Touch Football Ruined My NFL Career
When I was a kid my parents always told me that I couldn’t play tackle football without pads. We always had to play two-hand touch. I think it ruined my potential NFL career. Not because I wasn’t used to getting hit. My older brother helped me with that. I just couldn’t run fast. Reason: Touch Football. I know this may sound odd, but when you play touch football, you aren’t scared of getting creamed. If you are slow, there is no oversized 8th grader breathing down your neck to prove he can flatten a 6 year old. Change that to …
Blocking Sled
When I was in 7th grade, I was a bit overweight so when it came to playing football, they put me on the offensive line. Actually, I was a left guard. I really didn’t think I belonged there. I hated blocking and playing “bit parts” in the success of the team. I also hated the blocking sled. Most people know what a blocking sled is, but if you don’t, its just a bunch of metal that is on a “skid” platform that lineman “hit” and push in order to practice their skill. (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YL0o-kjEGA) Notice I said skill because that’s …
Reflections on the 2008 MLB All-Star Game
Quite a few people are talking about the MLB All-Star game Tuesday night. It was an amazing game that I think should go down as a classic in All-Star game history. One of the big debates, however, centers around the pitching situation. There were at least two pitchers who participated in the extra innings of the game whose regular season teams didn’t want them to play because of pitching they had done previous to the game. I’m sympathetic to teams who want to protect the arms of their stars, but I think it sucks for the game that there was …
march sadness … an empty possession
“March Madness” is always a fun time of the year for me. Although I played high school and college basketball … and coached for 25 years … I was not as good as I’d like people to think I was. Anyway, while watching a game on TV today I heard a commentator say these words … “sadly another empty possession has cost them a victory“. From an eternal prospective that is exactly what Easter Sunday is all about. Jesus came in love, lived a sinless life, died in my place, and was raised from the grave so that I might …
what counts, substance or style ?
Annoying, trash talking professional athletes seem to get a lot of attention. Unfortunately our kids often mimic what these super stars say, what they wear, and how they act. As a young boy in the 50′s and a teenager in the 60′s … I believe this may have started with big mouth Mohammad Ali and Joe Namath. It seemed all of a sudden young people wanted to talk big and live big. Style became a greater value than substance. Many times Jesus encountered a similar attitude. He often exchanged thoughts with “religious super stars” and found that the core of …
the door and the 3 point shot
I think it was around 1983 when basketball’s 3-pt. shot was adopted by the Iowa high schools … thus opening a new door for an already great game. I remember going to a Coaches meeting and listening to all the reasons it should not be allowed. “It will produce less disciplined teams.” It will take away from the play of the inside post players.” “It will not be a positive influence for the game.” … these were the excuses to close the door on the 3-pt. shot. Of course, all proved overwhelmingly incorrect. Jesus offers another open door story … …
wake up people
The Offensive Coordinator calls the play down to Dallas Cowboy Coach Wade Philips, but the OC yawns at the end of the play description. Phillips relays the play and the yawn to quarterback Tony Romo. Romo returns to the huddle and informs his team of the play called and includes the yawn. Result ? The play is a failure and Romo gets sacked hard in the backfield. Immediately Cowboy team owner Jerry Jones shows up in the booth and throws a bottle of high energy Pepsi to the Offensive Coordinator and grabs the field headset from him. A loud voice …
under review
Professional football has a rule that if there is any question about what actually happened during a play … the play is “under review” … and a final judgment is determined. I’ve noticed that even after careful examination and obvious evidence, some fans still claim the ruling incorrect. And although they cry and boo, the ruling stands. A day is coming when you and I will come “under review”. And God, through His Son, will make the final decision. Only this decision is much more than just the outcome of a football game … this decision is everlasting. John Wayne …
"under review" part 2
Last week was brutal in the NFL. Three games game down to the wire with questionable reviews and calls. I’d hate to think my eternity would need an instant replay because I lived in a way that blurs the boundaries of sanctification. Thank God, literally, that I don’t need to wait around while he reviews my life to see if I’m “good enough” to enter heaven. I wouldn’t need to wait long to know that there’s no way I’m good enough or deserve heaven. Fortunately I can live assured I’ll be with Christ forever. I can’t wait until I get …
fitness freaks for God
The amount of money spent on physical fitness products and facilities in America is astounding. It is strange that we spend more on this stuff than any other country … yet U.S. citizens are in the worse shape than anyone else in the world. God has an opinion on health issues … and it’s certainly not the same as many “fitness freaks” with messed up priorities. In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 God says: “… train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and …
