Category: Sports

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Why are Atheist Athletes Rare?

By Jim Spiegel

Last year, NFL punter Chris Kluwe made headlines because of his atheism.  The reason for his newsworthiness, as the writer of this Psychology Today report on Kluwe notes, is that “open secularity is rare in pro sports.”  This is something that has puzzled me since writing my atheism book several years ago.  Why are atheist athletes rare?

You can find all sorts of atheist lists on the Internet.  These include such categories as famous atheists, celebrity atheists, and top atheists in the world.  And it isn’t just atheist apologists that provide these lists.  There are also prodigious Wikipedia lists of atheists in various fields, including politics and law, science and technology, and arts and entertainment.

But try finding a similarly expansive list of atheist athletes.  Here’s the best I could do: 19 Famous Athletes Who are Atheist.  This is a classic case of exceptions proving the rule.  Pretty slim pickings.  I found it interesting, for starters, that they couldn’t even find one more to make it an even twenty.  (They should add Kluwe, since he’s not included.)  And it is supposedly a list of “famous” athletes.  Yet, as an avid sports buff, I only recognized five people on the list.  Moreover, some of these reach way back, such as to an Italian cyclist from 70 years ago.  And another is a WWE wrestler—isn’t that better categorized as acting?  After reading through this disappointing list, I discovered the Top 15 Athletes Who are Atheist.  But it largely overlaps with the list of 19 “famous” atheists above.

So why are atheists so rare in professional sports?  I have a theory, but to explain it I’ll need to start by discussing the primary rationale that atheists and religious skeptics give for not believing in God.  This is the problem of evil.  Lance Armstrong has been quoted as saying, “If there was a God, I’d still have both nuts.”  This statement encapsulates a common intuition about human suffering and religious belief, which essentially constitutes an atheistic argument:  God would not want humans to suffer significantly.  However, there is a lot of suffering in the world.  Therefore, God must not exist.  If you were to interview all of the atheists listed in the sites above and ask them why they reject theism, most if not all of them would cite suffering as a major reason.  But these men and women are not unique in their awareness of suffering.  All serious athletes are well acquainted with pain.  And here may lie the clue to understanding why atheist athletes are rare.

To do intense athletic training is to welcome a degree of suffering.  Athletes understand the usefulness of pain as a means to physical conditioning and mental toughness, which ultimately means success.  No pain no gain, as the saying goes.  Consequently, we should expect athletes to be less inclined to see suffering as antithetical to good ends.  And to become accustomed to linking these two things—pain and gain—is to gain a deeper existential awareness of how suffering is essential for growth in all of life, not just athletics.

This in turn will enable the athlete to recognize that God can work through painful experiences generally to bring about greater goods in people’s lives.  So he or she will be more ready to affirm with the prophet Isaiah that it is good how God gives us “the bread of adversity and the water of affliction” (Isa. 30:20).  And just as the difficulties and challenges one faces on the court, diamond or gridiron make one better, the athlete will be likely to affirm with the apostle James that our trials in life have a constructive end, namely to make us “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (Jas. 1:4).  Such an attitude might not create a perfect immunity to atheism or religious skepticism, but it certainly could prevent one’s faith from being undermined by the problem of evil.  And this might explain why atheist athletes are so rare.

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Super Bowl XLVIII Analysis

By Jim Spiegel

Super Bowl XLVIII is quickly approaching (or not so quickly, if you’re sick of all of the pre-game hype), so its time for me to weigh in with my own semi-informed analysis.  Those NFL fans who know me well actually care about this, because my track record for predicting Super Bowl outcomes is quite good.  I’ve picked 12 of the last 15 Super Bowls correctly.  So, let’s see if I can go 13 for 16.

