It's Only a Game, For Cryin' Out Loud

It’s Just a Game, For Cryin’ Out Loud!

I watched a couple of play-off games for the NFL this past weekend and I was extremely frustrated by a couple of things I saw.  It was the level of frustration where you actually yell at the television set even though that does nothing at all except make you sound like you are  as insane as the event you happen to be watching.

The two games I watched were the Baltimore Ravens against the Denver Broncos on Saturday night and the Seattle Seahawks versus the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon.  Unlike NFL games that were held at the first part of the seasons, there didn’t appear to be any officiating miscues and all the calls that were made appeared to be legitimate and appropriate for the offense that was flagged.  Both the games I saw seemed to be played by “adults” and good sportsmanship seemed to be the spirit of both games.  Not a lot of drama being presented on the sidelines of any of the football teams participating.  What a nice change of pace. 

In the Falcons against the Seahawks, both teams played well and it was an exciting game with the lead being traded a couple of times.  The first half was all the Falcons scoring with the final score at the half being 20-0 Falcons being on top.  Obviously, the Falcons outplayed the Seahawks at every turn during the first half.   But the Seahawks came back from half-time a different team and began to level the playing field.  As the fourth quarter began, the Falcons were facing another team altogether and Seattle scored 28 points to Atlanta’s 27 total points.  There was one play where Seattle’s quarterback, Russell Wilson, threw a great pass that was blocked by one of Atlanta’s defensive corners. 

At this point in the game, the Falcons were ahead only by one point and the success of the game was far from a foregone conclusion.  The Atlanta defender who made the required play then proceeded to do his “success” dance at the spot of the play as if to say, “Hey, everybody, look at me and see how great I am!”  Keep in mind, this is that player’s job for which he is being paid (and quite well, I might add) to do.  This same player had already allowed a Seattle receiver to get past him and make enough plays where Atlanta was on the verge of going home for the season.  Jesus had something to say about this attitude.  In Luke 17:10, he tells people who work for others “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'” (Luke 17:10 NIV)  A little humility goes a long way.  Apparently, not in the NFL, though.

During the Broncos/Ravens game, the battle was fever-pitched with both teams vying for dominance in a high tension, high scoring match-up.  When it all came down to the wire, Baltimore won in double overtime with Baltimore scoring 38 points to Denver’s 35 points.  Ray Lewis, a defensive linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens since their inaugural season, is undoubtedly one of the most exciting players to watch when professional football is being played.  He has been in the NFL for 17 years and still makes guys ten years younger cringe when they see him coming after them.  He is without a doubt one of the best in his field.  He is an inspiration to his team to continue to work and play hard on every play but his comments after the game just floored me.  A commentator asked him how he felt winning in Denver in such a long fought battle.  He started to quote Isaiah 54:17, which says, “No weapon forged against you will prevail.” (Isa 54:17 NIV)

Think about that.  Does Ray Lewis really think that God cares about the outcome of a football game other than that no one was permanently injured or handicapped?  With all that’s going on in the world, the 56 million babies that have been brutally murdered in the womb for the crime of being “inconvenient”; the thousands of innocent girls being sold into the sex-slave trade each year; the hundreds, if not thousands of innocent Christians being martyred every year; the millions of hungry, the homeless, or emotionally injured or living on the streets with no hope or despairing of all hope; corrupt politicians using people for their own evil ends; and the list goes on and on.  Does Ray Lewis actually think God cares if the Ravens get into the Super Bowl?  How about the Christians that are playing for other teams?  What does that say about God if he chooses one team over another to be the champion?  The Dallas Cowboys have a tongue-in-cheek saying for why their stadium doesn’t have a dome. It’s so God can watch his favorite team play on Sunday.  But even when they say that, I think they know it’s just talk and nothing more. 

But Ray Lewis was almost in tears as he started to quote Isaiah and I wonder if he really knows this?  I understand that both of these games were hard fought by both sides and a lot of emotions came forth in during each of them, but seriously?  It is only a game, after all. 

I’m guessing what all four teams need, in fact, probably every professional sports team playing today in this country and everywhere a professional sport is being played, is a little perspective on the sport.  I have no problem with professional sports and enjoy watching these athletes compete using their skills and sports acumen to accomplish physical feats that I could not accomplish when I was in my prime, much less now.  But if you look at sports in the light of everything else in life and eternity, it is only a diversion from reality after all.  I hope Ray Lewis and the rest of the NFL realize that.