God & Football
It was the smallest of signals, offering the greatest of hope.
Athletes are blessed with phenomenal skills, and they work hard — at the gym and on the field — to maintain their physical prowess. Watching them is to appreciate the power of their muscles and the grit of their hard-working commitment to the task at hand. They grind. They sprint. They inspire. Their very athleticism is a joy to behold, like watching in real time the pursuit of excellence. As the Greeks understood and Aristotle articulated, “Choice, not chance, determines your destiny. Excellence is not an act but a habit.” Athens was the first home of the Olympics, because they aspired.
Now, after a decade of athletes taking a knee during the playing of the National Anthem, a protest for what they said was America’s systematic racism, some are now taking a knee in prayer to God. For years, left-wing politicians like President Biden fomented violence against conservative institutions by insisting they are riddled with intentional hatred. Now, finally the evil ideologies of the Marxists that threatened our nation — CRT, DEI, transgenderism — are being replaced by faith in God.
The Christian world has taken notice of this new embrace of religion. At last week’s Peach Bowl College playoff, two players knelt in prayer after a hard-fought game — one from the winning team, one from the losing team, bowing their heads to thank the Lord. Nick Sanders, freshman running back for the University of Texas team that won in double overtime, asked Cam Skattebo, a star running back for Arizona State, if they could pray together. It was a breathtaking sight, shared all over social media.
But not on TV. ESPN — owned by Disney, which is still embracing an anti-God message, still trying to sexualize children — chose not to share the moment with its viewers. Even more shocking, ESPN failed to broadcast the stadium’s moment of silence for the 15 victims of a New Orleans terror attack on New Year’s Day, an attack that led to deferring the Sugar Bowl game in New Orleans. As ESPN went to ads, fans of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Georgia Bulldogs joined together to sing the National Anthem and united in a chant of “USA, USA.” But only on Social Media.
X lost it. “Really, ESPN? You won’t show the National Anthem and moment of silence for the victims of the New Orleans jihadist terror attack??! There’s no excuse for that,” tweeted Trish Regan. “Disney’s CEO needs to step up to the plate and demand a complete reorg of the entire network — or just SELL it… NOW.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, who coached three Supgar Bowls during his football career, also slammed Allstate CEO Tom Wilson for using the occasion to blast Americans for their divisiveness. The company has since deleted the message.
“Unfortunately, ESPN gave in to the woke mob last night by REFUSING to air the National Anthem and instead played a video of the Allstate CEO talking about ‘divisiveness.’ Yet, he failed to condemn the terrorist who brutally killed 15+ people. This was a chance for us all to come together. But instead of honoring the innocent lives lost, these woke corporations bowed to terrorists.”
The sports network insisted it had to, just had to, cutaway for a commercial. The truth is, ESPN and the other sports networks — CBS, Fox Sports, NBC — rarely broadcast the singing of the National Anthem. This is the handiwork of NFL Czar Roger Goodell, who rules the game with one eye on the field, and one on its public image. As long as the profits are flowing, he’s ok with it all — slogans like “End Racism” on the back of helmets, or on the end zone, in ways that divide instead of unite.
During the college playoff games, any number of star players told ESPN’s sportscasters that they credited their success on the field to Lord Jesus. They did not credit God for their victories, but for giving them the drive to live up to their potential.
Following his team’s Thursday win (23-10) over the Georgia Bulldogs, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard used his postgame interview to glorify his Lord and Savior for putting the Fighting Irish in a position to advance to the semifinals.
“First of all, I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, I wouldn’t be here, we wouldn’t be here as a whole group,” he said. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman converted to Catholicism in 2022, and reinstated the team’s pre-game Mass, as well as Bible classes for any who want to attend. “One of the biggest bragging points about this team is that we have like 40 guys show up to our Bible study every Thursday,” said the QB. “And that’s really a credit to them.”
There are other signs of a resurgence of faith in early 2025. Shedding the Cultural Left’s teaching that white Americans are irretrievably racist and black Americans are inevitably victims, a new generation of Americans has embraced God.
“Rosary in a Year,” hosted by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, landed at No. 1 on Apple Podcasts, beating out the world’s biggest podcaster, Joe Rogan. As the priest said, “In 1979, when the newly-elected Pope John Paul II was returning to communist-controlled Poland for the first time as the Holy Father, the crowd of over 1 million people cried out, ‘We want God! We want God! We want God.’ I can’t help but see this cry being echoed by the millions of people who have participated in ‘Bible in a Year,’ ‘Catechism in a Year,’ and now ‘Rosary in a Year.'”
Passion 2025 — a gather of 18-25 year olds united “for the fame of Jesus” — attracted 50,000 young people to Atlanta’s State Farm Arena last week “for the fame of Jesus.” Next week they repeat the experience for another cohort, sponsors say, “as we gather a generation to once again collectively declare, ‘Yes LORD!”
This nation was created by people who were deeply religious. As John Adams said during his term as the second US president, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
These early signs of a reawakening of religious values are hopeful.
But as made clear in a recent Tucker Carlson interview with Aaron Siri, who serves as lawyer for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Left clings to its pro-vaccine orthodoxy in part because it has no other God. “A lot of people who believe in vaccines are atheists,” said Siri. “When somebody doesn’t have a God, any God, they end up with an empty space.” So, perhaps, they cling to the orthodoxy of vaccines, or transgenderism, embracing these anti-science policies because they don’t believe in a Creator.
If so, we will not soon defeat these pernicious ideologies.
But the sight of one football player asking to pray with another from the opposing team is certainly a wondrous first step.
And a wonderful way to start the new year.
Thank you for your comments. Couldn't agree more re medicine and science. On this topic, you might want to check out the Rogan interview with Mel Gibson.
Excellent article, Johanna! As you point out most outlets (ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN) generally won't show the playing of the National Anthem prior to college and pro football games, but that's just the beginning. If you've ever arrived early or stayed late at a college or pro football game one of the things you'll see is players from both teams huddling in prayer prior to and after the game. That heart-warming sight is almost never shown to the TV audience. I am heartened to see Pro and college athletes proclaim their faith when interviewed ....especially when interviewed "live" after or before a game. Let's hope these athletes continue to give thanks to their creator and that outlets continue to show the truth about the game and those that play it.