bowl games, NFL, basketball, etc.

Hi. Happy 2008!

The first article is about Central Florida runningback Kevin Smith, who came close to setting the NCAA record for most rushing yards in a season in their Liberty Bowl loss to Mississippi State. Here's a quote from him:

His motivation is the purest of all.

"Motivation for me is going to the hotel and knowing I've got a game," he said. "Motivation in football is football itself for a person like me. I love this game and have loved playing this game since I was younger. I've been blessed to not miss a year. Me holding that pigskin and knowing I'm going to hold that pigskin motivates me enough.

Here's the article: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls07/columns/story?id=3169011&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines and http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls07/columns/story?id=3173238.

Here's a couple of articles on Illinois star defensive lineman J Leman, a Christian, whose Illini lost to USC in the Rose Bowl today. Here's a quote about him from the first article:

His interests extend beyond the football field and the broadcast booth. He's a devout Christian and, in general, a sponge for information who wants to be "a lifelong learner."

Here's that article: http://www.bigtennetwork.com/news/article.asp?LIST_ID=1&STORY_ID=12611.

Here's a couple of quotes about him in the second article:

The sharp-dressed TV wise guy wandered up to the dais where Illinois All-American linebacker J Leman was sitting on Saturday morning. The TV reporter had a white three-ring binder in his hand and a camera following close behind.

During an awkward moment, the reporter offered Leman what was allegedly a stolen copy of Southern California's offensive audibles. The binder even had the Trojans' logo on the cover.

"You sure you don't want it?" the reporter asked.

"No, we're good," Leman told him. "We don't need a cheat sheet."

"It isn't real anyway," the reporter admitted.

It wouldn't have mattered if the playbook were authentic. The reporter had picked the wrong Illinois player to frame. ...

NFL scouts certainly don't have to worry about Leman's character. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in speech communication in less than four years and earned a master's degree in human resources earlier this month. He was awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a finalist for the Draddy Trophy, which is given to college football's best player in terms of academic success, athletic performance and community leadership.

Leman remains actively involved with his parents' nondenominational church, Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Champaign, which [head coach Ron] Zook regularly attends.

Here's the article: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls07/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=3172780.

Next, an article about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, a Christian, trying to avoid the apparent "Heisman jinx" on Heisman Trophy winners in bowl games. Unfortunately, Tebow and Florida lost to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl today. Here's a quote from the article about a conversation that Tebow had with former Florida Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel, also a Christian, about the jinx:

"I've never been very superstitious, so I'm not going to start now," he said.

Tebow, though, was concerned enough that he talked to 1996 Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel about it shortly after winning college football's most prestigious award three weeks ago.

Wuerffel's advice?

"Plain and simple, you don't change," Tebow said. "You are the same person. You go about everything the exact same. You work as hard as you can. You do everything you did before you won it. Maybe other people's perception is different about you, but your perception about you and how you do things isn't different at all."

Here's the article: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/30/sports/FBC-Capital-One-Bowl.php.

A note about Tebow that I heard during their game today: He's going to spend his Spring Break in the Phillippines working at his parents' orphanage their with his "brothers and sisters" there.

Here's an article about Colts safety Bob Sanders, who signed a big contract extension with the team last week. Here's a quote from him about it:

... "It's exciting. I've always wanted to be here. The organization is great. I think I fit. It's definitely a blessing.''

Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071231/SPORTS03/712310383/1058/SPORTS03.

Also, several Christian articles from Sharing the Victory Magazine from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). The first article is about Raptors guard Anthony Parker, who is probably better known as the older brother of Tennessee star women's basketball players Candace Parker. Here's a good quote from him from the article:

You know, the Lord has blessed us with certain talents, and I think we should desire to give Him the glory through those talents. That doesn’t necessarily mean trying not to compete your hardest. When you’re blessed with something, you have to do it the best you can. Whatever it is! If your passion is basketball, if it’s playing the piano, if it’s painting a masterpiece—whatever your passion or desire is, you have to give it your all. And when you do that, you’re giving the glory to God. And whatever attention you get from that—if it’s hitting the game-winning shot or selling your art for thousands of dollars—whatever attention you get from that, it’s important to give Him the glory and praise for blessing you with the talent.

That’s something that I’ve really come to realize: that God’s plan for me is to share His Word. And He’s given me basketball as a platform and a vehicle to do that.

Here's the article: http://www.sharingthevictory.com/vsItemDisplay.lsp?method=display&objectid=6D0127A7-3C68-4D7D-86D8340EA0487F4C.

Here's another FCA article, this one about Washington State head men's basketball coach Tony Bennett. He learned basketball and coaching from his father, former college coach Dick Bennett, also a Christian. The article also mentions some of the Christian players on the team: Taylor Rochestie, Daven Harmeling, and Rob Cowgill. Here's a quote from the article about Bennett:

Bennett, who accepted Christ in eighth grade during an FCA Camp in Colorado, and his team are throwing college basketball convention on its ear—and not just during games. After a particularly poor Saturday practice earlier in the preseason, Bennett’s players arrived at the gym the next day, fully expecting to be chewed out and run mercilessly. Instead, Bennett gathered his team and said, “I don’t want to practice today. We showed a lot of weaknesses yesterday; but I want to honor the Sabbath as much as I can this year. Today, I want you to spend time with family and honor the Sabbath.” His players were stunned.

Bennett then organized a 20-minute chapel. Virtually the entire team showed up.

“Me and [senior forward] Rob Cowgill were looking at each other going, ‘Coach is the man!’” said junior forward Daven Harmeling, a Christian. “How many other coaches do that?”

Here's the article: http://www.sharingthevictory.com/vsItemDisplay.lsp&objectID=A8DB28F2-8D65-4674-965835016F260E2D&method=display.

