Muddling Toward Maturity Blog

NICK FOLES, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES QUARTERBACK, GOING TO BE A PASTOR

I used to follow football avidly but much less so in recent years.  But this headline from Drudge caught my eye and the article that followed cheered me greatly.   It has generated within me much greater interest in the Superbowl than I had before.  

"I want to be a pastor in a high school," Foles said Thursday. "It's on my heart. I took a leap of faith last year and signed up to take classes at seminary. I wanted to continue to learn and challenge my faith. It's a challenge because you are writing papers that are biblically correct. You want to impact people's hearts."

Foles is part of a team that has a strong Christian brotherhood. MVP contender Carson Wentz has been outspoken about his faith and many players spend a lot of time together in prayer, studying the Bible and sharing devotionals.

Foles was one of the study leaders during his first stint in Philadelphia and has become a go-to source for younger guys. Left guard Stefen Wisniewksi also plans to become a pastor after his career ends.

"Guys like Nick and Wis can spit out scripture all day and it's awesome to take in that knowledge," said special teams ace Kamu Grugier-Hill.

Foles is passionate about helping students find their way and plans to use his experiences to inspire and encourage them. . . . 

 He was spectacular against Minnesota in the NFC championship, tossing four touchdown passes in a 38-7 win.

Foles - not Tom Brady - has the highest passer rating in postseason history for quarterbacks who've thrown at least 75 passes. Foles has completed 72 of 96 passes for 793 yards, with five touchdowns and no interceptions in three games for a 116.4 passer rating. . .   [more. . .]

Foles' quarterback career has been marked with a great deal of inconsistency.  I am hoping (and praying) that Sunday will prove a good day.

COACH LOU HOLTZ - GREAT SIX MINUTE SPEECH!

 

NEW BIOGRAPHY OF ERIC LIDDELL OF "CHARIOTS OF FIRE" FAME

A few weeks ago I perused a list of outstanding books published in 2016 and noticed a new biography of Eric Liddell, the 1924 Olympic gold medalist made famous by the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.  Liddell went on to become a missionary to China and died in a Japanese internment camp in China in 1945.  The reviews of the new book For the Glory: Eric Liddell's Journey from Olympic Champion to Modern Martyr by Duncan Hamilton are uniformly positive.  

 - "A marriage of prose and detail so fine and fastidious that it takes the breath away." 

 -  This book is better than a movie. For the Glory is the best biography I’ve read on its subject, and may be one of the best non-fiction books I’ve ever read.

This is a book now high on my "to read" list.  I previously blogged about Eric Liddell here, and the post is worth visiting because it not only talks about Liddell, but also about the book, Shantung Compound, that describes the living condition Liddell and others endured in a Japanese internment camp in China along with hundreds of others during World War II.  

Some years ago, Day of Discovery produced an excellent documentary on Liddell's life which is now available on YouTube.

INSPIRATION! -- 85 YEAR OLD SETTING MARATHON RECORDS

Today I went for a run after reading this New York Times' article on Ed Whitlock of Ontario, Canada.  

In October, at 85, he set his latest distance-running record, completing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 3 hours 56 minutes 34 seconds and becoming the oldest person to run 26.2 miles in under four hours.

His training discipline (none) I found particularly interesting:

At the Toronto Marathon, he raced in 15-year-old shoes and a singlet that was 20 or 30 years old. He has no coach. He follows no special diet. He does not chart his mileage. He wears no heart-rate monitor. He takes no ice baths, gets no massages. He shovels snow in the winter and gardens in the summer but lifts no weights, does no situps or push-ups. He avoids stretching, except the day of a race. He takes no medication, only a supplement that may or may not help his knees.

Read the whole article to learn a lot more.  Be inspired!

QUICK TAKES

-- Wesley J. Smth - "Mainstreaming Animal Personhood"

 We should be alarmed at the vigor with which animal personhood is being promoted in professional journals in the august fields of law, politics, science, and bioethics. So what, you say? Let radicals bloviate. Animal personhood will never be adopted through democratic means.

