"Basketball is not the ultimate. ..."

"... It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior. Until that is done, we are on an aimless course that runs in circles and goes nowhere.”

That from one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, John Wooden, who passed away at the age of 99 on June 4, 2010 (my wedding anniversary!). More over at Get Religion from Terry Mattingly, who has a good piece—"LATimes: Wooden was faithful, but to what?"—noting how some newspapers of record went out of their way to avoid noting Wooden's Christian beliefs.

Comments

[Christopher Lake]

"Basketball is not the ultimate..." Amen!

Now, I will admit, I'm an unusual guy, especially as one who was born and raised in Alabama. I just don't care for sports. Football, basketball, baseball... not a one. They are worthy interests and pursuits, but I just don't personally care for them and never have. My passions are theology, philosophy, literature, music, film, and art. (Imagine how interesting life was for me, as a male child, adolescent, and young adult man, growing up in small-town Alabama, with those interests...)

Apart from me personally though, it's a crying shame, literally, that so many men, Catholic and otherwise, are fanatics about sports but think that religion is "women's stuff." REAL men care about God and about living lives that are pleasing to God. Priests should shout these truths from the rooftops (and hopefully, the men will be there to hear them)...

[RP]

I read They Call Me Coach in high school, and still remember his pyramid of success. Highly recommend it!