Religion, Society

Are The Colts God’s Team?

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

If Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Bruce Arians has his way only “high quality” people will be part of the Colts’ organization. What determines a “high quality” person in Arians’ mind? A person who “cares about faith, family and football.” No atheists are welcome.

Arians’ blatant bigotry against the 15% of Americans who reject faith may pay big dividends on the football field. The correlation between great performance on the field and belief in God is evidenced with Tim Tebow. When Tebow wins, millions of believers attribute the win to Tebow’s faith and their belief in God is reinforced.

The former head coach, Jim Caldwell, now quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens, would quote the Bible’s New Testament in his pregame chats to the team. This kind of demonstration from the head coach excludes those players, if any, who don’t share his Christian faith.

Jacob Tamme, former tight end for the Colts, put it this way:

The Colts are known for having the reputation of a godly Christian example. That is because the coaches here set the Christian example.

The NFL has long been a leader in fighting bigotry and judging players based on their abilities. It is time the NFL stands up against the exclusionary tactics perpetrated by religious bigots. It is a stain on the NFL’s reputation.

H/T: Austin Cline, The Times-Picayune, Mike Florio, Stampede Blue.

99 thoughts on “Are The Colts God’s Team?”

  1. rafflaw, With “Good Jay” they’re a good team. But, “Bad Jay” is always lurking, and always seems to appear @ the worst time. Cutler is a loser and a horrible leader. Million dollar arm and a 10 cent head. With a qb like Rodgers, Manning[either one], RG3, Luck, etc. they would win the Super Bowl.

  4. frankm, God bless you. Don’t be offended by the lack of response. This is not a good venue for such heartwarming stories. There’s too much negativity to appreciate it. There are snickers “in camera” I assure you.

    Frank, your old man is probably like many WW2 vets who saw battle. They simply don’t talk about it..it was too horrible. I just finished a book about Gil Hodges. He was a Marine in the Pacific and highly decorated for valor. But, he NEVER spoke about it, even to his wife. My father-in-law flew numerous missions over Germany as a 21 year old pilot. He flew one of those bombers w/ the plexiglass bubble under the cockpit that had a gunner. Ironically, on 9/10/01 there was one of those bombers @ the Madison, Wi. airport on display. We took him there and paid for his tour. We wanted to buy a flight[1/2hour] but it was apparent it would be too emotional. He looked and touched the control panel, sat in the seat and looked so melancholy. When we got out he walked over to that bubble. This stoic man touched the bubble and teared up as he told us about a real tough mission, taking a lot of gunfire. They limped back to the UK and after landing saw the bubble was mostly blown off and his buddy was gone. Frank, if it weren’t for our fathers, grandfathers, etc. the folks here might be speaking German. That’s if their blonde. If not blonde, they wouldn’t be speaking. Thanks to your dad, Frank.

  5. Just scrollinng by, admiring the harmony in the grandstands. Peace, so nice. No irony or sarcasm intended.
    ——————

    frankmascagniiii
    1, November 10, 2012 at 12:15 pm
    ——————-

    THANK YOU. My brother and I were both soldiers. We both lucked out and did not get assigned to combat zones.
    The part about the blank check made a deep point.

    Funny, I even thank women with newborns sometimes.
    For their risking their and their child’s lives in this world. Some of them understand and answer with their eyes.

  6. I care less about whether the hillbilly heroin permeates one sports team or another, but for Jeebus’ sake, get rid of those atavistic team names like the Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Braves, et al.

    To be fully unenlightened, let’s have us some Orlando Crackers, Nashville Negroes, or the New York Hebes? Sounds fair to me.

    Can I get an Amen, brothers and sisters?

  9. guess we’ll find out for sure if they play the detroit lions. if they lose they can change their name to the Indianapolis martyrs.

  12. One must be rooted in the word that harms no one else adversity comes havering plant wither and die. The person with God will be able to suffer long enduring hard ship even as Job endured it.