The next FCA article is about the Drake women's basketball team, who succeeded against all odds last season when playing extremely short-handed because of injuries and illness when the team put God first. They compared their problem to the story of Gideon in the Bible, and used that to bring the team together and win their conference tournament with only seven players. Here's some of the Christian coaches and players mentioned in the article: head coach Amy Stephens, former assistant Micah Parker (who left the team after the season to concentrate on ministry), assistant Todd Voss, and player Lindsay Whorton. Here's a quote from the article:

In the end, according to Parker, the players and coaches understood it was God’s story.

“As a team, we really focused on Who we were playing for,” Parker said. “We talked about how there was no need to be ashamed; they needed to trust Him and remember who they were playing for. They really gave God all the glory.” That’s what Whorton will always remember. “Last season will always remind me that God can use something as simple as basketball, which has no eternal implications, and use it to teach me about His character,” she said. “I learned things about God and His character during that season that I will never forget. The purpose of all that was for Him to be glorified.”

Here's the article: http://www.sharingthevictory.com/vsItemDisplay.lsp&objectID=92DBD9C1-8CD8-45F3-875FC60118280CEB&method=display.

Here's an FCA article about North Carolina assistant women’s basketball coach Charlotte Smith, who also played at North Carolina and in the WNBA, and worry: http://www.sharingthevictory.com/vsItemDisplay.lsp?method=display&objectid=D7F7534E-BAA0-408A-96F340BCE5C141D2.

Also, an FCA article about Stanford wrestler Tanner Gardner and anxiety. Here's a good quote from him in the article:

How I deal with anxiety in my sport: “Prayer is a great way to deal with anxiety. A lot of people pray before their matches, but I found it is really important to pray before my practices, as well. Competing against your own teammates can cause anxiety, so when I pray, it takes the stress off.

“I also pray at my matches. I never really pray to win my match; I just pray that whether I win or lose, I compete to the best of my ability and represent God in an appropriate way.”

Here's the article: http://www.sharingthevictory.com/vsItemDisplay.lsp?method=display&objectid=79801A63-75EC-44E3-BCDD21BFEB7275C7.

The last FCA article is about Seahawks fullback Leonard Weaver. The article, written in first-person format, talks in part about how his Christian Seahawks teammates, including runningback Shaun Alexander and fullback Mack Strong (who had to retire earlier this season because of a neck injury), help him to grow in his faith. Here's the article: http://www.sharingthevictory.com/vsItemDisplay.lsp?method=display&objectid=7238BEE1-6200-43A6-939E57E2005423D6.

Next, an article about 76ers forward Kyle Korver, a Christian, being traded to the Jazz last week. Here's a quote about him from 76ers president Ed Stefanski after he made the trade:

"I want to thank Kyle for the positive impact he has made on this team and the city of Philadelphia through his play on the court and, even more importantly, his philanthropic efforts off of it," Stefanski said.

Here's the article: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Aog7T39iNkMe8d80a3T4OCN.T4h4?slug=ap-jazz-76erstrade&prov=ap&type=lgns. Also see Korver's website: http://www.kylekorver.com/.

Lastly, an article about why Florida State head football coach Bobby Bowden, a Christian, and why he should continue to coach at Florida State, even at 78: http://www.ajc.com/gatech/content/sports/stories/2007/12/29/gimme5_1229.html.

college sports, MLB, NFL, etc.

Hi. I'm trying to play catch up again. The first article is about Indiana high school basketball player Tyler Zeller, a Christian, committing to playing for North Carolina starting next year. He turned down IU, Purdue, and Notre Dame, which is were his older brother Luke, also a Christian, plays. Here's the article: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/nov/06/zeller-finds-comfort-in-tar-heels/ (originally found at: http://apps.facebook.com/sportsuperfan/teams/news/321).

Here's a Christian article by Lee Warren about Nebraska volleyball player Tracy Stalls: http://christiansportsblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/nu-volleyball-player-tracy-stalls.html.

Next, a couple of articles about MLB players trying to help out in their native Dominican Republic after tropical storm Noel devastated the island. Those that were helping and asking for help were the Mets Pedro Martinez and Moises Alou (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071107&content_id=2295120&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb) and Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071109&content_id=2296948&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb).

Here's a good Christian article about former Nebraska football head coach and current interim athletic director Tom Osborne: http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5702. Also, here's the website, included in the article, for the TeamMates Mentoring Program that he and his wife started: http://www.teammates.org/.

Also, a couple of articles about the late Cowboys chaplain John Weber, who died November 1st following a hear attack. The first article is about his funeral in Dallas, which those who attended included many current and former Cowboys, including defensive lineman Greg Ellis, a Christian, and quarterback Tony Romo. Football broadcaster Pat Summerall also attended. Here's that article: http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5703.

The other article about Weber article is a good article written by a Cowboys website columnist about his friendship with Weber and the funeral: http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?editorialAuthor=1&id=17E260AC-EBD2-060B-2FCFEED2691DFFD4 (http://www.aia.com/news.aspx?newsitem=254).

Next, another article about Lions quarterback Jon Kitna, a Christian. The writer of the article seemingly is not a Christian, but she still takes a positive approach to Kitna's outspoken Christian beliefs. I thought that this statement by the writer in the article was very interesting:

Some fancy Kitna as a religious zealot, but if having strong faith is the worst thing we can say about a professional athlete, maybe we're the ones who need to reevaluate our priorities.

I don't agree that being a Christian is a bad thing off course, but even if you're not a Christian, there are athletes doing and saying things on and off the field of play that should be seen as worse by non-Christians. Here's the article: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/071107&sportCat=nfl.

Here's an article about Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson and the Fight for Life Foundation that he started to encourage education and wellness in kids: http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=e011c704-06b1-4524-859b-2ae2d95bd7d4.

Also, an article about a football player at Landmark Christian High School in Atlanta, Walter Lenard, and how his extended family has helped him: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/highschool/stories/2007/11/08/hsback_1109.html.

