Calvin Ridley, star receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, was suspended for an entire season in 2022 for gambling on NFL games. The following year, 10 NFL and one NHL athlete were suspended for gambling-related infractions.
NFL players urge Trump, Congress to address religious persecution in Nigeria
A group of NFL players sent a letter to Capitol Hill on Friday (Dec. 19), urging U.S. leaders to take steps to curb violence against religious groups in Nigeria, including Christians.
MAGA has a meltdown over male cheerleaders
“The next generation of cheer has arrived!” the Minnesota Vikings announced as they revealed their 2025 cheerleading squad. And just like that, MAGA had a meltdown. The video opens with one Vikings cheerleader doing a backflip. Then the camera pans back and…
Kirk Cousins and Mack Brown share friendship and faith
Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Kirk Cousins and former NFL teammate Mack Brown agree on two things: Both predict the Kansas City Chiefs will win Sunday’s Super Bowl, and both say their Christian faith connects them beyond the game. The two met…
Why are conservatives so afraid of Taylor Swift?
The Kansas City Chiefs have booked their fourth trip to the Super Bowl in five years behind the leadership of head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, two of the best individuals ever at their respective roles. With 269…
The Flea Flicker and other tricks from the fundamentalist playbook
The NFL is in the midst of the playoffs to see who will soon battle in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. As the remaining contenders compete, coaches and players watch hours of film on their opponents…
2023 was the year the evangelical obsession with Pride month turned violent
I toted my brood of children through Target, as Kevin DeYoung suggested, when suddenly I noticed the display of Pride T-shirts. At first, I thought it was nice that my LGBTQ neighbors would receive kind messages like “Free Mom Hugs” and “You…
Tom Brady may be the NFL’s “GOAT,” but he’s a lousy theologian
Try imagining what it’s like to be Tom Brady, who announced his retirement — for the second time — last week. In the National Football League, the 45-year-old quarterback is the Greatest of All Time. Nobody else has played in…
My love-hate relationship with football
This photo from 1964 tells you a lot about me. I had just turned 4 years old. You see how my mother has me dressed. We’re visiting my dad’s sister. My boy cousins had gotten football helmets for Christmas, and…
The volatile concoction of social justice and sports
Mix sports fans, professional athletes, coaches, politics, race and social justice and you have a volatile concoction. Several years ago, ESPN’s The Undefeated reported on a poll exploring the “racial divide” in the NFL. The poll measured attitudes of fans…
Tony and Lauren Dungy know something about influence, on the field and at home
The first Black coach to win a Super Bowl title remains a family man as well as a legendary coach. Tony Dungy and his wife, Lauren, are the parents of 11 children — some their biological children and some adopted…
Brian Dawkins says he’s blessed
Brian Dawkins wants to be known for more than his 16-season football career with the Philadelphia Eagles. In his new book, Blessed by the Best, Dawkins gives readers an inside look at his football career and the journey he believes…