Dudes Who Love the Man Upstairs

So today is a day long overdue. There are a lot of things that I love about sports. Competing, watching, discussing, gambling -- all of these come to mind, and many more on top of those.

But one thing that I truly love that doesn't get enough credit has to do with something greater than sports themselves.

Today, we pay tribute to the top 10 "Dudes who love Jesus". Yes, there are some players who worship other deities, Shawn Green for instance. And yes, we could have had a field day with God-inspired movie characters, Pedro Cerrano or Ed Harris, for instance.

But that will have to wait for another day. To keep things in the context of this site we will pay tribute to some real-life local Jesus lovers. God knows we have a bunch of them over at Shea. But you could also check MSG over the last couple of years to catch a few more.

As for the pic above, well, that child very strongly resembles these next 10 guys.

Researching this article was immensely enjoyable. For kicks, you should type in anyone's name along with "Jesus" into Google and see what comes up. Amazingly, and probably for the first and last time on this website, all the quotes in this article are 100% true.

10. Mark Brunell, QB, Washington Redskins

The Redskins sure should suck. They are maybe the most boring team in the NFL with a vastly overrated running back and a QB who belongs in a retirement home. Yet somehow, the Redskins, behind Mark Brunell, have prevailed.

Brunell attributes his success to his strong character and personality: "I have a stronger marriage, I'm a better parent and I have incredible friends I can count on. Jesus Christ made the difference.''

http://www.rickross.com/reference/champions/champions6.html

Hopefully Jesus Christ forgets to show up this weekend, because as Moses knows, I hate the 'Skins and all their annoying ass fans.

9. The New Mets

Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez both love Jesus and for good reason.

Jesus Christ has guided Pedro Martinez to a Hall of Fame career. With every strikeout Jesus Christ was there with Pedro. Pedro always points up to the sky after escaping a jam or at the end of a game.

As for Beltran, Jesus Christ is responsible for 119 million bucks, none of which he deserved, and a massive wart on the right side of his face, which never appears on the Carlos Beltran bobblehead dolls.

In reference to Jesus, Beltran said, "He is a professional person, super-educated. I've let them know my interest, and they have interest, too, about me joining their team."

http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2004/vol8n53/LiveEd/Media3-en.shtml

Oh wait a minute, Beltran said this about George Steinbrenner and the Yankees, a team he would have taken less money to play for. Can you say, THE NEW METS?

(Editor's Note: One of my favorite Carlos Beltran-isms is his tendency to say "I have to thanks God" rather than "I have to thank God". I tried running a search for him saying "thanks God" but it seems all the articles have chopped off the S in deference to Beltran's intended meaning. It's also possible he got the whole thing straightened out, but I'll be listening intently the next time he gives an interview on the Fan just the same.)

8. Mike Sweeney, 1B, Kansas City Royals

There's no way around this one. Once a potential candidate to fill the Mets' 1B vacancy, Sweeney went another direction. The direction of the Lord.

When asked what's the best thing about being a ballplayer, Sweeney responded:

"Best thing about my job is the platform it gives me to share my faith about Christ with people throughout the world. Last winter I went on a missionary trip to Germany and this winter I'm going to Ireland. We use baseball as a vehicle to tell people about Jesus and the Bible."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2001-05-30/2001-05-30-extra.htm

It is clear Jesus has been behind the Royals in their triumphant effort to be the worst team of the decade and maybe the worst team ever.

7. The Brothers Luke, University of Oregon 2003

Both Luke Ridnour and Luke Jackson flat out loved Jesus during Oregon's surprise run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tourament.

When they weren't taking half court shots for room selection in their off campus apt, they were busy loving Jesus and all that He stands for.

According to a 2004 article in Breakaway Magazine by Gail Wood, Luke's "a gym rat to the core. The only thing that comes before basketball is Jesus Christ."

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2005-49,GGLR:en&q=Luke+Ridnour+and+Jesus

6. Eric Byrnes, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Well this one is a little backwards. While Byrnesy may be too busy slaying the female population of every respective city he ventures to and skateboarding to the ballpark, we're not sure if he is too busy loving Jesus.

One thing we are sure of is that Jesus is spending a hell of a lot of time loving this guy. Dudes just don't get sweeter than Byrnesy, and there is only one reason for this in the world of loving Jesus, and that is Jesus Himself.

So good for you, Byrnesy.

5. Lance Berkman, OF, Houston Astros

Lance Berkman helped deliver our good pal Yanni the Great a ton of money in 2005. With some clutch home runs and stellar D, as well as a stunning resemblence to my close pal and UPenn legend Nick Harnsberger (note: Nick also wears a cross), Berky did a lot to establish himself as a baseball great.

While he has worked hard in the gym and in the cage, however, there is one person who is really responsible for Berky's success. Yep, you guessed it: Jesus Christ, the Lord.

"The key in athletics and with your walk (with the Lord) is that consistent, day in and day out performance,” Berkman said. “In baseball, you have to continue to produce. And the guys who do are the ones considered the good players because they are consistent. With Christ, the consistent walk is the one that keeps you out of trouble and if you don’t have it you’re probably going to end up failing more times than you should because you haven’t prepared yourself to face the challenges that are out there on a daily basis.”

http://www.christiansportsminute.com/lance_berkman.htm

4. Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals

Growing up I had some good friends. Few rivaled the original Momo, and that's a large part of the reason for my pen name, of which I have grown very fond.

