Just a thought for all the haters

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There’s an essential difference between Christendom and all the rest. Whereas people may look for a reason to believe in other religions, those same individuals tend to search for a reason to not believe in Christianity – an irrefutable consequence of how people respond when exposed to a Truth that doesn’t suit their preferences. Paradoxically, however, folks will always be drawn to a Christian who truly walks it as he/she talks it.

When sports and ideology collide

Responding to Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, whose open letter about the departure of his franchise's biggest star drew more national attention than he likely anticipated, Jesse Jackson replied by proclaiming that Gilbert's "mean, arrogant and presumptuous" comments placed LeBron James in unnecessary danger, and that he views the 25-year-old Ohio native as a "runaway slave."

Says Jackson, "[Gilbert] speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers... His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality."  Jackson also claims that Gilbert's open letter was an attack on all NBA players and added that he should face a "challenge" from both the league and the players' association.

Gilbert was fined $100,000 on Monday for his comments, though the always fascinating Roland S. Martin -- a new school version of Jesse Jackson -- wondered if the penalty was extensive enough.  Having initially declined to touch upon the matter, NBA commissioner David Stern later criticized both sides for the debacle.

Whether Jackson was attempting to capitalize on a mini-wave of momentum that resulted from another epic snafu by Mel Gibson is debatable, but it seems the ESPN-produced LeBron-a-thon did little to lift the image of the presumed heir apparent to Michael Jordan's throne (currently occupied by Kobe Bryant).  If the round of boos he received from New York Knicks fans at Carmelo Anthony's wedding last Saturday doesn't demonstrate that, the welcome James will undoubtedly endure at each of the Miami Heat's 41 road games will.

Now take this situation in tandem with an overlooked statement made in a recent column by Kansas City Star and FoxSports.com contributor Jason Whitlock about a completely different event:

"The World Cup narrows our view and, more than any other sporting event, baits us to give in to nationalism, jingoism and racism.  It’s not the Olympics.  Not everyone is invited.  And no one pretends the month of World Cup play is a reason to celebrate and respect the world’s numerous cultures.  The World Cup owes much of its popularity to hate.  It’s the anti-Olympics.  It’s an excuse for bigots to mask their biases in sporting patriotism."

-- from "Time to put that 'miracle' on ice"; June 24, 2010

As if he senses that a certain carte blanche on all things racial is about to be lost, Whitlock went more than an extra mile to mischaracterize an international tournament that has been celebrated in practically every nation (except the United States) for 80 years.  Rowdy fanatics notwithstanding, most zealots don't require such a grand forum to express a prejudice that would exist even if the World Cup did not.  But don't tell that to Whitlock unless you care to be labeled a racist.

Keep in mind that Jason Whitlock, who has written several columns expressing a belief that his former high school teammate Jeff George (million-dollar arm, ten-cent head) is still deserving of an NFL tryout, also claims the NCAA went easy on Duke in the national basketball tournament pairings last March because "Duke (and North Carolina to a lesser degree) score higher on the old 'eyeball' test.  Fewer tattoos and more white guys.  I just made many of you uncomfortable.  Sorry.  But it’s a fact. ... Coach K[rzyzewski] and his band of Boys Next Door are the Great White Hopes of Hoops.  Three of Duke’s five starters are white.  Their top two scorers are white."

The Blue (Or is it White?) Devils, for the record, won their fourth national championship soon after Whitlock's column was published.  And it was earned in one of the best title games in recent memory -- television ratings were up 34% from the year before -- against another squad full of "Boys Next Door," the Butler University Bulldogs.

Pity those who place too much worth in how well an individual puts a leather ball through an iron hoop.  Sports are entertainment and little else.  Yet the relevance in these matters is found in a mentality that isn't necessarily mainstream, but is far-reaching nevertheless.

When Boston sports radio personality Fred "Toucher" Toettcher -- as White and seemingly unathletic as they come -- likened Tim Tebow's NFL draft party last April to "some kind of Nazi rally" because the gathering was "so lily-white," it exhibits a hypersensitive and increasingly pervasive disposition that allows the race pimp to dominate and causes the less informed to yield.

As the aforementioned Jason Whitlock wrote, I just made many of you uncomfortable.  Sorry.  But it’s a fact.

Tim Tebow vs. the pro-choice conundrum

Super Bowl XLIV is kicking off less than 24 hours from the time this is being written, and the pro-life commercial featuring Tim Tebow that Focus on the Family shelled out more than $2 million to broadcast during the Saints-Colts match-up has garnered as much attention, the majority of it negative, as the game itself.

Having drawn the harshest criticism from the usual suspects -- NARAL, Planned Parenthood, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and the National Abortion Federation (who hails Dr. George Tiller as "an American Hero") -- the more recent comments from the likes of Gloria Allred, Joy Behar, and Jay Mariotti have been the most pointed.  Even an ESPN radio contributor (whose name currently escapes memory) referred to Focus on the Family as "militant." {January 29, approx. 9:40 a.m. CST}

Disputing the numerous pro-choice contentions, one-by-one, is unnecessary because mean-spirited insults merely deflect from the premise of the counterpoint(s).  So in short, the reasoning for the pro-life stance, in my own words, is this:

Sex is a sacred gift from God.  It is also a profound responsibility, and its negation often results in consequences.  If the consequence happens to culminate with the creation of a child, the man and woman are obligated to accept the responsibility of this new life that God has essentially allowed.

