?
Letters of
Intent ~
Sports Spectrum Reade rs Re spond
Fanspeak
FROM THE EDITOR
I was very disappointed that you are cutting back to six issues a year. We need this kind of magazine in the world today. If you're cutting back, could you double the amount of pages or at least make it bigger? -LISA YODER Grantsville, MD We're disappointed too. We need everyone's help to get the word out about Sports Spectrum. Concerning pages: No, we didn't add more pages, but we did add Power Up! We think SS readers will find this to be a positive addition. Hall fol' Hei'Shisel'? I really love your magazine. How can I not if Jesus Christ is glorified? But being an avid baseball fan, my eyes perked up when I read Victor Lee's comment, "Hershiser ... is once more in the uniform he will surely wear into the Hall of Fame" (July-August; "Return Engagement") . Few things would thrill me more, but do you really think that's possible? Sure he had a super year in 1988, and he had some other fine postseason moments. And that scoreless streak might never be broken. But many ballplayers have put together satisfying careers with one or two outstanding seasons and never were voted into Cooperstown. Orel certainly has a Hall of Fame game face with a drive to win in a Christ-like way, but I don't think the numbers will add up to the Hall of Fame. -DAVE CORBETI' Lyman, ME
Victor replies: Orel was 204-150 with a 3.48 ERA. The ERA is Hall material, the win total a little low, but 300 is by no means the magic number any more. It's coming down. Popularity and personal credibility do count in the Hall, unofficially. I think that is going to give Orel the edge. 2
路l
SPOR TS SPE CTRU M '
Tnae Beauty Thank you for the article on Christie Schweer, the University of Virginia tennis player (April; "Starving To Win") who was refreshingly candid about what true beauty is. I loved her statement, "Popularity is not going to feed my soul." -FRANK M. RIVERS
Oakland, CA Using the Bait I saw some of the responses about the NASCAR issue (Motorsports 2000) in the Letters of Intent section. Here's another angle to look at: Even though you may not be a racing fan, use the issue as a witnessing tool for someone who is! We did that with some members of our family who are big NASCAR fans, and we knew the magazine would be a great way to minister to them. Jesus called us to be fishers of men, and we need to use the bait He provides!
Inside Scoop Less is more. No, it's not a baseball owner trying to convince his second baseman that he should sign his new contract even though he's getting a pay cut (we're talking fiction now). "Less is more" is a phrase that can describe what's been going on with Sports Spectrum recently. You might remember that in June we told you that the magazine would become a bimonthlymeaning you would receive just six issues per year. That wasn't a decision we made with a lot of joy. In reality, we were pretty bummed. But as it turns out, we think giving you less will end up giving you more. Here's why. First, you'll notice that inside this issue of SS, you received the inaugural edition of Power Up! It's our sports devotional guide, designed to give you spiritual help and guidance each weekday. Now every edition of SS brings you more good reading than ever before. Second, if you have Internet access, log on to www.sport.org. There you'll discover even more Sports Spectrum stuff to savor. For instance, every Monday through Friday, you can read "Hot Corner"-our take on the day in sports. Or you can read our Verse of the Day, our Quote of the Day, or click on to our Athlete of the Day-aU sports-related and built with you in mind. Additionally, you can read one of the numerous articles we have on our Web site-some reprints from the magazine and some articles you've never seen before. Every day we're thinking of new ways to give you more of what you love about Sports Spectrum. We think it is, more or less, the best way to get your sports news. Dave Branon managing editor ssmag@sport.org
about Christian athletes. In the Olympics edition, we did I received the Olympics 2000 feature some athletes from issue, and I was disappointed that Australia, India, and Great it was all about American ath- Britain. At the time of publication, letes. I know that the majority of we were unaware of Canadian your readers are American, but athletes who would have been some of your readers are Canadian good subjects for SS. Since, we - MEL MITCHELL as well. Maybe you could have have found out about David Ft. Myers, FL put in a small article on one or Daniels and Todd MacCullouch two Canadian athletes. of the Canadian Olympic basketMol'e Canadians -JEFFREY JONUSAITIS ball team. Perhaps we'll feature I absolutely love your magazine! Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada them later. I am eager to get it every edition. I love the stories and the positive Youl' Tul'n We've had our turn-and you have this magazine as a messages in it. I feel that my relaresult. Nowyou can let us know what's on your mind. Contact us by tionship with God has gotten betregular mail or e-mail. Write to letters of Intent, Sports Spectrum, ter since I got this magazine, and Box 3566, Grand Rapids, MI 49501. E-mail: ssmag@sport.org it's always interesting to learn
NOVEM B ER- DECE MBER 2000
TO SUBSCRIBE' CALL 1-800-283-8333
Magazine subscription into $17.97, six issues; $22.97 outside USA Phone: 1·800·283-8333 Mail: PO Box 3055, Langhorne, PA 19047·9155 E·mall: magsub@sport.org
BRUCE BENNETT/ BRUCE BENNETT S f UOIOS
Don't Call Me Coach
8
To Subscribe, •
....
CALLTOLLFREE:
1-800-283-8333 ·Also for change of address or other corrections
Sports Spectrum Radio station Into Phone: 1·800·598·7221
Straight Traxtapes, Back i ssues orders, Discount bulk issues Phone: 1·800·766·7221 General correspondence, LeHer to the Editor, or Writer's Query (no unsolicited manuscripts, please) Mail: Managing Editor, PO Box 3566, Grand Rapids, Ml 49501·3566 E·mall: ssmag@sport.org Fax : 1·616·957·5741 Permissions, Reprints Contacl: Debbie Miller Fax: 1·616·957·5741 E-mail: dmiller@rbc.org Volume 14, Number 7 November·Oecember 2000 SPORTS SPECTRUM MAGAZINE A DISCOVERY HOUSE PUBLICATION AFFILIATED WITH ABC MINISTRIES MANAGING EDITOR Dave Branon RADIO AND MAGAZINE DIRECTOR Tom Felten ART DIRECTOR Steve Gier PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Rob Bentz MARKETING DIRECTOR Michael Wozniak GRAPHIC ARTIST Laune Nelson ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Julie Richardson CLERICAL ASSISTANT Debbie Miller
BY GAIL wooo
Seattle Pacific's soccer coach Cliff McCrath has lots of honors and lots of titles, but he's just Nubs to those who know him
12 18 22
Stick Man
BY MIKE sANoRouNI
Vancouver Canucks' fans know that Markus Naslund is a good man with a stick-it's time for the rest of the league to find out
Surf and Turf
BY ROB BENTz
An injury on the surf nearly cost Luther Elliss a career on the turf, but the big man is back stronger than ever
Spirit of St. Louis
BY MIKE sANoRouNI
He may be the man of the new century in the NFL, but Kurt Warner knows what is important in his grocery bags-to-riches story
A Prayer For The City BY oAvE BRANoN
2G
ADVISORS Michelle Akers. US national soccer team Tim Cash, Unlimited Potential, Inc. Clark Kellogg, TV analyst, CBS college basketball Vince Nauss, executive director, Baseball Chapel Kyle Rote Jr., Athletic Resource Management Alice Simpson, chaplain, Cleveland Rockers Bruce Smith, Hockey Ministries International Cris Stevens, LPGA Bible studies leader Chuck Swirsky, Play·by·play, Toronto Aaptors Claude Terry, director, Pro Basketball Fellowship COVER PHOTO: Tom DiPace SPORTS SPECTRUM is produced 6 times ayear by Discovery House Publishers, Box 3566, Grand Rapids, Ml 4950t ·3566, which is affiliated with ABC Ministries, a nondenominational Christian organization whose purpose is to lead people of all nations to personal faith in Jesus Christ and to grov~h In His likeness by teaching principles lrom the Bible. Printed in USA. Copyright© 2000 by Discovery House Publishers. Bible quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © t973, 1978,1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. SUBSCRIBER NOTICE: From time to lime we allow companies to mail you information on quality resources. To decline these mailings, simply write or E-mail SS with this message: 'No offers."
