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Saturday, September 29, 2007

MLB, football, and Petty

Sorry that I haven't been able to write for a few days. It's been kind of a hectic week. So here's a kind of long list of articles. First, an article about some of the Phillies meeting with President Bush at the Oval Office on September 21st: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070921&content_id=2221689&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Here's an article about Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur, a Christian, and how having more patience while hitting has helped him to improve his batting average this season: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070922&content_id=2223910&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl.

Next, an article about Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, a Christian, getting his 200th hit of the season on September 21st: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070921&content_id=2221688&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi.

Here's a good Christian article about Christianity's place in sports, especially focusing on Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, a Christian. Here's a quote about Tebow:

In a post-game interview after the Florida-Tennessee game last week, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow calmly assessed the Gators' performance, thanking fans and his teammates for their support.

Then, as he does after almost every game, he thanked, "My Lord and savior Jesus Christ for everything he's done for me."

Here's the article: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20070922/NEWS/709220327 (originally found at: http://www.aia.com/news.aspx?newsitem=250).

Also, a good article about Dustin Eglseder, who won the Cubs Ultimate 7th Inning Stretch Competition. The contest was kind of like American Idol, in that fans tried out to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and the winners were voted on by fans. Eglseder, who just recently finished chemotherapy treatments for a rare form of bone cancer, won the contest and sang the song during the 7th Inning Stretch in the Cubs game last Saturday. It was just a nice story for him to win after going through the cancer treatments this year. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070922&content_id=2224019&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc&partnered=rss_chc.

Last Thursday night I watched part of the Southern Mississippi/Boise State game on ESPN. During the game, the broadcasters spent a few minutes talking about Boise State senior safety Marty Tadman. They showed on the screen somethings about his life, how he had some troubled high school years, but at 18 had a religious experience and became a Christian minister. They also mentioned how he hoped to continue his career in the NFL, but if not he would continue solely with his ministry instead. I thought that was really cool, so I googled him and came up with an article from his local newspaper in Orange County, California, from a couple of years ago. I couldn't find anything more recent though, but it's a really good biographical article that tells about how after being involved with drinking and drugs in high school, he hit rock bottom, where God found him. After that he became a Christian and his life did a complete 180. He's now a part-time Southern Baptist preacher and speaks around the Boise State campus and elsewhere in Idaho and Utah. Here's the article: http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/sections/sports/sports/article_653386.php.

Next, a Christian blog post on the Saved in Sports blog about NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and how he and his wife Patty (both Christians) turned the heartache after their son Adam's death in a race practice at age 19 seven years ago into good by starting Victory Junction Gang Camp for terminally/severely ill children. Today Petty races from God and his son Adam. Here's the blog post: http://savedinsports.wordpress.com/2007/09/26/kyle-petty-racing-for-the-son/. Here's an article from the blog with more about the Petty's: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/302700/nascar_star_kyle_petty_races_for_his.html.

Here's an article about Braves outfielder Matt Diaz, a Christian, and how his defense has improved since the Braves caught a depth-perception problem that he had before last season. Also helping his defense has been increased playing time the last couple of months this season. Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/09/22/bravesnot_0923.html.

Also, an article about Braves pitcher Tim Hudson and his wife Kim. Kim Hudson is a licensed attorney who was prepared to be the main breadwinner for the family in case the whole baseball thing fell through. She worked until Tim solidified his place in the Majors and she also plans to go back to working after he retires. Now she spends time as her husbands lawyer and helping to raise money for the two organizations that they are mainly involved with, the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Atlanta and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Here are a couple of quotes from both Kim and Tim Hudson:

In his rookie year, the Hudsons had given little thought to the impact a major-league salary and image could bring to the world beyond their own. Then, on a community outreach caravan with the A's, the couple met a terminally ill girl.

She told them that her final wish was to "go to Disneyland, but that was probably too expensive, so she would probably just go to a Sacramento Kings game," Kim recalls. "She was 9, bald, with railroad staples across her head from brain cancer. She was not complaining. My first instinct was to grab a checkbook and make that Disney trip happen.

"For weeks after that we talked about her and what we wanted to do. God puts things in your path and you either act or you don't. Children are put there to guide us in the direction we should go." ...

