The Rockies Get Off Their Knees (Barf)

The Nation ^ | 10/23/07 | Dave Zirin

[DaveyB]

The Rockies Get Off Their Knees

[posted online on October 23, 2007]

Twenty-one wins in twenty-two games. An improbable run to the World Series. One of the hottest streaks to end a season in the history of the game. And not two pitchers the average fan could even name. Ladies and gents, your Colorado Rockies: a team performing what even an atheist could call a baseball miracle. And "miracle" is an appropriate term for a team that riled the baseball world last year by claiming that filling the dugout with Christian players would grease the skids to greatness.

Last year the Rockies went public with the news that the organization was looking for players with "character." And according to team management, "character" means players who have chosen Jesus as their personal Lord and manager. "We're nervous, to be honest with you," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said at the time. "It's the first time we ever talked about these issues publicly. The last thing we want to do is offend anyone because of our beliefs."

Rockies chairman and CEO Charlie Monfort took it further, saying, "I think character-wise we're stronger than anyone in baseball. Christians, and what they've endured, are some of the strongest people in baseball. I believe God sends signs, and we're seeing those." The team took some heat for its statements, especially when former players spoke of having their lockers searched for dirty magazines and feeling pressure that you had to be down with the God Squad to feel part of the team. It also raised the question of whether the team was discriminating against non-Christian players--would Jewish icon Shawn Green be welcome? What about just straight-up heathens?

But as the team makes its miracle run to the series against the Boston Red Sox this year, the Rockies are playing down their holier-than-thou image.

"Do we like players with character? There is absolutely no doubt about that," O'Dowd said in the New York Times today. "If people want to interpret character as a religious-based issue because it appears many times in the Bible, that's their decision. I believe that character is an innate part of developing an organization, and to me, it is nothing more than doing the right thing at the right time when nobody's looking. Nothing more complicated than that. You don't have to be a Christian to make that decision." "There are guys who are religious, sure, but they don't impress it upon anybody," Jewish pitcher Jason Hirsh also stepped forward to say. "It's not like they hung a cross in my locker or anything. They've accepted me for who I am and what I believe in." (That could be a great pitch for recruiting free agents: "They won't hang a cross in your locker!")

Have the Rockies really turned over a tolerant new leaf--as the Times report suggested--or is this merely the sin of spin? Relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt said, "When you have as many people who believe in God as we do, it creates a humbleness about what we do. I don't see arrogance here, I see confidence. We're all very humbled about where this franchise has been and where it is now, and we know that what's happening now is a very special thing."

Humility and confidence are fine--indeed, novel--traits in an athlete. But the troubling part of that statement is the assumption that Christianity by definition brings character to the table. Maybe it's because I live in Washington, DC, a town full of politicians who blithely invade other countries with other people's children and deny healthcare to millions of kids and say they are guided by God. Maybe it's because I find a team using a publicly funded stadium as a platform for an event originally dubbed "Christian Family Day" exclusionary and a gross misuse of tax dollars. (Later, the events were renamed "Faith Day" to sound more inclusive.)

But for those of us who believe that freedom of religion also should mean freedom from religion at the ballpark, it doesn't matter if you call it Buddha-Jesus-Jewish-Vishnu-Islamic-Wicca Awareness Day. We just want to go to the ballpark without feeling like we're covertly funding Focus on the Family's gay-retraining programs. Religion and sports: it's a marriage in desperate need of a divorce.

That's why it was hard not to feel a tiny taste of supernatural satisfaction upon learning Tuesday that the team website crashed following what Rockies officials called "an external, malicious attack." The team's efforts to sell all its World Series tickets online was unprecedented and seen by many diehard Rockies fans as a way to sell tickets to out-of-town corporate entities and shut out the locals waiting in line for days to buy them in person. Unless your lord is Michael Milken, gouging home-town supporters doesn't seem very Christian at all.

So who could be the perpetrator of this "external and malicious" attack on the Rockies website? Was it God, punishing the team for squeezing the common fan? The Devil, trying to derail their grace-driven run? Some Red Sox Nation hacker getting his jollies? Whatever, it was hard not to smile at the biblical significance for one of baseball's most sanctimonious teams. They could throw the money-changers out of our sporting temples, but that would leave the owner's boxes empty. And we can't have that.

