They did it God’s way?

[Colonel_Reb]

No, its not a remake of the Frank Sinatra classic, its what Tony Dungy said last night about himself and Lovie Smith. Besides the pathetic way he invoked God into sports, he also insults all white coaches who made it to and/or won the Super Bowl. I'm convinced that God does care about character of individuals, but I'm also convinced that the Lord cares nothing about who wins when teams compete against each other. The Utah media is all upset about it, and rightfully so. I was really disappointed when he said it last night in the context of two black coaches in the Super Bowl, but I can't say I'm shocked.

No doubt the Colts, and Dungy personally, have been through a lot over the past year or so, but he didn't make that distinction when saying what he said last night in the press conference. I know he wouldn't have said it had they lost, and he has never said it after any other games. He isn't the first Christian coach to win the Super Bowl, and I thought it was a slap in the face to God and to the many white coaches who have made it where he is now. The idea that God pushed the Colts to victory is more than ridiculous. Here are the exact quotes. What do you think?

"The Lord doesn't always take you in a straight line," Dungy said. "He tests you sometimes."


"I tell you what. I'm proud to be representing African-American coaches, to be the first African-American to win this. It means an awful lot to our country. [SNIP!] But again, more than anything, I've said it before, Lovie Smith and I, not only the first two African-Americans, but Christian coaches, showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way. We're more proud of that."

 

[Poacher]

I am worried about the impact this will have on impressionable young white christians. Hearing these words coming from a black will only increase efforts by white churches to "reach out" and diversify their congregation.

"We're all one in christ jesus." How many blacks have used that line to guilt white people into doing something which they knew instinctually to be wrong?

 

[eaxs]

Good points Reb. I had the televitz on in the background, and I heard Dungy blabber something about him, Lovie, and God. Made no sense then and no sense now. Maybe only "classy" people can understand...

 

[jaxvid]

Maybe only "classy" people can understand...

That's a funny comment

But don't most athletes pay the hypocritical hoseanahs to God after a win? It's the oldest cliche in the game.

 

[Weltner]

Maybe only "classy" people can understand...

That's a funny comment

But don't most athletes pay the hypocritical hoseanahs to God after a win? It's the oldest cliche in the game.

Natch,99.9% of them are black.A race that couldn't read before Whitey taught them how to,who had no alphabet,no ability to write,think they understand Religion.

After thousands of years,they still have the delusion,that their emotionalism and how they feel after reading the bible,or one of their typical abominations of a religious service,wipes away all their sins and makes them A-OK with God. If you wail like a banshee,sweat like a monsoon and you deliberately work your blood up to make your heart pump overtime and you're passing out,all the dizziness and exhaustion they feel convinces them they've been blessed by God.Well,maybe,but not by the one in HEAVEN,but obviously,after all this time,nothing will ever shatter their delusions of grandeur.

 

[bigunreal]

It always amazes me when players of any color kneel and pray after a game, or thank God for their victory. Really, how ridiculous can anyone be, to think that God cares which team wins a football game? If he does care, he certainly hasn't been helping very many deserving teams over the years! I can't stand these multi- millionares standing before a fawning press (of very wealthy reporters), waxing poetic about their faith. Deion Sanders is perhaps the worst in this regard, with his huge, gaudy gold cross around his neck, to go with his heavy array of other bling-bling (sorry to use that idiotic rap non-word, but nothing else better applies). Neion Deion has the audacity to claim he's some kind of Christian when he has apparently denied he and his first wife were ever married, and evidently has denied the reality of their children. I'm sure there are truly religious football players, whose faith is genuine, but for me it often seems to be a show for the masses, to prove that they're part of something trendy and popular.

 

[White Shogun]

I'd rather Dungy thank God than his blackness.

I got the impression he wouldn't have brought it up at all if they hadn't asked him about it.

And still no African-American has ever beaten a white coach in the Super Bowl.

Edited by: White Shogun

 

[guest301]

I don't consider myself officially back, but I couldn't help myself on this one. I think you guys are too hard on Dungy and Smith on this thread. I don't think either one was trying to drop other white coaches under the bus with their comments before and after the game about their Christian faith. They both are true believers and were just trying to give glory to their God for their success. I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with praying for a victory and saying God wanted your team to win....what about the christians on the other team is my favorite retort to those who think God routinely involves himself in the "outcome of games".I am very loyal to my race and ethnic background. But my faith in Jesus Christ always comes first. take care

 

[guest301]

on a side note here....I also think it's refreshing to see a quiet and calm coach like Tony Dungy have success in the NFL without making a ass of himself like Parcells, Switzer, Cowler, Denny Green, etc...used to do with their relentless pacing on the sidelines, cussing and screaming and their joke antagonistic press conferences. I prefer coaches like Tom Landry,Dan Reeves, Don Shula and yes even Tony Dungy who have proven you can win in this league without being a jerk in the process.

 

[whiteCB]

Tony Dungy has lost all respect for me as a person. What an idiot! Does he honestly believe that God wanted a Colts win. How absurd and a slap in the face to Christians woh know God has more important things to worry about than a meaningless football game.

 

[guest301]

I haven't read anywhere where Dungy said the Lord orchestrated the outcome of the game. I think he was more referring to the long journey in his career that led up to that moment in time when he finally wins a Super Bowl. As christians, we are suppossed to praise God for anything good that comes into our life. That's all Dungy was doing. I personally don't think God invovlves himself in the outcome of games, not usually anyway. God's ways are mysterious though....you never know. If he has a divine purpose behind it....However it was nice to see the two greatest players on the field(and league) being two white guys...Urlacher and Manning...that was refreshing.

