POLITICS & RELIGION
The two topics you’re not supposed to bring up in polite society, right? So, I’ll only discuss one of them today: Religion.
If you have not heard by now, Steve Johnson, the wide receiver of the Vikings’ next opponent, the Buffalo Bills, dropped what would have been a game-winning overtime touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game which the Bills ultimately lost. Found at YouTube from VideoKing1400.
During the post-game press conference, Johnson explained how devastating the loss was for him and for which he took full blame. But then shortly thereafter, he did find someone to blame…wait for it…God.
Johnson took to Twitter to point his finger at The Almighty with the following tweet:
Steve Johnson's Controversial Tweet
Johnson followed this up with some explanatory tweets to try and clarify that he wasn’t blaming God.
Let’s pause here and point out that this is a young man expressing himself after an emotional loss and sometimes young men speak before they think, God knows I did.
The difference is Johnson’s got nearly 18,000 followers on Twitter and national media watching his every move.
I don’t want to pick on Johnson for an ill-advised tweet but the controversy brings up a larger issue that has always annoyed me to no end: Athletes effortlessly trotting God out for public display.
What was shocking about Johnson’s tweet was that it is the polar opposite of how everyone expects athletes’ religious commentary to sound.
Back in our day it was Cris Carter and Randall Cunningham and Mewelde Moore doing the evangelizing, prefacing every interview with praise and glory to God for their most recent outstanding athletic performance.
You know what?
I. Don’t. Care. And I suspect, neither does He. I suspect He doesn’t chose sides.
Besides, I’m here to watch a football game not go to church. In fact, football games are awfully good excuses to avoid church.
Name another profession outside of religious ones where widespread ostentatious expressions of Christian faith are common and unremarked upon. How would you react if your boss instructed you to form a prayer circle before a big project?
And it is just Christian faith.
Imagine this: The late Pat Tillman, who, it turns out, was an atheist, gives a post-game interview in which he says, “I’d just like to praise nothing and to give all glory to me, without whom I would not be in this position.”
Ever heard a peep out of Sage Rosenfels about any religious topic…or Zygi Wilf for that matter?
Imagine the uproar if Husain Abdullah gave a shout out to Allah. You think it’d ever happen?
The talking heads’ heads would explode.