Elaine Thompson / Associated Press
Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Denver is a slight favorite in the game, but most of the pundits I have heard seem to be taking the Seahawks.  It’s the whole “good defense beats good offense” dogma, which fails in this case for several reasons, as I will explain.  I’m calling for a Broncos win, hopefully (as ever), in overtime.  I’ve been rooting for an overtime Super Bowl game since 1970.  Perhaps this year will be the year.  Anyway, here’s why I’m picking the Broncos:

  • The Denver offense is not just any good offense.  They’re historically great, led by the greatest NFL QB ever at the top of his game.  Not only that, Peyton Manning is wiser than ever.  He’s experienced two Super Bowls and knows, far better than his counter-part Russell Wilson, how to effectively prepare.  Wilson might be ready on Sunday, but Peyton Manning will be readier.
  • The Denver defense is playing well.  Not so much during the regular season, but definitely so far in the playoffs.  They shut down the run against both the Chargers and Pats (60 yards each).  They’ll key on Seattle’s run game and contain it (yes, even the “Beast Mode” Marshawn Lynch) and thus force them to pass, which won’t be easy considering what they did to pressure Brady last week.  The Broncos defense could be the story of SB48.  They’re under the radar now, but might not be for long.
  • The Seattle offense will only be as strong as Russell Wilson.  But can the 25-year-old Super Bowl virgin stand up under the pressure? Several others have won Super Bowls at that age (Montana, Brady, Roethlisberger, and Namath), but only because of the strength of their defenses (their teams scored an average of just 19 points).  Most have failed (e.g., Marino, Bledsoe, Kaepernick, etc.).  But, again, the key will be the Denver defense.  If they can rattle Wilson early, it could get ugly.  That would be a recipe for a Broncos route.
  • The distraction factor:  This definitely favors Denver because of the fallout over the Sherman debacle.  Don’t underestimate the negative effect this can have on the entire Seahawks team.  Such constant media pressure wears on even the most sturdy veterans.  And Marshawn Lynch’s games with the media (refusing to answer questions) is a further distraction.
  • Seattle nearly (probably should have) lost in the NFC championship game at home.  That tells me that the Niners would have won at home or even on a neutral field.  So the Broncos are not playing the NFC’s best.  This point is consistently overlooked or ignored by sports commentators (no doubt because it would detract from the drama of the game narrative).  The media often obscures truth, in sports as much as in politics.  It’s just less exasperating when mere sporting events (rather than human lives) are at stake.  But I digress.
  • The team leadership factor:  Give the edge to Denver here as well, because of Manning and Champ Bailey.
  • Coaching: Probably a draw.  But Fox is a steadier, more even-keeled coach than Carroll, which might work in Denver’s favor.  As Terry Bradshaw says, you need to be cool-headed going into the SB.  That’s exactly what Carroll and his team will not be two days from now.

Final Score:  Denver 27 Seattle 24 (in overtime, hopefully)

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The Best and Worst of 2013

By Jim Spiegel

It’s been another exciting year, and we want to thank you all for reading and, if applicable, posting comments on our blog.  Once again, we would like to close out the year with some summary remarks about good and bad stuff related to film, music, books, politics, and family.

Best and Worst Film Experiences:

Jim:  This was a slow year for me in terms of watching films.  Probably the best movie I watched all year was a very old one—The Killing Fields, a classic from 1984 featuring Sam Waterston in his signature role.  As for the worst film I viewed this year, that would have to be Gravity.  Though visually dazzling—the special effects are perhaps the best I’ve seen—it was almost entirely bereft of character development and a real story.  Even  Pacific Rim—also with brilliant special effects—had a far better story than Gravity, which is saying a lot (or, I should say, very little).

Amy:  Going to see Hunger Games: Catching Fire with our two oldest boys on opening night ranks as my number one theatrical experience of the year.  While decidedly not the most intellectually stimulating film I saw this year, I am enjoying Bailey and Sam’s maturation into appreciating more complex story lines and mature content in film.  Since Jim stole my pick for worst film of the year, I will go with my second worst, which was City of Bones.  I didn’t think it was possible for the film to be worse than the book, but I was wrong.  However, I might have missed a few aspects of the film, since—after realizing it was reeeaaalllly bad—I speed watched the DVD in about 30 minutes.  Ugh.

