We watch athletes achieve seemingly impossible physical accomplishments and continue to set records and new standards of excellence.  We gawk, admire, and talk about the latest triumphs as if they were impossibilities only accomplished by super-humans.  But do we talk about their commitment and training?

Professional sports thrive on the existence of “everyone else”.  Without the gawking and admiration by millions of us who aren’t playing at “that level” professional sports would be amateur sports.  The World Cup would be played on a sandlot or in the park.  The football game would be played behind the middle school on a Saturday morning,  or the NCAA Final Four championship would be played in a YMCA gym somewhere in midtown.  Our passion for watching… fuels and funds the empire of sports.

Spectators are the fuel that drives the ego of professional sports.  I sit in my “lucky seat” when my teams play and root them on to victory.  I marvel at the coaching skills, play calling, and athleticism when all is going well.  And I berate them all when they can’t seem to score a single point or fend off the opposing team.

As men, we somehow feel that we might be able to do what those athletes do.  So we watch as live vicariously through their actions.  We stand around our tailgates prior to the game and talk about our glory days in sports. We hear stories about the one kickball game in 4th grade that Jim dominated, the touchdown pass Mike caught, the goal that Pierre kicked from midfield, or the basket Josh sunk at the buzzer to move his team to victory.

We all believe that we could have done that… if we just trained a little harder.  We could have had a shot at the “bigs” if we simply hadn’t “let off the gas.”  The same holds true in our careers or hobbies.  We could have been greater if we just gave it a little more effort and trained a little harder – right?

But we sit in our recliners, talk about what could have been, and root our favorite athletes on to the big prize.  We get behind them… because we want to be associated with winners.

I don’t think we would be stretching to make the leap from sports to faith.  For too many of us, we celebrate our faith like the guys around the taligate.  We talk about that one good deed we did last summer, or the mission project we went on a couple of years ago.  And like a good armchair quarterback, we nod along with the discussions containing the words “Jesus”, “faith”, and “God”, because we understand the mechanics of faith – just like we understand the mechanics of our favorite sport.

But are we willing to do the training?  Could we train a little harder?  Do we admire the life of Christ so much that we answer His challenge to get in the ring and follow Him?  Or are we perfectly content to sit on the sidelines and coach everyone else from our easy chair?

Living well and accumulating wealth is easy.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ve done something great by becoming a successful businessman.  There are millions of them walking around.  Try something hard. Elevate your game to new level by training to be a disciple of Christ.  Shun the bad habits, walk away from unethical business deals.  Look at your decisions and determine if Jesus Christ would have made the same call.

We give professional sports our undivided attention and contribute billions of dollars to watch a few men and women who decided to elevate and commit to a higher level of competition.  Are we willing to give God our undivided attention and actually become one of the men and women in the game?  Or is faith something to be observed, watched, talked about… but not really “played”.

What would happen in Christian men began to train like Tim Tebow, Perform with the heart of Rudy Ruettiger, or approach faith with the same mental commitment of Tiger Woods?  God has given ALL of us the ability to do these things… we just have to get off the couch and start doing it.  We’ve got enough coaches… now we need some players.

Jerry Sandusky is the villian, Joe Paterno soiled his legacy, and the news media is more concerned with the story of a fallen icon rather than the exposure of a sick and twisted child molester.

Where is the lesson amid the flurry of news activity?  How do we cut through the blabbery of sports talk radio to find the real atrocity?  The noise levels are so loud in the discussion of Joe Paterno’s poor judgement, or lack of judgement, that the real issue is being submerged deep into the articles of the highest ranking news outfits.

We’ll deal with Joe in a bit, but the real issue is an assistant coach who was once in line for the top spot at the storied Penn State football program.  Wanting to know the facts, I obtained the downloaded and read the Grand Jury findings from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office regarding the Jerry Sandusky case.  (Sandusky Grand Jury Indictment (105). You can download the 23 page document here.  Be warned, the content is not suited for young audiences).My nostrils flared, my adrenaline began pumping, and I was 30 seconds away from climbing out of my chair and hunting down Sandusky…but I’m certain someone will beat me to the punch.

Let’s not lose our focus on the issue that Jerry Sandusky is a predator disguised as a well mannered married man in modern day suburbia.  He achieved great success in his professional career alongside one of the most celebrated coaches in college football history – Joe Paterno.  There is no doubt, based on testimony, that Sandusky is guilty of his accusations.  The victims have testified unanimously against him.  His twisted scheme to rape young boys was exposed by a matter of happenstance when a graduate assistant,  at Penn State discovered Sandusky violating a 10 year old boy.  The grad assistant reported it up the chain, but no action was taken… and that is why outrage against the Penn State administration is soaring.

Now let’s deal with Paterno.  A man who built a legacy on the shoulders of honor and integrity failed in his own role as a leader.  It can be argued that Paterno executed the proper notifications when presented with Sandusky’s actions.  Professionally, Joe Paterno did what his contract would require… notify his supervisor.  However, in light of legal, moral, and ethical behavior… Joe Paterno failed the young victim who was violated and Paterno failed society by not contacting the police regarding a reported and witnessed crime.   The Athletic Director, Tim Curly, failed as well… along with many others.

There is no question about Joe Paterno’s ability to win in football.  His 409 victories and 60+ year career is evidence that he knows how to run a team.  As an avid college football fan, I have admired Paterno for his on-field and off-field accomplishments throughout his career.  But things are different now.  The failure on Paterno’s part to escalate this crime to the authorities doesn’t erase what he compiled professionally, but it obliterates what he compiled personally.  Argue all you want… he avoided the issue.