Allan Houston and friends were having a Jammin' good time in New York City, but it wasn't just fu n and gamesit was for eternity
4
Lee'd Stories Sports news potpourri BY VICTOR LEE
5
The Swirsk One-on-one with Ernie Johnson BY CHUCK SWIR SKY
6 'I 'I
Champions Kelley Siemon, Andy Chance, Ben Hamilton Stats & Stuff Christian athlete info
'16 Big Picture
3"1
Luther Elliss
Straight Talk by Lawrence Funderburk WITH ROB BENTZ
~
~
OiS<overy HousePublishers
SS on the SPORTS SPECTRUM ON THE
WEB: http://w ww.s po r t.org
web ;t~http://www.sport.org/ SPORTS SPEC T RUM - NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2000
3
~ee ' d
Stories
~
Oij Victor
~ee
--------------------------------------
IDddle: NeWJS AIMMit~.Jslpods ~
Out But Not Down • John Kasay could shake his one good leg at God and demand to know why He is making him miserable. After aU, Kasay kicks for a living, and he is missing the entire 2000 season after suffering the second injury to his kicking leg in less than a year. The Carolina Panthers' former Pro Bowl performer missed the final three games of last season with a torn ligament, and his kneecap broke during a kick in preseason. "I think a lot of times people in our culture-if something bad happens to them-think God is trying to beat them up," a thoughtful, reflective Kasay said a few weeks after suffering his latest injury. "But I know that making me miserable is not what God wants. It's like in John 9, when Jesus is asked about the blind man, 'Who sinned, this man or his parents?' The answer was, 'Neither .. . but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life: "I can see how that is true in my
.A. Still plenty left. At age 31 and with 9 years of NFL experience behind him, Kasay is not done adding to his 873 career points.
situation. God will be glorified through it. Going through this helps me relate to other people. This has made me sensitive and much more aware of the struggles people go through when things
don't work out the way they planned. I am learning a lot, and rm going to continue learning a lot." Kasay says battling through these injuries with his witness for Christ intact is an important test.
his staff. "I try not to be a preacher to them, but I try to walk the walk. There is no secret on campus • Kevin Steele is working hard to of my faith in Christ. Am I a turn around the Baylor University preacher? No. But do we intertwine football program, but he is working our faith into our football proeven harder to influence the lives gram? Yes, in lots of ways." of the young men who play for Steele speaks frequently to his him. Steele has coached under such team about the 10 key principles greats as Johnny Majors and Tom of the Bears' football program: Osborne. He has won a national Faith and Character, Commitchampionship (Nebraska) and been ment, Leadership, Unselfishness, to the NFC championship game Unity, Discipline, Enthusiasm, (Carolina Panthers). He knows the Consistency, Expecting Success pressure associated with winning, without Limitations, and Fightbut he does not consider it the ing to the Finish. greatest pressure. "Those are football words, in "The greater pressure is to be a one sense," Steele says. "But godly coach and work to change when I listed those words, they young men's lives for the better," came from my Christian faith. says Steele, who begins each work They are 10 words or phrases that day by having devotional time with I think a Christian exemplifies in
his day-to-day life, but, ironically, they are very applicable to the football team." Steele uses the principles to help rebuild the team physically, mentally, and emotionally. The Bears were 1-10 in '99, Steele's first season. "Their self-worth and selfesteem had dropped off the table," Steele said of the players he inherited. "You can't take a high-dollar psychiatrist with no Christian background and turn someone's mind around. It requires love, and love only comes from one place. That was the single biggest task-rebuilding their self-worth. We have taught these young men how to invest in their future. What has happened is that, internally, the program is flourishing. That has not yet been
Good News Bears
4
SPORTS SPEC TRUM - NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2000
"Integrity is your walk matching your talk," he says. "It's easy when you're having success. I was remembering 1996 recently, how that was a good year for the team (NFC Championship Game in team's second season) and for me (Pro Bowl appearance). I wasn't questioning or doubting God one bit when that was going on, so why would I sit here a few years later with a 9-inch scar on one knee and two surgeries, and question Him now? I really know God is working on me for a reason and a purpose. He's preparing me for something. I don't know exactly what it is, but I know God loves me, and He's going to do the very best for me." That doesn't mean Kasay would have chosen to be hurt and miss the season, but it means that he tries to see the "big picture"God's perspective and purpose. "I wouldn't want to change [my circumstance], either," he says. '1t's very humbling and is an experience that is teaching me a lot." exposed externally [in success on the field], but we know that with patience it will be."
Wuerffel Looks Ahead • After throwing for 39 touchdowns and more than 3,600 yards as a senior for Florida, Danny Wuerffel went to the New Orleans Saints with high expectations. What followed were three tough seasons. He has resurfaced as a back-up quarterback in Green Bay, and his reflections on New Orleans might be surprising. "The three years in New Orleans were three of the best years of my life," Wuerffel says. "You have to look beyond what goes on on the field. I had the TO SUBSC RI BE: CALL 1 -80 0 - 283 - 8lll
The Swirsk Goes One-on-One with Ernie Johnson, studio host of the NBA on TBS and TNT opportunity to learn about and be part of an inner-city ministry that could be part of my life ministryDesire Street Ministries. It was also the time in which I met and married my wife [Jessica]. We plan on moving back to New Orleans; we're very fond of it." The key to such a perspective is that Danny Wuerffel isn't a football player who happens to be a Christian; he is a Christian who happens to play football. The game is not his life. His focus is on God and God's will. "The Bible tells us to fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen," Wuerffel says. "Part of the joy and challenge of being a Christian is looking past the temporal and seeing the eternal, trying to see things from heaven's perspective. By God's grace I've been able to do that, although I've certainly struggled with it like everyone else." He didn't struggle last spring, when he renewed scouts' hopes for him by leading the Rhein Fire to the NFL Europe championship. "To do well you have to be in the right place at the right time with the right people, and I've been blessed in that regard so many times," Danny says. He includes the years in New Orleans in that assessment. "God has certainly been sovereign and has phenomenally blessed the Wuerffel family in good and ·bad times," Danny says. "You never know what route He is leading you down. I would have never expected to go to Europe and have things work out as they have, but that's the way God works."
Victor Lee is producer and columnist for the Sports Channel on Crosswalk. com. He lives in Monroe, North Carolina.
Swirsk: Ernie is in his 11th year at the TNT and TBS studios, working NBA broadcasts. You have a terrific reputation in our indust ry, Ernie, and I'm wondering how you would describe yourself. Johnson: I don't want to be defined by what I do on the air. I don't want to be defined by how well I do a highlight, or if I botch a highlight, or how I interact with my co-host. There's so much more to life than what you do for a living. I live my life trying to be a servant of God and a good father and a good husband.
ple at work was just not right. When I became a Christian in 1997, it changed my perspective on God's plan for me-where my prior· ities should lie. Not just talking about it, but living my life that way. Having a servant's heart. I know that unless God is No. 1 in my life, I can't be the husband and father I'm supposed to be. Swirsk: Did your family pick up on this, Ernie? Johnson: Four months later, my wife accepted Jesus Christ. A couple of months later my oldest son trust· ed Him and then my daughter. This reinforced to me that things can be impossible from a man's point of view, but not from God's. He can do things that are just mind-boggling.