That’s almost surely true, and animal rights activists know it. That is why they are seeking to attain their goal by court fiat.  [more...]

--  Gallup's 2015 poll: The most and the least religious States in the U.S.

                  Most religious (in order):  Mississippi,  Alabama, Utah, Louisiana, Tennessee,  Alabama, Georgia, So. Carolina, N. Carolina . . . 

                  Least religious (in order):  New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Rhode Island, New York . . .  [See full list and discussion]

  --  David French - "In Defense of Football" vs. George Will, "Superbowl's 60 Minutes of Damage"

QUICK TAKES

    Marco Rubio's amazing response to an atheist has gone viral and may produce a pro-Rubio surge in Iowa.  (I posted the video a few days ago).  

    BBC to Broadcast Suicide Porn

    Wounded Warrior Project Spending Big -- on ITSELF    Update: Mona Charen recommends a different charity with a similar name - Wounded Warriors Family Support

    Panthers Linebacker Thomas Davis wins Bart Starr Award: "Christ is My Leader" (video)

QUICK TAKES

Christian Athletes to Watch at the Olympics

A Leftist Lesbian Professor becomes a Follower of Christ

Through Dreams, Investigations, and Visions a Muslim Doctor becomes a follower of Jesus

Muslims becoming Jesus followers in unprecedented numbers

ALABAMA COACH BEAR BRYANT - "IT DON'T COST NOTHIN' TO BE NICE"

I received the following from a friend and then tracked down the writer, Larry Burton.

At a Touchdown Club meeting many years before his death, Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant told the following story:

"I had just been named the new head coach at Alabama and was off in my old car down in South Alabama recruiting a prospect who was supposed to have been a pretty good player and I was havin' trouble finding the place. Getting hungry I spied an old cinder block building with a small sign out front that simply said "Restaurant."

"I pull up, go in and every head in the place turns to stare at me. Seems I'm the only white fella in the place. But the food smelled good so I skip a table and go up to a cement bar and sit. A big ole man in a tee shirt and cap comes over and says, "What do you need?" I told him I needed lunch and what did they have today? He says, "You probably won't like it here, today we're having chitlins, collared greens and black eyed peas with cornbread. I'll bet you don't even know what chitlins are, do you?" I looked him square in the eye and said, "I'm from Arkansas, I've probably eaten a mile of them. Sounds like I'm in the right place." They all smiled as he left to serve me up a big plate. When he comes back he says, "You ain't from around here then?"

"42" - JACKIE ROBINSON BIOPIC

I saw the movie "42" today and suggest that all readers go and see it.  I rate it as one of the top dozen  movies I have seen.   Here's an intro from CBN News:   [Note: this blog post has been edited and updated]

 

- Eric Metaxas laments that the movie left out much of the faith element in both Branch Ricky and Jackie Robinson.    He produced a Breakpoint opinion piece as well, 42 Turning the Other Cheek, which I will post under "continue reading" below.  

 - The YouTube video below features former Brooklyn Dodger pitcher Lee Pfund reflecting on "What I Learned from Jackie  Robinson."  Pfund was on the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers team with Robinson.  He later coached baseball and basketball at Wheaton College.

 

 Overview of Jackie Robinson's life:

 

DEER HUNTING IN REVERSE

I have deer hunting friends who I think will get a kick out this:  [HT: Brian]

This actually happened.

They dressed the truck up with the guy tied down on the roof.
The driver and passengers put on Moose heads.
Then they went down the toll road Interstate, causing 16 near accidents.
Yes, they went to jail... Yes, alcohol was involved...

For previous humorous posts click here.

JOHANNA QAAS - 86 YEAR OLD GYMNAST DOING HER THING

Amazing. (HT: HotAir)

 

 

This gives us all something to shoot for.  Forget the rocking chairs!

