I was watching baseball the other night (the San Francisco Giants versus the Texas Rangers World Series Game 5), and the sight of fans in the stands looking up to the sky begging for some help gets rather tiring real quickly. I mean, come on. These are grown people begging for something good to happen, and asking for some divine help.
Isn't that a blow to one's ego when you ask for help? It would be for me, as I dislike with a passion asking for help. I cannot stand it and, when I do, I look down upon myself. Same goes for everyone else in the world I'm sure. We all strive to be as independent as possible and to perform in life to the best of our ability. When that occurs, you know you've gone somewhere in the world.
Back to my earlier point. Based upon my sports experiences, especially as a baseball fan over the years, what I have learned is that "God" takes the day off during a baseball game, plain and simple.
Apparently, the sports world isn't important enough to "God," and the reason I say that is because every team that I have ever liked personally throughout the years has never won a championship. They might have come close and come within a few wins and such, but it still never happened. So I've been deprived.
Yes, I could be just another bitter sports fan and be rather upset and negative. And that could be the reason why I'm saying "God" is taking the day off when there is a game on. But trust me, whenever you ask for help during any kind of sporting event, the opposite comes true.
When you pray for a home run, a ground out to the infielder for an out will probably occur. If you want a strikeout, that's when you get the home run you wanted, but it is against your team rather than for it. This is all based on life experiences from my stand point. I could be wrong, but I sincerely doubt it.
Come on, people! No more of the praying, It is all a bunch of crap. When it comes to baseball, I am just as superstitious as the next guy. Still, I don't pretend to be religious just because I want my team to win. Remember that.
Sports are exciting, but they're still meant to be what they are, no help necessary.
Article comments
1 - Victor Lana
Great article!
I think you've hit on a good point here. I think prayer is a good personal thing, but it is certainly not meant for the ballfield. They say there are no atheists in foxholes (and with good reason), but the dugout is a whole other story.
2 - Alan Kurtz
I have it on good ecclesiastical authority that God is a San Francisco Giants fan and is much pleased by the outcome of this year's World Series. Thank God the Giants won!
3 - doug m.
I can see why Alan knocks the editors because while there's a good topic, it's buried in an article that is not great.
The WS ended Monday, so what game were you watching last night? And this idea that the opposite of what you pray for happens is flawed because it's just as likely that someone rooting for the other team has had their prayer answered.
Doug on another article was right. This site is getting dumber
4 - Danny Vollmer
I was watching an old game on ESPN Classic and it made me think of it...I think its definitely accurate. I mean athletes and fans pray all the time, and it just gets old. IF there is a God, why would he care about a sporting event?
5 - Alan Kurtz
An equally valid question might be, IF there is a Danny Vollmer, why would he care about a sporting event? Once you've explained that, substitute God for Danny Vollmer, and you've got your answer. God cares, or does not care, for the same reasons that you care, or do not care. And bear in mind, God has a shitload of time on His hands. That's why He, like you, watches old games on ESPN Classic.
6 - Joseph
Apparently, many people disagree with you, as this article is now on the front page of Blogcritics (and has probably been re-edited since there is no mention of "last night" anywhere in the article).
I don't agree with specific statements in the article (such as, when you ask for help during a sporting event, the opposite comes true), but at least I don't take jabs at people and instead remain civil.
What I do agree with is his general premise that prayers to God during sporting events is ridiculous and doesn't work.
7 - Alan Kurtz
Joseph (#6), please explain how placement on the front page of Blogcritics indicates that "many people disagree with you." It's one of four BC editors' picks for today, which is merely their way of directing traffic. It says nothing, one way or the other, about how "many people disagree with you."
8 - Joseph
Your point was that this was not a good article and that this site was "getting dumber" (but you still write for it, apparently). Obviously if it's an "editor's pick" on the front page and in the main slot on the sports page, that means a lot of people are getting exposure to it and wouldn't be if it wasn't a good article. It's not the best I've ever read, believe me, but still...
A lot of people may like it or many may not and you can disagree with it. But to say it's not a good article, well, you're in the minority, let's put it that way.
9 - Alan Kurtz
Joseph (#8), you've confused me with doug m. (#3), who wrote that this article "is not great" and added, "This site is getting dumber."
I never said either of those things.
But your assumption that a blog wouldn't be an editors' pick "if it wasn't a good article" is unwarranted. I've seen plenty of subpar editors' picks at Blogcritics.
10 - Joseph
I guess Doug is a big fan of yours and the two of you were equally negative here (sorry if I confused the two of you).
But "plenty" of subpar editors' picks at Blogcritics? Every once in a long while, maybe, but everyone has their own opinions as what is good and what is bad in terms of articles/blog entries. To each his/her own.
11 - Alan Kurtz
Joseph (#10), again you are wrong. I was never "negative here," much less was I as negative as doug m. (#3). Evidently you just like to make stuff up to bolster your argument.
12 - Joseph
Really Alan, comment #5 wasn't negative? You can play semantics all you want with me about how negative you are compared to doug m but really, I don't care.
13 - Alan Kurtz
That's exactly right: you don't care. You don't give a shit about the truth as long as you can score your little points.
14 - Joseph
I got the truth (and points) on my side, but thanks for playing.
15 - El Bicho
"I got the truth (and points) on my side"
Not in reference to adding any significance to an editor's pick, you don't.
16 - Joseph
#15: Elaborate, please.
17 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
"Once you've explained that, substitute God for Danny Vollmer, and you've got your answer."
HA! I could also substitute The Flying Spaghetti Monster for Danny as well in his question and it still doesn't prove the existence of a "Flying Spaghetti Monster" or its/his/hers mindset .
People pray because they don't have enough belief & confidence in their own or their fellow Humans abilities. The catch here is that in Sports, one team has to lose or it wouldn't make sense. So, if God was as omnipotent & omniscient as people would like you to believe then why would he answer both sides prayers when already knowing the outcome of the game. I would assume, because of this, that "God" wouldn't have to watch any sports broadcasts.