Swirsk: When you say a servant of God, where did that start? Johnson: I grew up going to a Catholic school. But I went to col· lege and got away from things like that. You don't feel like getting up Swirsk: Where do you think God is and going to church, and you get taking you next? away from anything spiritual. At CHUCK SWIRSKY talked Johnson: The neat thing is that you least that's what I did. with Ernie Johnson on don't know, but you're ready to As my r.aT'eer started to Sports Spectrum Radio, obey. You go from one day to the which can be heard on next and take advantage of the progress, I said, "Hey, I'm doing Saturdays across the great. I'm married. I've got some United States at noon opportunities He puts before you. great kids, I've got a great job, and Eastern time. Call Sometimes you just have to be still I haven't paid any attention to 1-800-598-7221 to locate and know that He is God-and lis· God. So who needs Him?" ten. That's kind of exciting. It's a an SS station in your In 1997, my wife Cheryl and I area. Chuck is the play- great adventure. felt some guilt every now and then, by-play voice of the saying we really ought to go to Toronto Raptors. MORE ON EJ: Ernie's dad (Ernie Sr.) pitched in the major leagues for church. We'd try one, and we the Milwaukee Braves from 1953 to wouldn't like it. 1958. Between 1993 and 1996, Ernie and his My wife met a woman she was making cur· dad called the action for the Atlanta Braves on tains for, and she invited us to her church. We SportSouth. During his broadcasting career, said we'd give this one church one more try. It Ernie has done coverage of golf, track & field, was in September 1997. The message Pastor and the NFL, as well as the Pan American Kevin Myers delivered convicted me. I said, Games and the Goodwill Games. "How did this guy get hold of my file?" Three months later, I was having lunch with Pastor Myers, and right there at the table I TBS and TNT Schedule: Ernie will serve as the prayed to accept Jesus Christ into my heart as studio host for Turner Sports: NBA coverage on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during my Lord and Savior. Things have not been the same since that day, December 10, 1997. each week of the 2000·200 1 season. Swirsk: What are some of the differences in your life that other people have seen? Johnson: Up until that point, Chuck, God had been created in my image. The world re· valved around me. My life was defined by how well I had done my job and how much people liked me. The way I was treating peo·
Hear SS Radio on the Internet
www.sport.org
Write to The Swirsk, Box 3566, Grand Rapids, Ml49501. Or e-mail him at ssmag@sport.org SPORTS S PEC TRU M COVERS ALL THE S POR TS . WEB SIT E: http://www.sport. org
SPORTS SPEC TRUM - NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2000
5
Ch~mpions ~
•IH!IIul:mllmllmt • As the daughter of a former NFL player, Notre Dame power forward Kelley Siemon knows how glorious sports can be. After all, her dad, Jeff Siemon, played middle linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings for 11 years and went to three Super Bowls. But the elder Siemon also taught his hoops-loving child to keep the highs and the lows of athletic achievement in perspective. "He showed me that God comes first," says Kelley. "Sports is something God has blessed us with. My dad has a ~ tremendous eternal ~ perspective and is so 15 humble. People al~ ways think playing ~ football was the ~ glory years, but for ~ him, what came afterward-his min_. Key player. Kelley istry-is more imporSiemon played in all tant." The fact that 32 games for the faith is highlighted Irish last season, against disappointleading the team in rebounds during the ment and defeat is a NCAA tournament. lesson Kelley picked up the hard way. Although she had started her freshman and sophomore seasons on the Notre Dame basketball team, the current senior was dismayed to learn she lost her starting position at the beginning of her junior year. "My coach told me right before the game that I wasn't going to start, and initially I didn't handle it that well," Kelley remembers. "I played halfheartedly. Later I went to God in prayer and saw some areas where I had been lacking, like not working on my game outside of practice.
6
S POR TS SP ECTRUM
bu
Cr~ker .
He brought that to the forefront of my mind." She decided to work harder, and she chose not to bicker about the coach's decision with her teammates. God also boosted Kelley's attitude and gave her a different viewpoint: "Another player, a senior, started over me. I had started over her the last 2 years, so in a way I was almost happy for her, and I think God helped me feel that way. On my own I wouldn't have." As Kelley contemplates life after hoops, she is placing her future in good hands. "Christ continually hits me with how incredible His love is for me, and how even if everything in the world falls apart, my relationship with Him is the one thing that will stand firm." - LORILEE CRAKER
• He's not the first person to do it, of course, but in this age of increased specialization and competition, athletes like Andy Chance are becoming a rare breed. Last fall, Chance (6-2, 200 pounds) started all 11 games as a red shirt freshman for the University of Louisiana at Monroe, guiding the Indians to a 5-6 mark and leading the squad with 160.5 yards of total offense per game. He completed 141 of 246 passes for 1,327 yards and also had five touchdown passes. He finished second on the team in rushing with 438 yards rushing on 130 attempts. After the football season, he still managed a fair amount of playing time on the baseball field, filling in at shortstop on the Tribe's baseball team, batting .245 with three homers and five RBis. "I feel the Lord has given me the talent to play both sports, so I want to make sure that I make the most of that talent," Chance says. "A favorite Bible verse that keeps me going is Philippians 4:13 which says, 1 can do all things through Christ who
~ Big day. Against Nicholls State on September 9, Andy Chance was 25 for 35 passing with 369 yards in a 27-21 win.
PHOTO BV Altko\RD lVPO/ ~ TE SY; Vo.I'VERSir'l' OF- LOUIS!A.'.A.-.1 MONAOI'
Gibbs.
Mori~h
strengthens me: I lean on that verse a lot during the year, just because my schedule gets so hectic sometimes." Chance, who is majoring in business management, also works parttime at ULM, helping out with youth clinics and doing maintenance work. "It's tough to work it all in," he says. "This past spring, I'd go to class from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Then, I'd go over to the football field and watch game film with the quarterbacks coach Stan Humphries (former San Diego Charger QB). Next, I'd go to baseball practice and take infield and get some batting practice in, and then I'd go back to the football field for our spring practice. After that was over and the other guys were going home, I'd go back out to the baseball field and see if anyone was around so I could take a few more groundballs or do some more hitting." Not many play two sports anymore, but it's a chance Andy had to take. -JIM GIBBS
• University of Minnesota senior center Ben Hamilton's name appeared on just about everyone's preseason AU-American football team this year, but it's the squad that doesn't include Hamilton's name that reveals what's most important to the 23-year-old center from Wayzata, Minnesota. Last spring a well-known "men's magazine" that features pornographic pictures notified Hamilton he was their first-team AUAmerican choice and invited him to a photo shoot in Phoenix with the other players on the list. An aU-expenses paid trip to sunny Arizona and the prospect of important publicity for the NFL hopeful were strong temptations, but in the end Hamilton decided his faith was more important. He turned the opportunity down, and another center took his place. "People who know me know I'm a Christian guy," Hamilton told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I didn't want people to get the wrong impression about what's important in my life. I didn't want people who know me to say, 'Hey, what are you doing in Playboy? I thought you were a Christian: I didn't want to send any mixed messages."
Cb.aace1 Bea Raaailtoa
....'
The decision brought Hamilton considerable attention, both in Minnesota and nationally. Sports fllustrated poked fun at him in a recent issue, but Hamilton has no regrets about the stand he took. "I was brought up in a strong Christian family," he told Sports Spectrum. His father, Wes Hamilton, played 9 seasons for the Minnesota Vikings as an offensive lineman, and has been a strong spiritual influence on his son.
"My parents were very supportive," Hamilton continues, "but it was my decision to accept Jesus Christ into my life and follow the Christian doctrine. My faith is the backbone of who I am." Hamilton is hoping to follow his father's footsteps into professional football, but he keeps the future in a larger perspective. ''I'd love the opportunity to play in the NFL and hope I get a chance, but more importantly I want to be a strong Christian who gives
something back to the world and to Christ for aU He's given me." -DAVI D MORIAH
..,.. Legit. As a junior, Ben Hamilton was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press.
r--------------------------------------------------Challenges ~
For the sports fan in all of us Spolrts SbdfYQa CaD Use
-------------------------------------------------------
[
On the Boohshelf Doubt at Daytona Slowdown at Sears Point
By Ken Stuckey Baker Books, 200+ pages; $5.99 Sold in Christian bookstores Also: Christianbook.com • Orly Mann isn't afraid to mix it up on the asphalt battleground of NASCAR. He battles · the best as he strives to keep his priorities straight as a Christian driver. If you haven't heard of Orly Mann, you need to get off NASCAR.com and pick up Slowdown at Sears Point or Doubt at Daytona. These fiction books take you to the track and back while reminding you of the human side of racing. Written by a pastor who lives just minutes from Sears Point, the Orly Mann Racing Team Series is for NASCAR fans of aU ages. Paul Anderson: The Mightiest Minister
By Randall J. Strossen IronMind Enterprises, Inc., 143 pages; $24.95 Phone orders: 530-265-6725 • Although the title suggests otherwise, this book is not primarily about the Christian tes-
SPORTS SPECTRUM ON THE
timony of Paul Anderson. Instead, author Randall Strossen concentrates on the physical exploits of the man who was called The World's Strongest Man. For those who remember Anderson and some of his feats of strength, the book will serve as a nostalgic reminder. For those too young to know who Anderson was, it's an interesting introduction to a good man who became a great powerlifter. The more than 100 photos in the book, as does the text, chronicle Anderson's rise from little tyke to an Olympic gold-medal winner. The book does make reference to Paul's faith, but fails to pinpoint Anderson's trust in Christ as the cornerstone of his life. That criticism aside, The Mightiest Minister is a fascinating book. The Right Way To Win
By Mike Blaylock Moody Press, 144 pages; $12.95 Sold in Christian bookstores Also: Christianbook.com • Former high school coach Mike Blaylock uses his background as a youth-sports leader and as a former major league chaplain to help athletes develop the right per-
WEB: http://www.sport.org
spective on sports. Blaylock wisely begins the book by dispelling some myths that have grown up around sports and faith, things such as the fallacy of thinking that Christians should expect to come out on the winning end of things. From there, Blaylock clearly spells out what it really means to win. This book can help people interested in sports develop the proper perspective as they consider how sports and faith intertwine. Heads Up! Sports Devotions for All-Star Kids
By Dave Branon Zondervan Publishing House, 320 pages; $9.99 Sold in Christian bookstores Also: zonderkidz.com • After writing more than 1,000 devotional articles for Our Daily Bread and Campus Journal, it was time for Sports Spectrum managing editor Dave Branon to go solo. This book, which contains 93 brand-new sports-related devotional articles, is designed to help young readers establish the habit of reading the Bible each day and studying its principles. With a
foreword by Michelle Akers and stories from the lives of dozens of Christian athletes, Heads Up! will keep sports-loving kids interested in daily devotions for a long time. Clothesline G. First • By Higher Vision Ministries, Inc. PO Box 511533 Milwaukee, WI 53203 Phone: 1-877-771-GOD1 Website: www.gfirst. com • Charlie Ward was looking for something www.g first.com like this. According to his agent Craig T. McKenzie, "This has been a dream of Charlie's ever since he won the Heisman Trophy in 1993-to be associated with a faithexpressive clothing brand as a means to minister the Word of God." Ward has teamed up with New York Knicks teammate Allan Houston to endorse G. FIRST, a line that includes jewelry, hats, Tshirts, shorts, and sports apparel. McKenzie says that if the line is financially viable, G. FIRST will seek ways to support missionary work.