Jim’s Best and Worst Musical Experiences of the Year: 

Topping my musical list this year are Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City and Arcade Fire’s Reflektor.  Coincidentally, both of these bands have a strong spiritual perspective, but this aspect of Vampire Weekend did not emerge until Modern Vampires, which is their third album.  Musically, it is every bit as rich and textured as their first two albums, but now they are tackling sublime themes, and the result is beautiful.  As for Arcade Fire, they’ve taken another dramatic musical turn, this time into a dance-funk direction, but it works.  Somehow, for all of their stylistic explorations, this band always sounds like they’re playing to their strengths.  As for the biggest disappointment of the year, it was the Killers’ Battle Born album.  Somehow this once magical Las Vegas DuranDuran-inspired foursome has lost their edge and inspiration.  Let’s hope they get it back.

Amy’s Best and Worst Eating Experiences of the Year:  

When I think of the good dining experiences I had this year they have a lot less to do with the food we ate and more to do with the people with whom we shared those experiences.  The worst experience of the year was not really an eating experience but rather our assistant pastor’s sermon on gluttony which has me doing some soul-searching regarding my relationship with food.  Perhaps this shouldn’t be categorized as a “bad” experience, but I haven’t reached the spiritual maturity to call it “good” either.

Jim’s Favorite Sports Moments of the Year:  It had to be watching Michigan State (my alma mater) defeat Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game.  I’ve always really, really disliked the Buckeyes (because I’m also, and more fundamentally, a U-M fan, despite my love for MSU).  Seeing the Detroit Tigers win their division for the 3rd consecutive year and also return to the American League Championship was a highlight as well.

Amy’ Favorite Sports Moments of the Year:  My favorite sports moments are a little closer to home.  I enjoyed watching Andrew’s and Bailey’s soccer teams go undefeated for the year and win their championships.  Its fun to now have all of our kids playing at a level that is actually enjoyable to watch.   Also, watching Andrew hit a home run in his coaches’ pitch league was fun, as well as seeing Sam play goalie on his soccer team—a role he embraced with relish.

Jim’s Most Disappointing Sports Moments of the Year:  It’s a three-way tie between (1) watching the now predictable Detroit Lions’ late season swoon, (2) seeing the eventual NBA champion Miami Heat slip by the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern conference championship series, and (3) watching the Tigers falter to the bearded Beantowners.  Big Poppi’s grand slam in game two turned the series, and the Tigers never recovered.  But there are reasons to be hopeful again on all three counts:  the Lions will be getting a new coach, the Pacers are much improved from last year and now have the best record in the NBA, and the Tigers have improved their roster considerably with some smart off-season moves.  Hope springs eternal for this Detroit/Indy fan.

Satisfying Reads of the Year:

Jim:  One would definitely be Thomas Nagel’s Mind and Cosmos.  This long-time naturalist philosopher has shown fair-mindedness throughout his career in pointing out serious flaws with the naturalist paradigm.  This penchant comes to full fruition in this book the subtitle of which is Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False.  Another is Herman Bavinck’s The Christian Family, which I reviewed on this blog recently.  Profound, practical and, now after 100 years, rather counter-cultural.

Amy:  With the kids in school and no home school prep to be done, I had a bit more time to read, so I was able to read over thirty books, which felt good.  Among the highlights were Elizabeth Gaskell’s Ruth, Charles Mann’s 1491 and 1493, and Tolkien’s The Hobbit.  In an upcoming post I will have more to say about all of the books I read.

Political High Point of the Year: 

Jim:  Watching Ted Cruz stand his ground in an effort to defund Obamacare.  He was excoriated for this, of course.  But now he’s being vindicated in what is, well, a political low point.

Amy:  The federal government shutdown—because it seemed like there was a glimmer of hope that Republicans would stand their ground.

Political Low Point of the Year: 

Jim:  Obamacare.  And it appears the worst is yet to come in 2014.  Gulp.

Amy:  Obamacare—especially the fact that so much has been made of the botched website when that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Best 2013 Memories of Our Kids:

Amy:  Our whole family and my dad kayaking the Hiawassee River in Tennessee, as well as camping at the Indiana Dunes with the kids.

Jim:  Taking each of the kids, one at a time, out to breakfast.  Something I try to do every summer.  Also, I enjoyed (nearly) all of the baseball and softball practices I conducted with the kids.

