Who is more mortified when athletes credit God for their victories?

[Bossy Monkey]

Poll question: Who is more mortified when athletes credit God for their victories?

Believers or non-believers? Inspired by the U of Illinois player who chalked the win up to God and the comeback to Jesus. Fortunately they didn't ask him any more questions or he would have attributed Coach's sneaker deal to the Holy Spirit.

Obviously I only have 10 slots so there isn't a lot of scope for nuance. There is a nice bright shiny Other option, though. Feel free to run with it.

Finally, I just want to thank God for helping me in the writing of this poll.:P Seriously, I'm bright enough to figure out that giving the glory to God probably plays better than saying, "Well, Dickie V., we were great, they sucked, and we kicked their asses!" Still, you'd think there'd be some kind of middle ground.

[Catch22Dem]

1. I'm a non-believer and I LAUGH when people do that

As if the other team didn't pray hard enough, or Gawd takes sides in a fucking sporting event! HAHAHA. Mortified? No way, it provides me with much entertainment.

[jonnyblitz]

3. same for me, I find it amusing as an unbeliever

that if god existed he/she would pick a side at some sporting event.

[Misunderestimator]

6. Funny, didn't even read your post before I posted...

Said pretty much the same thing! :D

[mcscajun]

15. Yup. It's very, very amusing.

Believe if you will, and then reduce him to a Vegas punter; makes much spiritual sense. Not.

I couldn't possibly be mortified. OTOH, I stopped watching all sports some time ago (I stopped attending church or being one with any religious belief an even Longer Time Ago) so I miss out on some of the laughs.

It's still funny to contemplate, though, and as practical as "God, PLEASE let me find My KEYS!"

[ugarte]

2. I would start being impressed

if they gave God credit for their defeats as well, as in, "It was God's will that I played lousy and lost."

Funny, but they never say that.

[Misunderestimator]

4. Other: I think it's hilarious... and I'm a non-believer.

Mortified? Nah... not a bit... just funny as hell.

[YankeyMCC]

5. I selected unbeliever-mortified

But mortified probably isn't the correct term.

I feel frustrated at the lack of genuine sentiment. And I think it makes the athlete look silly.

If they at least acknowledge the hard work they themselves and their teammates (if it's a team sport), and support people around them and the team put in as well as god then it doesn't bother me much. But it seems the trend is to give all praise to god which seems very unfair and disingenuous (in most cases) to me.

[da_chimperor]

7. I'm a non-believer, but I think they can attribute their victory

to whoever, or whatever they want. If they want to say that the cigarette they had just before the sprint, or the quickie they had with a fan in the locker room before the game, the bowl of mom's homemade chicken noodle soup the night before the match, or the hand of God giving them a boost during the pole-vault is responsible for their victory . . . then let them. :shrug:

[Der Engel der Katzen]

8. I'm a non-believer and I am pissed about it.

It gives believers a worse name than they already have. I used to be a believer and I have no ill will toward believers. I understand -- to depths that most people think actually make me a believer -- why they believe what they believe. And when someone says "first of all I want to give all the glory to God" I cringe. From what I remember of biblical teaching, that's way outside what God wants.

An awful lot of Christians actually DO follow Christ's teaching about not praying on the street corner. It seems "Christian athletes" aren't among them; they can't find a way to glorify God without making asses of themselves.

Then there's the stand-up comic who said, "Yeah, we were winnin' the game . . . until Jesus made me fumble."

[Smarmie Doofus]

13. I find it annoying. And disturbing. It also underscores my theory....

that supernatural religions.... even those of the non-fundamentalist, non-literalistic variety.... are bottom-line *destructive*. Yes, they may keep a few of us from " stealing the spoons" ( Voltaire?) but they ALL promote an illogical, anti scientific way of looking at the world.

It is a short step from the narcissistic fantasy that god is on one team's side or on the side of one *country* or of one *ethnic group* or of one *religion* to the imputation of evil intentions to the "out group".

It is an even shorter step from there to to war, persecution and genocide.

[Der Engel der Katzen]

16. Dude.

Thanks for giving my thinking material while I do the housework today.

[Smarmie Doofus]

19. Not a problem. Something you said in your post got me started.

[Coyote_Bandit]

9. Maybe God is the most mortified? n/t

[HawkerHurricane]

10. If God really cared about sports...

In football, wouldn't the Saints and the Cardinals always be in the playoffs?

In Baseball, the Cards, Padres and Angels would always be the 'winning' teams.

Either a. Gawd doesn't care or
b. He doesn't cheat.

Dodgers win the World Series in 5 Hail Marys. Yankees lose because they only said 2 Our Fathers.

[redsoxliberal]

11. Christiano Ronaldo after Portugal stole one from England

"God was on our side."


So, what's that? God is a Portugeuse hooligan?
Or a Swiss referee?

[Telly Savalas]

23. Well, God frowned on him when ManU got their asses handed to them...

by Milan in the Champions League.

[Jamastiene]

12. God is, of course

You'd think that considering one team isn't more or less moral than the other, religion wouldn't be any part of it. It just makes no sense why somone would waste any God's time with that.

[jakefrep]

14. This is why I LOVE hockey...

...No phony Kurt Warner-types "giving all credit to Our Savior Jesus Christ." You never hear hockey players talking about God after they win the Stanley Cup. Then again, they're mostly Canadians and Europeans, so maybe they have a little more perspective about these things.

[gnofg]

17. My favorite

is when they attribute hitting a dowhill putt with courage. Courage is going into the WTC when it is burning.

[Ready4Change]

18. Undecided: It would be more valid if there were all Muslem teams, and...

all Hindu teams, and all Budhist teams, and all Pagan teams, and all Jewish teams, etc...

[Wapsie B]

20. Those jocks have already been recruited

by the konservative fundies trolling for converts. Get a high profile jock to see the light and it's worth more salvation points than just your average Joe.

[eek MD]

21. I just laugh, because it must mean that god favors one team over another

n/t

[nuxvomica]

22. Well I voted the second one

But after reading some of the inspired replies, I think I would vote the first. This "God is on our side" nonsense is what gets us into a lot of wars and other lamebrained political issues (though the Holy Ghost hasn't provided me with a specific example at the moment) so I shouldn't give sports a pass on it. BTW, what about teams that have somewhat demonic team names, like Duke or Wake Forest? When they win do they thank Satan?

[Rowdyboy]

24. Athletics bore me to tears, but athletes are allowed free speech too

I don't give a damn what they say, or who they attribute their victories to, nor do I expect much in the way of logic or intelligence from them. They're jocks. Anyone who takes their "intellectual" meanderings seriously should find a better use for their time.

[progmom]

25. I'm a believer and think it's funny if athletes claim God is on their side

However, I see no harm in them thanking God for their talents. That does not, to me, imply an endorsement from God.

[Bossy Monkey]

26. Full disclosure: I'm undecided leaning toward non-, and usually don't care

but the U of I kid was really beyond the pale. On the other hand, maybe that's why they call it March madness.:P

[Name removed]

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