SPORTS SPECTR UM • NOVEMBER-DECEMBER ZOOO
7
II /
,,
HE's THE COACH without a title, as in moniker. Not title, as in championship. Cliff McCrath has a trophy case full of those kinds of titles. Five NCAA Division II soccer titles and five runner-up spots, to be exact. But as for titles (Mr., Dr., Sir, Coach, the kind said in reverence) that's something he shuns. At Seattle Pacific University, where McCrath has coached since 1970; nobody calls him "Coach." And nobody calls him "Mr. McCrath." Not the janitor. Not the athletic director. Not even the goalie swatting shots for him. To his teams, he's "Uncle Nubs," a nickname tied to a childhood accident that ripped two fingers from his left hand. Or he's simply "Slim," "Skinny," or "Nubs." Just never "Mister." Certainly not "Coach." The second-winningest coach in all of US college soccer history avoids the term like a redhead does the sun. It's been 500-plus wins at SPU and a million laughs.
8
SP ORT S SPE CT RU M - NO VE MB ER路 DECE MBER 10 00
A long distinguished career as one of the top soccer coaches in the land has left
Cliff McCrath with a ton of friends and a strange nickname
BY GAIL WOOD
"Jt goes back to the perspective of the streets," says McCrath, who grew up fending for himself in the streets of Detroit. "You didn't demand respect, you earned it. So, whatever they want to call me is fine. Nubs, Uncle Nubs. The Russian kid calls me Knobs because he can't say Nubs." Nicknames, the kind friends wave to each
other in passing, is an entirely different story from titles and surnames. It's McCrath 's bridge to friendshi ps and, unintentionally, championships. McCrath doesn't usually call a player his given name. He hangs a nickname on nearly every one of them. If it's Bill, he calls him "Geon." If it's Dave, he calls him "Duvall." One player conscious about creases in his pants
TO SUB SCRI BE: CALL 1- 800-283-8333
... '
~ Father-son
game. In September, Cliff McCrath and his Seattle Pacific Falcons took on his son Steve's team, Barry University of Miami, Florida. Barry won, 2-0. ~ Synchronized soccer. Seattle Pacific's Vadim Tolstolutsky (1 0) battles Buccaneer defenseman Marco Velez.
A. Matching wits. When Nubs meets with officials pre-game, it's no secret who knows the game best. .,.. You can call me Dad. Steve was at one time an assistant for his dad at SPU, but now is in his third year at Barry. Steve was conference coach of the year in his first season with the Bucs. MAFIC HAGEMEIER
and color of his shirt was "Dapper." "It's a badge of acceptance of sorts," McCrath says about his use of nicknames. "It's the bonding element. We don' t start out with the f~ar element." "Coach." Now, that can be intimidating. But "Nubs?" Welt, that can bring a brick or two down from the walt. "Statistics, wins and losses, that's never been a focus," McCrath says. "But making friendshi ps, helping someone. Now you've got my attention." And this 64 ~ year-o ld coach who has packed so much living into his years has got the full 路 attention of his players. The door never closes on them. Hunched over his computer, McCrath recently perused his day's e-mail at his office desk, already cluttered with letters from former players. He gets t00 e-maits a day. Then there's the SOto 70 phone messages. There were 23 await-
SP ORTS SPECTR UM ON
THE
WEB: htt p://www.spo rt. o r g
ing him when he came in at 6 o'clock this particular morning. "Part of the integration is a friendship that transcends coach-player relationships," McCrath says. When a player kicks his last batt for SPU, the relationship is just beginning. Maybe that's why 140 of McCrath's former players are coaching today, coaching gracle-schooters or college players. Even his son, Steve, who coaches at Barry University in Miami, has followed Nubs' lead. Clearly, McCrath is a lighthouse of sorts, saying, "This way." Every year at that first practice, McCrath tells his team, "If you think this is just about soccer, go home now." That's typical McCrathese, succinct and to the point. And his message isn' t just about kicking soccer balls. It's about dedication. It's about sharing a message that turned his life upside down, changed him from a three-pack-a-clay smoker who was one step from getting arrested for steali ng to a
man who shares his life like he's an ice cream dispenser-serving on demand. "To me, the greatest thing t can share is the message of Jes us," McCrath says. "Th at's the greatest message ever told. Jesus Christ changed my life, so I know He can change yours. You meet Jesus, and yo u' ll never be the same." McCrath isn' t the same. He's not that ISyea r-old kid growing up in Detroit in the mid- 1950s who' cl breathe the fumes of liquid shoe poli sh to get the high. He's not the kid who spread the nose of hi s older brother across his face in a fist fi ght. He's not the kid who was a three-time high school dropout who would go to bed hungry because there was no food in the house and then steal hi s breakfast the next morning. That's because he met this Christian girt, a knockout brunette. "She was the best-looking girl in school and she was untouchable," McCrath says. "She wouldn 't go where I wanted to go, so I went where she wanted to." That was a tent-revival meeting with evangelist Bob Welts. McCrath went only ex pecting to meet the girt of his dreams. Instead, he met a new way of living. At the second meeting,
SPORTS SPECTRUM - NOVEMBER路 DE CEMBER
20 00
9
DON ' T CALL ME COACH
I
lj I
.A Number 500! Seattle Pacific University
president Dr. Philip Eaton congratulates Cliff McCrath on the long-time coach's SOOth win.
McCrath went forward to an altar call, got down on his knees, and asked God for forgiveness. That moment changed the direction of his life. To his own surprise, rather than going to the Army or to the minor leagues to play baseball , he ended up at Wheaton College- a Christian liberal arts school. He tried out for soccer for the first time in his life because someone dared him to, and he ended up being an All-American and the coach of the soccer team his senior year. "He's someone you won't soon forget," says Frank McDonald, SPU's sports information director. "He comes at you with a manner that disarms you, and then he' ll punch you in the underbelly with a point he's making. There's nobody quite like him." To his teams, McCrath is the listening ear, the helping hand, or the word of advice. He understands the importance of a hand up. He tells a story about a Detroit cop who came to his junior high school and called him to the office. Everyone thought the meanest kid in school was in trouble again. lnslead, McCrath, this foster kid whose alcoholic father had left home, was asked to go to a father-son banquet sponsored by the police department. " It blew me away," McCrath says. ''That was a turning point. I couldn' t believe someone would care about me." Because of moments like that, McCrath has learned the power of caring.
"The thing about him is you know he cares," says Jason Dunn, a former player now in the Indoor Soccer League. "You know it's not just about soccer." Last summer, another friend came visiti ng. It was the same soccer player who 15 years earlier came to McCrath's yearly soccer camps and said after a strenuous, 2-hour workout, "Uncle Nubs, would you hit some more shots to me?" Natu rall y, "Uncle Nubs" would. And Michelle Akers, one of the world's best women soccer players, wou ld brighten and begin to chase ball after ball after ball. "From the start, you could see there was something special about her," McCrath says. "She was tireless."