Next, an article about the Gardner-Webb men's basketball team's unbelievable upset at Kentuckty last week. Gardner-Webb is a Baptist school in North Carolina. They went on to play in the next round of the tournament that they were in last night, but they were beat in New York by Connecticut. Here's the article about the celebration back on their campus after the game last week: http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5707.

Lastly, a couple of Christian notes from Sports Spectrum's The Daily this week. The first is about retired LPGA golfer Betsy King, and the missionary work that she's doing to help orphans in Rwanda:

KING KEEPS GIVING: Betsy King put together a Hall of Fame career on the golf course. Put now that she has mostly retired from the game, she is using her fame, her contacts in the golf world, and her Christian faith to do something of much more eternal value. She has created an organization called Golf Fore Africa, which is a mission to Rwanda to assist the children of that war-ravaged, disease-torn country. Recently, King and several others LPGA golfers returned from a visit to this tiny African country just east of Congo . King has teamed up with World Vision to provide essential services to the suffering folks of Rwanda . One of the major problems King is trying to address is the huge numbers of orphans. There are an estimated 1.3 million of them in a country of 9 million people. An atrocious attack on the Rwandan citizens by ruthless warriors in 1994 is one of the reasons for these orphans. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed. Also, AIDS has taken thousands of other parents from their children. If you wish to help King in her efforts, go to www.worldvision.org to find out more.

Here's the webpage: http://www.sportsspectrum.com/daily/archives/071112.php.

The other note is about a Christian outreach at tomorrow's Ohio State/Michigan game that' being run by a Christian former football player from both schools:

RIVALS NO MORE: Shawn Lazarus played football for the University of Michigan. Joel Penton played football for the Ohio State University. That should make them . . . brothers? Well, the fact that they suited up for rival schools doesn't make them brothers, but their shared faith in Jesus Christ does. And they want others who relish the rivalry to join them in knowing the freedom of salvation. So they have teamed up to form Rivals Team Up, which will have a presence in Ann Arbor on Saturday when the Buckeyes roll into town to face the Wolverines at the Big House. While 111,000 people or so will have their minds set on enjoying another reenactment of one of college football's favorite border wars, Penton and Lazarus will be trying to tell some of those people about winning the most important battle ever-the battle for the human soul. Find out more about what these two former rivals and their friends have in mind. Go to http://www.rivalsteamup.com/ to find out more.

Here's the webpage: http://www.sportsspectrum.com/daily/archives/071116.php.

More tomorrow!

MLB, basketball, and college football

Hello! First of all, a note about now former Brewers outfielder Corey Koskie, a Christian, who might be attempting a comeback after missing the last season and a half because of post-concussion syndrome (page down some): http://www.startribune.com/twins/story/1496748.html (originally found at: http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071022&content_id=2275925&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp).

Here's an article about Indiana high school basketball star Tyler Zeller, a Christian, after his recruiting visit to Purdue. He's also considering IU, North Carolina, and Notre Dame: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071023/SPORTS0602/710230390/1070/SPORTS0602.

Next, an article about San Diego State athletes helping out at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, an evacuation center for those evacuated from their homes because of the wildfires there. The athletes thought that since their housing and food was taken care of by their scholarships that they would help those who had neither. Two of the athletes that helped were football players Chaz Schilens and Mike Kravetz. Here's a quote from Schilens about it:

Added Schilens: "We've been blessed to go to school here and most of us are on scholarship. So while other people's houses are being evacuated, you just think, 'hey, we can do something about this.'

"You can't just sit around."

Here's the article: http://media.www.thedailyaztec.com/media/storage/paper741/news/2007/10/23/Sports/Athletes.Help.In.A.Time.Of.Need-3051196-page2.shtml (originally found at: http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3077025&searchName=feldman_bruce&campaign=rsssrch&source=bruce_feldman&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d3077025%26searchName%3dfeldman_bruce%26campaign%3drsssrch%26source%3dbruce_feldman).

Here's an article about Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew, a Christian, and his family and hometown in southern Georgia: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2007-10-22-drew-hometown_N.htm?csp=34.

Also, an article about Hornets guard Chris Paul, a Christian, and how important he is to both the Hornets season and the team getting back a fan base in New Orleans after they played most of the last two seasons in Oklahoma City after Katrina. It also tells about how he learned hard work by working at his grandfather's filling station growing up. Here's the article: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-chrispaul102307&prov=yhoo&type=lgns.

Here's another good article about Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, a Christian, and how he went from failed baseball phenom to successful manager: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2007/news/story?id=3075136.

Next, a blog entry from IU tailback Bryan Payton from the weekend before last, after they got beat by Penn State. The first part is about him and his good friend Josh Gaines, linebacker at Penn State, who he grew up with. Here's a quote from him about Gaines and his family:

I spent so many nights over at their place, went to church went them, ate meals with them and went on trips with them.

He also talked about some shopping he did the day before his post too:

I bought some button ups, T-shirts, jeans, khakis and some church shoes.

Here's the post: http://insideiufootball.blogspot.com/2007/10/footballshoppingand-good-friends.html.

Here's an article about the Red Sox donating some fun electronics to the Children's Hospital in Boston. Helpling out was Red Sox pitcher Kyle Snyder. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071024&content_id=2280650&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos.

Also, in case you haven't seen it yet, here's the video of the amazing 15-lateral game-winning touchdown play by NCAA Division 3 Trinity University in San Antonio last Saturday: www.yahoo.com/s/722983.