JEREMY LIN, NBA BASKETBALL STAR OUT OF NOWHERE, SAYS FAITH IN GOD HIS SUPPORT

Update 2/17/12 - Here's a great interview with Lin's pastor, Stephen Cheng, who has known Lin since he was 13.  The interview is titled, "Faith, Sin, and Jeremy Lin."

(Original post) - I don't much follow professional basketball, but after hearing about Jeremy Lin's incredible playing ability, I think the world (and I) will be watching more of the New York Knicks in the same way we began watching the Denver Broncos because of Tim Tebow.  The two have a lot in common, including their Christian faith. 

From NBC Bay Area TV:

The Palo Alto native whose success with the New York Knicks over the last week has catapulted him to international acclaim credits his Christian faith with carrying him to where he is today, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

A faith in God, kindled at Chinese Church in Christ in Mountain View, has carried Lin through the NBA's Development League, to three teams just this season alone, through his bench-warming days when he slept on couches because his contract wasn't guaranteed, to today, when his jersey is the NBA's best-seller and when folks in Taiwan and China stay up late to watch Knicks broadcasts.

"I've surrendered [needing to prove himself] to God," he told the newspaper. "I'm not in a battle with what everybody else thinks anymore."

Lin was known to study the Bible and hang out with his family following high school games on Friday nights. He confided in his pastor after being waived by the Warriors and then the Rockets, home in the Bay Area at Christmas this year instead of on an NBA roster.

He repeated a Bible verse to himself: And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. — Romans 8:28.

Here's an example of Lin's prowess:

And watch this next brief video.  Have you ever seen anyone more cool under pressure? 

 

Lin is the first Asian-American in the NBA since 1947 and his success fuels pride not only in the Asian-American community, but also overseas in Taiwan and China as well.  I find that news spectacular and wonderful.

Lin’s stunning success with the Knicks over the last week and a half has captured the imagination of the Chinese, from Communist Party bosses to the often-persecuted Christian minority. He has been particularly popular here in northern Zhejiang province, from which his maternal grandmother fled to Taiwan in the last days of China’s civil war in the late 1940s.

Lin is commonly described in the United States as Taiwanese-American because his parents grew up in Taiwan before moving to the United States, where Lin was born. But mainland China is already starting to claim him as its own, part of an incessant rivalry across the Taiwan Strait.

JAY NORDLINGER - SUPER BOWL HALFTIME OBSERVATION

Nordlinger observes:

At the end of the halftime show, they displayed the words “World Peace.” They never, ever say “World Freedom,” do they? Never.

In a different vein, Nordlinger notes the music used in Super Bowl commercials:

1) I wish Beethoven could know they were using his music to sell Coca-Cola during the Super Bowl. (“Coca-Cola? Super Bowl?”) (The music was from his Fifth Symphony.)

2) There was a hint of Wagner in a Lexus commercial. (A motif from The Ring.)

3) There was Verdi in a Doritos commercial. (“La donna è mobile,” from Rigoletto.)

4) There was Bach in a Time-Warner Cable commercial. (C-major prelude from Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier.)

MORE ON TIM TEBOW

USA Today offered a major, and fitting profile of Tim Tebow:  "Tim Tebow: The Man Behind the Mania"

See also: "Bronco fan with disease recounts unreal experience meeting Tebow."

  Previous posts on Tebow here and here.

Update 1/14/12 - Rick Reilly of ESPN has a MUST READ article.  And I do mean MUST READ.  It's titled "I believe in Tim Tebow."

MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING: TEBOW MANIA

We can't get enough of Tebow!  I saw the last few minutes of the game.  Felt a knot in my stomach.  Then exhilaration.  Amazing

45 MILLION VIEWERS WATCH TEBOW GAME; MOST FOR OPENING PLAYOFF SINCE '88...

 

 

 Previous post on Tebow here.