Joe was doing what he thought was best… which was to immediately notify his supervisor, however, Joe didn’t feel the need to contact or ensure that contact was made to correct the witnessed and reported criminal activity.  No big deal you say?  What if that 10 year child was your  son?  Your daughter?  Is it okay for someone to cover it up with semantics?  Never.

I have little left to say regarding the news media except to point a finger in shame.  To diminish the crime by submerging the facts deep in the news stories in favor of a character debate over a football coach is simply pathetic.  Sandusky is the criminal… and those who didn’t report it… are accessories to the crime.  That’s how justice works.

Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” (NIV).

More than 60 years of success… soiled by a thoughtless, careless, self absorbed moment of shame.  Joe has his own ordeal… but Sandusky… one can only imagine.  This writer finds a peculiar coincidence in the breaking news that seemed to hold off until just after the 409th win.  Sandusky built a life around a dangerous pattern which the Grand Jury Indictment reveals.  It’s likely that men of character surrounding Sandusky found his closeness and actions more than peculiar.  My gut tells me there’s more to the story than we’ll likely ever know.

The lesson for us, it seems, is that legacy is more often about how we react to others than how we carry ourselves.  What about you?  What are you building your legacy on?  Are you propped up on the shoulders of accomplishment?  Or do you strive to do the right thing, even when no one is looking?  Legacy is a life long pursuit, usually defined at the end of our run… not at the beginning.  Finish well.

The game clock drifted down to the final seconds and lightly rested on it’s final number – zero. Indifferent to the high strung emotions of the game played on the field, the clock heralded it’s decisive display of “0:00″.  The attention of the stadium full of fans quickly zeroed in on the coaches who approached midfield for the obligatory handshake.

My wife watches football with me, sometimes.  Her favorite part of the game is watching the coaches meet after the contest and greet one another in post-game salutes, gestures, and indifferent glances.  Over the years, I’ve picked up on this habit of watching the exchanges and it can be quite telling.  The moment of this exchange shows which coach wins the battle of class, dignity, poise, and professionalism.  It tells us about the man inside.

The end of the 2011 NFL scrum between the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions this past Sunday wasn’t different than any other game that unfolded on game day with the exception of one newsworthy incident at midfield.  At the close of the game, the midfield coaches greeting turned sour.  Jim Harbaugh, victorious coach of the 49ers, ran excitedly toward Jim Schwartz, head coach of the lions, and lit off a cherry bomb of cameras, videos, blogs, and articles.  A sharp handshake and a pat (shove) on the back lit the fuse.

In a flurry of emotion and quickly escalating gestures, the football watching community was entertained by two grown men reverting to middle school antics.  What some will describe and dismiss as emotional exuberance, others will shake their head and lower their valued opinions of the two coaches.  Regardless of who is right and wrong – it takes two to tango.  The midfield antics of both coaches demonstrated their ability to get caught up the moment and lose their poise.

This isn’t the first appearance of Coach Harbaugh’s post game adrenalized antics.  As head coach of Stanford, Harbaugh had a well publicized exchange with then head coach USC, Pete Carroll.  So it’s not as if we shouldn’t expect the same in the future.

Regardless of whether you feel that Harbaugh was right or wrong or Schwartz was authorized or obligated to escalate… we can agree that it was classless.  When we remove the game, the press conferences, and add time to this exchange – the prevailing memory will be of two grown men acting like pubescent school boys.

As men of faith, we have to be aware of what we say and how we act.  The passion of the moment can devalue our character and cast a dim light on the power of Christ.  It’s one thing to say we have faith, but it’s a whole new game when we act the way Christ teaches us to act.  The Gospel of Matthew unpacks this teaching with the example of fruit.

 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.  - Matthew 7:15-20 (NIV)

Be mindful of the moment.  Be mindful of the words. Be mindful of the actions.  Be mindful of the fruit.

When Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys back in the day, I watched the very first interview on TV and knew I had to get a new team. And also, like many, I was more than a little disgusted with the whole Tom Landry exit.

Now, I have never been a big sports nut, but I do enjoy me some NFL. I’ve always loved Nashville, really respected Jeff Fisher, thought it was cool that they had a sword in their logo (the whole Knight’s thing, you know), so I officially made the switch to the Tennessee Titans as “my team.” I had to answer a lot of questions over the next few years, especially when the Titans had a bad season, and the fact that I lived about 80 miles south of Dallas. My answer was always two-fold, “Well, first, I’m not a Jerry Jones fan and, two, I really enjoy following the Titans.” It’s not easy going against the grain, especially when the flow of the grain is known as “America’s Team.”

Our family moved to Titans Land 4 months ago. Today, I drove by the towering open-air stadium there by the beautiful Cumberland River. Every sign of Jeff Fisher is gone. In fact, there is a HUGE, I mean HUGE, banner of Mike Munchak hanging on the outside of the stadium, facing downtown. It starts at the top of the stadium and ends a few feet from the ground. At least 8 stories high. Now, although I was a Jeff Fisher fan and even have an autographed football from him in my office, I am totally good with Mike Munchak. Seems like a great guy and a great coach. I’m sticking with my team. And Nashville made it abundantly clear. No words, no slogans, just here’s our new leader. Here’s what he looks like. He’s in charge now. Any questions? Good!

Here’s another thing I love about this town—winning or losing season, play-offs or no play-offs, every home game sells out. Every time. The fans are on board the bus—no matter what.

As spoiled Americans and avid sports fans, we are ultra-picky and super-wishy-washy. We voice our opinion of love and hate, loudly and proudly when it comes to a team with any ball. One season is strong—we love these guys. A season is lousy—throw the bums out! Back and forth, we go.

We can sometimes get our sports and our God mixed up. There are going to be days when we just don’t understand what God is doing, when we think He’s let down on the job, when He doesn’t call the play we think He should have called. So we start looking for a new Head Coach. We start printing up a new banner for the stadium. We decide to “fire” God.

