Wrong Questions / Wrong Answers

For the last fifty years or more Christian sportspeople have gained more and more visibility in their communities, in the media and in the general culture. Sometimes that has been good, other times not so good. Some Christ-following coaches and players have represented their faith and their Lord very well and others have become emblematic of words like “hypocrite.” The growth of sports media in the last thirty years has only amplified the issues on both sides through the growth of sports television, sports talk radio and web sites which are each 100% dedicated to dissemination of information and opinion on sport related matters.

 

The incessant drive to fill the 24 hour per day news and opinion cycle pushes the media to dig, to prod, to push and to provoke sportspeople in their search of a story. They seek a story. They’ll do whatever is necessary to get it, even if they have to invent the story so as to get a reaction from the coach or athlete, then that becomes the story. Sadly, even the Christian media are not immune from this pressure.

 

I have several friends in both secular and Christian media services; radio, television and print. I respect them, but maintain a healthy distance from the glare of the spotlights, microphones and digital recorders. From my perspective, the relationship between the media and sportspeople is a matter of asking the wrong questions and giving the wrong answers. If one is to properly understand and to respectfully relate to sportspeople, the media members must ask better questions and be satisfied with better answers.

 

The compartmentalization of our general culture leads sports reporters to ask questions of coaches and athletes either exclusively about the elements of the sport; technique, strategy, performance, wins and losses, etc. or they will ask about the propriety of a Christian player’s practice of his beliefs on game day. The latter sort of question seems to be intended as provocation of an emotional or argumentative response from the Christian man or woman. These are the wrong questions. Better questions about matters of faith would approach the player or coach from a more integrated point of view, asking about matters like these. “When you pray on game day, what do you ask God to do?” “How do you pray for your teammates?” “I saw you kneeling in prayer on the sideline, do you think God wants you to win and the other team to lose?” Asking competitors about the elements of the sport is altogether proper and healthy. Asking them about matters of their faith is also proper and healthy if done with wisdom and respect.

 

This same lack of integrity exists in many of the hearts and minds of sportspeople. They often give the wrong answers. Some answer either sort of question – sport or faith – with simple clichés. “We’re just trying to get better.” “We’re taking them one at a time.” “I’m just trying to contribute to the ball club.” “Praise Jesus, I got that ball and the Lord just took over.” “I told the Lord if we won today, I’d be in church tomorrow.” The responses remind us more of a scene from “Bull Durham” with Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins than wise, respectful responses to a reporter’s questions. Christian athletes and coaches often answer questions in ways that betray the compartmentalization of their hearts and minds, while others will try to force “Christian cliché” answers upon the reporters. When the reporter asks, “What was your pre-snap read on the mike linebacker when it was third down and thirteen on your thirty yard line with three minutes to play in the fourth quarter?” the answer is not, “Jesus is Lord.” That’s simply disrespectful to the reporter and all those listening simply think, “Huh?” Christian sportspeople must relate to reporters with same wisdom and respect they expect from the media.

 

Sports media people – please ask better questions. Ask questions which respect the Christian athlete’s genuine love for sport and for God without assuming those two passions are in conflict. Please don’t just seek a story for the sake of a story.

 

Sportspeople – please give better answers. Answer reporters’ questions directly and respectfully. Don’t twist a question about technical matters of sport into an opportunity to tell your testimony. Don’t dodge questions about matters of faith by tossing clichés, tired analogies, or by simply giving, “No comment.”