Nothing new here...
Pro sports has always pandered to the pop culture idiom of the moment. Although I believe the Evangelicals warrant a steady monitor, they are at this moment riding the "Christain wave" that has gripped common culture, low and be hold at the market place also. So everyone is for Christ and if we can turn a few bucks, or win a few more games...hey, there's no sin in that! (But I sure wish they financed their own stadiums, with or with out God)

If there is ANYTHING I LOATHE more than Evangelical, Rature-Ready Fun-de-mental-jism (sic), I'll be buggered with a barbed wire butt-plug! Smarmy, uptight, fascist, sexually repressed, hypocritical, bunch of sanctimonious butt-fuckers, DIE DIE DIE. My God doesn't murder 250,000 civilians in Iraq, my God does not use fuckin' Depleted Uranium armaments that will kill millions by cancer in the years to come, my God doesn't turn young volunteers into murderers that also will die in their thousands on return to der faterland through D.U. Forget Agent Orange, D.U. will make A.O. seem like a common cold. "You preach to me, I'll think for you."

I bet the Scientologists are sorry they went with actors and musicians instead of athletes.

Merc is right--there's nothing new here, but more than that, there's something ancient. The movement used to be called 'Muscular Christianity'--didn't you ever wonder why the YMCA runs gymnasiums?

Not sure what to make of the thing about tax-financed stadiums, though. Are we suggesting that players lose their right to association at the locker room door?

Diane where is your tolerance? If these men can touch their inner self and become better citizens why should you care. What do you have to offer them? This is not an issue of church state seperation and if the owners allow such they OWN the team.

Organized religion ... come on in ... leave rational thinking at the door.

Honestly, this is a big issue. I was the only athlete in my school that was not a member of FCA. As a result I had to fight tooth & nail for starting positions & even play time, not to mention the social stigma I faced as being "agnostic" or "atheist". In my town I may as well gone around burning flags. For those of you who think that maybe I was just not good, I did manage to get starting positions & playtime and was awarded All-Conference, All-District, & All-State honors in 4 sports, even if I didn't participate in team prayers. By the way, did I mention this was a public school. Definitely an issue of separation.

Interesting comments. As a serious Christian of the left wing, I have problems with the whole thing of mixing religion and sports. I know that many young men and women have had coaches as excellent role models, and of course I have no problem with athletes being taught (perhaps more by example than by words) what a responsible and honest adult man or woman should be. But for a religious organization to have unquestioning endorsement of any sports (especially at the pro level) bothers me a great deal. I just don’t believe that God gives a rap about which team or individual wins a sporting event, and I don’t think that crossing one’s chest or any other religiously oriented act is likely to win God’s favor.

Nothing fails like prayer. Come on now if prayer really worked we would form comities and pray continuously and apoint a leader and never let up.Give me a break, praying is only begging. Pat Schreer 4395 Conway Blvd. Port Charlotte .Fl 33952 Phone=941-743-0873