Despite the grey area regarding matters such as incest and rape, this, I believe, best explains why Conservatives are pro-life.  And clearly, this has nothing to do with a driving desire to control a woman's "right to choose."

Tebow, religion, and the Heisman

It's odd -- we lionize our athletic paragons for the slightest feat of accomplishment, but we are just as likely to deride these men for even attempting to hold themselves to a "higher standard," which is possibly why we celebrate their mistakes as much as their achievements.

While the number of athletes who are known for endorsing various measures of ethics and morality is seemingly endless, perhaps none other is noted for the specific demonstrations of his Faith as University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

You almost certainly know who this guy is, even if you don't follow college football, and that's somewhat difficult for a lifelong fan of the University of Tennessee to admit (because he always beats us). But however much I scorn Tebow on game day, I laud him every bit as much for his consistent and effortless Christian witness, which is tragically lacking in most of those who claim redemption in the Cross.

Although Tebow caught some flack from ESPN Radio's Freddie Coleman and Sirius XM's Scott Ferrall (among others) after last Saturday's 32-13 loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game when comparisons were drawn to the Bible verse written on his eye black {John 16:33 in this case} and the loss itself -- implying "Where was God? -- one might've forgotten what Tebow has done in his four years at the University of Florida.

So here's a refresher:

Tim Tebow has won three Southeastern Conference division titles, two conference championships, and two BCS national championships. A former Associated Press Player of the Year, Tebow is also a two-time All-American and has been selected All-Southeastern Conference three times, along with being honored as both the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and its Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Additionally, Timothy Richard Tebow is a recipient of the Maxwell Award (twice), the O'Brien Award, the Harley Award, the Sullivan Award, the Manning Award, the Campbell Trophy, and of course, he was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. He's also the first quarterback to both pass and rush for at least 20 touchdowns in a single season.

Tebow's on-field accomplishments do not necessarily legitimize Christendom (I'm an adherent myself), but nobody ever says "Where was God?" when a Believer is victorious. The antagonist only says such a thing if a Christian happens to lose, as if one is "born again" just to win everything. And no position of deliberate skepticism could be more superficial.

With the Heisman Trophy -- the most prestigious award in college football -- about to be given, and with the field of potential recipients still wide open, your humble correspondent has compiled his very own list in the name of clarity. Take a gander...

Winner: Toby Gerhart (RB, Stanford) -- 311 rushes, 1,736 yards, 26 TDs
-- Not only did Gerhart lead the nation in both rushing yards and touchdowns, but he's also the predominant force behind Stanford's first winning season in eight years.

2. C.J. Spiller (RB/KR/PR, Clemson) -- 201 rushes, 1,145 yards, 11 TDs; 34 receptions, 436 yards, 3 TDs; 918 kick/punt return yards, 5 TDs
-- The one I chose to replace Tim Tebow on the official list of nominees who will be in New York City on Saturday night, Spiller's triple threat talent as runner, receiver, and return specialist is the biggest reason for Clemson's spot the ACC title game.

3. Mark Ingram (RB, Alabama) -- 249 rushes, 1,542 yards, 15 TDs; 30 receptions, 322 yards, 3 TDs
-- The primary offensive catalyst for the top ranked and SEC champion Crimson Tide, Ingram would have been higher on the list had both Arkansas and Auburn not held him to under three yards per carry.

4. Ndamukong Suh (DT, Nebraska) -- 82 tackles, 12 QB sacks
-- Having managed statistics in a single season that most defensive tackles would love to have in two seasons combined, he also made life miserable in the Big 12 title game for the guy I placed fifth.

5. Daniel "Colt" McCoy (QB, Texas) -- 330 completions, 70.5 completion %, 3,512 yards, 30 total TDs
-- A sentimental favorite, last year's runner-up will probably rank higher in the final tally by voters who will take his career stats into account (over 14,000 total yards and 130+ combined touchdowns) more than they should.

Honorable Mention
(ranked #6-15)

Case Keenum (QB, Houston) -- 468 completions, 71.0 completion %, 5,449 yards, 47 total TDs

Jacquizz Rodgers (RB, Oregon State) -- 255 rushes, 1,377 yards, 20 TDs; 74 receptions, 509 yards, 1 TD

Tim Tebow (QB, Florida) -- 182 completions, 65.2 completion %, 3,272 total yards, 31 total TDs

Greg Jones (LB, Michigan State) -- 140 tackles, 9 QB sacks

Kellen Moore (QB, Boise State) -- 254 completions, 64.8 completion %, 3,325 yards, 39 TDs

Denario Alexander (WR, Missouri) -- 107 receptions, 1,644 yards, 13 TDs

Jimmy Clausen (QB, Notre Dame) -- 289 completions, 68.0 completion %, 3,722 yards, 31 total TDs

Von Miller (DE, Texas A&M) -- 43 tackles, 17 QB sacks

Ryan Williams (RB, Virginia Tech) -- 268 rushes, 1,538 yards, 19 TDs

Rahim Moore (S, UCLA) -- 43 tackles, 9 INTs