7 Days of Super Bowl Stuff -SBXLIV- Day 1

Super Bowl XLIV is nearly upon us.  The potentially epic battle between two of the National Football League’s biggest “gunslingers” will commence next Sunday February 7th, and the game proves to be one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent history.  (It’s unlikely that this year’s game will top last year’s, especially the finish, by my team, the 6-Time World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers!)  Peyton Manning from the Indianapolis Colts and Drew Brees from the New Orleans Saints plan to take their teams to victory, but there can be only one winner.

I hear lots of discussion about these two quarterbacks, who also captain their teams.  On the one hand, you’ve got the likable character of Peyton Manning, the face of the Colts for the past 12 years and a common face in mainstream advertising.  Manning’s intensity and incredible vision on the field make him one of the elite at the position.  He’s been league MVP four times, including this season.  He won the Super Bowl in 2006.  He’s going to be hard to beat.

On the other hand, you’ve got the unlikely story of the New Orleans Saints, and their quarterback Drew Brees.  In 2005, Hurricane Katrina nearly destroyed the Louisiana Superdome, but after a nearly-$200 million dollar renovation, the team made it back to their home and worked their way to an almost perfect season in 2009.  Starting out 13-0 this season, the Saints were highly favored in the NFC to make it to the Super Bowl, and they did just that.  They did it behind the leadership and incredible ability of Brees.  Personally, I think both players are likable men.  I think they show incredible leadership and striking ability on the field.  I don’t have a preferred team in this case, but I’m predicting that Manning and the Colts will end up winning in a high-scoring, (poorly defensed) game.  Colts will win Super Bowl XLIV 38-31.

Ponder this for a moment…

Imagine if, when it came down to eternity, only one “team” was given the prize of salvation.  Only the winning team was awarded everlasting life with God the Father and the losing team, went to hell.  If you were on one of those teams, wouldn’t you put all your heart and soul into doing everything you could to be the winning team?  Well, the fact of the matter is that instead of it being a football game, it’s an actual war.  The battle is taking place, as we speak, for souls.  There is a winning side, and there is a losing side.  The winners receive uncontrollable joy, peace and love with God in Heaven.  The losers receive the exact opposite – the absence of love.  Knowing this, why is it that we allow ourselves to play on the losing team?  We have the ability to play on the winning team and the game has already been played.  Jesus Christ already died on the cross for us, and won us the victory.  You have the choice, today and everyday, to play on Christ’s winning team.  His team is playing for something more important than the Vince Lombardi Trophy.  There’s no time to lose.  Suit up, and play on the winning team today!

Man up!

Scandalous Commercial – Bad Manning

Have you seen the new Peyton Manning, DirecTV – NFL  Sunday Ticket Commercial?  I saw it today.  Blah.  The commercial has Manning not “manning up” but instead, giving into the all-mighty-endorsement-deal-dollar – and NOT being anything even remotely close to a TrueMan.  I used to have so much more respect for him.  The commercial is supposed to be about watching football, and seeing every game on NFL Sunday Ticket, in HD.  Yet, there isn’t a single scene of a football player, play, ball or locker room.  The entire commercial is scenes of scantily clad cheerleaders strutting around, doing high kicks and bouncing up and down.

Manning has the opportunity to endorse lots of products, and some of his endorsements have been great.  (Most of his commercial spots are hilarious.)  What I don’t understand is why Manning, and society in general, thinks that it’s okay to objectify women by showing them in this manner?  I fault the cheerleaders for objectifying themselves, but they’re only doing what appears to be glamorous by society’s standards.  I want to call to action the men involved; if men step up, women will gladly follow suit.  That means Peyton, the men at DirecTV, men watching that network and men reading this post.

Come on Peyton.  Did you have to stoop to this level?  Why didn’t you say, “There’s no football in this commercial.”?  Why didn’t you say, “Nope, I won’t make sexual innuendos, they’re unnecessary.  People will lose respect for me.”  You didn’t.  Next time, man up.

How does this affect the rest of us?  How do we make a change?  By starting in the home, then branching out to schools, work and in the public arena, men who hold women to a higher level of respect must first stand up to this sort of societal objectification of women.  Be strong, stand firm.  Your example will challenge others and will change hearts.  Once a man has truly cherished a woman, in a manner most fitting within God’s plan, he’ll realize the importance of his actions.  Men, we can make the difference.  Change starts with you.  Do it today.

Man up!