Just as there's something tireless about the man who has led SPU to the semifinals in soccer 5 of the past 8 years. McCrath is an ordained minister, performing the marriage ceremony for 40 of his former players. McCrath, a bit of a character with a propensity for laughter, once married a couple while they were running a marathon. McCrath, who has averaged a plane flight a week for the past 40 years, is also a moti vational speaker, a Bible study leader, a confidant, and an advisor. But, most of all, he's "Coach." Even if he doesn't answer to it. Gail Wood is a freelance writer who lives in Lltce); Washington.
MR. BEAN Like his father and grandfather before him, about being in control under fire, and about perJoe Bean was going to be a ministe r. But severing in difficult situations. Bean recites something got in his way-a soccer ball. Philippians 1:27, adding that "Our reputation Rather than a minister, Bean became a goes beyond our won-loss record. It's how we coach, a coach who shares the message of the conduct ourselves on the field." Bible. Bean's chapel would be a grassy field. However, that won-loss record isn't too shabHis pulpit a locker room. For the past 31 by. Bean, a close friend of Cliff McCrath's, is just years at Wheaton College, Bean has mixed behind his coaching buddy in all-time victories, coaching and the min· going 450-124·42 at istry while becoming Wheaton coming into the third-winni ngest this season. When Bean was 12, college soccer coach in the country. his family went to an "Coaching is as much evangelist's meeting at of a calling as the the church next door, ministry," Bean says. leaving Bean home to listen to a Philadelphia Since becoming Wheaton's coach in Phillies game. How1969, dozens of his ever, his older sister players have become came home during the missionaries and altar ca ll. "S he to ld me, 'It's ministers. "I hope some of time to make a comwhat they learned they mitment: and I did," learned on the soccer PHOTO: MIC><A£llf.JOSON / oounesr. " "EAT()N COllEGE Bean says of the field," Bean says. moment he t rusted .A Another 500. When Wheaton beat It was there, Bean Jesus Christ as his Salisbury State University on November 20, says, where they Savior. "It's a decision 1999, Joe Bean picked up his SOOth career learned something I haven't regretted." coaching win. Fifty of those came as coach at two other colleges. about adversity, - GAI L WOOO
L.l Payne Stewart made his rejuvenated faith known to the world after capturing the 1999 US Open. Yet Payne was just one of more than 10 PGA and LPGA professionals who have won recent major championships and who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ. If you are interested in reading their testimonies and in finding out about the work of God throughout professional, college, and amateur golf today, then every article in the Links Letter will excite you.
• To order the Links Letter, call us today at 1·800·90LINKS, or send an e-mail message to linksletter@linksletter.com. We'll send you a free issue for your review. The Links Letter is a publication of Links Players International, a min istry dedicated to equip ping golfers to spread the Goo News of Jesus Christ in the world today.
Stats & Stuff
~
Compiled bq Dave Branon
Ernie Harwell
SWITCHING PLACES
One of the most amazing stories in sports is the continuing excellence behind the microphone of one of baseball's best-ever announcers. This man has been broadcasting major league baseball since 1948, and he has always done so in a calm, even-handed, professional way. He's one of the nicest people in all of sport and a man who is not ashamed to talk about his faith in Christ. Last summer, at the age of 82, Ernie Harwell completed his 40th season of doing Detroit Tiger play-by-play-and he's under contract to cover the Tigers next year as well. He and his wife Lulu will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in 2001. Sports Spectrum salutes one of the classiest people in the world of sports. He's this edition's Class Act.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Wondering where some of your old favorites are?
Paul Wylie
us Olympic Skater 1992 Silver Medalist • Present position: Director of Business Development at Broadband Sports (a sports content distribution company) in Santa Monica, California. Family: Wife, Kate-a former Brown University women's hockey player Residence: Pacific Palisades, California
Dave Johnson
us Olympic Decathlete 1992 Bronze Medalist • Present position: Teaching "at risk" junior high and high school students and serving as assistant football coach and head track coach at West Albany High School in Albany, Oregon. Family: Wife, Sheri; Children, Alexandra and MacKenzie. Residence: Albany, Oregon
Gill Byrd San Diego Chargers (1983-1992) • Present position: Executive director of Player Programs and Community Affairs, Green Bay Packers. Family: Wife, Marilyn; Children Gill II and Jarius. Residence: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Players who relocated during the offseason
PLAYER
OLD TEAM
NEW TEAM
NBA NBA NHL NHL NHL
Cleveland Cavaliers Indiana Pacers Philadelphia flyers Philadelphia flyers Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Orlando Magic Toronto Raptors New York Islanders Atlanta Thrashers New York Islanders
Andrew DeClercq Mark Jackson John Vanbiesbrouck Adam Burt Kevin Haller
N ET R E S U L T S Internet sites you may want to visit
Mark Brunell: http://www.mark.brunell.com/ Hardy Nickerson: http://www.hardynickerson.org/ Green Bay Players Chapel Program, Inc.: http://www.playerschapel.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS NOVEMBER
1
know that we have a sin problem, and we know who can fix it."
Kent Graham Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers, 32 • Has passed for more than 8,800 yards In his career. "Once you come to the realization that God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died Jean Driscoll for us, exciting things Wheelchair marathon can happen." champion, 34 • Eight-time Boston Marathon winner "I have a real desire to go Chad Curtis on a missions trip. People OuUield, Texas Rangers, 32 with disabilities in some Hit game-winning World countries are lower than Series home run, 1999 rock status. rd love to have "What makes us special is an opportunity to leave that we're identified with my chair there. It could God through His Son change somebody's life." Jesus, and we have eternal life because of that. Whatever things we Walt Weiss do down here remain Shortstop, Atlanta Braves, secondary to that." 37 • Played In the 1998 AII·Star Game "I came to the realization Oadry Ismail that being a good guy Wide receiver, Baltimore was not good enough. I Ravens, 30 • Had first needed a relationship 1000-yard receiving year with the Savior." in 1999 "A lot of times people 30 think once you get the Paul Westphal Lord, you've got everyHead coach, Seattle Super· thing handed to you. sonics, 50 • Coached But that's not the case. Grand Canyon College to Sometimes you're even NAIAChampionship In 1988 more persecuted than "Being a Christian is not before." an ego thing. We simply
ALMUOIALlM'Ofll
16
6
28
a
DECEMBER
1
Barb Mucha LPGA golfer, 39 • Has more than $2,000,000 In LPGA career earnings '1t's a real ministry field out there on the LPGA Tour. There's a lot of lonely players out there. There are a lot of opportunities to be a light."
9
Brent Price Guard, Vancouver Grizzlies, 32 • Holds NBA record for most straight three-pointers (13) "Nothing can replace your own quiet time with the Lord. I don't feel I'm ready to play a game if I haven't spent my time alone with God."
11
Jay Bell Infielder, Arizona Diamondbacks, 35 • Was selected as a starter In 1999 All· Star Game "One of my favorite Bible
passages is Proverbs 3: 5,6. It says that if you allow God to direct your paths, He's going to lead your way. I try to allow Him to lead my path."
i
18
I
i ~
Peter Boulware
!
Unebacker, Baltimore Ravens, 28 • Has been selected to play In 2 Pro Bowl Games "The one thing God wants us to realize is that He is our everything. He is our sufficiency."
I
'i 0
19
Reggie White Defensive end, Carolina Panthers, 39 • Entered 2000 season with most career NFL sacks (192.5) 'Tve got to let the world know who is my Lord by serving Him. Jesus said, 1f you love me, you will keep my commandments: "
28
Adam Vinatieri Kicker, New England Patriots, 28 • Scored 382 points in first three NFL seasons "I don't think the most important thing in our lives is to play football. I think it's more about being a Christian, being a disciple, and bringing other people to the Lord."
11
r1
r
r------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------
EORGE FOREMAN,
the former heavywe ight boxing cham pi on who no w hawks hi s "Lean, Mean, Fat-reduci ng Grilling Machine" on in fo mercials, is revered by milli ons worldwide. Count Vancouver Canucks forward Marku s Nas lund as amo ng bi g George's admirers. The joll y, rob ust Fo rema n, who achi eved a cult-like follow ing after com ing out of retirement to win the heavyweight title at age 45, is the one person Naslund would love to meet. "He has a nice spirit, a genuine solid guy," says Naslund, the Canucks' leading scorer each of the past two seasons. "[Th ere are] some people th at stick out. He has a great se nse of humor, and he's a great guy." All that adm iration aside, Markus says he and hi s wife Lotta-s hould
they ever have any sons-won't name them all Markus. They won't emulate Foreman, who has named all his five sons George. "No, I wou ldn ' t do that," Naslund says, laughing. Right now, Nas lu nd is co ntent to help Lotta raise their two daughters, Rebecca and Isabella, as best they can. "It's a lot of responsibility to raise kids to be good people," he says. "You try to teach them everything you know. You want them to have a solid start because the first few years are the most important ones." Being a parent is trying under normal circumstances. But the fact that Naslu nd is off catching the Canucks' team charters at least 7 months out of the yea r (longer when th e tea m advances to postseason play) makes parenting a tri ple challenge. "An ytime you ' re away from your loved ones, it's tough," says Naslund,
In the past two seasons, Vancouver Canuel< leftwinger Markus Naslund has established himself as a top scorer with a great stick BY MIKE SANDROLINI
1 2
SP ORTS SPEC T RUM - NOV EMBER - DEC EMBER 2000
PHOTO BV J, MCISAAC
I
BRUCE BENNEn STUDIOS
....
