The PFB Sports Survey: Michael Spencer
Tuesday, February 19th, 2008If you're new here, and you're into sports and/or the Christian faith, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
The PFB Sports Survey is a new feature here at Prayers For Blowouts where we throw 12 sports related questions at some of the most notable voices among Christian authors, pastors, musicians, and carnival workers to see if they like sports as much as we do.
Today’s spotlight is on Michael Spencer, who just might take a vow of silence if the Reds’ bullpen blows too many big leads in 2008.
Michael is a communicator and writer living in Southeastern Kentucky. Though he does not live in a monastery, he is known far and wide as The Internet Monk. (He also helps out over at The Boar’s Head Tavern as well.) You can learn more about him here.
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1. What number best describes the role sports play in your life on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is “i have absolutely no interest at all” and 10 is “My friends refer to sports as ‘Baal’ because I have an unhealthy obsession bordering on idolatry”.
MS: 6 during baseball season. 3 otherwise.
2. Rank your 3 overall favorite sports.
MS: 1) Any level of Baseball, 2) High School football, and 3) College Basketball
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?
MS: Love the Reds. Hate the Yankees. No love for the Cardinals either.
4. Do you play fantasy sports? If no, why not? If yes, what is the most # of teams you’ve ever had for one season and have you ever won a Championship?
MS: No. Don’t have time and I have no interest at all.
5. What is the most memorable sporting event you have ever attended in person?
MS: Red Sox Clinch the 1987 AL East title.
6. What is the best highlight and/or worst lowlight of your sports playing career as a child or as an adult?
MS: I didn’t make the freshman basketball team, despite hitting lots of shots from deep. Never tried again.
7. If you could change one thing about sports, what would it be?
MS: Gee. I’d rearrange the AL East and end the DH.
8. Do you have an opinion on Christian athletes who, without being prompted, talk about their faith in post-game interviews?
MS: I don’t have a problem with acknowledging God in a thankful way, but other than that I’d like them to shut up and just live the Christian life.
9. High school gym class…your favorite 45 minutes of the day or the source of countless nightmares and embarrassments?
MS: Hell. I’m still dealing with 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.
MS: Excesses and cultural sins are fair game, especially as they effect the family and parenting, but singling out sports fans is a too easy target. When I hear pastors make sports fans their whipping boys for “lack of commitment” I lose much respect for them. It’s a cheap shot in almost every instance.
11. If you had to compete against other writers, 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.
MS: Bowling
12. What is your favorite sports movie of all time?
MS: Field of Dreams or The Natural
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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.
