Fundie Christianity and the NFL: Kurt Warner (Rams)

[ikojo]

Kurt Warner is whining again. He was injured during last year's football season so the coach used Matt Bolger as the quarterback. Matt did well and the Rams won. This year Matt was used a lot again. The Rams won games he threw in. They didn't always do as well when Kurt Warner played this year. (FYI: Kurt Warner became the starting quarterback due to injuries suffered by Trent Green--I think that was his name)

Well, it seems Mr Fundie Christian of the Rams, Kurt Warner, was whining at some Baptist convention that the reason he was benched this year was due to his faith. According to the St Louis news he said he was told he was reading his bible too much and not concentrating on the plays. He then said it was fine as long as they were winning but once the winning stopped the organization starting getting on him for his faith.

What is it about American professional sports that attract fundie Christians? There is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and it seems many baseball players are part of the group.

I grew tired of Kurt Warner shoving his religion down our throats in St Louis when the Rams last went to the Super Bowl. He claimed that they were going to win because he had prayed about it.

Oy vey! Like the diety has nothing better to do than ref a FOOTBALL game!

[JohnKleeb]

1. I hate it when people say they are discriminated against because they are

Christian. I am not a Rams fan but it seems to me that Kurt was benched because of how he was playing not his faith. I personally and I am Christian though not devout have seen people discriminated against because of their faith, Ive seen Christians discriminated against but not because of their faith, for other reasons but not faith. To Kurt :eyes: dude Bulger is better than you, thats why hes QB and you arent. I dont understand why our sports attract fundies. What baseball players are in the FCA? I know my school's FCA head, and hes a good guy, doesnt seem to be a fundie or a wingnut.

[camero]

2. Don't worry about Kurt

Too many concussions. :)

[davsand]

5. Too many concussions is right!

Warner has had "multiple" concussions and THAT is part of the reason he rode the bench.

Take a gander at this article:

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/030907/6/ul4f.html

Rams quarterback Kurt Warner had concussion in loss to Giants
By DAVE GOLDBERG

September 07, 2003
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner suffered a concussion in the Rams' 23-13 loss to the New York Giants Sunday and was to be hospitalized overnight.

Coach Mike Martz said Warner would return to St. Louis on Monday.

Martz said the injury may have occurred in the first quarter when Warner was sacked in the end zone and fumbled, with the ball recovered for a touchdown by the Giants...

"He didn't seem the same after that," Martz said. "A lot of times he didn't seem to understand the plays we were calling from the sidelines."

snip...

Martz said Warner has had previous concussions, but wasn't sure how many.

They COULD have cut him loose--but they didn't. I hate to see him pull crap like this on the Rams--they've been pretty good to him.

Laura

edited for spelling

[KamaAina]

3. Warner has lent his name to a line of Bible toys

that I've seen hawked on Christian TV, right alongside the overpriced "Making Healthy Choices" dreck endorsed by a Dr. Rodrigo Rodriguez who has a clinic in Tijuana!

There are probably enough fundies in sports to make up an all-fundie "Crusaders" team :puke: Besides Warner, you have:

former NFL lineman Reggie White (Eagles, Packers, and yes, Panthers). Notorious for a speech to the Wisconsin Legislature in which he described homosexuality as "rampant" and then went on to stereotype "Hispanics (who) can fit 10, 20 people in a house... Orientals (sic) who can turn a TV into a watch..."

Astros pitcher Andy Pettitte, who is said to have left his longtime team the Yankees because there simply weren't enough fundies in NY.

Former Spurs great David Robinson is kind of right on the borderline of being a fundie; he founded a Christian "victory academy" in San Antonio.

Once and future R*dsk*ns coach Joe Gibbs is definitely in the mix. In the words of the immortal Hunter S. Thompson, "Any team with both God and Nixon on its side was fscked from the start." And to think, he owns Tony Stewart's NASCAR ride!

In the college ranks, football coaches Bobby Bowden (Fla. State) and Philip Fulmer (Tennessee) both tried to force their players into prayer (duh, both institutions are state schools).

Doubtless this is just the tip of the iceberg. Remember, there are enough of them out there to support their own books, music, movies, TV networks, and much else. :scared: Part of it may be that fundie athletes are more visible than the millions of fundies who have no doubt infiltrated other walks of life.

[SaveElmer]

4. In defense of Gibbs

I am most definitely NOT a Redskins fan...so this defense of Gibbs is not based any good feelings about the skins. In fact, aside from the Vikings winning, nothing makes me happier than a Redskins loss....but I have lived in the DC metro area for 23 years, and I can say that although it is well known that Gibbs is an evangelical Chritian, he rarely talks about it in public, and when he does it is usually in relation to the home he funds for extremely troubled youth. He has brought together people as widely divergent in their political views as Ollie North (ugh) and Don Beyer (formerly liberal Lt. Governor of Virginia, and current Dean (?) chairman in Virginia) to support the home.

So I definitely would not lump Gibbs in with Warner and especially Reggie White.

[MrSlayer]

6. Warner is shot, it's over.

He is scared to death in the pocket anymore and has zero arm strength. One touch to his head puts him out. He had two of the greatest seasons ever at QB but it's over now. Back to the grocery store. I hate all that christian religious bullshit, just once I'd like to see a guy score a touchdown and point down to Satan.

[Dees]

7. It's Marc Bulger. Long time Rams fan here.

My wife moved me to Maryland from St. Louis last summer. Next year I'll have NFL Sunday Ticket for sure. I just haven't made the transition to Redskins or Ravens football. Anyway, the benching of Warner was due to poor performance by Warner. I don't think he was totally truthful to Martz about the extent of his injuries. It was personal with Martz. Brenda Warner didn't help the situation either. What a mouth. Rams fans are used to Warner's religious rants and public testimonials. Kurt would be the first to say he was benched because God has a reason for everything. I think Warner's best days are behind him. Unfortunately, Bulger ain't the answer either. Personally I wish Warner was a little more private with his religion.
God doesn't choose up.

[Ladyhawk]

8. I love giving this link to "persecuted" Christians

Life in Our Anti-Christian America

[LynneSin]

9. God is getting revenge for Warner insisting "God is on our (the Rams) Side

Geez I remember that year when he won the Super Bowl. He would win the game and be praizin' the Lord and alleluing about how God was on his side.

Personally, I think God has no favorites in the NFL. You had your 15 minutes of fame in the NFL - go retire and take up the tele-evanglist circuit so us real football fans don't have to put up with your baloney.

Signed

A Christian AND an Eagles fan!!

[SaintLouisBlues]

10. Saint Louis is His favorite team.

God asked Homer Simpson whether St. Louis still had a team. Homer: "No, they moved to Phoenix", to which a disappointed God replies "Oh yeah".

[Fuzz]

11. They thank God when they win, and blame the heathens when

they lose.

Nothing new.

[Hokie]

12. Didn't Warner fumble an UNGODLY number of times?

I suspect that had more to do with him being benched than his choice of reading materials. Christians just live to be martyrs I suppose.

[Eroshan]

13. It is called TBI

Traumatic Brain Injury