God Wins at the Super Bowl
Monday February 5, 2007
I couldn't help but beam proudly at my television screen last night as the owner for the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay, and his head coach, Tony Dungy, boldly gave God all the glory for their victory at Super Bowl XLI. "Now there's an awful lot of shining glory," said Irsay on the nationally televised post-game show. "But we're giving it all to God again because that's what got us here ... I know God has looked after us on this journey and bonded us into such a tight family."
Being the first African American coaches to reach the Super Bowl was an honor and a celebrated achievement shared this year by Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, the head coach for the Chicago Bears. Above this racial honor, Dungy explained, is Jesus Christ. When asked what the Vince Lombardi trophy meant to him, Dungy said, "More than anything, I've said it before, Lovie Smith and I, not only the first two African-Americans, but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way. And we're more proud of that." Though they were opponents at the Super Bowl last night, Dungy and Smith share a close friendship. They are both committed Christians with deep spiritual convictions.
More:
Being the first African American coaches to reach the Super Bowl was an honor and a celebrated achievement shared this year by Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, the head coach for the Chicago Bears. Above this racial honor, Dungy explained, is Jesus Christ. When asked what the Vince Lombardi trophy meant to him, Dungy said, "More than anything, I've said it before, Lovie Smith and I, not only the first two African-Americans, but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way. And we're more proud of that." Though they were opponents at the Super Bowl last night, Dungy and Smith share a close friendship. They are both committed Christians with deep spiritual convictions.
More:
- Christian Celebrity Profile: Tony Dungy
- Christian Celebrity Profile: Love Smith
The religious comments by Irsay and Dungy made them come across to viewers as self-righteous religious fanatic idiots. Football is a game that is full of monster egos, greed, exploitation, and BIG racial imbalance as far as the player rosters go.(The teams are about 80% black but complaints about that get you labelled as a racist!) Dungy is a guy who is a workaholic who spends little time with his family(wife does it all) and his pubic persona is such a fraud. As a coach he would have gotten a lot more respect for praising his players rather than wearing his guilty religious conscience on his sleeve.
So God is now choosing sides in a football game? Is this what God has been reduced to? A good luck charm? It’s pathetic. Besides if God was with any team, it would have to be da Bears. This is a team from Chicago and everybody knows that Chicago is not known for having great athletic teams, with the exception of course being the Bulls.
But if God was with the Colts, does that mean He was not with da Bears? What did the Bears do that was so bad? They’ve suffered more than any other team in the NFL. They’re horrible. I believe it was an act of God that got them to the Superbowl to begin with! It had to be. There’s just no other rational explanation for them being there. It’s nice to see God put in a box once again for the furthering of man’s agenda. When will this nonsense stop?
Zec –
I think you’ve missed the meaning of my title. It doesn’t say “God Wins the Super Bowl.” It says God wins at the Super Bowl. I simply meant that God’s name was glorified at the post-game show by the owner and coach and that Jesus Christ is the most important thing in the lives of both coaches.
Oh, well.
Mary,
I got that point. But the point I’m making is that when one team brings God’s name into their victory celebration, the inevitable conclusion that must be drawn is that God was against the other team, because they did not win. Or were these coaches really saying that “we dedicate our win here at the Superbowl to God”? Because if that’s what they are indeed saying, it’s very easily said, as I just proved. LOL
What I would like to know is if these two coaches gave God the glory for all their wins, this past season. Or was this mention of God at the Superbowl done, because, well, it’s the Superbowl! But this statement strikes at a much bigger issue. People give God the credit all the time for their wins. Whether it be on the sports field or on the stage at the Grammys. I don’t personally think God is glorified by alot of the artists that win at the Grammys. I don’t think He is even a part of their lives, given how they live their lives. They can say whatever they want when the spotlight is on them, but it’s what you do away from the acceptance speech platform, that gives your truest testimony about how God factors into your life, if at all.
What we must do is evaluate the truth of their testimony. Are these coaches the Christians they would like us to believe they are? I don’t know, I personally don’t like football. But with all the obvious sin that goes on in all sports, not just football, baseball, basketball etc., one realy does have to wonder why they would give the glory to God, when it’s very likely their own players are not followers of God. I wonder how many times players on both teams, including the coaches took the Lord’s name in vain when a play didn’t work out the way they wanted it to. Or how many times they took His name in vain when they scored a touchdown or kicked a successful field goal.
A better way to glorify God in my book would be to have a team that reflects God’s values on the field as well as off the field, rather than just throwing God’s name out there on the podium when you win. To me it’s a matter of form vs. substance.
I fully agree that Jesus won at the Super Bowl. God does not choose sides in a sporting contest. What Dungy and Irsay were saying is that whatever glory that came their way was for the glory of Him. What a wonderful affirmation by both these men!
WS –
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!