  13. Dredd: how about “The Jihadists.”

    Old Nurse: good analysis. In furtherance, do all remember that former (=and long time) football coach at the Air Force Academy who was so shrill in his religiosity that they finally let him pass into the dustbin of history…

    Organized religion is just another retail business, a way for certain silver-tongued salesmen to make a living…

  14. Dredd–I think the Colts might yet be the first. Having lived in Indiana for a couple years awhile ago, it was long enough to see that jingoism is pretty indigenous to much of the Hoosier state.

  15. When are we going to get a team called the Jingoists … in NFL football?

    They could wear gladiator gear, and have the QB wear a white robe.

  16. The Washington Deadskins went through a lower profile version of this nonsense during the Joe Gibbs era, Afterward, not surprisingly, it was revealed that members of the team “Talked Christian” as an insincere form of brown-nosing. The need for a “muscular Christianity”always has struck me as a tacit expression of concern about the wimpy way in which Christianists are perceived. Competent, skilled people, regardless of what they do or what they believe will lead by example rather trhan by vaccuous piety.

  17. When that guys time comes and he has his four minutes at the Pearly Gates for the interview and Saint Peter has his stand-in there that day the stand-in will be a full grown horse. And this guy will get sent to Limbo which is a suburb of Indianapolis. And there he will spend some time learning the real gospel.

  18. nick spinelli: Thank you. My father, Frank Mascagni, Jr. served in WW II. Army of the United States, Headquarters Battery, 538th Field Artillery Battalion, Honorable Discharge 1945. I, too, was taught to always respect veterans. I always remind my four grown up children to walk up to any serviceman or woman, thank them for their service and offer to buy them a cup of coffee.

    Here is a heart warming short story for all our bloggers:

    A SHORT STORY [RESPECT THE MILITARY SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN]

    The Box Lunches

    I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. ‘I’m glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,’ I thought.

    Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

    ‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. ‘Petawawa. We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Afghanistan

    After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that box lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time…

    As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. ‘No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to base.’ His friend agreed.

    I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. ‘Take a lunch to all those soldiers.’ She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes w et with tears, she thanked me. ‘My son was a soldier in Iraq; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.’

    Picking up ten boxes, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, ‘Which do you like best – beef or chicken?’

    ‘Chicken,’ I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. ‘This is your thanks.’

    After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. ‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me twenty-five dollars.

    Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, ‘I want to shake your hand.’ Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain’s hand. With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’ I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

    Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm

    When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!
    Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. ‘It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.’

    Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

    As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little…

    A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America’ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life.’

    That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.’

    May God give you the strength and courage to pass this along to everyone on your email buddy list….

    I JUST DID

    There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm’s way, prayer is the very best one.

  19. frankm, Thank you very much. My father and uncles[7] taught me as a child to thank soldiers in uniform which I have done all my life. They all served in WW2. A few years ago I was @ a hotel in San Diego. I was sitting in a hot tub w/ a young man who was drinking cerveza and talking to his grandma on his cell. This kid was a Marine, about to be deployed the following day to Afghanistan. He ws explaing to grandma that the only way they would be able to communicate on this deployment was via Skype. I would learn this was his 3rd deployment. This kid was so patient w/ his grandma. He had just bought her a laptop the day before and given her a crash course. Grandma was pretty lost trying to work the computer. The Marine kept assuring grandma his sister was just 10 minutes away and would help her whenever she needed it. He was so patient. He would smile @ me as he sipped a beer, smiling and raising his eyebrows as he calmed grandma down. After he hung up I complimented him and thanked him for his service. He looked surprised. I asked him how often he gets thanks. He said, “I get thanks all the time from family and friends but this is the first time in 8 years a stranger thanked me.” frankm, there will be some who will scoff @ this either “in camera” or privately. That’s also what these soldiers fight for, as tough as it is to take.

  20. Aren’t football teams privately owned organizations? If so, I think they can do what they want including all the god rants. If their fans like it, they can support them. If people don’t like it, don’t go to the games, don’t buy their sports stuff, and turn off the TV.

    If they are a publicly owned institution – getting governments funds – then it needs to be addressed. If they want to do the god talk, they should do it on their own time and money, not mine!

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