"You realize how lucky and blessed you are to have healthy kids," Tim says. "I play a kid's game, and I can use that platform to help kids."

Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/09/22/kimhudson_0923.html.

Here's an AWESOME Christian article about Lions quarterback Jon Kitna, a Christian, and how he's lead a Christian revival with the Lions since he came there as a free agent before last season. The article talks about how their Christian beliefs has helped to bring together a fractured team and how important their beliefs are to their success on the field. The article also mentions other Christians on the team, including wide receiver Mike Furrey, linebacker Boss Bailey, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, and kicker Jason Hansen. Here's a quote:

Maybe it's the dozens of coaches and players who pack hotel conference rooms for chapel on Saturday night, or the players and families who cram into a basement for Bible study on Mondays, or the ever-expanding circle of prayer after practice on Wednesdays. And Thursdays. And Fridays.

Or maybe it's Jon Kitna, the starting quarterback, who overcame a concussion last Sunday to lead the Lions to victory and then called his return a miracle, who decorated his locker with drawings of the cross and prints of scripture, who is absolutely convinced that his presence in Detroit is not a happenstance.

But a mission.

From God.

"(Kitna) has a way of touching people," said his coach, Rod Marinelli. "You can feel it all over the field."

A lot of his teammates can, too.

There is a spiritual movement bubbling in Allen Park. The quarterback is the conduit.

"I'm not naive enough to think that my life is about football," Kitna explained this week. "God uses football to shape me. But he also uses it to give me a platform to speak, to proclaim the gospel."

Here's the article: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070923/SPORTS01/709230629 (originally found at: http://apps.facebook.com/sportsuperfan/teams/news/11).

Next, another good Christian article, this one about Titans center Kevin Mawae and how he became a Christian after his older brother was killed in a car accident several years ago: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070923/SPORTS01/709230414/1027 (originally found at: http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5671).

Here's an article about Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, a Christian, who isn't complaining about not being the starter (yet), even though he's played better than the starter Matt Leinart. Here's a quote from Warner about it:

"I still feel like I can play at a very high level," Warner said. "I think there's a lot of teams out there I could start for. You know your window is only so big — you want to play as much as you can. I've thought about it; I would love to be out there playing. But, right now, this is where it's at.

"I love being a Cardinal. I love working with Matt."

Here's the article: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/saraceno/2007-09-23-Cardinals-Warner_N.htm?csp=34.

Also, a couple of articles from an incident during last Sunday's Colts/Texans game when Texans special teams player Cedric Killings injured his neck while tackling during a kickoff. Killings will be okay (http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10378013/rss). Here's some quotes from Colts lineman Dwight Freeney and head coach Tony Dungy, a Christian, about it:

"The ref was pushing me away," Freeney said. "I wanted to go tell him, 'Hang in there. We're praying for you.' Something like that...." ...

"After the Everett incident I think we're all sensitive to that," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "Everyone is hopeful and prayerful that he's going to be OK."

Here's that article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070924/SPORTS03/709240373.

Here's a quote from Colts linebacker Gary Brackett, also a Christian, in the second article:

"You don't have the luxury of choosing when to lay up or hit a guy hard," linebacker Gary Brackett said. "Obviously, you want to wish him and his family well and you pray for him and you want to make sure he's all right. But you've still got to play the game."

Here's the second article: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=An_qFH3f3KNP23ueinxS1rh.T4h4?slug=ap-colts-dangerousgame&prov=ap&type=lgns.

Here's an article about Colts punter Hunter Smith, a Christian, and the tackle he made on a punt return during that Colts/Titans game last Sunday: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070924/SPORTS03/709240369.

Lastly, a good Christian article about Twins outfielder Lew Ford and how his faith has helped him out through all of the ups and downs of his baseball career: http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5670.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for bringing such nice posts. Your blog is always fascinating to read.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Rena! You've given me lots of ideas for my next article!
Jen

Rena Ball said...

Thanks Sue and Jen for your comments! I really appreciate them. I can't wait to read your next article Jen!

Rena Ball said...

I just thought that I would pass this along: I got a e-mail today from Dave Branon with Sports Spectrum Magazine and he said that there would be an article about Marty Tadman in the January/February edition of the magazine.