"TEBOWING"

I hadn't realized what a world-wide phenomenon "Tebowing" has become until I read the excellent, must-read, Wall Street Journal article on Denver Broncos' quarterback, Tim Tebow.  His practice of offering a short prayer, putting one knee down following a game, has produced a worldwide "Tebowing" phenomenon. 

The website "http://tebowing.com" has new pictures posted every few minutes.   I especially liked this one:

                “Taken immediately after saving this patients life”

And I found this one incredibly sweet:

          “Tebowing for a cure…with his stuffed puppy affectionately named “Tebow”.

        **Nathan has mitochondrial disease. His stuffed puppy, “Tebow”, has been through thick and thin right along beside Nathan through his entire life. He takes his “Tebow” as comfort to help through all the hardships he endures.”

Remember that the Tebowing website posts additional photos many times a day.  And be sure to read the Wall Street Journal article.

- Update 12/11/11 - I see Tim Tebow heads the Tim Tebow Foundation doing good work around the world.  I love this video of him making a boy's dream come true (from 850 KOA News Radio):

Here's an article on other Christian NFL players.

 

TEXAS RANGER'S JOSH HAMILTON - AN IMPROBABLE COMEBACK

From CBN's 700 Club:

Great Story!

CHRISTIAN BASEBALL PLAYERS IN THE WORLD SERIES

I enjoyed this CBN report:

   

Update 10/23/11 - St. Louis Cardinals' star first baseman, Albert Pujols, is one of the great players of the game and one of those interviewed in the video above.  Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth tell his story in  Pujols: More Than the Game

DON'T KNOW WHEN TO STOP . . .

I enjoyed Jason Gay's reflections on eating too much at a big meal -- not knowing when to  stop.  I could identify.  This was to set up his argument that sports schedules should be lean and mean to keep fans hungry for more.  Since satiety is the enemy, Jason advocates the best-of-five series over the best-of seven series.   But he begins (quite entertainingly) talking about eating::

We're a nation of presumed gluttons—allegedly desperate for more, more, more. But how much do we really need?

Not long ago, I ordered a salad for dinner (I know: how thrilling! Want to buy the movie rights?)

When it arrived, I thought someone had made a mistake: The kitchen had prepared a Caesar fit for the Purdue University football banquet.

This was not a dish, or a bowl, but a trough that would not fit in the overhead compartment of an airplane. The waiter practically had to carry it with a harness, and when he plopped it on the table, as if it were fresh roadkill, he gave a look of unspoken disgust, as if to say, "Knock yourself out, elastic waistband!"

Of course, I soon found myself doing the thing that many of us do when faced with an oversized plate, which is to embrace the challenge, and eat beyond reasonable limits. I made a series of mental contracts—stop here, okay here, okay here—that were quickly broken, until all that was left was one lonely crouton, soggy in dressing. Then I ate that, too. I was filled with parmesan and self-loathing.

"The meal is not over when I'm full," the comedian Louis CK once said.

"The meal is over when I hate myself."

The thing is, we don't want so much. We need balance and portion control. We don't have to have the biggest car, or house, or TV, or Caesar salad.

And we don't need so much from sports, either. . . . [more . . .]

Good writing! 

FOX REJECTS JOHN 3:16 SUPER BOWL AD

Shirley Evans writes:

There are no preachers or ministers in the ad, no church or even a cross. The ad shows sports fans wondering aloud what the phrase "John 3:16" painted on a football player's eye black could mean, followed by a simple response: look it up.

Here's the ad:

 

The 31 second ad was produced by Fixed Point Foundation.  It steers viewers to lookup316.com

Evans comments further:

ALBERT PUJOLS SPEAKS AT THE "RESTORING HONOR" RALLY IN WASHINGTON, DC

From Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit:

St. Louis Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa introduced Cardinal great Albert Pujols today at Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” Rally in Washington DC. Albert was the recipienct of this year’s Hope Award. The hundreds of thousands of attendees roared when La Russa and Pujols took the stage.

Here is Albert Pujols accepting this great honor today at the Lincoln Memorial.