[DaveyB]

Just another tolerant atheist or is that anti-Christian?

[goldstategop]

Liberals hate Christianity and they're envious of the Colorado Rockies' success. They look on us in here in Colorado as a bunch of gum chewin' gun rack drivin' hicks.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[BOBTHENAILER]

Maybe it's because I live in Washington, DC, a town full of politicians who blithely invade other countries with other people's children and deny healthcare to millions of kids and say they are guided by God.

This guy has NO AGENDA at all, does he?

Needs a Colorado ping.

[mpreston]

Fortunately we have the other bookend for this discussion -

Darrent Williams of the Denver Broncos and Kenyon Martin of the Denver Nuggets

Maybe the Broncos and Nuggets need to clean house.

[rhombus]

Atheist baiting?

[Resolute Conservative]

I stopped following baseball years ago because of many things, not enough red-blooded American boys playing Americas game, tickets prices, salaries, off field antics etc... This story was relayed to me by our pastor in a sermon.

I may have to watch the Rockies and most assuredly wish them well.

[RockinRight]

Humility and confidence are fine--indeed, novel--traits in an athlete. But the troubling part of that statement is the assumption that Christianity by definition brings character to the table. Maybe it's because I live in Washington, DC, a town full of politicians who blithely invade other countries with other people's children and deny healthcare to millions of kids and say they are guided by God. Maybe it's because I find a team using a publicly funded stadium as a platform for an event originally dubbed "Christian Family Day" exclusionary and a gross misuse of tax dollars. (Later, the events were renamed "Faith Day" to sound more inclusive.)

Yup...there it is. The Barf-o-rama.

[Mr. Mojo]

Maybe it's because I find a team using a publicly funded stadium as a platform for an event originally dubbed "Christian Family Day" exclusionary and a gross misuse of tax dollars.

I wonder if this author has objected on the same grounds to the countless "Gay Day" events at various sports stadiums across the country. I suspect not.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Oh, it’s from “The Nation.” Not worth lining the birdcage with.

GO ROCKIES! from a lifelong, died-in-the-wool Cardinals fan.

[JohnnyZ]

The Red Sox have a prayer group / Bible study thing too.

[Melinda]

The Nation - The author is either from a broken family, gay, or is another kind of “victim” of things not his fault, but certainly someone else’s, right? So someone else must pay for just being happy and successful, a happiness the author doesn’t enjoy unless he is belittling others. Like this writer, those who get satisfaction from a good tear-down are really just children in need of attention.

[KC_Conspirator]

Another hate filled leftist piece of filth.

[Walkingfeather]

Not that there’s anything wrong with that....

[MarineBrat]

Jewish pitcher Jason Hirsh also stepped forward to say. "It's not like they hung a cross in my locker or anything. They've accepted me for who I am and what I believe in." (That could be a great pitch for recruiting free agents: "They won't hang a cross in your locker!")

Funny how I thought the "great pitch for recruiting free agents" was going to be "They've accepted me for who I am and what I believe in" and yet somehow it wasn't.

The author is disgusting with his blatant hatred towards Christians.

[CholeraJoe]

In a much more popular sport in the world, Arsenal beat Slavia Prague 7-nil in the Champions league yesterday. Go Gunners!

[mickey finn]

GO SOX!

[Alberta's Child]

Interesting story . . . I forgot this whole aspect of the Rockies team.

I suspect team sports have a disproportionately high participation among religious people -- mainly because success in this type of endeavor require certain qualities that are highly valued by most religions (perseverence, humility, charity, etc.).

While we're on the subject, I'll post a picture of one of the best "religious character" players in modern sports . . . former New York Giants tight end Mark Bavaro (after scoring a touchdown he would genuflect, cross himself, and hand the ball to the nearest official).

[darkangel82]

I saw the highlights of that on ESPN.

[Jeff Chandler]

politicians who blithely invade other countries with other people's children

An Army of children? Children of a Lesser Corn? What is he talking about?

[BOBTHENAILER]

An Army of children? Children of a Lesser Corn? What is he talking about?

Anti Christian and especially anti-Bush rant. What a worthless POS this author is.