I’m feeling rather random today. I’d like to blame lack of sleep, but actually 7 ½ hours should be enough, don’t you think? I would have gone to bed earlier but I’m taking an antibiotic for a potential abscessed tooth & I have to stay up until 10:30 to take the 3rd dose of the day. Now that both of my teams are out of the playoffs I’m ready to start going to bed at 9:00 each night.
Speaking of baseball, I read that when the Texas Ranger’s won their division series, Josh Hamilton’s teammates doused him with ginger ale instead of champagne. He’s a recovering addict & I love that they wanted him to participate. He sat out the last celebration so he wouldn’t be tempted – left, in fact, to go talk to a church group. But this time they wanted to include him so they broke out the Ginger Ale - & waited until he left to start the usual champagne & beer-fest. Very cool.
Here’s another baseball gem. I have a problem with praying for victory in sports events – or with attributing victory to God. What does that say about the other team? Are they Godless? Does God hate them? Or our team if we lose? Apparently, Bobby Knight, appearing at a luncheon at Southern Methodist University, agrees – and if you think I lightly mention that Bobby Knight & I agree on something you are surely mistaken. He’s the kind of basketball coach I love to hate. Anyway, here is the info from Big League Stew (where I get all of my baseball news), quoting the Dallas Morning News:
Knight jumped in before his speech officially started — heck, before lunch was even served — after the Rangers' series win over Tampa Bay was mentioned in the benediction.
"I think Cliff Lee had a hell of a lot more to do with it than the Almighty," Knight said, after grabbing the microphone at the podium unexpectedly. "If in fact the Almighty was involved in the game, what he ended up doing was screwing the other team. And I don't think he works that way.
"You've got to get up there and throw the ball over the plate and swing at good pitches. You know, He doesn't give a damn about that. Let him help the Republicans."
Let him help the Republicans. Oh that just made me laugh loud & long when I read it this morning. I do believe in separation of church and state, but goodness, I think all three parties (Republican, Democrat & Tea) could use a bit of help from God.
Although I’m not exactly sure that I believe politics is more important than baseball.
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Oh I agree completely. People who give all the credit to god for their accomplishments, I don't get that. Hard work, training, perseverance; none of that counts for anything?
ReplyDeleteI think one can say that it was their faith in God that helped them through the long journey of being a professtional sports player. Its hard mental and physical work and that isn't even counting all the crap that goes on off the field. But yeah... God doesn't care who wins the game.
ReplyDeleteI thought Disney made that clear in Angels in the Outfield. :o)
Politics is probably what's exhausting you right now ;-) Seriously, another campaign, another crushing feeling of negativity and futility.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the support shown for the baseball player, also. So often professional athletes that are featured in the news are so unpleasantly arrogant, it can become easy to forget that they are feeling beings. I just like that someone thought of it, a gesture of kindness, and that these guys followed through.
As for praying about sporting events, I don't mind it, Bug. I just don't think it does anything. Now, I don't mean, "because prayer is useless" -- I just think if prayer does have an impact (agnostics, our battle cry is "Could be. Who knows?" ) but rather that if there is a God, that entity has more sense than to listen at that particular moment.
A recapper on a site about TV put it this way, "God is in the tub." when it comes to that kind of prayer. Saying something like; remember when you were a kid, and your mom was in the tub? Only for important things was your mom ever going to even consider getting out of that tub. Illness, emergency, any number of important things? Sure. Couldn't find your math book? She was in the tub, find it yourself.
When it comes to sporting events, reality shows, etc. That recapper (who now writes for NPR and is named Linda Holmes -- giving her a plug as she's often quite good) had it right, I think.
Whatever. God is in the tub when it comes to that.
Great post! I loved it.
ReplyDeletethere is NO WAY that politics could even approach the importance of baseball.
ReplyDeleteI think it's the same problem for the two sides in some wars...they're both praying for victory!
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts here Dana! I am really sick of politics right now....so I agree all political parties need God and so do I. Baseball...I just live in a house with major sports fans and over hear their thoughts. I do notice a lot of baseball players who point upwards when they hit a home run, to thank God. I just assume they are thanking him in a way that they thank him for everything...but I really don't know.
ReplyDeleteI met Bobby Knight once he is a unique guy.
ReplyDeleteYou and I need to seriously talk baseball.
seven and a half hours is never enough!!! if i don't get a good eight or nine, forget it.
ReplyDeleteThat is VERY COOL that the guys used ginger ale! That says a lot about how they respect each other! That's a great story!
ReplyDeleteI don't think politics is as important as baseball, but then, I'm not really a baseball fan. So what does that say about politics? It does engage my intellect a bit more is all i can say.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, a good Bobby Knight quote? Who knew? You knew.
ReplyDeleteBut in answer to your question, yes, God does hate the other teams. If yours doesn't win, he was probably just napping that day. And God doesn't like the Yankees any more than anyone else does. He just likes money as much as the next guy.
I used to have respect for sports but nowadays this domain is as corupted as politics, so I keep away from both. I believe God also ignores them.
ReplyDelete