Archive for January 10, 2008
Ray Rice says good-bye to Rutgers
“First I would like to thank God, my family, and Coach Schiano for everything he’s done for me in leading me this far,” Rutgers’ all-time leading rusher said. “After the last few days, me and Coach Schiano sat down and what I did was just evaluate what was best for me and my family. And I’m always going to be grateful for what I’ve done here at Rutgers and for what Rutgers has done for me. After sitting down with Coach, Rutgers has really made me into a man and I’m proudly glad to be able to say that.
“I’m humbled here today just to say that I’m always going to be a part of the Scarlet Knight family.”
Rice spoke of the chance to play in the NFL as something he could not pass up.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing in the NFL – that’s something I’ve dreamed of as a child,” said Rice, who intends to return to Rutgers at some point to get his degree. “The opportunity came knocking , so I’m going to take it forth from there.”
Green Bay Packers players believe in prayer’s power
Come Saturday morning, thousands of card-carrying members of the Green & Gold Brigade will take a moment to pray.
Pray for victory.
At precisely 11 a.m. on Saturday, exactly 4½ hours before the Packers host Seattle in an NFC divisional playoff game, several members of the Green Bay Packers will gather either at Lambeau Field or the Radisson Hotel, and they will pray as well.
Their prayers will likely be far different than yours. (more…)
For Cardinals’ Kurt Warner, sport is 3rd string in life’s game plan
Source: Arizona Republic
The first thing you notice about Kurt and Brenda Warner’s home is that nothing tells you that one of its residents is a professional football player.
Kids’ bikes and toddlers’ wagons, not fancy sports cars, are “parked” in the driveway. Nine garden stones leading to the front door are inscribed with the Warners’ names, another indicator that this household is not a shrine to athletics but a tribute to a family at work and play.
Inside, it’s the same non-football story. Children’s artwork and mismatched ceramic pieces get the spotlight. No sports trophies, NFL paraphernalia or photos in sight. Instead, there’s a large image of the Warner brood, which includes Zachary, 18; Jesse, 15; Kade, 9; Jada, 6; Elijah, 4; and twins Sienna and Sierra, 2.
The only sign that No. 13, the 36-year-old starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, lives here is Kurt himself, who is moving gingerly because of some tough hits he took the day before in a crushing overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Never mind the “unintentional” Cardinals-like red paint on the kitchen walls. (more…)
Tomlinson: NFL Hero, Man of God
LaDainian Tomlinson’s football records, awards and accolades fill 20 pages in the San Diego Chargers media guide. In 2007, the Bolts’ superstar running back led the National Football League in rushing (1474 yards) and rushing touchdowns (15) for the second consecutive year. In 2006, Tomlinson established 13 new NFL records and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. “LT,” as he is known to football fans, has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and many other national magazines. He has been a guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and was recently featured on 60 Minutes. Tomlinson, who is in his 7th season with the Chargers, has also appeared in many television commercials, including spots for Campbell’s Soup and Nike. He even has a shoe named after him.
“God has given me all these blessings,” Tomlinson tells an interviewer. “A lot of people may know my face and know that I’m a good player on the football field, but they probably don’t really know me as a person. I owe this to God; it’s all about Him.” (more…)
Huckabee Steps Back Into the Pulpit at Evangelical Church in N.H.
A pastor from Texas was scheduled to deliver the sermon Sunday at a church here called the Crossing.
But instead this small evangelical congregation heard from a different special guest: Baptist minister and 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who delivered a sermon of more than 20 minutes on how to be part of “God’s Army” in the middle school cafeteria where the congregation meets.
“When we become believers, it’s as if we have signed up to be part of God’s Army, to be soldiers for Christ,” Huckabee told the enthusiastic audience.
Days after winning the Iowa Republican caucus, where Christian conservatives powered him to victory, Huckabee now finds himself in a state without an extensive religious base. While more than 60 percent of GOP voters were estimated to be evangelicals in the Iowa caucuses, they accounted for only about one in five New Hampshire Republican voters in 2000, the last time the state held a competitive GOP primary. (more…)
Chuck Norris writes Christian books, articles
In 2004, Chuck Norris wrote his spiritual memoir, Against All Odds, for B&H, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. Since then, he has “co-written” two Christian western novels, The Justice Riders and A Threat to Justice, which the publisher describes as a “heroic action tale of good versus evil, with elements of faith and romance.” Fiction is the fastest-growing segment of the Christian publishing industry, and there’s a glut of Christian genre novels right now, from Westerns, to thrillers to romances. Typically these books are “clean” versions of their secular counterparts, with a few scenes of prayer thrown in and, almost inevitably, a weepy moment where a main character falls to his knees and confesses that he is a sinner who needs Jesus. Partly because the books are so formulaic, having the name of a mainstream star on the cover is a great way to stand apart from the competition.
In 2006, Norris also began writing a column for the far-right Christian web site Worldnetdaily. While he was generally good-natured about them (while noting that ” some are just not appropriate for kids.”) he also fretted a bit about their message, writing, “In the history of this planet, there has only been one real Superman. It’s not me.” To drive home the point, he added, “There was a man whose tears could cure cancer or any other disease, including the real cause of all diseases – sin.”