Lastly, a Christian note from Monday's "The Daily" from Sports Spectrum about recently-hired Yankees manager Joe Girardi:

KIM’S PEP TALK BEARS RESULTS FOR JOE G: It appears that the NY Yankees will still have a Joe at the helm. Reports are indicating that Joe Girardi will be named to replace Joe Torre as the Yankee skipper. Girardi was the 2006 National League manager of the year in his rookie managerial season in Florida. If Girardi indeed takes over and leads the Yankees into fall success, the team can thank Joe’s wife, Kim. In the mid-1990s, Girardi was traded from the Colorado Rockies to the New York Yankees. Girardi, born in Peoria, Illinois, was not a big-city guy, and he was hesitant about going to the Yankees. Throughout his first season in the Big Apple, he felt uncomfortable. But Kim came to the rescue. “It was amazing what Kim did for me,” Girardi said in the book Safe at Home 2. “We had times when I really struggled. She always seemed to pick me up and let me know that God had me there for a reason. ‘Don’t give up,’ she would say. ‘Fight this through. If you do, you’ll see later in your life that God put you here for a reason!’ ” Did He ever!

Here's the webpage: http://www.sportsspectrum.com/daily/archives/071029.php.

football, Rockies, misc.

Hi! First of all, an article about the impact that the Facing the Giants movie has made world-wide, 1 year after it was released. If you haven't seen this movie, I strongly recommend it. It's one of my all-time favorites. Here's the article: http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5684.

Here's an article about former Falcons wide receiver Eric Beverly and his wife Danielle, who is fighting breast cancer for the third time. She was miraculously able to have a baby normally after going through cancer treatments twice, but not long before the baby, Lia, was born in June, the lumps returned. Here's a quote from Danielle about it:

"God gave me cancer at a young age so we could make a difference," says Danielle, who is 33, as is her husband. "I beat this the first two times, and I am going to see Lia graduate, get married and have children. I will be a 45-year cancer survivor.... And I am praying that when she's older there is a cure."

Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/2007/10/17/beverly_1018.html?imw=Y.

Next, another article about Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, a Christian, and how he got to this point in his life: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/mlb/article/0,2777,DRMN_23924_5725799,00.html (originally found at: http://apps.facebook.com/sportsuperfan/teams/news/97).

Here's a good article about Rockies scout Will George, whose wife Florinda died from breast cancer in May, and how the Rockies now have an angel looking over them: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071017&content_id=2270509&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col.

Also, staying with the Rockies, an article about Rockies pitcher Matt Herges, a Christian, and his strange path to the Rockies, which included spending a good part of this season with their Triple-A Colorado Springs. No other Major League team would give him a chance last spring, but the Rockies offered him a minor-league contract. He earned his way back to the Majors and has been a big part of the Rockies playoff run. Here's the article (includes video): http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071018&content_id=2271038&vkey=ps2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Here's a neat article about how MLB donates the T-shirts and hats from the losing teams in each playoff round, and the Wild Card play-in game, to World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization. World Vision then gives the shirts to people around the world who have lost everything from natural disasters or other reasons. The NFL also does this. I think that this is so neat. If people doesn't have anything to wear, they're not going to care what a shirt says. It's something to wear and they're grateful. The shirts and hats would otherwise just be destroyed. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071018&content_id=2271371&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col.

Next, an inspiring article about Hamilton Southeastern High School (Indianapolis) senior football player Nick Sliger, who has overcome learning disabilities to become eligible to play football at IU next year. He was just going to take a certificate of attendance and not get his degree, but then he started getting recruiting letters from different colleges. So he decided to commit to catching up and taking the classes required for him to go to IU, with help. Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071019/SPORTS0202/710190461/1247/SPORTS.

Here's a good Christian article about Danny Lotz, member of the 1957 North Carolina national championship team and husband of Anne Graham Lotz, and Albert Long, a star athlete at North Carolina in the 1950's, and how they started a weekly men's Bible study on the North Carolina campus: http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/741871.html (originally found at: http://www.fca.org/).

Also, another article about Deanna Favre, the wife of Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who has overcome breast cancer. She has become a speaker about breast cancer, overcoming nerves at an initial speaking engagement at Wisconsin-Madison. Here's a quote from her about it:

"I have come a long way from that Madison talk," she says as she sits in a conference room high above the Lambeau Field atrium. "When I was asked to speak the first time, I said, 'Absolutely not.' But it really tugged at my heart. I think God was telling me, 'You have to do this. This is your calling.'

"I was always one of those skeptical people who'd say, 'All these people who say they have these callings from God, or God told them to move here or move there, how do they know?' Well, now I know. And all I'm doing, really, is telling my story. And who knows it better than me?"

Here's the article: http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=252149&ntpid=1 (originally found at: http://apps.facebook.com/sportsuperfan/teams/news/12).

Here's a Christian note from Wednesday's "The Daily" from Sports Spectrum about Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook:

COOK ON THE MENU: Aaron Cook is just glad to be alive. And now the gets the special bonus of being added to the Colorado roster for the World Series. Cook has been injured since early August, but with his injured side muscle has recovered. So Cook is in and slated to pitch Game 4 for the Rockies. In August 2004, Aaron Cook nearly died. Should have, doctors figured. He was pitching against Cincinnati when he started getting dizzy and nearly blacking out. He was taken from Coors Field to a hospital, where doctors discovered multiple blood clots in his lungs. According to Cook, “The doctors said they didn’t know how I was still alive.” Treatments and two rounds of corrective surgery followed, and Cook returned to the mound in 2005. About this near-tragic medical event, Cook told Sports Spectrum magazine, “It was in God’s hands, and I didn’t have any control over it. Probably the best thing I was told was this: Anything that you don’t have control over is ‘sovereign’—meaning that God has it in control, and we can’t worry about those things. God’s got it in His hands.”

Here's the link: http://www.sportsspectrum.com/daily/archives/071024.php.

Next, an article about Titans linebacker Corey Simon, a Christian, announcing his retirement yesterday: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=ArwcFYeg6G4fxlyiUA6m1Ul.T4h4?slug=ap-titans-simon&prov=ap&type=lgns.

Here's an article about Cardinals pitcher Mike Maroth, a Christian, being released by the team yesterday: http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/10431696/rss.

