World Cup Promise

Just thought it was a cool story…

Madrid, Spain, Jul 14, 2010 / 06:05 pm (CNA).- Spanish soccer player Andres Iniesta, who scored the winning goal during the World Cup final in South Africa, has promised to walk the Way of St. James, which leads to Santiago de Compostela.  The Way of St. James is a pilgrimage route that for centuries brought the faithful from across Europe to the city of Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of the saint are venerated. 

According to the Spanish newspaper, Marca, months before the 2010 World Cup, the members of the Spanish team sent the newspaper sealed envelopes with the promises they would keep if they won the title.

Marca opened the envelopes after Spain’s historic victory on Sunday and found that Iniesta, along with Fernando Torres and Carlos Marchena said they would walk the Way of St. James.

Iniesta also revealed his promise in an interview prior to the World Cup.  Speaking on Spanish television he said he would make the pilgrimage “somehow…I’ll do it however I have to!” His teammate Sergio Busquets, who was with him, made the same promise.

The Spanish media is reminding the players of their promise and although no plans have been officially made, reporters were convinced many fans would share the pilgrimage with them.

This year, Pope Benedict XVI will travel to the city for the Holy Year of St. James 2010, which is celebrated each year that July 25, the saint’s feast, falls on a Sunday. 

The next Year of St. James will be celebrated in 2021.

He Lost It

Maybe you saw this video from about 10 days ago.  It’s video of a minor league hockey coach who goes ballistic on the referee about a bad call against one of his players.  The coach is Jim Playfair, which is sort of ironic, considering.  Be sure to watch the folks in the stands, as well as the players to the coach’s left laughing at him.  Take a look.

If you can’t view the video, click HERE.

What’s amazing is that in our culture, this sort of behavior is glorified.  Although collectively, we think things such as “what a crazy man” or “that guy’s goin’ nuts”, we watch it and continually let it happen.  This particular video has been viewed over 555,000 times, and is merely one version of the incident.  The fact that this coach lost his cool like this shows that he’s not virtuous in the area of prudence, temperance or justice.  (A TrueMan is virtuous.)  I wonder what would happen at my office if someone acted this way.

I watched a few videos discussing this outburst, and one that caught my attention was a radio personality that said, something to the effect of, “this is a coach expressing emotion.  He’s defending his player, showing some emotion.  I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”  In fact, the radio guy went on to call it “great”, that this coach did what he did.  Well, Mr. Smart-Radio-Personality-Guy, a TrueMan controls his emotions and doesn’t lash out like Mr. Playfair.  This was not great.

TrueMan Up!

Opening Day 2010

Today marks the start of the 2010 Major League Baseball season.  Best of luck to all the teams out there, especially to my Pirates, who need lots of help!  There’s something about heading out to the ballpark on a summer day, at least for those of us who like baseball.  If you aren’t a baseball fan, that’s fine… this post isn’t about baseball, per se.  Here at TrueManhood, we wanted to do a “compare and contrast” between baseball and manliness.

• Baseball is a game.  Manliness isn’t.
• Baseball is played during the summer.  Manliness is always.
• Baseball players can “mess up” 7 out of 10 times at bat over their entire career and be considered a Hall of Famer.  Manliness can’t sustain those numbers.
• Baseball is about trying to win most of the time.  Manliness strives to “win” all the time.  (“Win” here means to be a TrueMan.)
• Baseball allows men to throw tantrums, kick dirt, scream, cuss, chew and throw drink coolers.  Manliness never stands for that sort of behavior.

We could continue on for hours with this sort of thing.  I’ve got nothing against baseball, I enjoy baseball, especially when I get to play the game.  I grew up playing from an early age into my adult life, I take my family to the ballpark regularly and I really enjoy the playoff season.  What we need to be careful about, and this goes for everything in life (other sports, the Hollywood mentality, the online community, etc.) is to take baseball in using moderation.  Manliness, however, we should take in with excess!  (Remember, manliness means living a virtuous life!)

