Are we being sent a message about professional sports?

[daveleau]

Do you think we are being sent a message, and if so what, regarding the actions of professional sports in the last 24 months or less?

NFL- relationship scandals in Minnesota and Carolina; ravaged city's NFL owner planning to move team since city is not giving enough regarding rebuilding stadium/greed
MLB- steroid issues/cheating; gambling (Rose in the Hall of Fame issue)
NHL- Lock out/greed of owners and players; players permanently injuring other players with sucker-punches to the head
NBA- fighting with fans at games and rape cases

I am a HUGE sports fan (well all of the above except the NBA). I feel that this is a call for us to stop giving as much attention, money and time to these organizations. I think we have players that can be a big positive, in their proclamation of Christ as their Savior, but I think there is a lot of evil going on here too. In the past couple of years, scandals have rocked the professional ranks in ways that have happened in the past, but rarely if ever all at once. Should we abandon these icons?

Your friend in Christ,
Dave

[arunma]

I don't watch any sports, so none of these scandals have personally affected me. I don't think there's anything wrong with watching sports, or even with being a sports fan. But I do think it's very wrong for Christians to have sports "heroes." First of all, this is a modern form of idolatry. Secondly, it's a misplacing of faith. Men like Paul the Apostle, Saint Athanasius, and Martin Luther were heroes. Dante Culpepper (or Bret Favre, if you're a cheesehead) is not a hero. The fact that we give so much attention to athletes, celebrities, musicians, and other popular icons (or, dare I say, idols) shows that many of us are straying from the Lord God. We ought to remember the mighty work that God did at Calvary, so that we can put our focus where it ought to be.

[MrJim]

I wonder if the ancient Romans had favorites when they went to the chariot races. Ya know, the early Christians didn't go to those public sporting events. It was used as an accusation. Somebody would say, "I haven't seen you at the races--have you become a Christian?".

Maybe something to what arunma says. We are supposed to be in the world but not of it and other than going to church on sunday morn and not swearing we fit in pretty good talking about football or nascar or other stuff of the world.

[JPPT1974]

I am a big NFL fan. And I take the much despised Terrell Owens as an example. He needs to be a team player and not a team wrecker aka "cancer!" He puts his needs above everybody else's needs. And that is how he paid the price by being a distraction not just on the field but off it mainly. He needs to learn from his QB or soon to be former one, Donovan McNabb. McNabb is a class act on & off the field. Because he is a team player.

[SteelDisciple]

I wonder if the ancient Romans had favorites when they went to the chariot races. Ya know, the early Christians didn't go to those public sporting events. It was used as an accusation. Somebody would say, "I haven't seen you at the races--have you become a Christian?".

Maybe something to what arunma says. We are supposed to be in the world but not of it and other than going to church on sunday morn and not swearing we fit in pretty good talking about football or nascar or other stuff of the world.



There is nothing wrong with having a hobby. A person without a hobby would be a pretty boring person...

You can still have hobbies and not be OF the world in the way that you are not INVESTED in the world. The minute the world takes more importance than God...then it is wrong.

If I had a friend who didn't have a lot of hobbies..yeah..that would be one boring friendship.

[JPPT1974]

Hey I have to have my NFL.
Can't live without my NFL.
:wave:

[daveleau]

I'm not condoning the outright refutation of enjoyment in sports, but just thinking aloud about the issues that are happening with our sports teams that many consider to be "heroes." I believe we are free to enjoy sports, as long as they do not take a place in our lives over that of God.

[Joykins]

I think everytime we idolize "heroes" whether they be athletes or actors or what-have-you--we have to remember that these are real, fallible, people with weaknesses etc. It hardly surprises me that when young men are given adoring fans and outrageous salaries and play games for a living which require a certain level of aggressive behavior, that they are irresponsible, greedy, and aggressive outside of the stadium as well. There are also many Christians who play professional sports. They all need our prayers, not our hero-worship.

That said, I don't watch sports. For me it is book authors ;)

[MrJim]

There is nothing wrong with having a hobby. A person without a hobby would be a pretty boring person...

You can still have hobbies and not be OF the world in the way that you are not INVESTED in the world. The minute the world takes more importance than God...then it is wrong.

If I had a friend who didn't have a lot of hobbies..yeah..that would be one boring friendship.

Hobbies-isn't that like fishing or hunting or needlework or something? Probably not flopping on the sofa watching football. That's not a hobby; that's just sitting. Well, I guess birdwatching is just sitting too, but at least you have to go to where the birds are-course the Ravens could be playing the Eagles and that would be birdwatching too--ergo watching TV is a hobby.

