A poll was released this month that may (or may not) surprise some people: half of sports fans believe that games are influenced by supernatural powers. This belief ranges from the idea that prayers help a team win to the belief that some teams are cursed. God is viewed by many to even intervene on individual plays if you are looking for a divine hand in that Hail Mary pass.
The poll by the Public Religion Research Institute found that the greatest belief in divine intervention is found among football fans. Of course, Tebow and other players have made religious displays part of their game even though God did not carry the ball through the playoffs for the players. That is not the point however according to the hilarious skit on Saturday Night Live with Tebow.
Some of the supernatural displays are all to familiar for those (among the 60 percent of Americans) who support a particular team. Some 21 percent (including one in four football fans) will wear special clothes or do special rituals. (Madie and I wear lucky robes for the Bears but there is nothing strange about that!) Some 26 percent pray for the right outcome in a game under the theory that God will reward their faith by throwing the game. That goes up to over 33 percent among football fans.
On the darker side, some Donning a team jersey leads the way (66 percent). But some admit they get a little funky with their underwear. One 25 percent believe that their team is simply cursed. (By the way, that percentage goes up to 31 percent for football fans).
Now three-quarters of respondents did say that God plays no role in actual wins, but they break down on other questions. For example, 48 percent believe that God does favor particular athletes and gives them more success due to faith.
In terms of faith and sports, Evangelical Protestants are the most likely to pray for divine intervention (38 percent) while Catholics (21 percent) and religiously unaffiliated (15 percent) are the least likely.
It is a testament to religious faith that seasons do not produce rising numbers of atheists and agnostics. One would think that Steelers territory this year would be one big meeting of American Humanist Association after this season. However, it is the same phenomenon that we discussed with regard to people praying to be spared from hurricane and tornadoes. Faith supports the prayer but the outcome is still “God will” and unknown plan. That appears to apply to the gridiron and other sporting locales.
Now it is true that I have often called the Chicago Bears “God’s Team” but that is not some supernatural religious obsession. Everyone knows that.
Lombardi would have failed as a coach if he had not sought spiritual intervention daily
what silliness is this? Just like those Christian Singles commercials where the people attribute their union to ‘god’ alone. Like they themselves had nothing to do with it; creating the account, or surfing for potentials..i mean…wake up now k. thx.
As for god and the grown up adult children chasing a cows butt around a field – i wonder how ‘the god’ feels about sports teams that have racist names and ideologies? or how does the god feel about these guys and gals working on the Sabbath. The religiously indoctrinated never really comment on these truths and i wonder, why?
How does the god feel about pedophiles for coaches, or parents who flip out at refs or other parents when god doesn’t answer their prayer for victory. And what of those adult children skating on ice who are constantly beating each other up; wonder how ‘the god’ feels about that.
Time to grow up and realize that “you are the leader you have been waiting for”.
Being a Giants fan, I thought Eli Manning’s escape from the rush and David Tyre’s 4th down catch were an act of the New York Giants football gods against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/new-york-giants/0ap2000000146973/The-Helmet-catch
MikeA, Friday Night Lights!
I played high school football in west Texas against teams from places like Fabens and Clint and Dell City. You bet there were prayers before games. In that part of the country, a Friday night football game IS a religious service.
So do the PC Police.
Well, I think that it is beyond dispute that God hates the Washington Redskins.
Barkin, Most everyone eats every day, not just Italians.
According to this poll: “half of sports fans believe that games are influenced by supernatural powers.” But this poll only reflects those who will admit to their beliefs about supernatural powers. Most likely many more than half of the population believe that supernatural powers guide the results of sporting events.
This result actually makes perfect sense when you think about it. Don’t nations and religions believe that devine powers are on “their side” when they engage in wars? Of course they do. They believe that through bloodshed they will achieve spiritual redemption, or, the next best thing–a very patriotic glow of “oneness” with the “Fatherland.” So doesn’t it make perfect sense that so many people believe that their own sports teams–who are essentially engaging in various forms of “war”–are also supported and guided by devine forces?
Sure it’s infantile and self-serving when you really think about it. But who said humanity is mature and advanced? Just look at the people they appoint to lead them and to make rulings on their lives.
Isn’t the issue here is if the Sherriff of Nottingham has the right to put prisoners on bread and water.
Praying to God for such trivialities as asking for Him to help complete a touchdown pass is disrespectful in my view. People should be responsible for their own acts and take care of such things themselves.
Ok you folks who profess to be Italian, what did I just bark?
Word Press mangia italiani ogni giorno.
“somebody” needs to start paying more attention to humanity and less to sporting events
I think more people believe that it is important to have a belief in a God than actually do believe in God — and by a very, very wide margin; otherwise everyone else would sit up and take notice of how they love one another.
When is the last time that happened?
That’s why they are so silly in their prayers, so poor in their church attendance and tithing, so dogmatic on orthodoxy and destitute of orthopraxy, and just as ordinary in word and deed as anyone else — except for their silly prayers.
Mespo,
Franco who?? 🙂
WordPress hates Italians.
WordPress is anti Italian, I know it.
Jay Cutler is proof of the existence of God and that God loves the Packers; the only publicly owned franchise in sports since the late, great, Joe Frazier retired. All Packer fans pray Jay stays healthy for that lucrative 5 year contract. Chicago had another player who played w/ Type 1 diabetes. The late, great Ron Santo did so in silence. He was a gamer and a great teammate. Jay Cutler is the antithesis of Santo. Cutler is a Justin Bieber like thug, Ben Roethlisberger is now a born again Christian[I’m skeptical] after having sex w/ women in bar bathrooms. But, he is a winner and a leader on the field.
Jay Cutler is proof of the existence of God and that God loves the Packers; the only publicly owned franchise in sports since the late, great, Joe Frazier retired. All Packer fans pray Jay stays healthy for that lucrative 5 year contract. Chicago had another player who played w/ Type 1 diabetes. The late, great Ron Santo did so in silence. He was a gamer and a great teammate. Jay Cutler is the antithesis of Santo. Cutler is a Justin Bieber like thug,
So the Steelers “clawed their way back” to finish 8-8, while the Bears were “ho-hum” and finished 8-8. I guess its all in the perception. But given the Bear’s players and coaching (and ownership), it is likely God was responsible for them even winning eight games. Point Turley.