Today is SuperBowl Media Day in New Orleans, and if previous Media Days are any example – players on both teams will spend more time blowing hot air than talking about serious football. Already a number of bollocks story lines have emerged in the media (newspapers, and NFL Channel) to do with which scriptural verses tattooed on Colin Kaepernick he will kiss after each TD, and whether Kaepernick’s God will lead him to a SB win over Ray Lewis’ God. Football fan blog readers may recall after the Ravens beat New England in the AFC championship, Ray – beside himself with emotion- pounded his chest and with tears streaming in his eyes, blurted: “This shows God is GREAT! He can do ANYTHING! When we put our trust and faith in Him great things happen! And He said, 'no enemy can stand against thee!'”
Maybe, but I seriously doubt any “God” worth his salt is interested in a game created by mammalian bipeds and played by more massive male bipeds for a lot of money. I believe it was Tim Tebow who first learned that lesson a year ago when his ‘God’ couldn’t save him or his then team (Denver Broncos) no matter how many times he wore John 3:16 on his eye-blackener or Tebowed. Where is Timmy now? Well, in a kind of limbo after a so-so season with the NY Jets.
Many of us who blistered Tim, the inveterate god monger, feel tremendous vindication now a year later. This despite certain clueless pundits like Michael Medved, who penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed : 'The Secrets of Tebow Hatred', castigating all churlish imps who would dare rain on the Great One's parade while a league "stocked with millionaire wife beaters and dog killers" received little or no opprobrium. Medved ultimately asked: "So why should Tim Tebow draw more resentment than other religious athletes?" and concludes "he's too apparently flawless to draw much sympathy from the uninitiated."
Actually, no. It was because he never let up nor was he consistent. While he attributed each Bronco TD, win or minor success, gain to his god, he never also acknowledged his god when he was brutally sacked or the Broncs were lashed with a loss, like their 45-10 thrashing at the hands of New England in last year’s AFC playoffs. So what then? The Devil was responsible for the losses? Oh wait, no…Tim blamed himself. Yet he was too myopic to see it was his making plays at the right time that led to wins, not any interference by some external supernatural hobgoblin.
Was the land then filled with godless, cynical "Tebow haters"? Not really. The fact is most of us didn't "hate" Tim Tebow. Hell, we hardly knew him personally. What we hated was the media hype and schmaltz surrounding him and the unthinking nature of his fans and groupies who appeared to conflate occasional luck on the football field with some type of divine intervention or "miracle" - when a small dose of critical thought ought to lead them to ask 'Why this time and not next time?' Why praise the ‘Lawd’ for wins, but not blame him for defeats?
We also detested how the evangelical whackos in the country exploited Tebow to their own ends to push their agendas. Such as Colorado Springs -based 'Focus on the Family' which featured a "John 3:16" ad in the midst of one game.
The fact is, even IF a powerful supernatural force or Being did exist, by its very nature it would have no more interest in human football games or their outcomes than any normal human would have in two packs of hyenas having a pissing contest (to see who can mark the most territory) in the middle of the Mala Mala Game preserve in S Africa (as featured on a recent NatGEO ‘Wild’ documentary.
Let us hope that Ray Lewis, Colin Kaepernick and all the other would-be god mongers on the two SuperBowl teams process that as opposed to filling the airwaves with god talk or other baloney today.
And, if the Ravens do win on Sunday - against a tough 49er team- let's hope Ray Lewis in his excitement (given this is his last game) gives at least as much credit to his team mates for making critical plays as his imaginary friend in the sky!
Footnote: (1/31/13):
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It appears I may be the "outcast" in my views, since the NFL appears to actually the National FAITH League, according to the report in the latest Sports Illustrated ('In the Fields of the Lord', Feb. 4, p. 38). Evidently what was regarded as absurd 50 years ago (pro football players being "cozy" with Xtianity) is now regarded as a norm! Faith huddles and prayer services occur before each game, Chaplains are assigned to each team, and noisome bible studies abound. According to the piece:
"At the Superbowl in New Orleans this Sunday, players on both teams will pray in small huddles on the sidelines, before every quarter."
Good grief! It's the Super GOD BOWL!
Interestingly, all these god-mongering bozos aren't able to transfer their godism into moral practice. According to the same article, god-mongering "athletes generally score lower than the general student population in test on moral reasoning." It appears this can be extrapolated to the NFL players as well.
All of which shows me the need to clean out the peculiar American religious infection is needed even more than ever before. Atheist ball players anywhere? You need to infiltrate the NFL and get it back to normality! Ah, but then this whole ridiculous god-crazed nation needs to be brought back to sanity!
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