There are guys out there, maybe you know one, maybe it’s you, who have fired God. One season of life—filled with the evidence of God, following Him with fervor and passion. The next season—strangely vacant of anything spiritual. Every sign of Jesus taken down.  So, we look and ask the question: did he renounce God or was it never really there? Which life is the real one? The Jesus life or the self-life?

But here’s the deal, whether you’ve never been in the huddle or you quit . . . God’s team is going to play on, with or without you, and we win in the end, by the way. God doesn’t kick players off the team and gladly accepts you back into the huddle.

So, come on, walk out of the bleachers, get off the bench. We got a season to win!

My brothers, if any of you should wander away from the truth and another should turn him back on to the right path, then the latter may be sure that in turning a man back from his wandering course he has rescued a soul from death, and his loving action will “cover a multitude of sins”. —James 5:19-20 (JBPNT)

Cam Newton Is Proving Everyone Wrong.  There’s an old saying, “He not only talks the talk, he walks the walk.”  Whoever said it must have seen the coming of Cam Newton.

Newton is possibly the single most dominant player to ever step onto a college football field but nobody and I mean nobody thought he would make the splash he has in the first two games of his N.F.L. career. No one except Cam Newton, who told everyone he was ready.

Most N.F.L. experts detected all kinds of mechanical flaws in Newton’s passing delivery. Most wondered if he could adapt to a pro offensive style after running nothing but a spread offense his entire college career. Many wondered if he had the necessary leadership qualities after a suspected but yet unproven pay for play scheme was uncovered midway through his junior season at Auburn.

The answer to all the above questions is a resounding yes. No Quarterback in N.F.L. history had ever passed for 400 yards in his first start. Newton did. No Quarterback in N.F.L. history had ever followed up a 400 yard performance in his first start with another 400 yard performance. Newton did.

Before the New Orleans-Chicago game last Sunday commentator Troy Aikman said, “If Cam Newton throws for 400 yards today against the Packers I’m voting for him for the Hall of Fame.” Send in your ballot Troy.

Newton still has to learn to throw the ball away and to stop trying to force passes into coverage. His mistakes resulting in turnovers have cost his Carolina Panther team in two close and hard fought losses. But his mistakes have been far over shadowed by the positive things he has accomplished in a very short N.F.L. career.

Is he next Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Joe Montana or Brett Favre? Time will tell. But in two games he’s already done something they never did and that in itself is amazing.

Like Cam Newton, we walk onto the field of faith when we receive the power of Christ.  We bring our skills to the game and watch God use us in ways we could never imagine.  The writer of 1 John sums it up this way:

 let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. 1 John 3:18-20 (MSG)

It may be a stretch to suggest that a N.F.L. quarterback might be compared to a disciple of Christ, but it does make for a good analogy for us out here in the trenches.  Play well.

Each year I eagerly await that first day of fall where I can actually smell football in the air – it’s the smell of fall, cleaner air, cooler temperatures.

I’ll never forget playing backyard football with some neighborhood friends where we lined up and chose teams.  Without fail there was always one kid among us who was picked first… the one with raw talent… the one that didn’t have to talk trash, because his abilities spoke for him.  I can honestly say that I usually wasn’t that kid.  I swam around in the average talent pool.  But on those days when the best kid on the field was on my team… I seemed to play better, and my intensity seemed to climb.

In professional sports, this person is known as a difference maker.  The Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Dr. J, Labron James of basketball.  The John Elway, Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Peyton Manning of Football.  The Manny Ramirez, Pete Rose, Babe Ruth, Greg Maddux of Baseball.

These players are the exception to the rule in the world of sports.  It takes special talent to rise to the professional ranks of sports, but there is an upper echelon, like those guys, that rise above the highest level and affect every player around them.  Without them in the game… the team loses it’s punch.

In our faith every day, we all stand shoulder to shoulder on the same team with all of our brothers and we’ve answered our call.  Christ has given us the requirements necessary to get in the game of faith, and when we say “yes” to Him, we agree to step on the field every day.  My question to you is… are you a difference maker?  Is your faith made of something more than ordinary?  Do you step into the game of life and people around you rise to the occaision to make things happen?

Every one that professes to believe in Jesus Christ as the risen saviour of mankind… is a differnce maker;  and that includes you.  Are you living up to that expectation?  When you step on the field, you are agreeing to play with intensity, passion, and concern for your teammates.  There is no option to stand on the sidelines out of fear, doubt, or low self-esteem.  If you believe in Christ as you say, then, you have the power of the Creator and the intensity of God Almighty in your life.

Get on the field.  Become a difference maker.  Live your life in a way that raises the standards, the abilities, and level of commitment for those around you.  It is your responsibility, not someone else’s.  Unlike football… the game of faith is played 24-7… not just on Sundays.

Like all good players, you have to perfect your art, sharpen your skills, and refine your talents.  Start a small group of guys if you don’t have one.  Pick up the Live Bold articles or devotionals as a conversation starter.  Prepare your life to elevate your game.  Get on the field today and make a difference in the lives of people around you.  Be counted among the disciples of Christ that play with intensity and leave nothing in the tank at the end of each day.

Pray for strength, cut out the lying and cheating.  Stop messing with darkness, evil, and addiction.  Shield your eyes from temptation, and don’t participate in the cutting and degrading speech against your brothers.  Be strong, be consistent, and be mindful that you breathe today because God gave you the breath of life.  Be a difference maker… you have the authority and the ability to do it.  Now get on the field today… your brothers need your intensity.

Jim Thome brought a big smile to my face this week when he hit his 600th home run.  The Minnesota Twins slugger is one of only eight major league baseball players to reach that impressive HR milestone. But the reason for my big smile is related more to my dad, than to Thome.

