“Sports is a Lie!”
I seem to recall a stunned silence when those words were first uttered, at a lunch gathering in Midland, Michigan, years ago. With Asian fusion mouth-fulls, we all just looked at one another. It was our Yogi Berra moment.
The backstory is a father recounting his hours and miles sacrificed for a traveling baseball team in search of glory. He was tired, and privy to much futility. Like an archer hitting the mark, or a last second three pointer to win the game, Greg Garl nailed it. Within our Bible study group, his words, that day, have reached the hall of fame of sayings. He, like they, live in infamy.
“Sports is a lie!” may not have reached the mountain top of grammatical correctness, but the plurality of the noun and the singular verb are absolutely necessary. All sports are acts of idolatrous worship, and collectively, they constitute a religion to a false god, Nike (goddess of victory).
Truth is stunning. It is like an elusive running back, seaming his way through tackle after tackle, each appearing to ruin the run. Liberated from the line of deceit’s defense, truth leaves lie after lie, dumbfounded in the dust. Each sporting lie is like carnage in the jungle of trophy hunters. The evidence to support this very unpopular claim, however, is legion. Simply put, Greg is right.
Urban “Liar” Meyer is a case study and hardly a legend (contrast: Chicago Black Sox). Larry Nassar, destroyer of USA Gymnastics, was a major player, until he was found way out of bounds. Whether common or wickedly notorious, the norm for too many, today, is to come out smelling like Pete Rose. Sport has its glorious goddess, victory, and each player is a priest in the act of worship. Each player/priest offers up a sacrifice, in order to wear the crown of Nike, who suffers when everyone gets a trophy. The fewer the number of retired jerseys, the more exclusive the hall of fame, which heightens the exaltation of those who have achieved honor and accolades.
Sport is a picture of religion, albeit false, which informs and educates. It is a shadow of the truth, being rightly resigned to the darkness. Like the orders of worship on a religious calendar, the “big game” is sacred to the faithful. Colors are important to religion, too, Go Green! Go Blue!…so are mantras, “Go Cougs!” and of course, “fight songs” of praise and worship.
A fan (short for “fanatic”) has lost his mind, actually believing the lie, “We’re number one!” The biggest fan is the great high priest, “Coach.” His vicarious role earns him the right to a bronze statue of himself, in front of the temple of worship (Greek: stadium). If he was really faithful, his iconic image may go up while he is yet alive. If he has become personified deity, he may still be coaching! This, in religious terms, is, “incarnation (god becoming man in the flesh),” which is a Latin term, translated, “Nick Saban.”
The worship of idols ultimately fails, because victory is actually a demon, who loves to enslave her worshipers, trapped in dark rites and rituals (a.k.a “night games”). She promises salvation every season, but even when she delivers, and a memorial is built, “The ’69 Mets,” there is no lasting satisfaction. No team has ever won the World Cup, the World Series, or the Super Bowl, and declared, “We are the eternal victors, and there is no reason for us to continue to compete, therefore, we have built our memorial to ourselves and ceased operations.” No, demons are never satisfied; therefore, demon worshipers never rest. As the Detroit Lions fan is accustomed to saying, “Well, there is always next year!”
Now, let us consider true worship of the one true God, while maintaining our sport motif. Our God is actually a team of three Players, who operate as one unit. God is one (essence) in three Persons. Each Player has a different function on the Team, and each performs unique works to secure victory. Victorious is our God!
The Apostle Paul, wrote in reflection of Caesar’s flower laden victory parades, after his blood sport, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place (2 Cor 2:14).” The prophet Isaiah, more than seven hundred years before Paul, saw the same game, “And it will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them (Is 19:20).”
The victors valiant, that is, believers in Jesus, are identified by the apostle John, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1 Jn 5:4–5).”
The battle belongs to our dread Champion (Jer 20:11), the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Sam 17:47), mighty in battle, and who does not deliver by the sword or the spear. With the breath of His mouth (Ps 33:6), by which He created the heavenly host, He slays the wicked (Is 11:4), especially, the man of lawlessness (Anti-Christ — 2 Thess 2:8) at His Second Coming (also known as His “comeback” win).
Whether we speak of MMA fighting, football, archery, baseball, hunting, basketball or any other sport recognized by man, we must acknowledge that the religion of sport is a lie. It may serve as a foil or illustration, but as with other idol pursuits of men, it fails to secure the ultimate win. Christ Jesus, alone, has that claim and fame, for He is the Leader and Best, the Champion of the rest. Hail Him!
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
November 20, 2021
