After Atalanta

Looking back over stories/articles/incidents I have been meaning to mention, I noticed a theme: homosexuality. (I guess there really is an agenda!) First was the controversial press conference by the new women's head coach at the University of Missouri. Robin Pingeton's press conference in which she announces her Christianity and talks about the family atmosphere of her coaching staff (all married to opposite sex partners and with children) has been fairly well covered but I thought I would mention it anyway. You can check out Pat Griffin's blog for an excellent assessment of the conference and the ramifications of Pingeton's discourse. In the aftermath of the press conference, a lot of comments have been made about Pingeton's intentions. There is a lot of skepticism regarding them; about whether Pingeton was sending the message to potential recruits, their parents, and fans that this was not going to be a dyke-y program. But this guy , an avowed atheist, is giving...

...be keeping pressure on the NCAA to keep itself disentangled from Focus on the Family. As noted last week, the ads on NCAA.org have been removed but there is still the possibility that television ads will run during the men's NCAA tournament on CBS which has an advertising deal with Focus on the Family. Here's a video explaining the situation in greater detail. It also includes, at the end, how you can (and should!) contact the NCAA to voice your concern.

Not that I was ever into him but this Super Bowl Focus on the Family ad conversation is getting old. Well not so much old as typical. Same old arguments. Same old sides. And in the end the "right" which is all about the self-martyrdom will have the ear of the greater public and call all left-leaning folks radicals--if only because on Sunday people just want to sit down and watch the game. So instead of getting embroiled (more so emotionally--I don't see myself as a major player in this debate) I am just going to post this link to Dave Zirin's column on the issue and remind people that having an ad during the Super Bowl is not a constitutional right; it's an economic privilege.

So much for my one religion post a month. I guess I just can't will culture to limit my exposure to such things. So who is talking about Tim Tebow--besides this reluctant blogger? Well every guy on Sports Center and Mike and Mike in the Morning (I sit through a lot of crap to get tennis highlights). Tim's currently in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl which is a parade of intercollegiate football players for professional franchises. And Tebow is all anyone is talking about down there according to the ESPN on-the-scene reporter. One of the Mikes was actually astute enough to ask whether the whole Superbowl ad controversy is being talked about by anyone who matters--i.e. anyone who might potentially draft Tebow. And no, apparently it is not on the radar screens of any powers that be. Not surprising, even though one of the Mikes contends that pro teams don't like controversy. Perhaps, but they have plenty of experience dealing with it! And this is probably a welcome controve...

The title implies that there might be only be one--ever--on this blog. That would be nice. But alas it's probably more accurate to call this the January sport and Christianity post. And that's only because the Superbowl doesn't happen until February. Because the sports world--or at least the sports world I live in which is a slightly different reality from say the ESPN sports world others inhabit--is abuzz with the Tim Tebow Superbowl ad brought to you by my favoritest group evah: Focus on the Family. Of course the ad is being paid for by a few generous and seemingly anonymous individuals and not coming out FOF's general budget. But now several women's groups are asking CBS , which has a policy against airing "contentious advocacy ads" which was why they rejected an ad from the United Church of Christ that welcomed all types of people to their congregations--including gays, lesbians, and other queer-type people. But CBS does not seem to be concerned about ...