Man up!

RMCMC 2010 – One Day Away

The 2010 Rocky Mountain Catholic Men’s Conference is only one day away.  Saturday, March 20, 2010 proves to be an epic event and I encourage any local (Colorado) men to make it a priority.  There are plenty of seats available and you can pay at the door.  The event takes place at the Pikes Peak Center in downtown Colorado Springs… merely an hour’s drive from Denver from the north or Pueblo from the south.  Here’s why an event like this is important.

1. As men, we thrive off brotherhood.  Brotherhood may be considered, simply, when men spend time together, preferably doing manly things.  Imagine what boys growing up together do – then make it relevant to adulthood and things that actually matter… that’s what this conference (and hopefully all men’s conferences around the country) are about.  Together, as men of faith, we encourage one another to grow in holiness, Sacramental behavior, daily prayer, and hopefully, to be better men.
2. Men need encouragement.  Think of this like an over-sized team huddle, when your team is in a vital spot and really needs to score a touchdown, or that gigantic defensive stop to win the game.  The quarterback or defensive leader should be trying to pump his team up so they pull off the incredible play.  The encouragement from the speakers, vendors, priests and bishops and the other men in attendance can be just the thing that most of us need to get our act together and win in the game of life.
3. Men need to continue to grow in holiness.  No matter where a man is in his faith journey, he can be a better man.  Events like a men’s conference show us the path to holiness, especially if we’re open to what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives.

I encourage all of us to think about at least one man that we know that needs an invitation to something like this, and then make the invitation.  If you’re a man who’s attending a men’s conference, just extend the invitation.  If you’re a woman who knows of a man who needs to attend an event like this, it would be best to have another man extend the invitation at your request.  An invitation isn’t pressure to go, it’s a simple way of showing encouragement and extending a friendly hand.  Don’t be weak in your invitation and don’t be a power-monger either.  Be genuine and see what happens… it can’t hurt to ask.  Maybe you don’t live in Colorado and can’t get to the Rocky Mountain Catholic Men’s Conference, that’s okay.  There’s an event like this somewhere near you, and if there isn’t, I want to know!  (I’ll work to get something there!)  A men’s conference may be the thing that encourages a man to change his life for Christ.

To see more info, click HERE to go to the conference website.

Man up!

What We’re Up Against

Have you seen this one?  It ranks up there with the Carl’s Jr commercials, if you ask me.

This Bud Light commercial paints a picture of the “cultural man”… and the rest of us have to fight this stereotype in order to function as gentleman in society.  Don’t get me wrong… I enjoy playing sports, spending time with my buddies, letting my wife have some time with her girlfriends and so on… but how insulting to be depicted by these guys.  What am I talking about?  Well, take a look, then continue reading on so I can explain what I mean.

• First, a TrueMan doesn’t leave his wife (or girlfriend) by being a wink-and-shooter-guy.  He properly respects her, tells her he loves her and gives an affectionate sign of that love, being sure not to embarrass her in front of her guests.  He doesn’t perform offensive PDA, but shows that he’s secure enough to kiss his woman in a public setting.
• Secondly, why can’t this neanderthal match his clothing?  Are men so inept that they can’t figure out what shorts go with what shirt?  Granted, he’s going out to play a game, but I think Bud Light purposely showed that this guy is fashion-illiterate.  They wanted to paint the whole picture.
• Next we dive right into the heart of the commercial… the beer.  “Ugh, me like beer.”
• Then, as if men aren’t smart enough to hold an intellectual conversation without talking about sex, sexual connotations and sexual innuendo.  Another classic case of “cultural manliness” – which states – “If you want to be a “real man”, you have to like lesbians and want to see them thrusting on each other, even when there’s no lesbians around and thrusting is used not as a verb but as an adjective in the sentence where thrusting was used.”  How ridiculous.
• And, a TrueMan never hits on other women! Regardless of whether his wife/gf is sitting right next to him!
• Obviously, you must have beer to have a good time! (Sarcasm.)  “It’s a sure sign of a good time.”  (Don’t get me wrong, I like an ice cold beer, but what a stupid sentence!)
• Then, to cap it all off… as the young lady wastes her time talking to this unkempt, itchy, poorly groomed sap, he demonstrates the typical “cultural man’s” outlook on life… “If it moves, I’ll do it.”  Again, not smart enough to understand what she’s saying.