Best Kids’ Quotes of the Year:

Andrew:  “What’s so fun about life?”
Maggie:  “Don’t you hate it when scientists just guess?  I like knowing things.”
Sam:  “You need to brain up.”
Bailey:  After attending a seminar concerning sex and being asked what he learned: “I learned that when you’re married and you want to have sex with your wife, you have to talk to her for two hours beforehand.”

Most Satisfying Shared Experiences of the Year:

Jim:  Purchasing our brand new 9-year-old Toyota Sienna was a highlight, though it was done under duress (our Honda Odyssey having just broken down).  And refinishing the floor in what we are now calling our “den” was another highlight—domestic teamwork at its best.  However, I fear I lost millions of brain cells in the process.  Probably too much polyurethane for both of us, but just look at that shine!

Amy:  Enjoying quiet moments together after dropping the kids off at school and watching Jim transform an old dresser into a bathroom vanity for my birthday.  My ideas plus his elbow grease—a consistently strong combination when it comes to our home improvement.

New Year’s Resolutions:

Jim:  To spend a week in the Bahamas with Amy (as well as the Taylor baseball and golf teams) in January.  Okay, so that’s not really a resolution so much as a professional commitment.  Hmm…how about I resolve to post more frequently on this blog—especially book reviews.  Yep, that’s what I’ll do, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.

Amy:  To be in the best shape of my life when I turn 40 next December.  Might not be saying much, but that’s my goal.

Happy 2014 everyone!

 

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My Addiction to NFL Football

By Jim Spiegel

On this Super Bowl Eve I find myself reflecting again on the first Super Bowl I ever watched.  It was Super Bowl V between the Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys:  I distinctly remember watching the Colts beat the Cowboys on a 10-yard Jim O’Brien field goal.  “The Colts–what a boring team,” I scoffed, “Who could ever cheer for them?”  Little did I know that I would eventually become a diehard Colts fan, albeit after the franchise’s notorious move to Indianapolis.  I was drawn into following NFL football that year (1970) by two of my brothers, and my hometown Detroit Lions had a very good season, making the playoffs as the NFC wild-card with a 10-4 record.  However, Dallas edged them 5-0 in the first round.  I cried.  But I was heartened a few weeks later when Dallas got theirs against the “boring” Colts.  Misery loves company—even for a 7-year-old.

Despite my following the game closely for more than four decades since, I recall that 1970 season better than any other NFL season.  It made a huge impression on me at several levels.  One game between my Lions and their division rival Minnesota Vikings was especially crushing.  Yet it was not as devastating as the one the week before against the New Orleans Saints, who upset the Lions on a record breaking 63-yard field goal by Tom Dempsey as time expired.  It haunts me to this day though, again ironically, I eventually became a Saints fan, too.  I know, I need therapy.

So what is it about this game that fascinates so many of us, even to the point that we find ourselves watching highlights of old games on You Tube, reliving the most heartbreaking losses of our sports fan lives?  I have no idea.  Aristotle would say it’s about catharsis—purging negative emotions through experiencing (or re-experiencing) the “tragedy” of tough losses.  Perhaps.  Maybe there is some other explanation.  All I know is that I’m an addict of NFL football and will be for life.  And tomorrow’s Super Bowl will be yet another opportunity to revel in the biggest game of the year.  Regardless of the outcome, it’s another chance to take solace in the fact that a lot of other people share my disappointment that our teams didn’t win it all this year.  Like I said, I need therapy.

Oh, and by the way, I’m picking the Ravens in the game tomorrow:  23-20.  In overtime!

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The Best and Worst of 2012

By Jim Spiegel

It’s been another exciting year, and we want to thank you all for reading and, if applicable, posting comments on our blog.  Once again, we would like to close out the year with some summary remarks about good and bad stuff related to film, music, books, politics, and family.

Best Film Experiences:

  • Jim:  This year I was blown away by two films whose plots involved the silent film era:  Hugo and The Artist.  The former, directed by Martin Scorsese, is a powerfully redemptive story that is a visual and emotional delight.  Even given his impressive filmography, I regard Hugo as one of Scorsese’s best.  And The Artist is a true original at a time when Hollywood needed a breath of fresh air.
  • Amy: What have I watched this year? Obviously nothing that great or I would be able to remember. I did love the experience of watching Lincoln, but I told Jim afterward, I don’t know if I loved it because it was a great movie or because it was such an amazing performance by Daniel Day Lewis.  He is so good, it’s hard to evaluate the film as a whole.  From a pure experience standpoint, gasping in shock surprise with several girlfriends and a theater full of shocked fellow watchers in Twilight: Breaking Dawn was a highlight.

