter-intuitive thing in the world, but I knew I had to develop that habit if I was going to continue to get news from Deadspin, which I wanted to do.)

To wrap this up, I think you’re on the right track, Mark, in that you’re listening to your conscience and asking the questions that need to be asked. With God’s help we all need to continue to be aware of what we’re consuming and how it makes us think and what it makes us do. If the results we are experiencing line up with who we are and who we want to be, that’s great. But if we find ourselves going down paths in our thoughts or actions that we don’t want to go down, we’d be foolish to ignore it.

Oh, and thanks about the book. I’m having a blast writing it.

The Schnoz

If you’ve got a question for the Schnoz to answer, be it serious or silly, send it over to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail.com. Until the volume becomes overwhelming, which will never happen, the Schnoz promises to use all the emails he receives in this segment.

a few things to check out while you rank shortstops for your upcoming fantasy draft…

+ Cleveland State Coach Gary Waters is coming across as a modern day Moses, and apparently he’s made believers out of his staff: “God sent Moses to free Israel. God sent Gary Waters to resurrect Cleveland State,” assistant coach Jayson Gee said. How does the team break huddles, you ask? “One, two, three – submit!” Not kidding.

+ Some Catholics are upset that the Detroit Tigers home opener is on Good Friday at 1pm. “It’s like Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday rolled into one,” said Michael Ochab, 47, a Hamtramck Catholic who will skip Opening Day for the first time in 20 years. Wow, I never realized Catholics had so much fun at baseball games. And here I just usually go to watch baseball.

+ DID YOU KNOW: Only Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon are exempt from a federal sports-betting ban because they had a form of sports betting when the law was enacted. Because of this loophole, the governor of Delaware has proposed a sports lottery to help make money for the First State. Says Bob Simpson, associate executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware:

“I am well aware of the dramatic change that has occurred within American culture. I get that we as Bible-believing Christians are swimming upstream on most things related to both faith and family values,” Simpson said. “But it just seems to me that, in spite of what the pro-gambling folks tell us, more good could come if we solidly defeat any and all gambling initiatives.”

+ We’ve added our 41st member to the PFB Member Party! Welcome Tyler B, a fan of the Minnesota Twins.

If you’d like to be a member, and sound off on sports related topics throughout the year, send a headshot and your favorite team to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail.com. Membership is as free as Michael Vick will be in a few months.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32

It would appear this is the verse that Jay McGwire is clinging to as he looks for a book deal for his tell-all story about steroids, bodybuilding, and his brother Mark McGwire.

Deadspin.com broke the story this week, and since then most media outlets (including ESPN) have picked it up. Mark McGwire’s younger brother is writing a tell-all book about how he supplied his Mark with steroids and HGH while McGwire was playing professional baseball.

Amount of people surprised by this news: Zero. Amount of people who care: Not much greater.

According to the story, Jay McGwire’s book is called “The McGwire Family Secret: The Truth about Steroids, a Slugger, and Ultimate Redemption”.

Why is Jay writing the book? Here he is in his own words:

“Mark is a man I think most would like to forgive because his reason wasn’t nefarious—it was for survival. My bringing the truth to surface about Mark is out of love. I want Mark to live in truth to see the light, to come to repentance so he can live in freedom—which is the only way to live. “

Deadspin has also contacted Jay McGwire’s ex-fiancee, who corroborates Jay’s story, saying, ” I really think he has a burning desire to do what’s right — it’s not about trying to throw Mark under the bus. At least he was trying to do the right thing. I respect him for that. Mark, not so much.”

When asked why she thought he was writing the book, Jay’s ex-fiancee said (and I quote from Deadspin) “[she said] there is a financial reason for him to do it, but that Jay’s born again Christianity has changed him in so many ways that she doesn’t think his intentions are malicious.”

Look, if Jay McGwire has found ultimate redemption in Jesus Christ, then that is great news. It’s encouraging to hear of someone cleaning up their act and making things right in their life. I guess the problem I have with this story is that Jay’s now trying to clean up Mark’s life for him by exposing Mark’s secrets (seemingly without his consent). Not only that, but he’s trying to do it via a book deal, which will no doubt be a profitable venture for Jay.

Jay McGwire says he is doing this out of love, but I have to seriously question him on that. Where’s the love in telling someone else’s secrets? Is Jay thoroughly convinced that the best way to love his brother right now is to grab him by the collar and yank him out of the darkness and into the light, exposing his past that he didn’t come here to talk about? Something just doesn’t feel right about this to me.

Yes, there is freedom in living in the truth. I agree 110%. But from what I understand of repentance, it’s not something you do to someone else. It’s a turning you do in your own life, something that happens within a man or woman, not from the outside force of another.

Not sure how this will end, but one has to wonder if this story can now have a happy ending for both Mark and Jay. If Jay gets his book deal and lays Mark’s secrets on the table for the world to read, will it lead Mark to freedom or will it lead him to increased bitterness and anger towards his brother?

Perhaps once the royalty checks start coming in, Jay can take his brother out to dinner and start the process of healing and restoration with the hope of making things right.

Now that would be a story I’d like to read about.

(h/t: Deadspin.com)

According to CNBC’s Darren Rovell, website AshleyMadison.com will not have an ad in this year’s Super Bowl program after all.