Wonder what sort of hobbies people had 300 years ago...

[zoziw]

Do you think we are being sent a message, and if so what, regarding the actions of professional sports in the last 24 months or less?

NFL- relationship scandals in Minnesota and Carolina; ravaged city's NFL owner planning to move team since city is not giving enough regarding rebuilding stadium/greed
MLB- steroid issues/cheating; gambling (Rose in the Hall of Fame issue)
NHL- Lock out/greed of owners and players; players permanently injuring other players with sucker-punches to the head
NBA- fighting with fans at games and rape cases

I am a HUGE sports fan (well all of the above except the NBA). I feel that this is a call for us to stop giving as much attention, money and time to these organizations. I think we have players that can be a big positive, in their proclamation of Christ as their Savior, but I think there is a lot of evil going on here too. In the past couple of years, scandals have rocked the professional ranks in ways that have happened in the past, but rarely if ever all at once. Should we abandon these icons?

Your friend in Christ,
Dave

I think it is up to the individual if they will throw fan support behind a sports team.

I think if we take a look at the problems in pro-sports in the context of North American society in general we will see that they are a mere reflection that gets extra media attention due to the nature of the industry.

If we were to shine the media spotlight at pretty much any business and watched their employees as close as pro-atheletes we would probably find similar things.

Here in Canada there is a company called Bombardier which builds airplanes and other equipment. They constantly hold our government hostage saying if the .gov doesn't subsidize them they will move to Ireland and take all of the jobs with them.

Many other companies and industries do these kind of things.

On the positive side, some of these pro-athletes are Christians and show up at churches and conferences and their presence attracts people that otherwise would never show up.

I am a huge NHL fan and also enjoy the NBA and watching these sports provides more than just entertainment. At work they provide a wonderful neutral small-talk topic to discuss when meeting with people.

[Sword-In-Hand]

I'm a sports nut (UK Basketball all the way), but lately I've had to tone it down. Years ago I found myself so irritated because they lost that I would punch walls or slam things down and that's just stupid.

I've never understood why people place athletes, actors, or musicians as "stars" who seem to matter more than anyone else. I'm attracted to the glam of the game, not the superstars that play it. I do get upset with alot of the suposed Christian athletes act very un-Christ like (T.O. for example), but there are some who let the light shine.

But sports is just as anything else. Anything placed before God is an idol, so we have to be careful. There's alot of garbage going on in the sports world and it needs to be changed. I saw a documentary on Rome when it was in its height. Sports was pretty much all people cared about, and this happened during Rome's economic peak and then soon after crumbled. They compared Rome to U.S. saying that we are much like ancient Rome, with a collape coming soon.

I just don't understand the star power, as I've said before. Just imagine how the world would be if Christians had the energy the paparazzi has.

[JPPT1974]

What really gets to me is that those athletes due to them being rich & famous think they are untouchable and above the law.
That is a sad but true fact. :(

[ZiSunka]

Yes, I think there is a message, and the message is, "Sports are just a diversion, a pasttime, a way to amuse yourself, and not a reason for being, a way to happiness or fulfillment, a three-hour hiatus from life. Go on a sports fast for two weeks and see if you don't start having better relationships, a more focussed mind and a more even disposition.

[arunma]

But sports is just as anything else. Anything placed before God is an idol, so we have to be careful.

That's a good point. The way I see it, we need to ask ourselves if what we are doing is honoring to Christ. As a professional nerd (physics student), I'm compelled to hate all sports, but believe it or not, sports can be used to advance the Gospel. I suppose someone could invite several unbelieving friends over for a football game, and discuss the Gospel at halftime.

Sports become a bad thing when a person starts skipping church, work, or relationships with other Christians in order to spend time in front of the TV. They also become evil when they cause someone to become obsessed with the game, to utter foul language, or to irresponsibly gamble (I tried to phrase that so as to exclude the harmless, $5 bets). I think this is the same issue as the meat and wine mentioned in Romans 14.

[Diane_Windsor]

Dave,

The problems that you have described plus the fact that most of the players are overpaid crybabies are some of the reasons why I really don't care too much for professional male sports. There is one exception though-I love soccer at nearly any level, and I strongly support women's pro teams over mens. You really don't have too much scandal in women's sports.

NFL- relationship scandals in Minnesota and Carolina

What happened in MN and Carolina? Last time I heard of something bad happening in the NFL was that overpaid arrogant Philadelphia Eagle who was suspended because he said disparaging remarks against the organization.

Diane
:wave:

[JPPT1974]

Yeah look at what happened for Minnesota with that sex scandal
Carolina with the steriods
You know with MLB and steriods as well