The thing that frustrates me about these sorts of depictions of men is that people begin to believe that they’re true.  Now, some men are quite neanderthal.  Some men aren’t capable of having an intellectual conversation.  Some men don’t know how to treat women.  Why glorify that?  Why do women settle for these men?  Instead, why don’t we (all of us) hold men to a higher standard of behavior?

Man up!

Cultural Manliness Catches Up With You

In this video, Tiger Woods issues a public apology for his actions.  Tiger was living a life of cultural manliness, living for money, power, sex and stuff.  It caught up with him, as it does every man who lives it.  His words ring true… he must show his remorse and his changed way of life not by speaking, but by his actions.  It appears to me, an untrained eye, that he is sincere.  He appears nervous and timid, and obviously, when you read a speech from paper, your demeanor is different than when you speak from the heart.  I don’t know that he’ll back up what he says, but I think that his tenacity and determination to be the best, which has made him so successful in golf and business, will aid him in succeeding in this journey towards being a leader, a role model, a good husband and an engaged, active and loving father.

Note: Tiger speaks about Buddhism towards the end of this clip.  Buddhism doesn’t hold the answers to life, however, Tiger is grasping for truth and something to guide him in life.  If I had the chance to speak with Tiger, I would challenge him to live a life for Christ, a life filled with joy, happiness and fulfillment.  If you can’t view the clip, click HERE.

Wood’s words are merely words, yet, he’s right.  He needs to live a life of integrity.  He let people down, and must make amends.  He led people, especially children, astray.  He knows that he needs help, and seems intent to continue to seek guidance and counseling.

I wish Tiger all the best.  “To whom much is given, much is expected.”

Man up!

7 Days of Super Bowl Stuff -SBXLIV- Day (6)7

Well, we’ve just about arrived.  Kick-off to Superbowl XLIX is merely hours away and the anticipation of the game is on the minds of many sports fans across the country.  I’ve heard various things about the game throughout the week, and most of the people I’ve talked to aren’t Colts or Saints fans, and it’s a 50/50 split as to who they think is going to win.  I’ve said that I believe the Colts are going to win by a score of 38-31.  With that, this year’s game isn’t going to be a low-scoring game.  Although both defenses have some very good players, the offenses are what got both teams where they are.  Usually, we hear “defense wins championships” but I don’t think that’s correct for this one.  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

I apologize for not writing 7 actual days worth of Super Bowl stuff; I missed Saturday, Day 6, because I was hosting an awesome men’s event all day.  The event included 4×4-ing, shooting some really cool guns, playing football, prayer, grilling huge hunks of meat, chatting around the fire pit and all-around awesomeness!  What a great way to spend a day.

A thought for the day… Regardless of which team you want to win the game, and/or which team actually wins the game, the Super Bowl is just a game.  (The betting/gaming industry isn’t, but that’s another post for another day.)  Please don’t take your enthusiasm overboard.  Be a gentleman, have a good time watching the game and rooting for your preferred team.  Enjoy yourself, but remember that you’re influencing/leading/guiding people only one of two ways: 1. Towards God or 2. Away from God.

Oh, and I found this commercial of Brett Favre, set in the future 10 years from now.  Thought it was pretty funny.  Click HERE to view it.

UP NEXT… since Super Bowl Week is now over, we’ll be back to our normal posting schedule.  We have several videos that we’re currently working on editing which will be posted once ready.  We have some projects that we’ve been putting off for some time that are coming near completion and will be posted soon.  So, keep checking back often and please send the link to the website out to your friends and family.

Man up!

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