1
'
.
J
T
"l"ve never gone through
a time where I've doubted my
belief in the Lord."
who completed his fifth full NHL season last spring. "You want to be there for the kids growing up. Once my hockey career is over, I' ll be home all the time. The su mmers are good because I get to spend quite a bit of time with them." The day Nas lund ha ngs up hi s skates for good may be a long way off, considering that he's fast becoming a bona fide NHL star. Blessed with good wheels, great stick-handling abi li ties, and a wicked shot, Naslund has begun living up to the potential the Pittsburgh Penguins saw in him when they made him their No. I pick (16th overall) in the 199 1 NHL Entry Draft. Two years ago, the nat ive of Ornskolclsvik, Sweden, netted career highs in goals (36) and points (66), and led the Canucks in four offensive categories (goals, points, shots on goal, and shooting percentage) en route to being named the club's MYP. The breakthrough season also paid other dividends for Naslund. He was named to represent the Canucks at the NHL All-Star Game and played for the NHL's World All-Star Team, which is made up of European-born NHL skaters. That squad takes on the North American All-Star Team, comprised of players born in the US and Canada. "He's a gifted scorer," Canucks coach Marc Crawford mentioned on the team's Web site, Canucks.com. "He can make a nice fake to score a goal. He's got a great, overpowering shot. Those are the th ings that you
2=> The Naslund Zone MARKUS NASLUND >- 6-0 >- 186 >- DOB: 7-30-73 Hometown: Markus was born in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden Hobby world: When he's not pushing a puck around, Markus
enjoys waterskiing, jetskiing, and playing tennis Contract status: Naslund signed a 3-year contract in
September 1999 with the Canucks Home team: Wife, Lotta; Children, Rebecca and Isabella.
REWIND >- Pittsburgh's first choice in the 1991 entry draft >- Traded to the Canucks in 1996 for Alex Stojanov >- Captured silver medal for Sweden in 1993 World Championships>- Scored first NHL goal on November 9, 1993 THE GOOD STUFF >- 1998-99 Selected Canucks' Most Valuable Player>- 1998-99 Voted Ca nu cks' Most Exciti ng Playe r >- 1999 Named to the World All-Star team for the 1999 NHL All-Star Game
1 4
SPORTS SPECTRUM- NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2000
â&#x20AC;˘ Mario, the Great One, and Markus. As a young hockey player in Sweden, lefty Markus Naslund considered Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky his favorites.
look for in a goal-scorer." And Naslund continues to be one of the Canucks' main offens ive weapons. Last winter, the left -handed shooting right winger (normally, lefthanders play left wing; right-handed shooters patrol ri ght wing ) came within one point of equaling his 199899 totals. He finished with 38 assists and a team-high 27 goals. " ! want to get better ," says Nasl und, named NH L Player of the Week for the week of March 13-19 after tallying eight poin ts in three games (3 goals, 5 assists). "I try to improve myself, and I think I'm doing that. I like to help the team offensively. I like to create by holding on to the puck and creating plays." Vancouver 's position in the Western Conference standings has paralleled Naslund's improved play. The Canucks, who haven' t qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs since 1996, were nudged out of the post-season in their next-to-last game last April. "We dug ourselves too deep a hole in the middle of the season," Naslund notes. "After the All-Star break, we had one of th e best records in the league. Too bad we played that well
late, but it's a positive to build on [for] next season." But lighting the goal lamp and stri vi ng to win a Stanley Cup one clay doesn't sum up Naslund's complete modus operandi. In his life, claiming Lord Stanley's Cup is a worthy goal, but knowing the Lord Jesus Christ takes precedence. In his native Sweden, Naslund was reared in the Christian faith. His mom and dad, Ulla and Sture, were raised in Christian homes and his grandfather, Alfonse, pastored a church. "They ki nd of got away from it for a while," he says of his parents' brief abandonment of their roots when he was a preschooler. "We moved from one city to another. But the pastor in a new town in vited them in [to church] and ever since then we've been going. That' s how I got involved in believing in God and Jesus." Naslund says he doesn't recall an exact elate when he gave his heart to Christ, but there's no doubt in his heart that he's clone just that. "In my case, God and Jesus been so real while growing up," says. "I've never gone through a ti where I've doubted my belief in t Lord. I' m not outspoken, but I feel I
STICK MAN
have a solid ground inside of me." The number of Christians in th e NHL circ les pales in compari son to the number fo und in the NBA, NFL, or major league baseball. But Naslund observes that discussions around the locker room don ' t always focus on how Vancouver' s power play fared the night before. Sometimes, they' II talk about a Higher Power. "We have good conversations," he says. "There are quite a few guys who talk abou t themselves as being Chri stian. It's enco uraging to have them on the same wavelengt h and talkin g about spiri tua l stuff. Everybody [on the Canucks] knows my backgro und, so when th ere are questions they usually ask me. It's a good way of sharing your testimony." Unfortunately, the topic of conversation toward the end of last year in the Canucks' dressing room - and around the sports world-centered on Nas lund's teammate, left-winger Donald Brashear. He suffered a serious concussion after Boston's Marty McSorley hi t Brashear in the head with his stick late in the third period of the Canucks-Bru ins contest on February 21. McSorley, who has filled the role of an enforcer th roughout his long career, apologized profusely for the attack. Still , he was suspended for SP ORTS SPECTRUM ON TH E WEB: http://www.sport.org
the remainder of the season (w hich turned out to be 23 ga mes) and the playoffs by the NHL- the longest suspension ever handed out by the leag ue fo r an on-ice incident. Meanwhi le, Brashear, who was left unconscious on the ice, didn ' t return to the Vancouver lineup fo r several weeks . Nas lund reca lls seein g Brashear lying motionless on the ice. " I jumped out on the ice righ t after it happened," he says. "I went right over to Donald, and he was unconscious. It was an ugly incident. What he [McSorley] did was disgraceful. That should never happen on a hockey rink." Brashear, a tough customer himself who's not afraid to mix it up in the corners, expressed surprise and outrage over McSorley's actions. "I never thought I'd see a player acting like that toward another player," he said at a news conference a week later. "I wonder what was going through his mind to do a thing like that." Despite his reaction, Brashear has discussed the situation with Naslund, and said he wants to concentrate on the future, not the past. "He wants to leave it behind ," Nas lund says. "Especially in Canada, it gets out of hand when something [like this] happens and it has to do with hockey. I think he ' s gett ing tired of all th e questions and wants to get back to playing, and that's the right way to go abou t it." One look at the minutes Naslund spent in the sin bin all of last season- onl y 64 minutes in the penalty box, and no major penalties-tells you that he's not the brawling type. Of course, Naslund thinks fighting in or outside of an arena is wrong from a moral standpoint, but he explains that fighting is a sort of a checks-and-balance system that actually keeps violence under control. "In a way, it helps the skill players to have tough guys," he says. "When guys are taking libert ies [with skill players] and playing dirty, they have to be accountable. "Fighting's been in the ga me so long that it' s tough to take it totall y out of the game. I think there would be di rtier hockey, more stick work and more cheap shots [without it]. It keeps the ski ll guys from getti ng hurt. I have a lot of respect for the guys who go out there and do that
Marlals and Money Guaranteed contracts, multimillion dollar signing bonuses, and deferred payments that set athletes up for life are all pa rt of the business of professional sports today. For pro athletes who follow the teachings of Christ and make a 7-figure income, like Markus Naslund, th e issue of money is one that shou ld never be addressed non cha lantly. Naslund can well afford to pay top dollar (or in his case, top Canadian dollar) for the best homes and vehicles on the market. But he chooses to plant both his skates firmly on the ice and live a modest lifestyle. "We're not living overly flamboyant," he says. "I know I have enough money to do what I need to, but I'm not worrying about the money too much because a lot of bad comes out of it too." The Naslunds have one home, located in Markus' hometown of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, where they spend each summer after the season is over. "One house is plenty for me," he says. "We wi ll live there after I retire." - MIKE SA NOROL!N l
[stick up fo r less-physical players] every night." And make no mistake, Naslund is a ski ll guy- one of a growing number of talented European-born skaters who have added excitement to the league over the last decade. "I think it's for the better," he says of the grow ing European influence. "The players are known fo r having qui te a bit of skill and [for being] good skaters. I think it's only positi ve for the league to have a mix of physical toughness and skills." Toughness and skills. It' s the ki nd of mix that a guy needs if he wants to be a good hockey player- or a good father. And Markus Naslund is dedicated to being both.