Worst Film Experiences:

  • Jim:  I didn’t see any really bad films this year, but Hunger Games was a definite disappointment.  I read the book, and then watched the film, and they were equally disappointing.  The problem: none of the characters made any reference to God, prayer, the afterlife, etc.  Given that death and physical trauma figure into the story so prominently, this is highly unrealistic and a significant flaw in the narrative.
  • Amy: This year has seen a lot of disappointments for me, more in the shows that I watch than in films.  Frankly I expect most movies to be bad but several favorites on the small screen turned into just another agenda driven lecture punctuated by commercialist drivel. I guess one of the worst would be Snow White and the Huntsman but was I really expecting that one to be good or did I just want to get out of the house?  Hmm.

Best and Worst Musical Experiences of the Year:

  • Jim:  The new Dylan album, Tempest, was the highlight of the year for me.  These days, every new Dylan album, especially given the fact that the man is so well along in years, is a treat.  And the fact that his music is as good as ever is really astounding.  Unprecedented, in fact.  What other popular artist is still writing and recording great songs into his/her 70s?  Another highlight was the Black Keys concert in Cincy that I attended last March.  Those guys are finally getting the recognition they deserve.  But will their popularity undermine their creativity from here forward?  Time will tell.
  • Amy:  I don’t really do musical experiences.  Concerts give me vertigo and my iPod is mostly full of stuff for the kids.  But I did enjoy discovering The Tallest Man on Earth, The Temper Trap, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Jim’s Favorite Sports Moments of the Year:  Seeing the Detroit Tigers win the American League Championship was definitely a thrill.  But like 2006, they swept their way there (defeating those darn Yankees 4-0), while the Giants had to go the distance to defeat the Cardinals in the NLCS.  So, just like 2006, the Tigers were hurt by the long layoff and got swept in the World Series.  Hopefully, next year, the Tigers can win the ALCS in a more protracted series so they’ll be well-tuned for the World Series.

Jim’s Most Disappointing Sports Moments of the Year:  Watching the Giants sweep the Tigers hurt, but the whole “Bounty-gate” debacle concerning the New Orleans Saints hurt even worse.  Ugh.

Amy’s Best Eating Experience of the Year:  Eating curried goat with my hubby in the Bahamas.  I seriously would have licked the plate had no one been watching.

Amy’s Worst Eating Experience of the Year: I made the mistake of purchasing heavily scented yet temptingly discounted dishwasher detergent a few months back and paid dearly for my frugality when it “tainted” all of our dishes.  No matter what we ate, all I tasted was synthetic lavender.  Yuck.

Satisfying Reads of the Year:

  • Jim:  In the scholarly category, it’s Plantinga’s Where the Conflict Really Lies.  As is typical for Plantinga, it is lucid and well-argued—the best treatment of science and religion I’ve ever read.  Also, this year I resolved to read three classics every year, and this year they were Virgil’s Aeneid, George Eliot’s Silas Marner, and Eusebius’s History of the Church (which I am still reading).  Three very different books, but each rich with insight and deserving of the moniker “classic.”  I also greatly enjoyed reading another superb apologetics book by Paul Copan—When God Goes to Starbucks.  He tackles some really challenging questions, such as regarding homosexuality and the Old Testament “holy wars,” and his responses are consistently insightful and sensitive.
  • Amy:  This has been a good book reading year for me. If I am going for mind-expanding, worldview-challenging it would be The Fountainhead.  I realize she would think I am a mindless religious zombie but I still love Ayn Rand.  I read a lot of history this year, my favorite being Destiny of the Republic about the assassination of James Garfield.  For sheer pleasure, Roald Dahl’s Boy and Going Solo were pure delight.

Political High Point of the Year:  Jim:  Still waiting for one.  Amy:  Ditto.

