Historic Football Game

Much is being said of the history being made at the February 4th meeting of the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. This is the first time that an African American head coach is leading a team in the Super Bowl® - and, the head coach of both teams is African American. It marks an historic event.

This pales, however, alongside the truly historic perspective of this event. Each head coach, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, are brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They love their faith; they speak their faith; they live their faith. Each man, in his own way, makes clear in his many press meetings and press releases the meaning that Jesus Christ has in his life. In an age when rampant secularism is particularly vicious to those who express a personal love for and devotion to Jesus, this is a truly remarkable and historic event. I will let the records speak for these coaches and their players.

“MIAMI - The skin color of the two Super Bowl head coaches has been a prominent subject this week and justifiably so. Tony Dungy of the Colts and Lovie Smith of the Bears are the first African-Americans to bring teams to the game, and the importance of that should not be ignored. But neither should it overshadow the content of their character, or the message that their understated, reasoned approaches to coaching sends: That it's possible to be a successful coach without being a raving, self-absorbed lunatic… ‘I respect the way they coach,’ Colts center Jeff Saturday said. ‘You're not going to be cussed at. You're not going to be yelled at. The reality is, he (Dungy) is going to be the same guy, win or lose. I have a lot of respect for who he is as a man, and more importantly, as a Christian mentor.’ Both Dungy and Smith are quick to credit their religious faith for their success. Dungy's faith has helped sustain him since his son, James, committed suicide in December 2005. Both view themselves as more than just football coaches. They are examples to their players that
religion and family are important, too.” –
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/0202supercoaches0202.html

“For all the hoopla about Smith and Dungy being the first African-American head coaches to reach the Super Bowl, there's also a common bond in the friends' spirituality. ‘What makes it even better is that they are both men of humility, they are both men of God,’ said U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. ‘They never trash-talk. They are not yellers and screamers. ... They are just a couple of class individuals.’ While other coaches berate players
or curse within earshot of fans or reporters, these two have led their teams to the NFL's biggest game with no more than a few euphemisms. –
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/faithvalues/2003554384_religionsuperbowl03.html

“The Colts have a quality that makes them different from most NFL teams: They're OK with being vulnerable. They show little bravado and see no need to hide themselves. They're naked. The world can see it, and perhaps it can sympathize… One tragedy unified this team the most. Thirteen months ago, Tony Dungy and his team received the shocking news that the coach's son, James, had committed suicide. The Colts immediately went from Super Bowl favorites to a team locked in prayer. But Dungy handled his despair in a way that will forever be admired. He spoke of his faith, of his Christian beliefs, and how it would carry him through. Even if you didn't agree with his religion, you were impressed with how strong and stately he appeared in public. ‘A lot of guys on this team find inspiration from what he went through with James and in other parts of his life,’ linebacker Rob Morris said… Athletes want to appeal to a broad base of fans, so many keep personal things, such as spirituality, quiet. Not these players. The Colts have spent Super Bowl week expressing their beliefs. They're not preaching, not aiming to convert people, but they aren't shying from who they are. ‘You can't get any higher than the Super Bowl, but it doesn't define who we are as men,’ center Jeff Saturday said. ‘The faith in Christ is what defines us and our attitudes on the field; off the field, how we treat our families and our wives are the things that are most important to us. And that is the greatest part - that we have this stage, this platform, to speak about our faith.’ –
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/16615548.htm

“MIAMI (BP)--Lovie Smith had a limited amount of time during his Super Bowl XLI media session Monday, but the Chicago Bears head coach said he could spend hours talking about his star players and their efforts to get the team to their first Super Bowl berth in 21 years. But Smith also wanted to spend part of his allotted time talking about what was most important in his life, his faith in Jesus Christ. ‘God is the center of my life. It controls all that I do. I hope I don’t have to spend my time telling my players I’m a Christian. I hope they see it in my life every day,’ Smith said.” –
http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5533

Praise the Lord!