Editor ’ s Notes
2 • The New Wine Press • February 2017
Sport as Religion or Religion as Sport ? by Fr . Richard Bayuk , c . pp . s ., Publications Editor
“ If a man watches three football games in a row , he should be declared legally dead .” -Erma Bombeck
These past months have been long and difficult . Lots of emotion on all sides ; huge crowds gathering to cheer and chant ; people holding signs and wearing caps and shirts ; arguments and disagreements ; families split down the middle . No , not the election . I ’ m talking about the just ended football season ( baseball applies here as well ). So I write herewith something a little lighter this month .
I recently received an unsolicited email from a company that sells church goods and religious articles advertising a “ Sports Rosary .” It ’ s a bracelet with beads , several of which are small footballs , baseballs , basketballs or whichever ball your favorite sport uses . ( You might also want to check out the so-called Jesus Sports Statues .) The accompanying advertisement states , “ Our new Sports Rosary Bracelets are a great way to get teens , and even younger kids , interested in saying the rosary every day . Now they can combine their love for Jesus with their passion for sports ! These rosary bracelets make it easy to teach all children that Jesus is with us continuously ; all we need to do is pray . Each bracelet is crafted using strong nylon cord , durable moulded beads and is adjustable to fit kids and teens of all ages .”
My first reaction to this was , why are they marketing this only to young people ? The real fans and the really big spenders are adults . I won ’ t be watching the Super Bowl this year ( I only do so when the Green Bay Packers are playing ), but millions of others around the world will . Some will be there in person at nrg Stadium in Houston ( as I write this I see there are still tickets available , ranging from $ 4194 to $ 16674 each ). Most of the spectators in the stadium will be wearing ( rather expensive ) team-related clothing . I ’ m willing to bet that if the aforementioned company would be there selling their Sports Rosary adorned with tiny footballs bearing the insignias of the Falcons or the Patriots , they could laugh all the way to the bank .
A definition of “ religion ” according to Webster is “ an organized system of beliefs , ceremonies , and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods .” Brandon Anderson , in an online article on the website The Cauldron , asks his readers to consider their favorite sport : “ Is the sport organized ? Are there rules in place , and penalties for not following the rules ? Are there ceremonies when people congregate together to play the sport ? Does the team make you believe , hope in something bigger ? Do the men and women playing often seem larger than life , like deities on the field ?” Yes , yes , yes , yes , and yes .
Anderson goes on to point out the shared vocabulary of religion and sports , e . g ., such as faith , devotion , ritual , dedication , sacrifice , commitment , and celebration , to name just a few . He writes : “ Sports encourage passionate , devoted fans . We go to the game decked out in face paint and jerseys and costume , and continued on page 11