Lastly, an article about Colts center Jeff Saturday, a Christian, giving a talk about healthy eating to kids at Orchard Park Elementary School in Indianapolis this week: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/LOCAL0101/71026002/-1/LOCAL17 (originally found at: http://apps.facebook.com/sportsuperfan/teams/news/14).

MLB LCS, etc.

Hello! First of all, just an interesting tidbit about Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday, a Christian. His senior year of high school, he was rated one of the four best high school quarterbacks in the country, along with fellow Christians Carson Palmer (now with the Bengals) and Drew Henson. Palmer (at USC) and Henson (at Michigan) went on to be two of the top college quarterbacks when they played. But I think that Holliday, who is one of the two leading candidates for the NL MVP and won the NLCS MVP, made a good choice going with baseball. Here's the article: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/1011holliday1011.html (originally found at: http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071012&content_id=2262438&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp).

Here's an article with more information about Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano's (a Christian) new biography The Big Z: The Carlos Zambrano Story. Here's a couple of quotes from him:

''At first, nobody thought I would become anything like the baseball success I became,'' Zambrano said. ''I was too clumsy and skinny. So I started out as a benchwarmer who played only during garbage time.

''But thanks to my faith in God, my hard work and God-given talent, I became what some people call a big star.'' ...

''But remembering where I came from keeps me humble,'' he said. ''Hopefully, my book will inspire other kids who started out poor like me that they can also be a success with talent, hard work and faith in Jesus Christ.''

Here's the article: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/598309,CST-SPT-bigz11.article (originally found at: http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071012&content_id=2262438&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp).

Next, an article on another baseball book, Pitching with the Papelbons, which was written about the Papelbon brothers to raise money for a good cause. The Papelbon brothers are Jonathon, who's the Red Sox closer, and his younger twin brothers Josh, who pitches for the Red Sox Class-A Greenville Drive, and Jeremy, who pitches for the Cubs Class-A Peoria Chiefs. The book is to raise money for the C2 Mission Foundation, which "benefits children and families affected by cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis." Here's the article: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071012&content_id=310491&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp and here's the book's website: http://www.pitchingwiththepapelbons.com/.

Here's an inspiring article about a girl who's a college golfer despite many physical problems. Katie Walker was "born with a heart murmur, one kidney, an improperly formed gastrointestinal tract and a missing tibia in her left leg that eventually led to it being amputated." However, with a prosthetic leg, she's able to play golf and is a freshman on the golf team at Cal State Bakersfield. Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/stories/2007/10/13/walker_1014.html

Also, a good quote from Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, a Christian, about the Rockies amazing run the last month to end the regular season and through the post-season so far:

"Faith," Hurdle said, "is believing in things that you can't see, you can't touch. From a sporting mentality, there's certain things you just gotta believe in. Man, you just hold onto them. You keep fighting the fight, and you just keep showing up.

"Our players have been so good at that."

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071013&content_id=2264711&vkey=ps2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Here's an article about Indians outfielder Trot Nixon, a Christian, and the importance of both his leadership and example to the young Indians team this year, which helped them reach the ALCS: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071014&content_id=2265615&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle&partnered=rss_cle.

Next, an article about the importance of Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, a Christian, as the leader of the pitching staff. The pitchers give him all the credit, while he always says that it was the pitchers, not him. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071014&content_id=2265434&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos.

Here's an article about Diamondbacks pitcher Micah Owings, before pitching game 4 of the NLCS against the Rockies, about his ability as both a pitcher and a hitter. He was one of the best if not the best hitting pitcher in baseball this season. Here's a quote about his hitting prowess this year:

There was the Aug. 18 game Owings started in Atlanta in which he connected for two home runs and two other base hits on his way to a six-RBI game, the most RBIs in a game by a pitcher in more than five years. He also scored four times in the game.

Then came that start in Pittsburgh, where on top of limiting the Pirates to four base hits, Owings contributed four hits and three RBIs in the winning effort.

"I just enjoy being in the box," said Owings, who hit .322 in his two collegiate years. "I've been blessed to play the game not only as a pitcher, but to be able to swing it, too. Whenever I get in there, I enjoy it."

Owings finished the season with a .333 average, 11 extra-base hits and 15 RBIs in 60 at-bats.

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071014&content_id=2265961&vkey=ps2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Also, a good Christian article about Rockies pitcher Jeremy Affeldt from Lee Warren of The Christian Sports Blog. The article was from a couple of years ago when he was with the Royals. Here's the article: http://christiansportsblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/jeremy-affeldt-adventurous-christian.html.

Here's an article about Washington High School (Indiana) senior basketball star Tyler Zeller, a Christian, and his recent recruiting visit to Notre Dame. His older brother Luke, also a Christian, will be a junior on the Notre Dame team this year. Zeller is also considering IU, North Carolina, and Purdue. Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071015/SPORTS0203/710150347/1057/SPORTS02.

Lastly, after Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, a Christian, was taken out after 7 innings in game 6 of the ALCS Saturday night, he was interviewed during the 8th inning. When he left the game, the crowd in Boston gave him a standing ovation. Schilling could leave the Red Sox after the season as a free agent. Here's what he had to say about the fans' reaction (or something like this): "I want to thank God for the chance to pitch in front of these fans and for this organization."

basketball, NFL, MLB, and Petty

Hi. First, an article about Heat guard Dwayne Wade helping to get the word out about the importance of recess at school. Here's a quote from him:

"I've been extremely fortunate and blessed to work with people who've helped me along the way, so I've made it a priority to give my time and energy back to young people whenever I have the opportunity," said Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat guard and 2006 NBA Finals MVP, who has signed on to serve as the national spokesperson for Rescuing Recess.

Here's the article: http://www.nba.com/news/wade_cartoon_070924.html?rss=true.