Back in 1999 when I told Mr. Momo that he looked like Kurt Warner, it really made his day. So for that reason, whenever I thought of Kurt Warner, I also held a bright spot for him.

Well in a similar way, Warner holds a bright spot for a wise man and legend of the Bible, Jesus Christ:

"I believe that the Lord has a plan for each of us that's better than anything we can imagine --even if that plan isn't obvious to us at every stage," Warner said. "He prepared me for this over a long period of time -- in lower-profile locker rooms and the grocery store and in Europe, through all the personal tragedies and in spite of the people who doubted me along the way."

http://www.gnpcb.org/product/663575725312

Hopefully Jesus will find Kurt another starting job next season.

3. Jon Kitna, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

On Sunday, Carson Palmer suffered a horrifying injury on a 66 yard completion to 1st team rookie All-OBF Chris Henry. Kimo Van Oelhoffen felt noticably bad as did pretty much everyone watching the game. Carson will always hold a spot in my heart. He was the franchise QB for Back2Boerigterball, 2005. His injury, however, could not be chalked up to anything other than Jesus' plan.

In a postgame interview in 2003 Kinta was quoted as saying:

"I think a lot of people don't understand the faith I have," Kitna said. "I think a lot of people kind of brush it off as, 'Ah, he just keeps hammering people with it,' but I trust wholeheartedly in Jesus Christ, and I trust that he knows exactly what is best for me. And when we go out on the field, all he asks me to do is go out and play as hard as I can and not worry about the results. I was just very humbled by Jesus Christ and his ability for us to win that game."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/s_167726.html

My question for you, Jonny, is where was Jesus this week? While I didn't throw down on the Bungals getting the 3, I know a bunch of people who did. You might say Jesus cost some good Americans their hard earned paralegaling dollars. SALT.

2. Shaun Alexander, RB, Seattle Seahawks

So before Shaun Alexander could set the single season touch down record in 2005, he had reservations about returning to football. Before the 2004 season, Alexander strongly considered retiring from football to join the ministry.

After all, why wouldn't he? In the NFL he gets paid 8 million bucks to play football. It's not like God didn't pass him a good hand in the holy game of life.

But thankfully for football lovers, Shaun returned. And for good reasoms: both Jesus and maybe even money were steering him in this direction.

"I am a Christian that loves the Lord that just happens to play football,” Shaun says, “that happens to get to be on cool TV shows, that happens to get to be on commercials. I’m a Godly man first. I chase after God. I play football for the sole reason to give God Glory.”

http://www.cbn.com/entertainment/Sports/700club_shaunalexander111005.asp

Well, Shaun, hopefully God grabs you a victory this weekend, as we here at Y2K hate the 'Skins. But next week hosting Chicago, let's have God throw a W in the direction of the NEW BEARS, again for the sake of Yanni the Great and my eventual trip to Vegas with Sharpsfade.

So now we get to the #1 guy. This player and former Knick great really helped me to understand what it means to love Jesus. This PG and former Heisman Trophy winner brought the post game prayer to the garden and even the concept of Jesus and sports to the popular stage. So for all this and much, much more, we are thankful.

1. Charlie Ward, G, New York Knicks

For years, Jesus led Charlie to maybe the most boring career in the history of New York Knicks Point Guards. When Ward was in the game, Knicks fans yearned for bad quarterbacks on the local teams that they might be able to say ruefully that the Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward was the best quarterback in NYC, as well as the nightly 4-for-11 performance of Chris Childs. Crazy Chris was a Knicks legend, but not as big a fan of Jesus, keeping him out of the starting lineup for the Knicks championship runs of the late 90's.

Jesus led Charlie to a long and holy basketball career in the same way he has led me to a long and inspired career of blogging. Along the way, Jesus inspired Charlie to reveal that it was the Jews who were guilty of deicide, as he revealed to New York Times Magazine reporter Eric Konigsberg. As Konigsberg wrote in his article about one of the Bible Studies classes led by Charlie Ward:

"In the first class I attended, on the road in Washington in December, everyone asked me about my religious background. They talked about the Old Testament and cultural identity, and they had a lot of questions about dietary laws. Now, participating in the study-book exercises in Milwaukee, I thought I was doing fine; the players seemed interested in Judaism. They started calling me 'E'. I fancied that the seeds of an interfaith fellowship were being planted.

Then Ward said, 'Jews are stubborn, E. But tell me, why did they persecute Jesus unless he knew something they didn't want to accept?'

'What?'

'They had his blood on their hands'."

(Editor's Note: I ran a search of Google images for a picture from "The Passion of the Christ" here in the New York Office so that we might illustrate exactly what Charlie was talking about, but frankly the pictures were too revolting that me and Sip over in the San Francisco Office decided not to put one up at all. I've never seen it, but there's some sick shit in that movie, huh?)

So there you have it, folks, the Gospel according to Charlie.

That just about wraps up our tribute to the good man, Jesus Christ. Thank you, JC, for your contributions both Biblically and to the world of sports.

While you've been dead for some time, your legacy has certainly remained.

Vaya con Dios, Jesus.

SM