Me: What struck me was Pujols' taking this opportunity to testify to his faith in Christ: "My job as a Believer is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. . . .  Twelve years ago I made the best decision of my life, and that was following Jesus Christ."  In addition, I am impressed and moved to know of his foundation's work with  children and adults with Down syndrome.

PERSEVERANCE

From Kim's picks  (HT: my friend Brian) 

A powerful reminder about perseverance

Tearing a hamstring during an Olympic race would throw anyone for a loop. But this athlete decided he was going to finish the race. With the help of his father, he made it to the finish line. It's a touching story of perseverance in the face of disappointment.

Me:  It brought a lump to my throat and mist to my eyes.

COST OF WORLD CUP TICKETS

I read in today's Wall Street Journal that a seat for today's Ghana-USA game were going for $283.  That was according to ticket-price forecaster SeatGeek.com.  David Biderman says "That's cheaper than six of the round's other seven matches.  A seat at Sunday's Argentina-Mexico match is going for $633, while tickets for the title game are already at $2,347." 

Me: I appreciate the opportunity to see the game on TV for zilch.  I also note that not everyone is excited about soccer.  Englishman (now American) John Derbyshire stands by his 2000 article in which he minces no words:

What really needs explaining is not why Americans do not care to watch soccer, but why the rest of the world does. With the probable exception of cricket, it is the most boring game ever devised, and has been trending in the direction of utter eventlessness for several decades. . . It is amazing, in such a busy age, that so many people are willing to spend ninety minutes watching a game that frequently has no result.

Derbyshire goes on to write of hooliganism among the fans and brain injuries among the players.

I personally have been enjoying the World Cup games I've been able to see.  Especially intriguing has been the ball control footwork,  accurate passing, and the setting up of attacks.  Quite extraordinary really. 

Update: Ghana beat the USA  2 to 1 in overtime.

Update #2 - (HT: Joyce)

Christianity Today magazine reports:

Ghana: The Team That Prays Together

America's Saturday World Cup opponent is reportedly one in the Spirit.

Ted Olsen

The team America faces Saturday in its second round World Cup matchup is spiritually united, ESPN's Jeff Bradley reports.

"We love to sing together, dance together, pray together," Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan told Bradley. "It brings joy to our hearts. This is our team."

Bradley says that spirit continues to the field. "What I've noticed, more than anything, about the Black Stars, is they are a team in every sense of the word," he wrote. "From their pregame (and postgame, and halftime, and pre-training and post-training) songs and prayers, to their disciplined adherence to Rajevac's rigid system that features a single striker, they are true believers that the whole can be greater than the sum of its individual pieces. ... It's 11 together with one goal."

Captain John Mensah (right) told the German news service DPA that prayer is no afterthought.

"We are Christians and we all know how important God is," he said. "We all respect God and we pray every time before the game and after the game. ... We praise God, what he has done for us. Then the next day is match-day, so we use that opportunity to give us strength and help us go on into the game."

The team isn't praying alone. The government and nation's churches have called for united prayers at home for the team.

And now that Ghana is the only African team left in the World Cup, Cameroon players Alex Song and Samuel Eto’o both said, in separate interviews, "Everybody must pray for Ghana."

The country of Ghana is 83 percent Christian--mostly Protestant (71%) and Pentecostal (26%). 83 percent of Christians say they attend services at least weekly.

VIDEO: OBAMA HITTING A GOLF BALL

Obama's golf swing (below) rivals his baseball throwing skill.   (HT: Drudge)  I'm not criticizing, just making an objective observation.  I guess basketball is his sport.  No others?

SPELLBOUND - BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT 2010

Incredible talent.  Worth the 5 minutes to watch.  From an e-mail a friend sent me.