Here's a Q & A article with Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, a Christian. Here's a quote from the article:

Cole: How hard is it to get time at home during the season? I know guys like (Miami Dolphins linebacker) Zach Thomas stay at the facility until very late studying film and (Indianapolis Colts quarterback) Peyton Manning is watching film at home.

Polamalu: First of all, I'm a Christian so my prayer life really comes first. Second of all, I'm a husband so my wife comes before anything else. If I have time to do anything else after that, I do it, but I don't sacrifice any time with her.

Cole: A lot of guys do it the other way around. Football comes first. They say family and faith come first, but they really do the football first. How do you reconcile it?

Polamalu: It's really easy for me. I love my faith and I know that's first. …. I really think I know what's important in my life and that's my faith and my wife.

Cole: So football is a really focused activity. There's no wasted time, right?

Polamalu: Actually, it's a lot of fun and it's something I enjoy. It's not like when I'm here it's business time and then there's family time. Football is, for me, it's something I do. It's like for you, you're a reporter. It's what you do, not who you are. Football does not define me. How I am with my faith and how I treat my wife is what truly defines you as a man. That is my goal in life to live that way and believe in it. It would be cowardly of me to say that I enjoy my time with my faith and my wife if I really didn't spend that time with them.

Here's the article: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AtrZ9jkJomfqeWtAbDroov05nYcB?slug=jc-tuesdayconversation092507&prov=yhoo&type=lgns.

Next, an article about the New York Giants having a wounded Army officer come talk to the team to get the team fired up. Lieutenant colonel Greg Gadson, a Christian, spoke with the Giants the night before their game September 23rd against the Redskins at the request of friend, West Point classmate, and Giants receivers coach Mike Sullivan. The speech got the Giants going, as they beat the Redskins that Sunday for their first win after two losses to start the season and then went on to beat the Eagles last night too. Here's the article: http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10371676/2.

Here's another article about Washington (Indiana) High School senior basketball player Tyler Zeller, a Christian, after his official recruiting visit to IU. He still has yet to visit Purdue and Notre Dame, as far as I know, after having already visited North Carolina too. Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070925/SPORTS0203/709250383/1069/SPORTS0601.

Also, an article about Braves pitcher John Smoltz, a Christian, being named the winner of the Branch Rickey Award for humanitarian service: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3035785.

Here's an article about former NBA player Corliss Williamson retiring from the NBA to take an assistant basketball coaching job at Arkansas Baptist College: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3036363.

Next, an article about how much success and fun that Braves 1st baseman Mark Teixeira, a Christian, has had since coming to the Braves from the Rangers on July 31st. Here's a quote from him about his success:

"I have to give credit to my teammates," he said. "The guys have been unbelievable. I've been getting good pitches to hit. It's great to be doing it in a playoff race."

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070926&content_id=2230527&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Here's an article about NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his wife Patty, both Christians, talking about starting another Victory Junction Gang Camp in Kansas City to go along with the one that they already have in North Carolina. The camp is for seriously ill children. Here's the article: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/rumors/post/Pettys-consider-kids-camp-in-Kansas-City;_ylt=Ah7ttGQP8R.0LPDkJ32Ebb1.T4h4?urn=nascar,47300.

Lastly, an article about Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his wife Brittany donating $2 million to his alma mater Purdue to build an student athlete academic center there: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070928/SPORTS0602/709280667/1247/NLETTER12.

MLB, basketball, NFL

First of all, an article on Reds pitcher David Weathers, a Christian, who would like to come back as the team's closer next year, but ultimately wants to do what the team wants him to do. Here's the article: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070918/SPT04/709180343/ (originally found at: http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070919&content_id=2217840&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp).

Here's an article on Indians outfielder Trot Nixon, a Christian, who started a tradition with the team of putting pies in the face of the player doing the post-game interview. The team then made a video of the pies-in-the-faces, which they show on the big screen on the scoreboard to get a rally going. Whatever works, I guess. Nixon has became known as the "Pie Guy" in Cleveland. Here's the article: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/119019223612800.xml&coll=2 (originally found at: http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070920&content_id=2219938&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp).

Next, another article on Washington, IN, senior center Tyler Zeller, a Christian, this one on his being recruited by IU. He's also being recruited by Notre Dame (where his brother Luke, also a Christian, plays), Purdue, and North Carolina. Zeller made his official visit to IU last weekend, going to the IU/Illinois football game. Here's some quotes from the article from the Indiana Daily Student, the IU student newspaper:

One look at Tyler Zeller's Facebook profile and you can get a good sense of what drives him.

Favorite Quotes: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," Philippians 4:13.

Activities: "I love to play basketball. I play it all of the time." ...

... Sure, he wants to be the best basketball player every time he steps onto the court. But he also wants to stay humble, something he has learned from his faith.

"The Bible teaches to stay humble," Zeller told the Indiana Daily Student on Wednesday, "and you will be blessed." ...

He said it is possible he would leave college early to enter the NBA. With players earning $3 million in signing bonuses, he admits it would be hard to pass that up.

Money is important to Zeller -- but for a reason different than most. Zeller wants to build a Christian camp with his brothers and his dad, an idea they've been thinking about for the past couple years.

He said he has been given a gift, and that he must use that gift for good.

"I'm seven foot for a reason," he said. "I didn't do that by myself."

Here's the article: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news;_ylt=AjWgXaejmwiMniKOdSyQMOY5nYcB?slug=uwire-iuafterstatestophoopsrecru&prov=uwire&type=lgns.

Here's another article about Lions quarterback Jon Kitna, a Christian, and his miraculous healing from a concussion during their game against the Vikings on September 16th. This is a great article questioning why some people are so skeptical about Kitna's healing being a miracle from God. Here's a good quote from the article from Bengals Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz, also a Christian, talking about what Christians are called to do:

"That's our calling," Munoz says. "To share the story. People hear the story all of the time, but what they are really looking for is someone who walks the talk. The weird thing is when someone doesn't walk the talk, they call him a hypocrite, and when he does, they call him a crazy fanatic."