You see, Jim Thome is from Central Illinois where I grew up.  He went to Limestone High School in Bartonville, Illinois, which is a small town just outside Peoria, where I was born.

Nearly 20 years ago, when Jim Thome was just breaking into the big leagues, my Dad managed to get me a baseball autographed by this up-and-coming baseball star.

My father was a longtime operating engineer at a blacktop plant. He loaded dozens of trucks with asphalt each and every work day (during the summer at least).  One of the truck drivers he knew happened to be Jim Thome’s brother.

My Dad asked him if he’d mind getting brother Jim to sign a few baseballs for him. Brother Thome said it wouldn’t be a problem, and that’s how I came to be the proud owner of a Jim Thome autographed baseball.

My Dad gave one to each of us kids. That’s the kind of Dad he was.  Dad passed away about a year ago, so this week’s “Thome hits Number 600″ made me smile thinking about that ball, and my Dad.

My ball probably just went up in value a bit.  But that doesn’t matter.

The significance of the ball, to me at least, is that it symbolizes a father’s love for his children.  Sitting beside my Thome baseball on my living room cabinet is one more autographed baseball.  This one was signed by my childhood sports hero: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, Bob Gibson.

There’s a different story behind this ball.

Years ago, I happened to be visiting home during the summer when Gibson was making a promotional appearance at a Peoria Chiefs minor league baseball game.

I attended that game, standing in a long line for the chance to meet and get an autograph from the great Bob Gibson.

We’re talking my hero here. He was the guy I pretended to be when playing catch with my buddies. If somebody else claimed Gibson, then I’d be Lou Brock (another Cardinals star from that era),  but Gibson was my main man.

I thought before I met him that his autographed ball would always be the most important thing from that evening at the ballpark.

I was wrong.

What I cherish is the moment I met my hero. I shook Bob Gibson’s hand and through my nervous stammering I tried to tell him how much joy he brought my life, especially when me and my Dad would listen to Cardinal baseball games on late summer evenings, sitting together on the breezeway in lawn chairs.

Bob Gibson smiled. My hero.

Cherished childhood memories came flooding back as I shook my hero’s hand.  The Gibson baseball is on prominent display, along with my Thome ball.

It’s not these baseball collectibles that are important. It’s the stories and moments these balls represent.

In a similar way, faith in Christ is about stories and moments – it’s how He instructed us to spread the gospel.  The actions in our life represent how tightly we cling to His gift of eternal hope.  The stories we tell, explain His impact on us.

Thanks Jim Thome. Thanks Bob Gibson. Thanks Dad.  Thanks God.

The first official USA Today College Football Coaches Poll came out last week with the Oklahoma Sooners getting the early nod in the number one position. Alabama was rated number two followed by Oregon, L.S.U., Florida State, Stanford, Boise State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Wisconsin. It all makes for great banter and conversation which is one of the things that make college football the great game it is.

Ultimately though, poll voters can predict the future all they want, the eventual national champion will be the team that performs the best over the course of the season on the field. At least that’s the hope of the BCS whose formula for deciding the two teams that play for the national title has been the subject of great debate. Personally, for the most part, I think the BCS formula has worked. I do however have one primary complaint. I think the first college football poll should not come out until after the fifth week of the season.

The way the system is set up now Oklahoma, for example, as the number one team in preseason, will basically have to lose two games before they are eliminated from the national championship picture. Meanwhile, Penn State, the twenty-fifth rated team, has so far to climb in order to have a viable title game chance that one loss will completely doom their opportunity. Why not let all the teams play for five weeks and then have the first poll based on a more objective point of view and actual performance rather than speculation?

In other words let the actions of the teams determine their chances for a national title shot rather than talk of how good they should be or are supposed to be. The naysayers would claim that such a poll set up would take away from the excitement of the game. I would disagree.

Under this set up larger schools would have little choice but to eliminate early season cup cake games against lower division teams and would have to schedule more difficult opponents in order to be more impressive before the first poll comes out.

Instead of playing Kent State to open the season Alabama may opt to open against Ohio State. Oklahoma may choose to play Southern Cal instead of Tulsa. To me better more competitive games would create more excitement for fans overall, and a more accurate poll after five weeks would go a long way in assuring that the best two teams in America do indeed play for the national championship at season end.

We can sell the hype, buy into the hype, or debate the hype.  But until these pre-ranked favorites actually play the game, we won’t know if they are the real deal.  Faith is like this too.

As it is now Oklahoma is the number one football team in America and it’s all based on hype and talk and as we all know, talk is cheap. Or as my Mom has always said, “Actions speaks louder than words.”

One of my favorite sayings is, “Insanity is repeating the same behavior, time after time, expecting a different result.” Nowhere has this statement proven more accurate than in college football. Even the greatest of coaches have fallen prey to the belief that the way they’ve always done things is the only way to do them.

A perfect example is former Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer. His Florida team last year was expected to contend for both an S.E.C. and possible national championship. Instead, the Gators looked average or slightly above average all season in struggling their way to an 8-5 record. The results were so disappointing to Meyer that he actually became physically ill and eventually announced his resignation.

So what happened? What mistake did Meyer, arguably one of the best coaches in football, make? Easy answer. He didn’t recognize the need for change. He fell into the trap of believing his quarterback driven spread offense would work effectively regardless of who his signal caller was.

In Meyer’s defense one can see how it could easily happen. After all the same spread offense was the back bone of two national championships. But last year’s Gator quarterback John Brantley was and is a prototypical pro style quarterback, a drop back passer with a strong and accurate arm and very little running ability. That simply doesn’t fit the description of what a spread offense quarterback should be, which is fast and quick with the ability to read an option and a decent throwing arm.