A long-time contributor to Spo rt s Spectrum, Mike Sandrolini is a freelance writer who lives in Warrenville, lllinois. SP ORTS SP ECT RU M - NOVEMBER路 DECEMBER 2000
15
r-
-
r---------------------------------------------------- ------------- ---------------- -------------------------------- -
After
â&#x20AC;˘
AFfER A SOLID
1999 SEASON, Detroit
Lions defensive tackle Luther Elliss
Detroit's defensive
was selected to participate in his first NFL Pro Bowl. I know what you're thinking: "Great,
tackle Luther Elliss
but what's so special about a former firstround draft pick being selected to compete among the NFL's elite in Honolulu?
hit the surf
Isn't that what's supposed to happen? Isn't the Pro Bowl the NFL's showcase of
in the
top talent? What's the big deal?'' Valid questions, all of them, until you
summer of
understand and appreciate that the
1999, it was
mammoth defensive tackle's 1999 season almost wasn't a season at all.
unclear if he'd be able
! ~
to hit the turf again BY ROB BENTZ
---------------------------------------------------------------- ----
"I 8
SPOR TS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ NOVEMBER -DECEMB ER 20 0 0
Ell iss, a 315-pound rock of fun, energy, and intensity was visi ting teammate Travis Kirschke in Southern California in the summer
.A Man in the middle. When Luther Elllss isn't relieving the ballcarrier of his freight, as he's trying to do here with Mike Alstott of Tampa Bay, he's making tackles. In the last three seasons, Elliss has averaged 48 solo tackles a year. Last season, Ell iss and defensive end Robert Porcher teamed up to record 128 total tackles and 18.5 sacks for the Lions' defense.
of 1999 when his season, his career, and his
explains. "The wave broke, and I was right on
feel my extremities. I thought I was paralyzed
very life passed before his big brown eyes.
top of it. I didn' t fall to the side or roll off, and
because of the way I hit. I was hurti ng."
"We were out body surfing at a place they call 'The Wedge,' " explains Elliss of the legendary surfing spot on Newport Beach. "It had been a good day!"
it just carried me in a little too far. I knew what was going to happen." Ell iss continues, "I was just tryi ng to protect
Soon the huge defensive tackle regained his faculties, though, and was able to stagger out of the Pacific.
myself with my arms out in front of me, trying
A little boy came upon Luther and couldn' t
Noti ce the wo rds " had been." Luther
to tuck myself into a ball- but it still happened!"
help but stare in amazement, "Mister, are you
includes those words because what "had been"
The fury of rolling, rushing water drove
okay?" the youngster asked.
a successful, adventu rous afternoon of body
Elliss to the ocean noor- face fi rst. His head
"Yeah. Don't I look okay?" Ell iss replied.
surfing on 6-foot waves was about to turn ugly.
slammed into the hard-packed sand with twice
"No," the young stranger qu ickly answered.
the force of a goal-line stand.
A bloodied Elliss continued clown the beach
Elliss decided to catch one more wave, ride it in, and be done for the day. That's when something went wrong. "It was the biggest wave of the day," Elliss
"It kind of knocked me out for a few sec-
onds," says Luther. "I was just out of it! I felt myself noati ng, and then I came to. I couldn't
to where Kirschke was playing with Luther's son Kaden, who was then 4 years old. "He didn't look too good," Kirschke would
SURF AND TURF
FRED KlEIIOER
I
II
..6. Luther unplugged. During the offseason, Luther Elliss enjoys community activities that help others. At the event above, he spoke about his faith after a game in the Continental Basketball Association. Other activities include holding football camps for under-privileged children, establishing a reading program in Utah, and being spokesperson for various Detroit Lions charity outreaches.
I
I
say later, recall ing the incident. "At first I thought he was joking-Luther is always a joker- but when I asked if he wanted to see a lifeguard and he said, 'Sure,' I knew something was wrong." Lifeguards and paramedics rushed over to check Luther's condi tion. It was serious. Wasting no time, they got Ell iss to a nearby hospital. With his eye swollen shut, and his head and face throbbing with pai n, Elliss received good and bad news in the emergency room. The good news: His neck was fi ne. No fractures. No permanent damage. The bad news was he had a slight concussion, and more important still, Elliss had a broken orbital bone (the bone below the eye that holds the eyeball in place). "When I was able to open [my left eye] just a little bit, I couldn' t see,"
2> The Elliss Zone LUTHER ELLISS > 6-5 > 315 > DOB: 3-22-73 Crash! While leading Ma ncos (CO) High School to the state tou rnament in basketball, Luther twice shattered backboards with thunderous dunks. Ute Student: Studied exercise and sports science at the University of Utah·. Uniting Dads: Has spent considerable time as spokesman for Michigan's Fatherhood is Forever campaign. Home team: Wife, Rebecca; Children, Kaden, Olivia, Christian, and Isaiah. REWIND > Recruited by Utah to play tight end, but was shifted to defense during fall drills of his freshma n year > Started all 17 games (16 reg ula r season, one playoff) for the Lions as a rookie in 1995 > Began the 2000 season with 310 career tackles (185 solo, 135 assisted) THE GOOD STUFF > 1994 Consensus All-American at Utah as a senior> 1998, 1999 Voted by team mates to receive the Mi ke Utley Spirit Award > 1998, 1999 Selected to the AllMadden team > 1999 Chosen for his first Pro Bowl 2 0
SPO RTS SP ECT RUM • NOV EMB ER·DECEMBER 2000
says Elliss. " It was scary!" Elliss' broken orbital bone required surgery. And even with surgery, doctors offered no guarantees that hi s vision would return to normal. The once-promising NFL career of Luther Ell iss was now a large question mark. Elliss had facial surgery within two weeks of the accident. The surgery went smoothly, but the quality of the vision he would retain was still in question. Luther's answer to that question was just weeks away, as Lions training camp was set to open within the month. Fortunately for Elliss the opening of the Lions' 1999 training camp had a circus-type feel. Amidst the uproar of the Website-announced retirement of perennial Pro Bowl nmning back Barry Sanders, Elliss' offseason travails were a nonstory. There were no reporters hounding him for dai ly updates on his visual condition. Instead, Elliss was able to roll into camp with little media attention and go about the busi ness of testing his eyesight. The results weren't good. The powerful defensive tackle, who had domi nated opponents and been named to his first All-Madden Team in 1998, was now a young man battling double vision. "When I got into my game stance and I'd look up, I'd see two, sometimes three guys," says Luther. "I'd just hit the middle guy, or the guy closest to me. It was frustrati ng." Fort unately for the Lions, Elliss' frustration didn 't last long. As Detroit closed out their preseason, Luther had regained most of hi s no rmal vision. " I was at th e point where I just wanted to play. I didn' t care if I saw a little double! could handl e it ," say s th e
Universit y of Utah product. The Lions opened their 1999 season on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. Although sti ll struggling with some double vision, Elliss started the opener and anchored the Lions' form idable defensive line. He registered two solo tackles and one quarterback sack. It wa a solid, although unspectacular performance-unless you consider that big No. 94 competed against two of everything. As the season progressed, Elli ss' double vision diminished. His production from the middle of Detroit's strong defensive line was as solid as at any point during his 5-year NFL career. And he reclaimed his spot among the league's top interior linemen. Any questions about his football future were answered by his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance-a start for the NFC. "I was surprised to be named to the Pro Bowl," says the grateful defensive tackle. " I thou ght I pl ayed decently, but I didn' t feel it was my best year. I was very honored and just praising God! He works in so many mysteri ous ways. Sometimes when we ' re not ex pect in g it, He bri ngs wonderful th ings into our lives." While football accolades are nice, Elliss knows that God' s "wonderful things" consist of far more than gridiron glory. They consist of faith, family, and friends. And ironically enough, the most important of the three- his fai th- was radicall y changed and challenged by his athletic success. "God was in the bac kgro und throughout my high school career, my collegiate career, and even my first year in the NFL," ex plai ns Elli ss . "God's always been a very important part of my life. When I was in trouble, or struggling with something, or when I was afraid, I would call upon God. When things were goi ng well, I didn't need Him." And athleticall y speaking, th ings wen t ver y well for Elli ss durin g those years. At Mancos (Colorado) Hi gh Sc hool, Elli ss earn ed AllLeague, All-Region, and All-State honors. At the Uni versity of Utah, he earned the Utes' Newcomer of the Year award following his freshman season, was selected All-WAC (Western Athletic Conference] fi rst team after both hi s sophomore and junior seasons, and was then named All-WAC first team and consensus