SPIRITUALITY AND BASKETBALL: TRACING THE GAME'S ORIGINS

The desire to serve God resulted in the invention of the game of basketball.  John A. Murray, writing in the Wall Street Journal, tells the fascinating story of James Naismoth, the game's inventor.  The year was 1891.  Naismoth

moved to Springfield, Mass., to serve as a physical-education instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association's International Training School for Christian Workers (now Springfield College). Naismith's vision? "To win men for the Master through the gym."

Encouraged by his director, Luther Gulick, Naismith set out to create an indoor activity for students during the winter months. Having studied European gymnastics models, and toyed with indoor versions of football, soccer and lacrosse, Naismith spent two weeks testing various games with his assigned athletics class—with no success. Finally, Naismith decided to draw from all of these sports: with a ball that could be easily handled, play that involved running and passing with no tackling, and a goal at each end of the floor. Thus, at a Springfield YMCA in 1891, was the game of basketball born.

It's an extremely interesting, short read.  Chuck Colson adds his personal comments.

PRSIDENT OBAMA AND PRESIDENT BUSH THROWING A BASEBALL FROM THE MOUND

I was struck by Daniel Foster's observation:

Watching the president [Obama] throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Nats game yesterday (which you can watch on the homepage), I couldn't help but think of President Bush's first turn at that task. Yankee Stadium in October of 2001, under much different circumstances.

As Bush chatted with the Yanks in their clubhouse before the game, he was reportedly told by Derek Jeter that, if he missed the plate, he'd be booed — "United We Stand" or not.

As you can see, though he was burdened with heavy body armor under his FDNY fleece, Bush didn't miss the plate. He fired a sinker in there for a belt-high strike. Just sayin'.

Me: If you watch Obama throw a baseball, and you are a guy who has personally played catch since you were a kid, you won't be impressed.  To put it mildly.  Below:  President Bush at Yankee Stadium shortly after 9/11.   Impressive.  To put it mildly.

GETTING CAUGHT UP ON SOME POSTS AT "BETWEEN TWO WORLDS"

- Essentially no one in the Middle Ages believed the earth was flat.  Thomas Woods has a nice overview about the myth here.  A more in-depth look can be found in the book, Inventing the Flat Earth: Columbus and Modern Historians.

- Tozer Audio Sermons.

- Separation of Church and Sport?  - Erik Raymond and Kevin DeYoung (among others) respond to a USA Today editorial critiquing Florida quarterback Tim Tebow for believing Jesus is the only way to God.  

- John Piper was called to the ministry 30 years ago after six years of college teaching.  Click here for a fascinating and inspiring post.  Among other things, read what his father, an evangelist, told him to expect in the pastorate.

- The book Justin Taylor co-edited with John Piper, The Power of Words and the Wonder of God, is now available. (You can read it online for free at DG.)  Click here to read the rave endorsements.

- Ravis Zacharias videos from the Henry Center at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School:

• Toward an Evangelical Understanding of Postmodernism and Mission
• Audience Q&A
• Interview
• Lessons from History: The Tale of the Story of Two Men

- How Faith glorifies God,  a 1999 John Piper sermon:

Your daddy is standing in a swimming pool out a little bit from the edge. You are, let’s say, three years old and standing on the edge of the pool. Daddy holds out his arms to you and says, “Jump, I’ll catch you. I promise.” Now, how do you make your daddy look good at that

THE FAITH OF FLORIDA QUARTERBACK TIM TEBOW

Mark Earley reports:

There’s a reason you’ll find cover stories about Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. And it’s not just his football prowess.

America’s largest church has a capacity to hold 16,000. But while Tim Tebow may not be a preacher, when he runs into the University of Florida’s football Stadium—affectionately known as “The Swamp”—his congregation numbers just over 90,000. And you can bet they’re hearing Tim’s message.

It’s not just that this University of Florida quarterback wears Bible verses etched into his eye black on game days. Tim Tebow has been making headlines for more than simply his Heisman Trophy win as a sophomore and his two national championships. This summer the New York Times, GQ, and Sports Illustrated all covered the quarterback’s strong Christian faith.

