Super Bowl XLI

Well, while I was thoroughly disappointed with the lack of good commercials during this year's Super Bowl, I wasn't disappointed at a coach of a team that, if I actually liked football enough to watch it, I would probably root for.



This is Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, a man who lost his son to suicide over a year ago. As I was looking up this story while I'm typing this post, I realized that I actually heard his testimony on the radio on the way to work a few weeks ago, and forgot that it was the same man. He gave honor to Jesus Christ after his son's death...

“If God had talked to me before James’ death and said his death would have helped all these people, it would have saved them and healed their sins, but I would have to take your son, I would have said no, I can’t do that.

“But God had the same choice 2,000 years ago with His Son, Jesus Christ, and it paved the way for you and me to have eternal life. That’s the benefit I got, that’s the benefit James got and that’s the benefit you can get if you accept Jesus into your heart today as your Savior.”

“I want you to know there is a peace in your mind through God’s spirit when you know Jesus and know you will be in heaven with Him.”

The announcers said that, at the beginning of the season (or the beginning of his coaching of them?), he told the players to listen to him, because that's as loud as his voice would ever get. The announcers also said that the players would listen to him and do what he said, not out of fear of repercussion, like other coaches, but out of fear of letting him down. What great display of Christ's character!

Their team won the Super Bowl (in case you didn't know). The head coach of the other team was African-American as well. As a result, he was the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl. Of course, this is a big thing, AND it's Black History Month. I usually get a little miffed at the whole idea of singling out an ethnic group on doing a good job at something, especially when we concentrate on one race more than another. But Tony Dungy, when asked how he felt about this honor, gave a better response than I could ever think of. I can't find the quote online, but he said something like, It's a great honor to be the first African-American coach to win the Super Bowl. I think others could have done it better were they given the chance, and I'm really honored...but what I'm most proud of is a Christian coach winning.

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility."
-- Ephesians 2:13-16