Last month AshleyMadison.com made some waves by announcing they had an ad running in the official Super Bowl XLIII program. The slogan on the ad was “WHO are you doing after the game?”

The ad also featured an oiled up woman on her knees holding a football and baring much cleavage…a little too racy for our sweet little site.

Oh, in case you don’t know what AshleyMadison.com is, it’s “America’s #1 Online Dating Service for people looking to have a discrete affair”. Their tagline: “Life is Short. Have an Affair.”

In other words, their site is a big ole piece of turd connected to the internet.

Once the NFL wised up to what was going on, they quickly pulled the plug. According to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy:

“After realizing what the site was, the sales rep called back and told the company there was a mistake and that his company could not sell an ad to the site.”

As you might expect, this didn’t sit very well with homewrecker Noel Biderman, CEO of AshleyMadison.

“I find the rejection to be ridiculous given that a huge percentage of the NFL’s marketing content is for products like alcohol, which they sell in their stadiums, promote on their air and clearly have in the magazine,” Biderman said. “That’s a product that literally kills tens of thousands of people each year. So if the NFL is worried about legislating behavior and regulating what their audience should be exposed to then it should start with a ban on all alcohol advertising and products being sold, not AshleyMadison.com.”

Seriously Noel? You’re seriously going to compare alcohol to extramarital affairs? Apparently you’re not only a jerk for running a site that aids and abets folks looking to break promises and hurt the people who love them, you’re also as stupid as Balaam’s ass. If his argument made even a shred of sense I might knock it down, but it’s so dumb, I’ll just let it speak for itself.

Honestly, I seriously considered not even posting this item because any pub that this trashy Canadian site gets is probably good pub for them. And the last thing I want to do is get one of our readers thinking about ruining his or her life by “browsing” around at this online shop of nightmares.

Seriously, I’m close to folks who have risked everything they had to chase a little tail or get some emotional loving from someone other than their spouse. You probably know someone who has too. Has it ever gone well? It’s one of the most selfish and deceptive things a person can do, and besides the lifelong damage you do to yourself in exchange for a few thrilling moments, you usually hurt most of the people in your life who love you.

It was a no-brainer, but good job by the NFL for putting the kibosh on this one.

(h/t: Darren Rovell)

So they are breaking the news that O.J. will be sentenced for 15 years for kidnapping and robbery.

For the sake of argument, let’s go with the premise that O.J. got away with murder during the trial of last century.

It seems almost inevitable that this happened. There’s a saying that our futures are determined by our character. Hearing the news had the deadening ring of determinism to it,  like that of Pharoah’s heart being hardened, or the dog returning to its vomit. I’m one of those people who believe that O.J. was a murderer. His claim to spend his life looking for the murderer was maddening and comical at the same time. But I’m not able to gloat, or celebrate the justice of this.

I’m just overwhelmed by the notion that the quality of our character determines our path. O.J. got away with murder and later beat charges of conspiring to steal cable television. O.J. believed that he could never be caught. He tried to sell that patently offensive book, “If I did it.”  His belief that he could not be brought to justice, led to his being convicted and sentenced for fifteen years.

How banal.

And how frightening, if we summon the strength to look inward at our own character flaws and glimpse at who we could become unless we allow the gospel to take deeper root inside of us.

Romo

Oh that Tony Romo. A few weeks ago he was changing the tire of a broken down couple. This week he took a homeless man to the movies. “I haven’t showered in days,” the man said. “Don’t worry about that,” Romo allegedly replied. “I’m used to locker rooms.”

Is he a genuinely good guy or is he pulling these stunts for publicity? Personally, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, if he was that worried about his public image, he would have dumped Jess Simpson a while ago.

What do you think? As these stories keep coming out, do you nod your head in approval, or roll your eyes in annoyance?

Professional golfer J.P. Hayes inadvertantly broke the rules once, called himself on it twice, and is now out of a job until 2010. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

Ave Maria University’s men’s basketball coach Ricky Benitez was fired on Tuesday, and the reason he claims he was given for the dismissal was for “the use of profanity in a scrimmage”.

(When asked by PFB for a comment, Allen Iverson said “Practice, man. We talkin’ bout practice.”)

According to the story, one of the players’ parents complained to the administration about Benitez’s language, prompting the university to ask Benitez to resign. Benitez refused to resign, saying, “This is one of the main reasons Catholic people have a bad reputation. They don’t abide by the rules in the bible.”

[He was probably referring to paragraph B of Rule 7.12 in the Book of Esther, which reads, "Thou shalt not fire coaches for swearing in scrimmage games"]

As for the complaining parent, he thinks there’s something else going on here, “It didn’t call for the man to lose his job…Maybe reprimanded, maybe fined or something. There had to be another agenda.”

When he was hired for the job, the administration said of him, “There’s no one else I have spoken with that has had as much head coaching experience and that has the winning percentage he has. I believe he’s a very strong man of faith, which will fit in well at Ave Maria.”

According to the big W, Ave Maria University is a private university with a Roman Catholic character and liturgical tradition in southwest Florida, founded in 2003 by Tom Monaghan, Catholic philanthropist and retired founder of Domino’s Pizza.

Here’s to hoping the Ave Maria basketball team can figure out this mess so their season can avoid the noid.

(h/t: Naples News via Deadpsin.com)