 

[backrow]

i am no christian but i am guessing that is quite normal for a believer to thank his God for whatever feat they might have accomplished. in this case i don't think his color has anything to do with it.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Its the fact he said he and Lovie did things God's way that ticks me off. It seems a slap in the face of other coaches to me. Maybe I'm off, but he should have thought through his comments more before making them. He didn't specify what he meant, thus leaving it open for speculation. I have no problem with people thanking God for helping them, but for him to claim that for 2 whole teams is more than a bit crazy.

 

[White Mike]

on a side note here....I also think it's refreshing to see a quiet and calm coach like Tony Dungy have success in the NFL without making a ass of himself like Parcells, Switzer, Cowler, Denny Green, etc...used to do with their relentless pacing on the sidelines, cussing and screaming and their joke antagonistic press conferences. I prefer coaches like Tom Landry,Dan Reeves, Don Shula and yes even Tony Dungy who have proven you can win in this league without being a jerk in the process.

Are you for real!? Coaches that are sensitive aren't going to get a reaction out of your players. You need coaches who will get in your face screaming and telling you you played like a bunch of faries, when you screw up. Football is a mans game, and teams need a man that'll snap like a psyco

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I think a coach can be successful either way. I have known coaches who were both buttheads and nice guys who took teams to multiple championships. Yeah, its a man's game alright, but it doesn't take a screaming jerk to be a good coach.

 

[Triad]

My local radio guy was hopping all sorts of praise on Dungy's comments. He went so far on the air to say that you could see God in Dungy and Lovie's faces.

He also reported on how classy they were.

 

[bigman]

The majority of you have shown that you have no shame and will stop at nothing to disgrace yourself before your fellow man and before God... Dungy is a great great man and if I were from Indianapolis I would be proud of him.


The guy tries to defuse the whole race thing by finding greater common ground with all men and you slander him..... you are hell bent and determined to marginalize yourselves.Edited by: bigman

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I'm not slandering anybody. I'm giving my opinion about what he said. I think he's a good guy, as far as coaches go, and I'm glad he's been willing to give whites a chance to play at certain positions. If you remember, his son was into some bad stuff when he killed himself. I'm glad he didn't focus on race so much when they asked him about it, but the way he made his comments was very unwise. I hadn't even thought about it or heard about it until my local sports hosts brought it up yesterday.

 

[mark b.]

I wouldn't make to much over the comment that Dungy made about the lord. I really think God could care less about who wins a football game. I think God is more concerned about the character of the players and coaches more than anything else. lots of people like to give credit to the Lord when things have gone well, but only a special few give thanks when things don't go so well. Boxers, especially black boxers like to give credit to the Lord when they just beat the crap out of someone, I never hear it when they get the crap beat out of them or anyone else for that matter. I think this is much ado about nothing. I think coaches and players should be thanking the Lord that nobody got hurt and that they are lucky enough to live in this country and make millions of dollars for playing a game.

 

[eaxs]

The majority of you have shown that you have no shame and will stop at nothing to disgrace yourself before your fellow man and before God...

God = Tony Dungy?

Dungy is a great great man and if I were from Indianapolis I would be proud of him.

I'll admit - I think Tony Dungy is a decent coach. And he plays as many Whites as just about anyone in the league. However, he isn't some deity like you make him out to be.

The guy tries to defuse the whole race thing by finding greater common ground with all men and you slander him..... you are hell bent and determined to marginalize yourselves.

Hell~! OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

 

[Bart]

The majority of you have shown that you have no shame and will stop at nothing to disgrace yourself before your fellow man and before God...

Shame on all you guys! You're just a bunch of meanies!

 

[Charlie]

Does this explain the Buffalo Bill's lack of success in the Super Bowl?

 

[guest301]

You would think if God had ever wanted any team to win the Super Bowl...it definitely would have been the Buffalo Bills....The year the Ravens won it with that murderer(allegedly

)Ray Lewis....who's side was God on that day?

 

[jaxvid]

Doesn't God decide who wins games? Isn't everthing that happens part of God's devine will? Thus if one team wins over another is not that what God wanted to happen?

If you believe that God is omnipotent and omniscient then everything that happens is due to His wishes. One may not know the "reason" behind it but no matter, it is certainly His doing.

Why then isn't it proper to claim that a win is the result of God's favor? People often thank God for the good things that happen to them, why? because it is felt that he was responsible.

 

[White Shogun]

I don't see anything wrong with Dungy's comments per se, in that practically every athlete who gets in front of a microphone thanks God for the victory, and some, even their losses.

Some people have a fatalistic or deterministic view that God wills all outcomes good or bad; others, that free will is what determines our success. God is 'in control' in the sense that no matter how bad (or good) things become, God will make something good of it in the end.

Now, as for Tony Dungy himself: I don't dislike him at all. What I dislike is the media worship of all things black, which Dungy benefits from. But Dungy has spoken openly about racial slotting; he seems to give white players more of a chance than many other white coaches in the league; and he doesn't seem to be a bad person. And he seems to be a pretty good coach, all things considered.

However, I'd rather have had a white coach win the Super Bowl. A black coach winning the Super Bowl will just be another excuse used to hire and promote more black coaches, despite the fact they make up over 50% of assistant coaches in the NFL. When the only acceptable outcome for the social elites is an organization that is almost coal-black from top to bottom, the success of a coach like Tony Dungy is not a good thing, no matter how well meaning a guy he is, nor how good a coach he may be.