Had a bit of fun with my Examiner post from today.
To be a Christian and an Oakland Raiders fan
The East Bay loves its sports. Unfortunately, more often than not they don’t love it back. The recent (and in some cases not so recent yet still ongoing) miseries of the A’s, Warriors and Raiders are all too well known by the local fan base which nevertheless dutifully trudges to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum or Oracle Arena, hoping against most all reason that somehow this year will be different than the last. Sometimes a multitude of lasts.
The challenge for a believer living here who also root root roots for the home team is twofold. First is keeping all things in perspective when it comes to the place sports has in their life. Sports are meant to provide entertainment; a mini-vacation from the cares of life. You cheer, you boo, great when your team wins and disappointing when they don’t. But that’s all. Becoming so obsessed with sports they start occupying a disproportionate part of your life is not an option for Christians. They are not more important than your relationship with Christ, your family and friends, or your fellow man period.
The second challenge comes along every football season. No, it’s not how being a Raiders fan is enough to test anyone’s faith. It’s in how identifying oneself as both a Christian and an aficionado of the Silver and Black is enough to make most everyone else question your standing with Jesus.
How can anyone be a Christian and a Raiders fan?
It’s quite simple, actually.
A Christian Raiders fan doesn’t buy into the mythology surrounding the team. The notion that being part of the Raider Nation automatically means one is a street rat gang punk is laughable. If anything, the association game played by such people — “my team is outlaw, therefore I’m outlaw” — belies the fundamental emptiness of such a life. If you’re looking for a sports team as an identity, you’ve got problems.
A Christian Raiders fan points to the many players who over the years have worn the Silver and Black whose lives are shaped by their faith in Christ. A prime example of this is Napoleon Kaufman, who for years excelled in the Raiders backfield and now pastors at the Well Christian Community in Dublin.
A Christian Raiders fan endures the jokes and horrified looks one gets whenever their favorite football team is mentioned with a smile. We know better than to think we’ll ever convince most people the reason our team’s logo has an eyepatch is an attempt to cover up the fact its fan base is made up of cyclopses. We laugh it off when we’re asked where we buy our facepaint and spiked shoulder pads. Or if we’re really outlaws.
No… but we know One.
[youtube tuGcLDv5nvM nolink]