Political Low Point of the Year:  The presidential election.  Nuff said.

Best 2011 Memories of Our Kids:

  • Bailey: “There is no better feeling than picking up a heavy whipped cream can.”
  • Sam: Through tears and cries of pain over a splinter “You promise it’s just a thin layer of tissue?”
  • Maggie: “Mom, do you have a town inside your head where you go when you are bored?”
  • Andrew as he hands us his front tooth after riding the bummer cars: “That was the most awkward time I ever lost a tooth.”  And another good one from Andrew, when explaining that he would rather listen to Rascal Flats than my gospel choice: “I don’t like this one, no offense to God.”

Most Satisfying Shared Experiences of the Year:

  • Jim:  Our time in the Bahamas last January with the Taylor softball team.
  • Amy:  Redoing our upstairs bathroom.

New Year’s Resolutions:

  • Jim:  To take my wife out on even more dates and to avoid sugary carbonated soft drinks.
  • Amy: To limit the number of times I begin sentences with the phrase “I am so sick and tired…” and to take time every day to remember what an awesome guy I married.

Happy 2013 everyone!

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Sex Bounty on Tim Tebow

By Jim Spiegel

Have you heard about the sex bounty on Tim Tebow?  The website AshleyMadison.com, which specializes in arranging extramarital affairs, has made a one million dollar offer to anyone who can give proof they have had sex with the NFL quarterback.  This is wrong, as they say, at so many levels.  Here are a few thoughts.

  1. The very idea of a website devoted to arranging adulterous relationships is a frightening commentary not only on the moral bankruptcy of those who run the site but also on our society.  The website boasts nearly 14 million “anonymous members.” But then again, the site also declares that they don’t encourage anyone to have an affair.  Uh huh.  I suppose we shouldn’t expect that such folks would care about truth either.
  2. The website ignores how their service is impacting the children of those whom they are tempting into adultery.  If what they do for the adults involved is evil, what they are doing to “the least of these” is even worse.
  3. And then there is the way this will impact Tim Tebow.  Here is guy who does nothing but good for his community, constantly reaching out to people in need (especially through the Tim Tebow Foundation).  Yet the AshleyMadison.com folks want to destroy him.  Not only is this a striking case of darkness hating the light, it’s blatant hypocrisy.  These are people who justify their sexual ethic (or lack thereof) in the name of freedom.  Well, what about Tim Tebow’s freedom to abstain?  They clearly don’t care about interfering with that.
  4. Finally, a few psalmist prayers come to mind.  I suppose Tebow is now praying something like this:  “The arrogant have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path” (Ps. 140:5).  But he would also be warranted in praying this about his tempters: “May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap” (Ps. 69:22).  And may we all pray for Tim Tebow.
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Tebowmania!

By Jim Spiegel

If you follow the NFL at all, you know that one of the biggest stories this season is Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos.  And you know that one of the reasons the story is so big is that everyone seems to have a strong opinion about the guy, particularly given what he has accomplished so far.

Flashback to the early weeks of this season.  The Broncos were losing most of their games, and the Denver fans began calling for their coach to give Tebow a shot at quarterback.  Some fans even rented a highway billboard to make their plea.  So the Broncos’ brass finally gave the people what they wanted.  With a record of 1-4, they didn’t have anything to lose.  Some saw the move cynically, figuring their reasoning was basically as follows:  “The season seems to be a wash, and now we can show the fans that Tebow doesn’t have what it takes to be a QB in the NFL.  We can let him prove this with his inept play then move on to the long-term solution, which will be to draft another quarterback in the Spring—which given our eventual abysmal record, is sure to be an early pick.”

But something strange happened on the way to a disastrous season.  The Broncos starting winning.  This unorthodox, run-first, southpaw (and most scandalously) outspokenly Christian quarterback began to engineer late-game comebacks week after week.  Now, seven weeks later, the Broncos find themselves in first place of the AFC West, having won six of their last seven games.

Like anyone else, I was skeptical about Tebow’s ability to be effective at the professional level, mostly because he didn’t have the pinpoint accuracy that successful NFL quarterbacks have.  But as he led his team to more victories, I became a believer.  Tebow has the leadership skills, the work ethic, the physical talent, and perhaps most importantly, the “it” factor that it takes to be a solid, long-term NFL signal-caller.