Here's the article: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=granderson/070921 (originally found at: http://www.aia.com/news.aspx?newsitem=249).

Lastly, I happened across this website for Astros catcher J.R. Towles, who was called up this month from the minors. The website really caught my eye because on the homepage it includes Philippians 4:13 and Ecclesiastes 5:3. There is also a couple of links of the church functions that he's involved with included on the "My Interests" page. Here's the website: http://www.jrtowles.net/ (originally found at: http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/pa/programs/player_sites.jsp).

MLB, NFL, and basektball

First of all, a couple of articles about Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday, a Christian, and his MVP-like season. The first article is about his teammates campaigning for him for the MVP Award: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070917&content_id=2213555&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

The other article about Holliday is about him winning the NL Player of the Week Award for the week ending September 16th: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070917&content_id=2213899&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Next, a good Christian article about Christian athletes and coaches to look up to with all of the trouble that some athletes, coaches, and others in sports have been getting into lately. The Christians included in the article are Indians pitcher Jake Westbrook, Magic center Dwight Howard, North Carolina women's basketball head coach Sylvia Hatchell, Colts head coach Tony Dungy, and PGA golfer Zach Johnson. Here's the article: http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5665.

Here's a couple of articles about Lions quarterback Jon Kitna, a Christian, and his miraculous return from a concussion during the Lions/Vikings game last Sunday. He suffered a concussion during the 2nd quarter of the game and returned in the 4th quarter to lead the Lions to an overtime victory. All of his concussion symptoms had disappeared and he checked out with the doctors and convinced them and the coaches that he was fine to return. Here's a quote from Kitna about it:

"It was a miracle," Kitna said Monday. ...

"I've never felt anything like that, and for it to clear up and go right back to as normal as I can be, is nothing short of a miracle," Kitna said. "I just definitely feel the hand of God. That's all it was. You can't explain it.

"I have no headaches, no symptoms, no lingering effects. But that was the worst my head has ever felt, and the worse my memory was in the second quarter. Yet, after halftime there was nothing."

Here's that article, including a video of the post-game press conference: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3024381 (originally found at: http://www.timellsworth.com/).

The other article about Kitna is about what he did to bring the Lions back after his return from the concussion and how he inspired both his teammates and the fans: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070917/SPT02/709170357/1066/.

Also, an interesting note about Cubs pitcher Jason Marquis, who is Jewish, starting the Cubs game this afternoon with Yom Kippur starting at sundown today. He was happy that it was an afternoon game and that he would be done pitching by sundown. But what I thought was interesting was what he had to say about religion, family, and baseball:

"I look at it that religion is an important part of my life, but so is family and baseball," Marquis said. "To me, family takes precedent over all aspects of my life. Baseball and religion fall into place, and I try not to make one more important than the other."

Now, I know that this is the opinion of only one Jewish person, but what he said is completely counter to the order that most Christians put their faith, family, and sports in. Most Christians would say God, family, and then sports. I just thought that his quote was very interesting. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070917&content_id=2213853&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Here's a happy article about Braves pitcher Peter Moylan being reunited with his wife and daughters for the first time since he left his home in Australia for spring training last spring. His wife gave birth to their second daughter in July, but Moylan decided to stay with the team because of all of the time it would take to get home to Australia and back. So last Monday night he got to meet his daughter for the first time. He also got to see his 6-year-old daughter too. Just a side note: Could you imagine travelling by yourself from Australia to Atlanta with a 6-year-old and 2-month-old?! Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070917&content_id=2213915&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Next, an article about the "Further Adventures of Tyler Zeller". Zeller, a Christian, is a 7'0" senior basketball player at Washington High School in Washington, Indiana, and the younger brother of Notre Dame basketball player Luke Zeller, also a Christian. He's one of the best high school basketball players in the country this year and is being recruited by his top four schools IU, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Purdue. Here's an article about his official visit to North Carolina last weekend on his first official visit of the four schools. UNC conveniently had fellow Hoosier natives and former UNC players Sean May and Eric Montross there to meet him, among other current and former players. Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070918/SPORTS0203/709180376/1057/SPORTS02.

Lastly, a Q & A article with former Knicks forward Allan Houston, a Christian. Houston is trying to make a comeback to the NBA after being retired the last two years. Here's a quote from him about his playing days with the Knicks:

Question: The Knicks had a long and storied history before you got there. Now you hold some of the team records and are mentioned in the same breath as Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and other greats. What is that like?

Houston: I get chills when I think about what that means. I really do. When people come up and say that to me, that they mention me in the same sentence with those guys and the history of the Knicks, it just means a lot. All I ever wanted to do was just get better every year I played. I had no goals in terms of going down in history. Every year I played I just wanted to continue to get better. To know that you are even part of history like that, I don't take it for granted. I look at it as a special, special thing and I thank God for it. It was a blessing to be a part of it every single day. I look at who I got to play with, and even lasting in New York that long was a miracle! (laughs)

Here's the article: http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/houston_070918_interview.html?rss=true.

NFL, MLB, and basketball

First, a Christian article about former NFL quarterback Jay Schroeder sharing his faith at a church in Utah a couple of weeks ago. Here's the article: http://thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070910/NEWS01/709100303 (originally found at: http://www.fca.org/).

Here's an article about Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett holding a celebrity charity bowling tournament to raise money for his Josh Beckett Foundation and Children's Hospital Boston: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070913&content_id=2207285&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Next, an article about Tyler Zeller, a Christian, who is a senior basketball player at Washington High School in Washington, Indiana, and the younger brother of Notre Dame basketball player Luke Zeller, also a Christian. Tyler is one of the top high school players in the country, and has narrowed his college choices down to Notre Dame, IU, Purdue, and North Carolina. At 7'0", he'd be a great addition to any team, but as an IU fan, It would be great if he'd go there! However, I would totally understand if he follows his brother to Notre Dame. Just as long as he doesn't go to IU's arch rival Purdue or North Carolina. Here's a quote from him:

Tyler said his parents taught him the order of life was God, family, school and basketball. "But Luke and I voted to flip the last two," he said.