It would not have been an easy decision for Meyer to abandon his favorite offensive scheme in order to match Brantley’s talents and skills better but it was a decision that should have been made. In retrospect Meyer certainly realizes it now. Unfortunately he didn’t realize it then. Or maybe he did but was afraid to make changes. Most people are.

It’s possible to get lost in the routine of doing things the way they’ve always been done, because it’s familiar.  Changing the way we’ve always lived to meet a new way of life can create fear.

As Meyer has proven, that fear can be quite costly.

My favorite sports movie of all time is “Rudy”, the story of a 5’5” 165 pound walk on at Notre Dame who inspired an entire football team with his leadership, persistence and determination.

Daniel “Rudy” Reuttiger was the last Notre Dame football player to be carried off the field by his fellow team mates following a game.  I remember the scene in the movie and it still remains one of the most emotional scenes I’ve ever witnessed.  An even better scene was the one when the the Notre Dame players turned in their team jerseys one by one in order to convince Head Coach Dan Devine to let Rudy dress for one game.

Now, here’s the kicker. It didn’t really happen that way. In real life it was actually Coach Devine who thought it would be a huge inspiration to the team to let Rudy dress, and therefore did so.

When I read this fact I was incredibly let down. How could such a wonderful movie moment about one of my real life heroes be the exact opposite of the way it was portrayed? I guess Hollywood wanted to add a little drama to an incredible story.  Regardless, it doesn’t take away from what Rudy accomplished. A young man with dyslexia, who studied constantly at Holy Cross Junior College in order to gain acceptance to  Notre Dame, where he had always dreamed of attending and playing football.

The day Rudy finally made the scout team as a walk-on, many of the Irish scholarshipped football players looked down their noses and perceived him as an attention seeking “wannabe”. To say the least Rudy had to overcome many difficult challenges in order to keep his place on the scout team…much less dress  for a varsity game.  However, Individual persistence and perseverance have  an amazing way of eventually being noticed by even the biggest critics and Rudy is certainly no exception.

By having faith that giving his all would be one day pay off  and doggedly pursuing his goals, Rudy proved that “what other people think about you” can’t keep you from reaching your dreams. He proved that hard work and doing things the right way are indeed rewarded, and he proved that the least talented person on a team or in a group can often set an example that not only inspires others with more talent to fulfill their potential but to work harder in an effort to exceed it.

What are you doing with the talent God has given you?  Using it at full capacity?  Making a difference? Are you reaching your potential in ways that honor God?  Or are you wasting your talent, complaining that life isn’t fair or even worse… using your talents with not even a nod toward God who gave it to you?

Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work. – Apostle Paul Colossians 3:23-34 (MSG)

It still amazes me to this day how one player can make so much difference to one team, but Rudy is one of the best examples I can recall, even if they did get the movie wrong.

If you checked out the U.S. Open this past weekend, you couldn’t help but focus one of the most talked about topics:  Age.  The guy who won it all…Rory McIlroy… is among the youngest to win the U.S Open throughout it’s long history.  It’s kind of funny that someone so young, so talented, so lively and confident could literally destroy a field or 150+ “professional” golfers in a record setting performance.

McIlroy is sure to be the next phenomenon of the golf world.  He’s talented, courteous, and he is a great role model for the game.  But, where should we really put the focus?  Is it the 16 under performance or the reaction when he tapped in the winning putt on the 18^th?  No…the focus should be on what McIlroy encountered after the fact: Graeme McDowell.  McDowell, a Veteran on the PGA tour and a decade older than McIlroy, cheered on young Rory on until the final putt. After the round was over, McDowell greeted Rory with a massive bear hug and told him how proud of him he was.  Of course, that wasn’t the first time they had spoken the entire week.  McDowell is a constant advocate of McIlroy and has given him several words of encouragement even before Rory stepped onto the PGA tour.  It’s that type of support that makes Rory McIlroy a great candidate for the next revolutionary golf figure in the sports world.  Support from mentors who respect him as a person, not a “youngster”.

 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:36-49

You have to wonder what the disciples were going through after Jesus’ death.  They had placed their whole trust in Him and had given up their lives to follow Jesus by simple faith.  What a glorious and relieving day it must have been for the disciples when Jesus returned to this earth to give them a big “bear hug” of encouragement.

You see, young people (like McIlroy and the Disciples) can have all the passion, liveliness, vigor, innovation, and desire in their hearts to do anything in this world, but without the love and support of the people who have been around the block a time or two, the ability to succeed is decreased dramatically.  It is the Graeme McDowells of the world that allow young people to thrive in their atmospheres, and it is Jesus who gives us the passion and desire to thrive for Him.

So, what are you doing today to allow a young person thrive in Jesus’ name?  Are you being a supportive figure like McDowell is to McIlroy, or are you sitting on the sidelines as the young guns climb past you while you struggle to keep them down or simply ignore them?

My Father, a football coach, must have placed a football in my baby bed the same day he and my Mom brought me home from the hospital. I say that because, I have been about the biggest football fan I know of, for as far back as I can remember, especially the college game. There’s something about the emotion of the players and fans that, in my opinion, make college football the greatest sport of them all.

The two primary things I’ve learned in watching college football for over 50 years is that the game truly does last for the full sixty minutes on the time clock and that momentum can completely switch from one team to the other on one critical play.  As the headline reads, “It ain’t over til it’s over.”

There are so many classic examples of this old saying that I would need this article to be in book form to present them all. But one game in particular stands out to me. And it wasn’t even a close game.  It was in the mid-seventies when undefeated U.S.C, coached by the all time great, John McKay, trailed Notre Dame 20-0 at the half. The Fighting Irish had so completely dominated the first half that the game was bordering on boring.  As the teams took the field for the second half the ABC Television sideline reporter cornered McKay and asked him what halftime adjustments he had made. McKay, stone faced and in all seriousness replied, “We made none. We decided we would run the second half kickoff back for a touchdown and win the game.”

