Posted on 02/06/2004 3:58:15 AM PST by RJCogburn
Kurt Warner angered Rams coach Mike Martz when he said on Super Bowl Sunday that religious beliefs might have contributed to his benching last season.
The two-time NFL MVP apologized Thursday, saying the speech was almost totally about the power of positive thinking. Warner's agent said the remarks were taken out of context.
``It was my intention to give an inspirational message about keeping the faith and fighting through adversity,'' Warner said in a statement. ``I simply wanted to encourage people to stay true to themselves in good times and bad.
``I regret any controversy this has created. My intentions were to send a positive and uplifting message.''
Warner was quoted in a story on the Web site www.baptistpress.com as saying ``I actually had coaches say I was reading the Bible too much and it was taking away from my play. It was OK when we were winning, but now I was (messing) this thing up? People were saying I had lost my job because of my faith.''
Martz was stunned by Warner's comments. The Rams offer separate Bible study groups for players, couples, wives and coaches.
``That's so far off the wall, it's incomprehensible,'' Martz told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ``I can't imagine Kurt saying that. Nothing could be further from the truth. If he said that, it's a bald-faced lie. I'm just tired of dealing with this type of behavior.''
Warner also mentioned religion in a recent interview with Sporting News Radio. Then, he said ``off-the-field stuff'' had been a factor in his benching after the season opener, a 23-13 loss to the Giants. Warner fumbled six times in that game while under the effects of a mild concussion, and Marc Bulger started at quarterback the rest of the season.
The Rams were 12-4, losing in the second round of the playoffs to the Carolina Panthers.
Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said the story doesn't come close to Warner's message in the speech.
``It's been blown so far out of proportion that it's almost comical at this point,'' Bartelstein said Thursday. ``It's just unfortunate that everything he does just seems to be a lightning rod.
``It's not right. He's such a good guy.''
Some of what Warner had to say in his speech backed that up.
``You want to say, 'God, how could you allow this to happen?' I thought I was over the fact of being a backup,'' Warner said. ``It was such a shock, but God has allowed me to use this greater platform for him.
``If you can stand up for your faith when you're on top, you can stand up for it now that you're at the bottom.''
Martz does not believe Warner's comments about Rams coaches are part of a plan to force the team to trade him.
``We're not trading him,'' Martz said. ``I can't foresee any circumstance where we would trade Kurt Warner, and he needs to understand that.''
In his statement Thursday, Warner made it clear he wants to be back with the Rams.
``I apologize that I made any mention of my relationship with my coaches in a public platform,'' Warner said. ``In no way, shape or form do I feel I lost my starting job because of my faith.
Warner also said he was ``excited about getting back to work.''
In the sports world, doesn't that usually mean he'd better start packing his bags?
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