All jocks who are religious say stuff like that.
Yeah. But that just makes it more of a turnoff, not less.
As far as the Nets being damned, I didn't take that meaning from it either. I was thinking rather about Robinson always being so classy, but the suggestion that God took a special interest in him isn't classy. In the class department, I would give top marks to Kerr and Duncan. They managed to have brilliant play and to win a championship yet be utterly modest in the process. I find that mucho charming.
I imagine that, from Robinson's religion-centric perspective, giving credit to God rather than to himself is a manifestation of modesty, but it can also be viewed as the columnist did. Seems to me that a winner can safely say, as Robinson did, that he prayed for guidance, and that, as Robinson did, he's been blessed. All participants can be blessed and all can be guided, concurrently. But I think that remotely suggesting that God had a favorite in the outcome of the contest is tacky, at best. (This applies to wars as well as basketball games, IMO.)
I can understand that people who are caught up in their religions and gushing over their victory are not attentive to such subtleties so I'm cutting him some slack, but that doesn't make it OK. Of course, the only sure way to obviate that kind of behavior is to not be so immersed in religion that it instinctively trumps one's tendency toward classy behavior. OTOH, there are those who would say that the otherwise classy behavior emanates from the religion. Personally, I think that Robinson would still be a super person if he were an atheist, but we'll never know.
I've been preoccupied with "good people" lately. I think that's why I was so into American Idol and Clay Aiken. It's so satisfying to see good things happen to good guys for a change. I was in this mode not too long ago when I was posting here about what makes a man. I'm pleased to have witnessed a spurt of class people making good lately. It's probably a fluke, but it would be nice if it were a trend. There is way too much positive reinforcement in the world for jerks. |
