Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas

Always glad to see when an athlete, having won or lost, gives glory to God.

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“All He Does is Win”

If you watch much ESPN, you know Skip Bayless was gung-ho about Tim Tebow several weeks ago, back before all the amazing comeback victories. Now a lot of people are jumping on the Tebow train. I love this one minute video:

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Why All the Tebow Haters?

Nick Lannon has a theory:

Tebow never asked to be the starter this season over Kyle Orton. Never asked to have his name chanted in stadiums. All he ever said was that he’d work as hard as he could and that, as any player would, he wanted to play. It’s not his fault that he’s been a topic on sports talk shows for a year straight, tiring all the pundits out. Tebow inspires rebellion because he appears to be that thing that we all fear most: a righteous man.”

Read the whole thing HERE.

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God and Football by Chad Gibbs

A few years ago, Warren St. John wrote a book about Alabama football fanaticism titled, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer. Do you remember those little charts in Christian bookstores that would help you find a holy alternative to the secular bands you loved but felt so guilty about? Example…”If you like Run-D.M.C., try D. C. Talk.” Well, that’s exactly what is going on here. If you liked Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, but don’t want all the cursing and references to alcohol, then here’s the Christian alternative. Gibbs should send royalty checks to St. John. The only problem is his stories aren’t as good. I will say this, Gibbs is a really funny guy. In fact, he’s funny enough I’d definitely pick up another book of his, provided it’s on sale for $4 on the clearance shelf like this one was. Seriously, his comedic skills are what kept me turning the pages.

What disappointed me most was the lack of depth regarding the balancing faith and football theme. He only skims the surface. He confesses his addiction, make that obsession, to Auburn football, and takes the time to throw in a few guilty comments here and there, interviews fellow fans who struggle with this tension, even briefly describes attending church services in each of the cities visited. But the subtitle is deceptive; this is really a book about the SEC football fanaticism, not about faith.

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“Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption” by Laura Hillenbrand

At the risk of being overdramatic, I have to say that this may be the most powerful life story I’ve ever heard. Louis Zamperini has lived a life that tops anything you’ve ever seen in the movies. Laura Hillenbrand, also author of Seabiscuit, does a masterful job of putting you right alongside Louis in his Olympic and War adventures. I found this Youtube video featuring a CBS documentary on Louis followed by an interview with Louis and a Q&A session with a USC journalism class. The 2 hour video is priceless.

My recommendation is that you read the book BEFORE you watch this video. You’ll enjoy the book and the video more if you read the book first. So for those of you who’ve already read the book, or for those who can’t wait, enjoy:

 

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Three Reasons to Like TPC Champ K. J. Choi

Reason #1 – He has a great story. He grew up on an island that has no golf course and didn’t touch a golf club until he was sixteen. When he did take up the game, after a teacher suggested he would do well at it, he had a three hour journey (one way) to get to the closest golf course. During his obligatory two-year term in the South Korean Army, he practiced his golf swing by hitting pine cones with the butt of his rifle. He was the first Korean to earn his PGA playing card, as well as the first to win on the Tour.

Reason #2 – He is generous. Last year he donated $100,000 to Japanese flood victims. In 2008 he won the Sony Open and gave a third ($320,000) of his earnings to the victims’ families of a warehouse fire in Seoul, Korea.

Reason #3 – He loves Jesus. In a 2003 interview Choi said, “I was first introduced to Christ in December of 1992 when I started dating my wife. She told me about the Lord and the Church and why it was good to have faith in God. And naturally I took her advice and after awhile, I felt it helped me and made me feel comfortable and gain patience. It also helped me concentrate more when it came to golf.” When he lived in Houston, one of his pastors wrote of his devotion: “He is also a member of our church and a devout Christian….and never misses a Sunday worship service or Wednesday prayer meeting when he is in town.”

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Should Albert Pujols Get $30 Million to Play Baseball?

I sought to answer that question in my latest column, titled, “Thinking Biblically about Pujols and Millionaire Athletes.” You can read it HERE.

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My Review of “Pujols: More Than the Game”

My Review of “Pujols: More Than the Game” by Ellsworth and Lamb has been published HERE.

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My Take on This Year’s Super Bowl Commercials

Read it HERE.

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Lebron’s Big Decision

Here’s a different angle on the Lebron story…my angle.

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