(OPINION) We are all curious to see how Pope Leo XIV will engage with the Trump administration. The Chicago Archdiocese’s upcoming celebration of the pope, an American-Peruvian dual citizen, stands in contrast to the military parade being hosted in Washington, D.C. on the same day. At the same time, the Catholic Church has seen empires rise and fall.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Déjà vu is a common occurrence in sports and the Edmonton Oilers are no strangers to repeat matchups. The team faced off against the New York Islanders in both 1983 and ’84 for hockey’s biggest prize. In this year’s Stanley Cup finals, the Oilers will try to avenge their Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in 2024.
Read MoreJust one of the NBA’s 30 franchises tips off each game with an invocation: the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s a tradition that dates back to the Seattle SuperSonics’ move to OKC in 2008 — and even before that when the Bible Belt city served as the temporary home of the New Orleans Hornets after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Read MoreTexas Rangers slugger Jake Burger’s return to form coincided with the election of a fellow Midwesterner as the first U.S.-born pope. Faith is ingrained in the devout Catholic athlete and his family.
Read MoreOur Weekend Plug-in columnist loves baseball. And he loves reporting on faith. Combining the two? He calls that a home run.
Read MoreOn a recent 78-degree Saturday afternoon, a U.S. flag and the Detroit Tigers’ four World Series championship banners — from 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984 — flapped in the Comerica Park breeze. For nearly four decades, Home Plate Detroit has brought fans together to pray and hear player testimonials. In the Motor City and elsewhere, these events mix a faith-based message with a major league game.
Read MoreThe link between the papacy and the sporting world looks set to continue under Pope Leo XIV. With a new pope installed as Francis’ successor, that sporting theme could continue in the Vatican, though the center of gravity may migrate from soccer to baseball. As befitting a U.S. pope, Leo is known to be a fan of the national pastime, in particular the Chicago White Sox.
Read MoreThe smell of popcorn wafts through the air, ball players are raring to go, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” plays through the sound system, and parents are ready to cheer their kids on. It sounds like an everyday American Little League baseball game, but this league is different. With absolute joy on their faces, some waving their hands, these young players are affected by various disabilities. Some are in wheelchairs, others are non-verbal.
Read MoreA natural athlete who took to the sport quickly, Kayden Beasley’s growth originally placed him in a substitute role for this season. His stature has grown to where he was recently named to the team’s roster — trimmed by one spot — for the World Para Ice Hockey Championship in Buffalo at the end of May. A Christian, he left earlier this month for training camp in Madison, Wisc.
Read MoreZeev Buium took the ice on Sunday for the Minnesota Wild, becoming the first NHL player born to Israeli parents and one of more than a dozen Jewish players to feature in a game this season. He might also be the first in the league with a tattoo featuring Jewish calendar dates. His parents, Sorin and Miriam Buium, immigrated in 1999 from Ashdod, a city in Israel, to San Diego.
Read MoreWhen the Portland Trail Blazers gave up four draft picks for Deni Avdija last summer, it seemed like an overpay. Avdija, the league’s only Israeli-born player, was coming off a breakout fourth season for the Washington Wizards. But his stats had popped so much that some regression felt almost inevitable. Instead, as the focal point of a young, head-turning team, Avdija’s gotten even better.
Read MoreWalk through the doors of St. Peter’s Church in the English town of Shipley, in West Yorkshire, and this Anglican house of worship can sometimes result in a very unexpected sight. Forget rows of pews leading down to a main altar. Instead, you’ll find a WWE-style ring featuring wrestlers acting out Bible stories to the delight of those watching.
Read MoreThey lined up on March 2, ready to enter the baptistry at First Southern Baptist Church. College athletes, all of them. Emerging from the water symbolized a new start for them. The pastor’s name is Doyle Pryor. Imagine what a guy named Doyle Pryor would look, sound and be like. Odds are you imagine a preacher with a big personality and even bigger desire to do whatever it takes to reach others for Christ.
Read MoreThe best week in sports is upon us once again. The men’s NCAA basket tournament — a time known as “March Madness” — brings with it office pools and, very often, plenty of surprises. It’s a long road to the championship game and a lot will happen between now and April 7. Here are five religiously-affiliated schools that could turn into Cinderella teams and pull off some upsets.
Read More(BOOK EXCERPT) In the late 1970s, the San Francisco Bay Area sportswriters labeled the growing group of born-again Christians on the San Francisco Giants the "God Squad." When the God Squadders helped propel the team to a strong 1978 season, challenging the Dodgers and Reds, they often gave God the credit in post-game interviews. The press raised no objection. In 1979, when the Giants' fortunes faded, sportswriters were quick to blame the born-again players.
Read MoreIn the extreme sport of ice swimming, the appropriately named Winters holds the world record for the oldest person to swim an ice mile, officially noted by the International Ice Swimming Association. “I first got into ice swimming just because I’d read that it was the most extreme swimming challenge in the world,” he said, “and basically just to see if I could do it and challenge myself.”
Read MoreDikembe Mutombo’s towering presence on the basketball court made him a household name. With his signature finger wag and shot-blocking ability, he dominated the NBA for nearly two decades. But it’s his legacy off the court that set him apart as an icon of compassion and service. His parents, both Baptists, instilled in him values of kindness, humility and service to others. These principles would shape Mutombo’s identity as a man and player.
Read MoreAlex Bregman, the slugging third baseman who wore a Star of David on his cap following the Oct. 7 attacks, reportedly signed with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday in a contract that will give him the highest salary ever for a Jewish baseball player. The three-year, $120 million deal officially closes Bregman’s tenure with Houston Astros, the team that drafted him second overall in 2015.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Moments after the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX, quarterback Jalen Hurts offered a familiar word of testimony: “God is good. He is greater than all of the highs and lows.” If those words sounded familiar, it's because Hurts — the MVP — shared them earlier on press day, along with several other times when he was in the spotlight: “My faith has always been a part of me.”
Read MoreA tiny cross is perched atop the church. In front, a bright red bicycle repair station and a brown-and-white sign proclaims “Spoke’n Hostel” to greet visitors. Not only does this church-turned-hostel offer the cheapest accommodations — just $35 a night — in this remote part of the state, but its reputation for warm hospitality has earned two awards from Oregon’s governor’s office.
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