There is no escaping the media coverage of the Super Bowl. This year I've been fascinated by the fact that brothers will be coaching against each other. So, in my mind, I've been thinking about how cool it would be to compete against either of my brothers in the Super Bowl. I am pretty sure that even though my parents would say that they couldn't pick one son to win over the other or that they would hope the game would end in a tie, they would really want me to win. While my siblings would beg to differ and refer to me as their narcissistic "little" brother, the truth is that their Achilles heel is the fact that they both still see me as their little brother. But that, dear Planet Kirby faithful readers, is a blog for another time.
What has really amazed me is the lengths that some fans (short for fanatics) will go to proclaim their loyalty and love for their team. Now before anyone says that I am just being a cry baby because my beloved Cowboys are not playing in the Big Game, I will say that while I like the Cowboys, I am not a Cowboy fanatic. To put it simply, I have a life.
The Kirbarosa is not far from Baltimore. So, it only makes sense that most of the people in this area are fans of the Baltimore Ravens. Everyone is wearing purple. Couples are naming their children Ray Lewis or Raven or some other team related ridiculous name. Banners and flags hang from front porches. Companies are sponsoring pep rallies and urging their employees to wear Ravens team apparel or to dress in purple.
I do not begrudge these Ravens fanatics. I just don't get it. I love sports but I have never gone coo-coo for cocoa puffs for any team; not even the Cowboys. I suppose that I could go all fanatical and rename my children Roger Staubach or Emmitt Smith or something but no matter how big of a fan I become, Jerry Jones wouldn't give a crap. In the end, it's all about money and being a fan gets me no where.
As I watch the pep rallies and parades, I wonder what God is thinking. There are no pep rallies for Team Jesus. There are no banners hanging from the front porches of Christians proclaiming their love for the King of Kings.
One day all of this will be over. It will not have mattered what team we cheered for. Honestly, I believe God wants us to enjoy sports and I believe He's fine with us being all crazy for our teams. What I think might bother Him is why we don't have the same enthusiasm for seeking the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.
Be well.
Bill