Sure enough, Notre Dame kicked off to Anthony Davis, a future Heisman Trophy winning running back, who returned the kick 100 yards for a touchdown. The entire Trojan team went berserk on the sideline and McKay was seen grinning ear to ear while giving players high fives.  The momentum had immediately turned and the game took the biggest turn around I have ever witnessed as a football fan. That one play inspired U.S.C. to score 55 unanswered points and the Trojans won the game in a total blow out on their way to a National Championship.

I remember asking my Dad, “As a coach Dad, how can that happen?” He didn’t bat an eye before saying, “It’s simple. One team played like a champion for 30 minutes and then stopped playing. One team couldn’t do anything right for 30 minutes and then decided that they could still be champions if they simply started playing to their capability and finished the game.”

At the time I remember thinking, “It can’t be that simple.” Now, life has taught me different, in a very good way.  “It ain’t over…til it’s over.”

Endurance is where the winners live:

2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”  4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 15:2-6

Former Houston Oiler and New Orleans Saints Head Coach Bum Phillips once served on Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s staff at Texas A & M University.  It was there that Phillips perhaps described Bryant’s greatness as a coach better than anyone ever has when he simply said, “He can take his’n and beat yours and then he can take yours and beat his’n.”

It’s true that Coach Bryant’s biggest legacy was that he had the ability to get maximum effort out of his players.  When Alabama played Nebraska in the 1966 Sugar Bowl the Cornhuskers offensive and defensive linemen outweighed Alabama’s by over 35 pounds per man. The Crimson Tide beat Nebraska 34-7.  In 1970 Bryant took a team that had gone 6-5 the season before into the Los Angeles Coliseum to face the number one rated U.S.C. Trojans. Alabaama was a 21 point underdog and won 17-14.

Bryant had a certain magic. He could take players of less talent and defeat those with more talent.  How did he convince his players they could win against sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds?  There are many variables of course. But one of the biggest was his theory of “seven versus eight.”

This theory was the subject of the speech that Bryant gave to every incoming freshman class of recruits.  It was comprised of the following:

Bryant believed that football talent level could be rated on a scale of one to ten. He explained to his incoming players:

“Let’s say you have a talent level of seven and you’re opponent has a talent level of eight. Now suppose that in practicing for the game you work just a little bit harder than he does and give a little extra effort and pay attention to the little things that can make you a better football player. If you’re willing to do that then on game day, even though you have a talent level of seven you may actually play like an eight. Conversely, even though your opponent has a talent level of eight he may only play like a seven because he hasn’t worked to improve like you have. When that happens you can be the winner, you can become a champion, and I expect nothing less.” – Paul “Bear” Bryant

I never played for Bryant but I can attest that those incoming freshmen walked out of that speech believing every word he said.  A former High School team mate of mine had the privilege of playing for the “Bear.” I once asked him, “What is it about the man that makes him so good as a coach?”

He thought for a moment and said, “I think it’s like this. Most coaches can convince their players that if they work hard and follow their coaching and instructions that they have a chance to win every game they play. Coach Bryant has a way of convincing you that if you do as he say’s there’s absolutely no possibility that you can lose. He makes you work very hard and that hard work makes you confident beyond your actual ability, and you perform that way.”

The Philistine army had gathered for war against Israel. A Philistine giant measuring over nine feet tall and wearing full armor came out mocking and challenging the Israelites to fight. David, a young teenager, heard Goliath shouting his defiance and he saw the great fear stirred within the men of Israel. David stepped forward and volunteered to fight Goliath. Dressed in his simple tunic, carrying his shepherd’s staff, slingshot and a pouch full of stones, David approached Goliath. The giant cursed at him, hurling threats and insults. David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied … today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air … and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel … it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” As Goliath moved in for the kill, David reached into his bag and slung one of his stones at Goliath’s head. Finding a hole in the armor, the stone sank into the giant’s forehead and he fell face down on the ground. David then took Goliath’s sword, killed him and then cut off his head. – 1 Samuel 17

Towards the end of his career Bryant’s teams had much greater overall talent than his earlier squads. While those latter teams were very successful Bryant’s closest friends always said that he enjoyed coaching and motivating the earlier, less talented groups more.  Bryant may have come right out and admitted as much when he said, chuckling, shortly before his death, “I always enjoyed coaching players who weren’t very good but didn’t know it.”   He followed it up by saying in all seriousness, “Those are the guys who’ll pay the price and end up being winners, in football, and in life.”

Or the sevens that will work hard and become eights.  How are you doing with your faith?  Living like a “7″?  or Striving to be an “8″?

If you ask the top college football analysts and experts, “Who is the best college football coach in America?” the vast majority will name Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban. Most would talk about Saban’s outstanding won/loss record as a head coach and the fact that he rebuilt both the L.S.U. and Alabama football programs and won a National Championship at both schools just three years after his arrival on campus. They would rave about his ability to recruit outstanding athletes and would proclaim him as a brilliant game day strategist. Few however would talk about the Nick Saban “Process” which he consistently refers to as the key to not only he and his teams successes, but as the key to any individual or organization who hopes to achieve success.

See, “The Process”, from a media perspective, is boring news. It’s really a fairly simple philosophy, “Work to improve and be the best you can be, everyday”. Not exactly material for the lead story on tonight’s SportsCenter, but still, it’s Nick Saban’s focus every single day. I’ve watched approximately 150 Nick Saban press conferences since he became the head coach at Alabama. He is a sportswriter’s nightmare. He offers no monumental or fast breaking news or “scoop”.

