‘Linsanity’ to ‘Timsanity’: Sports and faith go prime time

New York City is often cast as a modern-day Babylon, but Tim Tebow’s trade to the Jets made him another marquee Christian in the Big Apple’s sports circus until his April 2013 firing. The media buzz revealed a deep evangelical presence in the city but raised questions about sports and faith.

While Tebow’s popularity among his fellow evangelicals in particular was briefly eclipsed by “Linsanity” and the sudden emergence of Lin as a star and a devout Christian, “Timsanity” is now ruling the sports pages.

But there have also been scandals and ethical issues related to big-time sports.

The New Orleans Saints, for example, have been heavily penalized for a “bounty” program that targeted opposing players to put them out of the game. There was also the child sex abuse case in the Penn State football program, and recruiting violations in college programs and multimillion-dollar contracts for coaches that call into question the disparity between those who profit from the game and those who play it.

In football and other contact sports, concerns over player safety — from teens to pros — have emerged as links between hard hits and brain and other injuries are being documented.

 

Developments

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