Sunday Spout

In addition to watching some opera for the first time today, I caught a little NFL football. This brings me to the topic of today's rant.

While catching the highlight reel from all of todays games I saw no fewer than 3 different players from around the league (almost in perfect choreographed fashion) pound their chest and point to sky giving thanks to baby jesus, allah, or some other imaginary god for their "gift" to score a touchdown. Give me a fucking break!

First of all, there is no god, so your delusional theatrics are not only distracting they are silly. Secondly, if there were a god- his interest in whether or not you happen to score versus another devotee from the other team could only be minuscule at best. I am sure good old god is busy talking to a certain president, smiting homosexuals, thinning out a continent with the AIDS virus, or whatever it is that the all powerful is busy doing. Stop bothering him with your trivial little accomplishments; after all he is omniscient- he knows you scored, and I'm sure he had the foresight to pick you in his fantasy football team Yay! 7 points! For that matter he knows you are grateful and all that, no need to involve us in your dramatic gratuities.

Finally, it is just hypocritical. I realize I am generalizing here, but if your piety was as present off the field as it appears on it; then I suppose there would be a lot less professional athletes who were in jail, deadbeat dads, wife-beaters, drug addicts, and animal abusers. (although in Michael Vick's defense, he didn't find Jesus until after he murdered dozens of dogs- that Jesus sure does hide well)

Why is it that these athletes feel it is OK to constantly throw their supposed beliefs in your face? And over such trivial accomplishments, I mean, it would be no more appropriate, but imagine this:

You are sitting in a waiting room where a loved one is undergoing delicate brain surgery, the neurosurgeon comes out, jumps up in the air, pounds his chest with his fist and thrust a thankfully pious finger skyward and nods to the (ceiling) heavens. As he approaches you to inform you of the outcome of the surgery he states, "First and foremost, I have to give thanks to almighty god, without whom nothing is possible, and uh, oh yeah, the operation was a success."

Is this appropriate behavior? Even for someone who saved a life, I don't think so. But especially not over something as silly as scoring points, in a game. Keep your beliefs to yourself! Thank you very much.

I don't see any atheist players (statistics tell us that there are many) spouting off after every touchdown or home run about their belief in rational thought and science. Why is that? Oh yeah, I forgot. Atheism IS NOT A RELIGION- despite what the religious say. More importantly, you are being paid (quite handsomely) to play a game and entertain us. I would dare say your paychecks would be a might bit smaller should your salary be based on your ability to wax poetic on the nature of the universe or your knowledge of scripture.

So please, Mr. Professional Athlete (who happened to hit the genetic lottery and has the ability to play a game to earn a living making several orders of magnitude more money than people who are doing real good in the world) keep your silly little religion to yourself and off the field, and I will promise to stop coming to your churches and playing touch football around the pews with my friends.