He literally starts every press conference by saying the same thing, “I thank you guys for coming out. I think today at practice our players improved themselves as a team, as individuals, and as football players.” He will then add, “If we continue to work hard to make ourselves better fundamentally as players, students, people, and team mates then we have a chance to have success.”

I admit it. I, as a writer have sometimes thought, “C’mon Nick! Tell us something different!!!” But he doesn’t. He never varies.

If a sports writer asks about a great play made by a particular player during a game Saban will ultimately say, “Well he’s certainly a fine young man and he does the little things everyday that give him a chance to be a better player, student, and person. Today he had an opportunity to make a big play for us and was able to do so because of his preparation to make himself the best player he can possibly be.”

Conversely, if a writer asks a question about a player (Call him Bobby) who dropped five passes and fumbled three times in the same game Saban will never address the mistakes choosing rather to emphasize the potential for improvement.

He will say something like, “Well, in Football as in life, there are times when no matter how hard you prepare or how hard you try during a game things simply don’t go the way you would like them to. We try to emphasize to our players to focus on making themselves better every single day, not to dwell on successes and not to dwell on failures, but to simply try to improve daily. Bobby has done an outstanding job of following that process and he will be fine.”

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. – Apostle Paul  2 Timothy 4: 1-5

In both of the above scenarios Saban is basically saying, “We are a team. Some individuals will have better days than others on occasion, but as long as every individual is working to improve themselves on a daily basis, then ultimately the team will have success.”

As you’ve read this article you may have noticed something that is fairly obvious about the Nick Saban “Process.” It focuses on preparation and not results. As surprising as it may seem Saban does not emphasize winning. He doesn’t even use the word “win” in his emotional pre-game speeches.

He instead will get all fired up and yell, “You have worked your tails off! You have prepared for this game! Now FINISH! Go out there and give it every thing you have on every single play for sixty minutes!!”

Again, it goes right back to “The Process”. Maximum effort, one play at a time, one game at a time, one day at a time, and let the chips fall where they may.

Guess what? “The Process” has worked.

Saban has the most successful first four year record in the history of Alabama Football, including the tenure of the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant. That’s a pretty strong testimonial.

The difference between a life filled with hope, joy, peace, laughter, and a life filled with worry, anxiety, inferiority, or anger rests on one single principle.  I will never become tired of watching the eyes of a guy light up when he finally comes to understand the one task in life that hits the sweet spot.

I loved to play baseball as a kid.  I’ll never forget the first out of the park homerun that flew off the end of my bat.  I’ll never forget the moment.  Jesse was on the mound of the opposing team, and he was known to carry around a blistering fast ball… not to mention he had some “control” issues as well.  I stepped into the batters box and listened to the coach yell out his final word of encouragement, “nice and easy Greg… nice, smooth, easy, swing”.  Jesse began his windup and the ball left his hand and popped the catchers mitt in only a matter of seconds.  I stepped out of the box and started repeating the words of my coach… “easy and smooth, easy and smooth, easy and smooth”.  You see, I had a habit of swinging hard and out of control, I wanted the home run so bad I could taste it.

The second pitch came screaming toward the plate and my bat came around a little late… foul ball.  The count was now 0-2.  Something had to be done.  Jesse wound up the third pitch and sent it my way… right down the pipe.  My eyes caught the ball early as I torqued my bat and began my swing.  With one fluid motion, I effortlessly stepped into the pitch with what felt like a half-swing… and I heard the sound.  I must have made contact, but I wasn’t certain for a split second – I didn’t feel anything.  I looked up to catch the ball soaring into the night sky with no signs of slowing down.  I dropped the bat, eyes wide open, and jogged toward first as the ball easily cleared the right field fence.  Home Run!  The crowd went nuts and my heart was racing with joy!  You see… there were only 2 out of the park home runs hit that year in the 9-10 year old league.  It was a big deal!

A smooth, easy, effortless swing.  That’s what God is trying to show us in our daily life.  When we follow His teaching, His advice, His design, and we learn from Him, we hit it out of the park… effortlessly.  If you’ve swung a bat, a golf club, or hit a rock with a stick… you know when you nail the sweet spot.  You know when it’s right.

Just like our life in faith.  When we get it right… we know it.  Explaining it is difficult and some days, we find it a challenge to repeat the same swing… but we know when it’s right.  God has given us the gift of hope through His son Jesus Christ.  Following His teachings are the sweet spot that “knocks it out of the park”.  Why do we forget how to swing?  The coach isn’t changing his message.  Maybe we just start listening to the chatter of the competition?  Likely.

May your day begin with your coach telling you… “listen to my son – he died so you could do this”.  And may you follow through with a smooth swing and hit the sweet spot of faith today.

[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://www.livebold.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ga_thumb.png[/author_image] [author_info]Greg Arnold is publisher and founder of Live Bold as well as author of “DIRT: Uncovering Authentic Faith” and architect of the M3 Men’s Ministry framework.  Book Greg for your next men’s event!  You can read more about him or contact him on his bio page here on the site.

.[/author_info] [/author]

The people were gathered on tip-toe of expectation . . . wondering. . .” – Luke 3:15

The University of Colorado (my alma mater) was disappointed when their basketball team did not make the NCAA playoffs. They entered the NIT to try to prove the NCAA committee made a mistake.  They won the first three games in that second-rate tournament.

“Well, what did you expect,” said one of my friends. “Colorado was ranked number one and played all three games on its home court with an elevation over 5,300 feet…Of course, they won.”

He may be right.

Great achievements are the children of great expectations.

Had a Colorado team gone into the NIT expecting to lose, you know they would have fulfilled that expectation.

Failures are the children of low expectations.

A young man in our community was apprehended during a moral lapse. In discussing his arrest, one person observed, “Well, knowing the over-all circumstances of his life, what would you expect?”