Yet many sports journalists remain critical despite the mounting wins.  Why?  Ostensibly, their reasons have everything to do with football and nothing to do with the fact that Tebow wears his religious faith on his sleeve, unabashedly giving thanks to “my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” at the start of every interview.  But now that the “pure football” reasons for skepticism are proving more groundless each week, the naysayers’ persistence is making me more suspicious that their “reasons” don’t really have as much to do with the game as they insist.  (It is noteworthy that so many pundits are quick to declare that their criticisms have nothing to do with Tebow’s public faith pronouncements and notorious “Tebowing”—kneeling and praying on the field after big plays.  To which I want to say, thou doth protest too much.)

Football pundits have refused to credit Tebow with the Broncos’ resurgence this season for a variety of reasons.  Some have insisted that this streak will be short-lived because Tebow’s arm is not accurate enough.  Yet he continues to engineer late game comebacks to pull out victories.  Also, he consistently avoids throwing interceptions, which is a huge asset.  And he has improved each week, as he grows more comfortable with the offense and accustomed to game situations.

Other skeptics have downplayed Tebow’s achievements by crediting the Broncos’ defense, which has shut down opposing teams during the streak.  “Sure,” some have said, “he can pull out a win when the defense only allows 14 points, but what will he do when the defense has a bad day and the offense has to score 30 points to win a game?”  Well, that day came last Sunday, as the Minnesota Vikings racked up 32 points on Denver.  But Tebow was up for the challenge, leading the Broncos again and again on scoring drives, ultimately winning 35-32.

I’m sure the critics will continue diminishing Tebow.  This time I expect they’ll claim the Vikings’ defense was entirely to blame and that anyone—even an unorthodox, run-first,  southpaw (who happens to be an outspoken Christian)—could have led the Broncos to a high-scoring victory against them.  Perhaps.  But perhaps there is another reason.  Perhaps Tebow is just really good.

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Hodgepodge

By Jim Spiegel

Goodbye, Congressman Weiner — The last two weeks have we’ve seen American public life sink to a new low.  Finally, with Weiner’s resignation, we have some closure.  I was astonished at how many people defended the guy when the story first broke and he hemmed and hawed his way through interviews.  Then when he finally admitted the truth, there were yet others who insisted he didn’t need to resign.  Wow.  Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this story is how it reveals that our public threshold for shock and outrage continues to rise.  Recently I heard someone remark, “Our tolerance for sin rises with our tolerance for that same sin in our own lives.”  Scary thought.

Just Deserts — There are three different theories of punishment.  Retributivists maintain that we should punish criminals because it is what they deserve.  Deterrentists say that punishment properly aims to deter crime.  And reformativists argue that punishment is justified as a means of rehabilitating the criminal.  The fate of this rapist, severe though it is, just might satisfy the aims of all three paradigms.  In any case, I’d like to see more of them meet the same fate.

Mavs Over Heat — I’m on roll with my pro sports championship predictions, as the Mavericks defeated the Heat last week.  (Well, I was on roll, as just a couple days later the Boston Bruins knocked off the Vancouver Canucks for the NHL Stanley Cup—defying my prediction.  Oh well, all streaks eventually end.)  The Mavs’ win was doubly satisfying, at least for me.  Dirk Nowitzki finally “got his ring,” as sports journalists love to put it.  I’m just glad that now they’ll shut up about his “not winning the big one” (what a crock that is, not just here but in every case that hackneyed line is used to concoct a sports “story”—blecch!)  It’s also satisfying to see how the bluster of the “Three Kings of Miami” was not rewarded.  Remember LeBron’s talk last summer about winning eight championships?  I expect the Heat will win one eventually, perhaps more.  But King James will first need to take a cue from the Mavs’ owner, Mark Cuban, who actually shut his mouth and ate some humble pie, only after which did his team win one.

Vampire Weekend — Have you discovered the world’s best Ivy League, preppie-styled, chamber rock quartet?  If not, you need to check them out.  Their two albums are deservedly highly acclaimed.  And their videos are consistently innovative and fun.  Here are two of my faves:  A-Punk and Holiday.  And check out these live performances in the KCRW studio:  Ottoman, Run, Horchata, and California English.

