Scribes from the beginning of recorded history have decried the baseness of their given culture. That doesn’t figure to change. What changes are the new ways we invent to sink just a little farther into the abyss.
Every time we view someone’s graphic, lame attempt at humor on a bumper sticker or T-shirt, dignity slips a little more. Every time our ears and eyes are lured into a medium’s “let’s-see-how-far-we-can-take-this” mentality, the bar drops a little lower.
Sports can and often does serve as an uplifting diversion from one’s circumstance. In reality, sports serves as a microcosm of life representing all walks, races, creeds and socio-economic groups. Some athletes are better than others, but for a time you can stand on a field, court or track and compete as equals.
Just like society, there are the seeming masses of athletes who gravitate toward the seamier side of culture in the name of fun and relaxation. News of some athlete’s wee-hour mishap at an all-night club turns up on the news regularly.
There still are coaches out there who use the locker rooms and sidelines for R-rated tirades delivered in the name of “motivation.” Sideline cameras linger on a tight shot of an enraged coach or player to make sure lip readers catch salty comments to capture the flavor of the game.
America gasped at Rhett Butler’s parting epithet to Scarlett O’Hara, but now it yawns at the long-running cable sports program with the same expletive in the title.
What sports fan hasn’t laid out a nice chunk of change for his family to see a major venue event, only to get stuck next to some semi-soused loudmouth whose primary objective is to hurl obscenities at the nearest opposing player or official in the name of supporting the team? The targets don’t hear much of it, but you and yours do. It further denigrates the experience.
Again, you don’t need me to tell you that.
If, however, you look in the right places, you can easily find plenty of examples of sports figures who ply their trade in the name of something bigger than themselves. The beauty of last week’s Heisman Trophy and other college football awards shows is that you didn’t have to look hard at all. It was laid out for you.
There was no wrong answer in the multiple-choice dilemma of quarterbacks Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow. Oklahoma’s Bradford edged out the others for the Heisman. But if Florida’s Tebow had repeated as the winner or if early-season favorite McCoy of Texas had tallied enough votes to put the trophy in another Longhorn great’s hands, neither would have been any less deserving.
All three have thus far avoided the pitfalls of being the big man on campus and the magnetic pull of dabbling in lesser things. They all say their steps are guided by their Christian faith.
In this month’s issue of Sharing the Victory magazine, Bradford spoke of his aversion to negative peer pressure.
“I never really let peer pressure get to me,” he said. “People are going to pressure you to drink or to do drugs and I think I just carried that over to my faith. Why should I care what everyone else thinks about what I believe? It’s my belief, and I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do.”
Tebow is easily the best athlete to come out of the modern home-schooling movement. As film clips depict, he gains every bit as much enjoyment out of ministering to orphans on mission trips to the Philippines as he does putting the Gators in contention for another national title.
In a 2007 interview for Sports Spectrum magazine, Tebow told me, “Every day you work with expectations. As a Christian you have expectations that go along with your walk. You want to be a good influence, focus on each day, and make it the best you can. There are always going to be temptations. I think faith helps you deal with temptations.”
McCoy’s quick-study ability and field smarts made the transition from Vince Young to him almost seamless. In a separate interview for the same publication, he said, “You’ve got to stand up and make sacrifices, decisions and choices. God put me here for a reason, and I’m definitely going to give all the glory to Him.”
Bradford, Tebow and McCoy are just three recent examples of scores of athletic figures from all sports and both genders whose character is at least on par with their skill level. They understand that athletic excellence requires commitment. They also understand that righteous living requires commitment.
Someone once spoke about two roads by which to travel - a wide and busy one that ultimately leads to destruction or a narrow, gently used path that leads to glory. In fact, I think He has a birthday coming up.
But you don’t need me to tell you that.
twaits@temple-telegram.com