What and who you are suggests and often determines the nature of our expectations, and our expectations frequently determine our achievements or our failures.

We are told that long ago there came a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my own dear son, with whom I am wlll Pleased” (Matt. 3:17).

Given such a testimoney what could you expect?

What are our expectations?

I confess that I’m more than a little caustic when a team captain credits God with guiding a last-second three-point shot into the basket.

“God has a great gig.” He gets credit for all of wins and is never blamed for any of the losses. After a team is eliminated from the NCAA tournament you will never hear a coach or a player suggest that God had a role in the loss.

On the other hand, I also believe that if God cares when a sparrow falls to the ground, surely God must be listening to the prayers of players and spectators and I confess that before I ran a marathon, I silently asked God to give me the strength to cross the finish line. Did God care whether I finished the race or not? Much as it contradicts all logical thought when thousands die in a Tsunami, I secretly believe God does offer spiritual strength for a physically challenging event.

There are some Christian athletes who unhesitatingly ask God to help their team win. They argue that Jesus promised that anything asked in his name will be granted. There are enough last-second hits, misses, catches and shots to make one believe that there was some divine intervention, but I still have problem with giving God the credit for these unlikely feats. Surely God doesn’t measure which little league team has sent up the most prayers and I doubt that God will give an extra nudge to a Christian Olympian competing against a Muslim athlete on the world stage.

I love sports and I know faith belongs in sports as it belongs in all aspects of life, but I also am confused about the role it plays apart from teaching competitors to care about their opponents and asking God to protect players from serious injuries.  What do you think, is God in the game?

[editor's note: We welcome our newest member to the writing staff - Rich Peck.]

I’ve never had a runner’s high. I’m told that it’s a feeling runners get when they’ve run long distances. They produce so many endorphins that they reach an emotional high and feel as if they can run forever without tiring. I’ve run hundreds of races, including a marathon, but I’ve never had a runner’s high. I’ve had sore knees, shin splints, and a variety of other runner ailments, but in every race I only experience exhaustion–never a runner’s high.

I’ve also never known a spiritual high. I’m told there are thousands of people who know God is speaking directly to them and, as John Wesley, they feel their hearts have been “strangely warmed.” I’ve made thousands of prayers, but I’ve never felt my heart strangely warmed. I’ve had sore knees, tired eyes from Scripture reading and I’ve known long silences, but I’ve only read and heard of others who report on personal experiences with the divine, never a personal spiritual high.

I know a runner’s high exists, I’ve heard too many stories about it not to believe.

I also know a spiritual high exists; I’ve read of hundreds of experiences and heard similar stories from friends and family.

The fact that I’ve had no such experiences may not mean that I am not as well trained as you; we just might cross the finish line together.

[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://www.livebold.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Rich-Peck.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Rich now serves as director of communications and editor of UM Men magazine for the General Commission on United Methodist Men. He has been named “alumnus of the year” by Iliff School of Theology, “communicator of the year” by United Methodist Association of Communicators, and the winner of 43 national awards is a member of the “United Methodist Communicators Hall of Fame”. Check out more on Rich at his bio pagehere at Live Bold.[/author_info] [/author]

LIVE BOLD would like to welcome out newest contributor to the writing team: Douglas Barton. Douglas will be offering insight into the world of sports and the world of finance as it relates to being a man of faith. We welcome Douglas and look forward to offering you another viewpoint form a man who desires to live his faith.. BOLD. – Greg

The December 15 cover of Sports Illustrated features Florida Gator QB Tim Tebow after he rallied the Gators past Alabama with two fourth quarter touchdowns to win the SEC Championship and gain a berth in the BCS title game. In that game as throughout his 3-year career Tim wore Phil 4:13 on his eye black patches. The reference is to Paul’s letter to the Philippians. The NIV version says “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” What power-laden words. What an even more powerful message on a guy who has already won a national championship as a freshman, became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy and now will be playing for his second national title. In today’s world I wonder how the message plays to the masses?

As a proud Virginia Tech Hokie graduate I get a second-straight trip to the Orange Bowl so I’ve got no dog in the hunt at the BCS title game. Two things have me pulling for Tebow. Wearing his Faith, literally, on college football’s biggest stage. And second… I like outta the norm offenses. Urban Meyer plugged in Tebow as a throw-back single-wing QB in their spread offense. Same thing Army did when they dominated in the early 1940′s. In football, innovation is dredging up something that’s been done but fallen out of flavor.

I came to know Philippians 4:13 in the early 90s when a mentor gave me a copy of Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking. It is without a doubt one of the best books ever written. Phil 4:13 has been one of the belief pillars of my Faith. It has carried me through a lot of crunch times. I’ve stuck it on a card in my wallet to carry it with me at all times. In 2002, during the height of the 2001-02 bear market I made a career leap to financial planning from public relations. Phil 4:13 and a bunch of sweat equity carried me. The verse has also been a common thread for my wife and I. As I look back through life’s journey the practice of ‘the deeper the problem, the deeper the prayer’ and Phil 4:13 have always led the way.

Seeing Tim wear Phil 4:13 does my heart good. The son of missionaries, he spent last summer on a whirlwind tour of third-world countries. Even though I don’t particularly care for the Florida Gators, Tim is a story that makes you say “yeah!” When he goes to the NFL next year it will be interesting to see how he will continue his faith message. On-field signage on uniforms and players is deeply guarded by the NFL league office. I hope he finds a way.

In the meantime I wish Tim Tebow well against the Sooners. Oklahoma has the highest scoring offense in the history of major college football. The Gators answered every challenge in the rugged SEC. Should be an awesome game.

I hope Tim gets to glare his eye black in the spotlight one more time.

- Douglas