When Sportcasters Fumble

The scene was the Chicago Bulls’ locker room. Michael Jordan and crew had just won the National Basketball Association championship. Jubilant players and coaches hugged and high-fived. But before the champagne showers began, the team knelt in a huddle, and under the eye of live TV recited the Lord’s Prayer.

As Dan Rather said, the camera never blinks. But it seems the rest of the news media does—with regularity—when it comes to religion. Indeed, if not for the live broadcast of the Bulls’ postgame prayer, we might not know it ever happened. If the sports pages mentioned the prayer at all, it was in a passing phrase, buried in the flood of postgame analysis.

Why the blackout on belief? No doubt hostility toward religion exists in some journalistic circles. But perhaps a more common reason is that journalists, like most Americans, believe religion is “a personal thing.”

Writing in Sports Illustrated last February, columnist Rick Reilly complained about athletes making their faith public. While willing to “put up with” the occasional “thank the Lord,” Reilly was offended by the sight of professional football players from opposing teams gathering after the game to pray. “Athletes are entitled to freedom of religion like anyone else,” he wrote, “but let them exercise it on their own time.” He suggested that the National Football League “curtail” the midfield meetings or that television ignore them.

Obviously, faith in Jesus Christ is a personal thing. But personal isn’t the same as private. Christian faith was not meant to be limited to believers’ “own time.” It should overflow into every area of life.

One recitation of the Lord’s Prayer may not qualify the Bulls as a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. But it does show that at least some of the team’s players value something loftier than wins and losses, as do scores of other professional athletes.

That’s a story that belongs in the sports section.

By Ken Sidey.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Voting with Your Checkbook: What Every Christian Should Know about Boycotts

Classic & Contemporary Excerpts from August 19, 1991

A Response: Taking off the Blinders

A Response: Provoking the Establishment

A Response: Tarring Christian Evolutionists

Book Feature: A Professor Takes Darwin to Court: A New Book Mounts a Credible Challenge to Evolution’s Sweeping Claims

Anything but Boredom!: Half the Sins of Humankind Are Caused by the Fear of Boredom. But Boredom Can Be the Path to Holiness as Well

Parental Choice: Will Vouchers Solve the School Crisis?

Lost in the Mystical Myths

Ministry: Giving Black Families a Boost

Taking on TV’s Bad Boys

Editorial

Really Good Sex

Love ‘By Blood’ in a Uganda Prison

Not Quite Prime Time

Letters

A Methodist in Whom There Is No Guile

Religion, Abortion Key Issues in Court Nomination

Moscow: Graham School Bridges Soviet Church Divisions

Albania: First Evangelistic Campaign in 50 Years

Orthodox Suspend Ties with NCC, Episcopal Church

Religion, Abortion Key Issues in Nomination

Canadian Scholars Form Association

News from the North American Scene: August 19, 1991

General Convention: Episcopalians Fail to Resolve Sexuality Issues

World Scene: August 19, 1991

Religious Leaders Join Scientists in Ecological Concerns

Gulf War Slows Holy Land Digs

Human Rights: Does Islam Have Room for Religious Liberty?

TBN Bid for Station Stalled by Complaints

‘Biker Pastor’ Hits Rough Road

Deflating the Gender Myths

Armageddon: The View from Andromeda

View issue

Our Latest

New Archbishop of Canterbury Steps into Anglican Divides

Conservatives call on Sarah Mullally, the first woman at the spiritual helm of the Church of England, to uphold biblical faith amid same-sex blessings debate.

News

FDA Approves Generic Abortion Pill

Students for Life leader calls the move “a stain on the Trump presidency.”

You Haven’t Heard Worship Music like This

John Van Deusen’s praise is hard-won and occasionally wordless.

The Russell Moore Show

BONUS: Lecrae on Reconstruction after Disillusionment

 Lecrae joins Russell Moore to take questions from Christianity Today subscribers

News

John Cornyn’s MAGA-land Challenge

The incumbent senator is up against his strongest challenge yet in populist-right leader Ken Paxton.

Fighting Korea’s Loneliness Epidemic with Cafés and Convenience Stores

Seoul recently introduced free public services to tackle social isolation. Christians have been doing that for years.

Excerpt

‘Don’t Take It If You Don’t Need It’

The Trump administration releases new recommendations for Tylenol use during pregnancy.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube