Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports team (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports team.
Proverbs 18:22
He who
finds a wife, finds what is good
and
receives favor from the Lord (NIV)
A wife is truly a gift from God. There was a time back when
I was dating my wife back when she could first be considered a “serious
girlfriend”. She knew me well enough to
know that I was a huge New York Yankee and New York Jet fan. But she did not
know I was living persona of a fanatic fan. Although, born and raised in
Brooklyn, New York I have lived most of my adult life in Pennsylvania. The
problem with that is there is never a guarantee I would be able to watch a New
York Jet game on Sunday. (This was years before the NFL packages and I probably
could not have afforded it in those days anyway.) So I often resigned myself to
listening to games on the radio. For one particular game against the Washington
Redskins I was having a problem with reception. My wonderful girlfriend
suggested we take a ride up the turnpike and get off at the first exit in New
Jersey and find a place showing the game. I knew right then and there I was
going to marry this woman. We found some dive bar that had the game on. I was
just in time to watch the end of the game and see a painstaking final drive by
the Redskins, in which Ray Mickens was called for numerous pass interference
calls. Anyone who had ever seen me watch a New York Jet game would not have
been surprised by my reaction. Unfortunately, this was the first time for my
girlfriend. With each agonizing play I screamed and yelled repeatedly at the
television screen (which I was standing directly in front off). I yelled at
Mickens and called him all sorts of names. I yelled at the Jet’s defense. I
screamed for them to blitz. I screamed at the top of my lungs. I then looked at
my girlfriend and she looked horrified. She also looked utterly embarrassed.
The car ride back was very quiet. I was quiet because the New York Jets lost.
She was quiet because she realized the man she loved was insane. Praise Jesus
she did not leave me. She has come to expect and be amused by my crazed
enthusiasm for my teams. To be totally honest I have found “what is good”.
However, there have been far too many times that I have basically ignored her
because my teams were playing. I have looked annoyed when she has tried to talk
to me during their games. That is unacceptable. God has given me a gift I
should cherish. She is a gift far more important than any sports team. She is a
wife that should never feel like she is second to Derek Jeter (although deep
down I think she likes him too). So whether it is your wife or your kids, they
should always come before sports. The best way to remember that is to remember
the God that gave them to you.
The New York Yankees just took two out of three from the
Oakland A’s. There was a time when this
late in the season they would not have needed to take two out of three from the
A’s (think ‘90’s). These however, are not those New York Yankees, so I will
take the time out to say “Good Job” This A’s team swept the New York Yankees
earlier this year and I was not sure they wouldn’t do it again. But they won
the series, and Giradi finally put Ichiro in the two hole and moved Swisher
down in the order. So “Good Job” to him as well. Just a note don’t be surprised
to see Joba Chamberland become the 8th inning set up man in the
playoffs. David Robertson is struggling down the stretch. It happened to Phil
Hughes in the playoffs the year before he won 17 games. Joba may not be what he
was back in when we had the “Joba rules”. But he has the heart of a closer.
The New York Jets won today. It was a game they should have
won. It was a game they should have won easily. But the New York Jets never
easily beat the Miami Dolphins. What is
most important is, this is a game the New York Jets would normally lose. I
remember feeling that way a lot since Rex Ryan took over. It has never been pretty with Rex, but his
teams seem to win. Last year of course they choked at the end of the year, but
even before that, they won games they would have previously lost. I still wish
they had run the ball more. The truth is, previously if Mark Sanchez throws the
ball over forty times we lose. If the opposing team runs the ball over 40
times, not only do we lose, but I spend the entire night wishing we had run it
forty times. Just a note, the defense played very well, but Mike Francesa of
sports radio 66WFAN has a point; “ Great defenses can make a stop when they
need to”. After the New York Jets went up 20-17 with 3:01 to go the defense let
the rookie quarterback march up the field. make completions on third down and
tie the game. That too is something I
have seen a lot since Rex Ryan took off.
Now that I got that off my chest it is time for a devotional
and prayer before bed.
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