"CHARIOTS OF FIRE" AND THE STORY OF ERIC LIDDELL REVISITED

Many of you will remember the magnificent movie, "Chariots of Fire," (1981) which tells the story of the "Flying Scotsman," Eric Liddell, the man who ran in the 1924 Paris Olympics.  He was supposed to run the 100 meters race, but when he learned it was scheduled on a Sunday, he withdrew because he felt running on a Sunday would be (for him) dishonoring to God.  So on the following Tuesday he ran and won the 440 meter race and became a hero of Scotland, the U.K and the world. 

Instead of resting on his laurels and enjoying his fame, Liddell went to China as a missionary teacher.  As gripping as the story of his Olympic victory is, the rest of Liddell's life in China, his marriage, his internment in a Japanese prison camp, and his untimely death in the prison camp due to a brain tumor, is even more intriguing and moving.  This morning, I went through a box

BIZARRE ANGLE OF OBAMA'S CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCH AT THE ALL-STAR GAME

The Anchoress asks the right question when she wonders

 "if David Axelrod had negotiated the bizarre angle (there is no other word for it, if you’re a baseball-watching fan) used to showcase President Barack Obama’s ceremonial “first pitch.” I have never seen a president throw a pitch, before, where the angle left out the catcher at the plate."

She has produced a brilliant comparison of Obama and Bush, not only in throwing ability, but more importantly in their style (and modesty).  Her post is definitely worth reading, as is her link to Andy McCarthy.

Rush Limbaugh plainspeakingly says:

Obama's pitch did not make it all the way to the plate. . .  The guy throws like a girl.  I'm sorry.  He throws like a girl, he had a girlie toss.

The video he posts substantiates his point.   Further down Rush's post you can compare President Bush's 2001 World Series toss.

Is throwing ability small potatoes?  Yes.  What's significant are the larger points made by the Anchoress and McCarthy.  The media will stand on its head (and orchestrate camera angles and commentary as well), to make this president look good.

Lesbian Basketball Coach Accused of Discrimination Against Heterosexual Player

Drudge links to this news article:

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) - - Central Michigan and its women's basketball coach are being sued by a former player, who claims her heterosexuality was a factor in losing a scholarship after two seasons.

Brooke Heike said she fell out of favor with Sue Guevara immediately after the coach was hired in 2007.

Heike said Guevara told her she wore too much makeup and was not the coach's "type." That meant she wasn't a lesbian, according to a lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Bay City.  [more . . .]

FAMED WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH, KAY YOW, GAVE HER CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY AT HER OWN FUNERAL

Mark Moring posted on the Christianity Today blog the following story:

Through a pre-recorded video, N.C. State women's basketball coach Kay Yow, who died last week, gave her testimony at her own funeral on Friday.

It's great to read the stories of faith and football preceding today's Super Bowl. But almost lost amid all those tales from Tampa is another remarkable story of sports and spirituality, this one out of a small town in North Carolina.

Yow, a Hall of Famer, won over 700 games and coached the 1988 U.S. Olympic women's team to a gold medal. But that's not why thousands flocked to her funeral. They came en masse because she had touched so many lives by her kindness and a deep Christian faith.

Yow deemed her faith the most important thing in her life, so it's no surprise that she would want the gospel message preached at her funeral. But what was a surprise was that she gave the message herself in this 25-minute video, a remarkable, moving farewell recorded some time before her death.

After describing heaven as a place of no more tears or pain, a smiling Yow said in the video, "I am saying to you now, rejoice, because I am now in a wonderful location with

Last Night's Steeler-Cardinal Super Bowl Game the Best Ever?

Ed Morrissey thinks so.  I haven't watched enough games to offer an opinion, but I saw last night's game and thought it terrific.  Morrissey says:

Since I’m old enough to have seen and remembered all six of the Pittsburgh Super Bowl victories, I can say that last night’s come-from-behind win tops them all.  In fact, it may top all previous 42 games for drama and gut checks on both sidelines. . .