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Hodgepodge

By Jim Spiegel

1. Budget Deal in Perspective: This past week our leaders in Washington struck an “historic” budget deal that cuts Federal spending by a whopping $38.5 billion.  Awesome, right?  This will put a dent in our national debt, right?  Wrong. To put things in perspective, the national debt climbed over $650 billion since October, and in just the previous ten days it grew by more than $50 billion.  Its going to take much more drastic measures to get serious about our financial crisis.  So while Congress and the President are patting themselves on the back, we continue to move steadily toward national bankruptcy.

2. The President and Religious Freedom: Check out this excellent piece by Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute on how President Obama is dropping the ball when it comes to promoting religious freedom.  But, as Bandow explains, its not too late for Obama to rectify the situation, if he and his Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, Suzan Johnson Cook, act quickly and decisively.

3. Another Non-win for Woods: I’ve never been much of a golf fan, but I think I’m becoming one.  This weekend I followed the Masters tournament like never before.  Why?  Because I was rooting for Tiger Woods…to lose.  That’s right.  I’m an enthusiastic anti-Woods fan.  Or, more positively put, I’m a fan of all PGA golfers minus one.  And today one of my rooting interests was victorious, in the person of South African Charl Schwartzel.  Ugly name.  Great golfer.  And, as far as I can tell, a much better role model than Woods.

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Super Bowl XLV Prediction

By Jim Spiegel

Its now Super Bowl eve, and I can’t keep America waiting any longer for my prediction.  Over the last twelve years, I’ve correctly predicted ten Super Bowls.  That’s a good record, but I want to improve it, and this year’s contest between the Steelers and Packers makes that difficult.  The two teams appear to be evenly matched, but I feel pretty confident that Green Bay will prevail.  In fact, I won’t be surprised if the Packers run away with it.  (Having said that, the last time Pittsburgh played in the Super Bowl, I wrongly picked against them.  So perhaps they will foil me again.)

Here are my reasons for siding with the Cheeseheads:

1. The Law of Averages — Pittsburgh has won six of the seven Super Bowls in which they’ve appeared.  Other things being equal, one should expect a franchise’s win/loss record in Super Bowls to be approximately .500.  A Steelers loss tomorrow will provide some correction in that direction.

2. The Better Quarterback — Ben Roethlisberger is a skilled QB, to be sure, and he has a strong playoff record.  But the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers is in top form at this point and superior to Big Ben in key respects.  He’s the more accurate passer and he’s more fleet of foot, which should help to neutralize the Steelers’ pass defense.  Look for Rodgers to avoid numerous sacks and find receivers while scrambling out of the pocket.  I also expect the Packers to come out passing rather than trying to establish the run.  The Steelers’ run defense is one of the best in the league, so the Packers would be foolish to build their game plan around the run.

3. Superior Pass Defense — Green Bay’s pass defense is peaking at the right time and should cause serious problems for Big Ben.  Defensive back Tramon Williams has been on fire in the playoffs, making game changing interceptions against both the Eagles and Falcons.  Look for this to continue against the Steelers tomorrow.

4. Key Injury — The Steelers Pro-Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey has been scratched for the big game, due to a high ankle sprain.  In his place, back-up Doug Legursky will have his first NFL start in the Super Bowl.  Gulp.  Legursky struggled mightily in the AFC championship game against the Jets after Pouncey went out of the game.  This will provide a significant edge for Green Bay’s defense, which is menacing enough as is.

5. Recent Performances — Green Bay is on a major role, having won three consecutive playoff games on the road, including a blow out against the top-seeded Falcons.  And while it can’t be said that the Steelers don’t deserve to be in the Super Bowl this year, their play has been inconsistent recently.  They played a poor first half against the Ravens in the divisional playoff, just squeaking by with a victory at home.  And two weeks ago against the Jets they nearly squandered a huge lead.  Such droughts will be much more difficult to overcome on a neutral field against a stronger Green Bay squad.

Final Score:  Green Bay 27  Pittsburgh 19