Here's the article, which also includes a video: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070914/SPORTS0203/709140470/1057/SPORTS02.

Here's an article about Colts safety Matt Giordano, a Christian, and how he has made the most of his playing time as the back-up safety. Here's a great quote from him about that:

“The best thing right now I can do is when I’m not in there I need to be rooting and praying for those guys,” Giordano said. “In the end, we’re teammates, so that’s what matters. You pray and you hope that no one gets injured.

“If someone goes down, I have to be ready to step up and play at the same level as those guys and as the coaches expect me to play at.”

Here's the article: http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=d334ea75-79b6-46aa-a0f7-396546169b10.

Also, an article about Mariners outfielder Raul Ibanez and how leaving the Mariners to play with the Royals for a time helped him out by giving him more playing time. He then returned to the Mariners after a few years as a better player. Here's a quote from him:

I was the 25th guy every season and never really got a chance to play that much. So I was fortunate and blessed to get to Kansas City a few years later where I played for about two and a half years. When I came back here, it was in a totally different role.

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070914&content_id=2207840&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp.

Here's an article about a strange situation during a Yankees/Blue Jays game last week involving Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon. After catching the final out in an inning, a heckling fan offered Damon $20 for the ball. Damon took the $20 bill and then gave it to a boy in the stands. Here's the article, which includes a video of it: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070914&content_id=2208101&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Next, an article about Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, a Christian, and his start against the Cardinals last Friday, which he won for his second straight win. Here's a quote about him and his socks:

Zambrano (16-12) did that and has now matched his career high in wins. He gave up one run, on Albert Pujols' 31st homer, over eight innings. Big Z, who wore his socks high for the second straight start, struck out three. He's 2-0 with the high socks, but he'll be wearing long pants next time.

"I don't believe in superstitions, I believe in God," Zambrano said. "That's the only man I believe. I will go with my long pants my next time. I know God will be there with me."

However, he must have changed his mind between then and his next start Tuesday night, because he wore his socks up again. Ironically, he lost the game to the Reds. Maybe God was trying to send him and others a message about his socks and luck. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070914&content_id=2208046&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc.

Here's an article about a visit by some of the Braves to the White House to meet with President Bush last Friday afternoon while they were in Washigton to play the Nationals. Those that went were general manager John Schuerholz, pitchers John Smoltz (a Christian) and Tim Hudson, outfielder Jeff Francoeur (a Christian), and catcher Brian McCann. Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/09/14/braveshouse_0915.html.

Also, an article about former Giants defensive end George Martin helping to raise money for medical expenses for 9/11 rescue workers in New York with a cross-country walk from New York City to San Francisco. He started the walk last Sunday. Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/09/15/martin_0916.html.

Lastly, an aritcle about A's pitcher Joe Blanton and his mom, a breast cancer survivor. His mom through out the first pitch before the A's game last Saturday, which was Breast Cancer Awareness Day there. Blanton himself was the starting pitcher that day, so both he and his mom shared the mound that day. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070915&content_id=2209933&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

MLB misc., etc.

First of all, an article about North Carolina women's field hockey player Brianna O'Donnell working at and raising money for an orphanage in a slum in Kenya: http://www.ncaasports.com/fieldhockey/womens/story/10280093 (originally found at: http://goodnewsinsports.blogspot.com/2007/08/going-out-of-her-way-to-make-difference.html).

Here's a Christian article in Guideposts Magazine by former Olympic wrestler Rulon Gardner, a Christian, and how he survived a small plane crash on a lake last February: http://www.guidepostsmag.com/weekly_feature.asp?date=8/10/2007. For more on him and the story, go here (page down some): http://www.guidepostsmag.com/familyroom/August2007/index.asp. It also includes his website: http://www.rulongardner.com/index.html.

Next, an article about Mets pitcher Tom Glavine's 300th win last Sunday and how important it was to his family too. Here's a quote about it from his wife Christine:

"I don't want to say a long time coming, but a lot of anticipation," said Christine Glavine, who after thinking about it for a second corrected herself. "Yeah, a long time coming. Twenty years in the making. He works so hard, he's so disciplined. We knew, hopefully, God willing, it was going to be inevitable. We couldn't do it on the first try, but he was awesome on the second try."

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070805&content_id=2132680&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Here's an article about the Faith and Family Night being held before the Astros game on Saturday. Those involved are Astros 1st baseman Lance Berkman and Christian music artist Jeremy Camp. Here's a quote from Berkman about it:

"When you're a Christian, it permeates every aspect of your life," Berkman told the Houston Chronicle last year. "It's who I am, and it comes out in every arena."

Here's the article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/5026067.html (originally found at: http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5646).

Also, an article about Royals 1st baseman/DH Mike Sweeney, a Christian, and the possibility of him coming back and playing for the Royals next year: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070806&content_id=2133055&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc&partnered=rss_kc.

Here's an article about Rockets Guard Tracy McGrady raising money for a Houston school with a celebrity softball tournament and auction: http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/McGrady_raises_money_for_local-233673-34.html?rss=true.

Next, an article about Dodgers pitcher Roberto Hernandez, his long career in baseball, and how he reaches out to help others: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070806&content_id=2133331&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la&partnered=rss_la.

Here's an article about Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur, a Christian, and how his hitting has improved since working with Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton (also a Christian) last winter: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070806&content_id=2133320&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Also, an article about the things that Heat guard Dwayne Wade is doing to help others in South Florida this week: http://www.nba.com/heat/roster/wek_of_wade_070807.html?rss=true.

Lastly, an article about Brewers infielder Tony Graffanino's (a Christian) season-ending knee injury Wednesday: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070809&content_id=2139745&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.