If Super Bowl XLIII isn’t the greatest Super Bowl of all time, it’s close to it, and both teams deserve the credit for that.

Agreed!

Tony Dungy, Coach of the Indianpolis Colts, Delivered His Retirement Speech

What a guy!  Speech here.  Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said:

Tony has inspired millions through his response to personal tragedy and professional success alike. A role model first and coach second, Dungy will have a legacy of service that outlasts any football record or championship. For seven years in Indiana, he used his celebrity platform to promote adoption, prison ministry, family values, outreach to the poor, and simple Christian decency.

As his own pastor said, Dungy came to Indianapolis with the understanding that "faith would come before football" and he managed to exceed expectations in both. In his retirement speech yesterday, Tony said, "I remember... saying that our goal was to win... but that we needed to win the right way, we needed to win with the right kind of players that... our young men and women in this community could look up to and say, 'I want to be like him, or him, or him.'" 

Tim Tebow the Magnificent

GetReligion.org takes a look at the coverage given Tim Tebow, the University of Florida's outstanding quarterback, who just happens to be an outspoken Christian as well.  Wikipedia has an entry chronicling the achievements of this amazing young man.

Update: A friend sent me a link to an article noting Tebow was homeschooled and that "While expecting Tim, her fifth child, Tebow's mother Pam was advised to have an abortion in light of having contracted amoebic dysentery. She refused."

I later came across an article pointing out that Tim Tebow inscribed John 3:16 on his eye black for last night's BCS National Championship game.  The biblical reference became the most popular search item on Google.com. Searches for the Bible verse reached a peak during Friday night's game.

EPIC HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CATCH

Have you seen the video of this fantastic football catch in the end zone?  Amazing.  I've never seen anything like it before.    (HT: HotAir)

EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT STRETCHING IS WRONG

This is a pretty interesting (and probably important) article on the proper way to stretch one's body.  It does, indeed, differ from what we have been taught.  (HT: Hot Air)

UPDATE -  11/3/08 - Speaking of exercise, did you see this video and related article about 81 year old marathon runner, Joy Johnson?  What an inspiration and challenge she is!

BRITAIN MUZLES THEIR OLYMPIC ATHLETES FROM CRITICIZING THE CHINESE REGIME

Oh brother!  Talk about a kow tow to tyranny and an abject overthrowing of  free speech!

British Olympic chiefs are to force athletes to sign a contract promising not to speak out about China's appalling human rights record – or face being banned from travelling to Beijing.

The move – which raises the spectre of the order given to the England football team to give a Nazi salute in Berlin in 1938 – immediately provoked a storm of protest. . . 

Should a competitor agree to the clause but then speak their mind about China, they will be put on the next plane home.

Read the story and weep for spineless England.  Many in England are calling for a boycott of the Olympics under these  requirements.  (HT: Drudge)

Coach Lou Holtz: A Funny, Wise, Energetic Man

I watched the Hour of Power TV program this morning.  It seems to be getting better and better.  One of the highlights of each program is the interview.  Today Robert A. Schuller (the younger Schuller) interviewed the great football coach, Lou Holtz.  He has written yet another book, Wins, Losses, and Lessons: An Autobiography.  Off hand I can't think of a more vigorously entertaining few moments of television than this interview [click on the 1/14/07 date and the Lou Holtz interview].  A transcript is also available, but you've got to watch the interview to appreciate the liveliness and wit of Holtz.  (Be sure to read his account of the Orange Bowl of 1977!)    Holtz talks fast, so I'm glad for the transcript.  Here are a couple of items illustrating his philosophy: 

I’m a very simple individual. But everybody needs something to do, someone to love, something to hope for, and something to believe in. And if you’re lacking any one of those four things, there’s going to be a void in your life.

. . . My life is simple but I think there’s only three things, reverend, that you have to have in life. You have to have people trust you, you have to always be committed to