Athletes and Religion

Posted by: on Feb 8, 2011 | 4 Comments

Don’t you just love it when they interview the athlete on the winning team and the first thing he or she does is give thanks to some higher authority? All the credit in the world is given to their god, their lord, their savior and that’s the reason they won because someone from above smiled upon them that day on the field of athletic battle. And what about all this genuflecting after every play or pitch, and the finger pointing and kisses skyward as if God just won the over/under on the game. Jesus…oh sorry…holy….sorry again…oh shit (that works), what’s with all this crap?

So, I have two issues with all these religious athletic types and their praising of the almighty. Let’s tackle (pun intended) the first one – the losing team. No one on the losing team ever seems to thank their god, their lord, their savior for humbling them with a loss or saying that their loss was for the greater good. They apologize to their fans, teammates, coaches, the city they represent but never do they bring their religious beliefs into the conversation. Shouldn’t they apologize to he (or she) for their loss?  For not performing up to their God given skills? Or at least question why their lord and savior did not show favor upon them? Does this make the losing athletes less than the winning athletes in the eyes of God? You don’t ever hear anyone of these folks bring that up. I guess losing makes them pissed off at everyone, maybe even their God.

As for my second issue, it’s always Christian athletes who seem to make their beliefs very public (not that I have anything against Christians). Maybe it’s just because there are so many of them.  Other religions – Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Nacromongers (movie reference #1) – have yet to make their mark in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL,  PGA, etc. However, there is going to come a day when a non-Christian athlete is going to be in that spotlight, the lights will shine on them, the microphone will be shoved in their face and it will be their turn to thank ye that needs to be thanked. It might go something like this:

Annoying Interviewer:  “Muhammed, you have just won the Super Bowl. What are you going to do now?

Muhammed: “Let me thank the almighty Allah for helping me squash the infidels. Now that we have glorified his name for all of Islam, I’m going to Mecca.  Salaam Alaikum.”

Imagine the look on the face of the interviewer and the thousands (make that millions) of stunned, God fearing Americans. The walls of evangelical churches will shake, Bible thumping southerners will stare skyward looking for answers, woman and children will weep, dogs and cats…living together…mass hysteria (movie reference #2). There will just not be enough hours in the day for all the bloggers, tweeters and anyone else who will find amusement in the anarchy that will surely grip our nation, myself included. When this day comes, I will stare at the sky, point at the heavens, get downs on my knees and ask “Would it spoil some vast eternal plan, if he were a Jewish man?” (movie reference #3 or something like that).

4 Comments

  1. Lizzie
    February 11, 2011

    I actually had the same thought after watching the Superbowl. I would have preferred a a profession of gratitude to his team or at least his mother!

  2. Skip
    February 11, 2011

    I know he or she is the almighty, but do you think God really cares who wins a Football Game, Baseball Game, (Insert activity here) there are a few more important things going on………..and Ira you did have Mike “The Jewish Hammer” Rossman!

  3. Skip
    February 11, 2011

    Sorry……..Mike “The Jewish Bomber” Rossman

  4. Barry
    February 13, 2011

    I’m going to solve the puzzle.

    Movie reference #1 – The Chronicles of Riddick.
    Ira, you should be ashamed of yourself….unwatchable movie. I kind of liked it.

    Movie reference #2 – The end of days

    and Movie Reference #3 – The Infidel

    Please tell me what i’ve won!!