S UR F AND TUR F
l
All-American after his senior year. Then, in the 1995 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected Luther with the 20th pick in the first round. Luther Ellis was now a multi-million-dollar professional football player. "Every goal I had set for myself, I reached," says Elliss. "When I hit the goal, I wasn' t fi lled. It was like ' Wow, I worked that hard to reach this point and I'm still missing something.' I was ex pecting some ki nd of hallelujah or celebration." Deep inside, Luther knew what he was missing. He knew that God was calling. Problem was, he wasn't ready to answer the call. "I was enjoying giving in to worldly things," he admits, telling God, ' I know I need You, but I on ly need you every once in a while. I don' t need You all the time. I enjoy being part of this world. I'm not ready yet. ' " That changed in 1996. Having grown up in a Christian home, and having gone to church regul arl y for most of hi s life, Elli ss could talk a good religious game. He could tell others what to do regarding their walk with God . He knew the right answers for the right situations. Or so he thought. That's when Luther's wife Rebecca, the Lions' chapel leader Dave Wilson, and a few close friends decided to call Ell iss out of his game. "They said, ' You' re putting on this great facade, talking abou t Christ, telling people what to do and how to come to know Him, but you're not living it,' " explains Elliss. "Dave Wilson challenged me, 'Are you goi ng to be a disciple of His, or are you going to be part of this world? You've got to qu it straddling the fence!' " Wilson's challenge hit Elliss li ke a pancake block. For Luther Elliss not to give everything he's got is difficult. He's nothing if not passionate. It takes an all-out effort for him not to give a cause, an activity, or a belief his all. His motor is not only running-it's revved up! And Luther's response to the challenge placed before him? He jumped off the fence, and he's been sprinting toward Jesus Christ ever since. "The hunge r I have no w is fo r Christ," says Elliss. "I' m hungry to know who He is. I want to know the Bible from Genesis to Revelati on. I want to know the historical side, and SPOR TS SPECT RUM ON TH E WEB: htt p://w ww .s port.org
the background of the Bible. I want to know what the culture was like at that time. I want to know what God has in store for me- l just have this hunger to know. " But then I wa nt to share it ," explains the gentle giant. "I'm at the point where I want to take it all in, and then j ust explode and share it with every person I come in contact with!" Obviously, he hasn' t ex plodedyet, but when it comes to being open about his fai th in th e locker room, Elliss is not an island. He's open to others' questions, he's real about his shortcomings, and he's honest about his own stru ggles to understand all there is to know about God. He doesn' t have all the answers but welcomes teammates to ask questions. Occasional ly he even responds with a humble, "maybe we can find out together." Fellow lineman Kirschke adds, "He has a very strong faith, and he lets th at be known. I think that's very, very good. That helps me with keeping strong in my faith." Second- year lin ebacker Ch ris Claiborne adds, "You can live right and be a great football player. Luther shows that every day. That's leadership." James Jones, the man who lines up next to Elliss on the Lions' defensive line, is anot her Lion who sees hi s teammate's hunger and appreciates it. "He's on fire fo r Christ," Jones says of Elliss. "He's on fire for being a good husband, a good father, and a good person. He's hungry for success on and off the field. "I know what he' s striving for, and what he's trying to achieve as a player and as a person," he cont inues. "When someone like Luther is playing for Chris t, th en you kn ow he's going to give it his best shot. That's what you wan t from everyone, but you don' t get it all the time. But when you have someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ, that's what he's going to give you." Giving an all -out effort is what Luther Elliss is all about. His teammates know it, his close friends know it, his chapel leader knows it, and by his selection to the 1999 Pro Bowl- his NFL peers know it. And perhaps more than anybody, the Detroit Lions know it. And they love it-except when it has anything to do with oceans, waves, and body surfing.
ALAN VERSAW
.6. Going both ways. Luther Ell iss played both sides of the
line-defense and tight end- for the Blue Jays of Mancos High School.
therr As early as his sophomore year at Mancos {Colorado) High School. Luther Elliss showed promise of a bright athletic futu re. Already physically imposing at an age when most athletes are strugg ling to ad d a few pounds of muscle to their bones, Luther had skills that gave him enormous advantages. All-conference and all-state honors fi lled Luther's j unior and senior yea rs . Yet despite the impressive personal accomplishments, championships proved elusive. The Mancos football team fell early in the state playoffs during Luther's senior year. More disappointing yet, the basketball team, favored to claim the state title, suffered a stinging defeat in the opening round of the state tou rnamen t after Luther broke his foot in the district finals. Luther's accomplishments, however, caught the eye of college scouts. Recruited heavily by Colorado State, Utah, and several smaller schools, Luther eventually signed a letter of intent to play football for the University of Utah. Although Luther's origi nal desire was to play college hoops, his 6' 5", 230pound frame held greater promise for football. Still, it was an assura nce from basketball coach Rick Majerus that Luther would be welcome to play basketball- as well as football-that clinched his decision to attend the University of Utah. Privately, some of Luther's high school coaches and teachers expressed reservations about the decision. Although Luther had domi nated opponents throughout high school, he did so in the next-to-smallest classifi cation of Colorado high schools. Going from a high school of 120 students to Division I-A college footba ll represented no small challenge. Nevertheless, Luther would prove us wrong over the next 4 years-and ma ke many schools wish they had recruited the promising young athlete from that small school in southwestern Colorado. Surely, we were each guilty of underestimating Luther Elliss' considerable athletic skills. More fundamentally, however, we failed to understand the plans God had in store for this remarka ble young man. -ALAN VERSAIV
Alan Versaw, a high school teacher and freelance writer, had Luther ÂŁ1/iss as a student for 3 years of mathematics at Mancos High School. SPOR TS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2000
21
r---- -- -------------- -------------------------------
I I
L------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------22 SPORTS SP ECTRUM - NO VEMBER-DECEMBER 2000
T O SUBSCR I BE: CALL 1 路 800 路 283 路 8 333
c
-1-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[
l
â&#x20AC;˘_ _ _ _ _ _ _.
LAST YEAR'S KURT WHO? IS THIS YEAR'S KING KURT IN ST. LOUIS, BUT KURT WARNER IS ONE t REIGNING ATHLETE WHO IS NOT ABOUT TO LET THE CROWN GO TO HIS HEAD BY MIKE SANDROLINI ASSISTED BY MIKE OSTROM PHOTOS BY TOM DIPACE
T New look, same results. Sporting a shiny new color combination, the Rams set out to prove that they were the same old Super Bowl champs. In the first five games of the 2000 season, Kurt Warner led the ~ams to a 43-points-per-game sconng average.
â&#x20AC;˘ In one magical season that reads like an Oscar-winning movie script, Kurt Warner went from NFL quarterback wannabe- just 2 years ago he was a thi rd-stringer who played in one game- to league and Super Bowl MVP. "He's a book, he's a movie, this guy," said St. Louis Rams former head coach Dick Vermeil after Warner led the Rams to their dramatic 23- 16 victory in Super Bowl XXXIV by throwing for a record 414 yards. Well, the book's already out. It's Warner's autobiography, accurately titled All Things Possible. The movie? There's nothing in the works-yet- but if you take Rudy, Rocky, and Field of Dreams, and roll them all into one, you' ll get the idea what Kurt Warner: The Movie would be about. Warner insisted after his record-shauering Super Bowl performance th at "I don ' t th ink of it as a Hollywood story. It's just my life." But what a life it's been for Warner this past year! Endorsements. A new multi -million dollar contract. Magazine covers. TV appearances. People wanting his time- for autographs, interviews, speeches, you name it. Li vi ng under America's microscope has "definitely been a di fferent life, although there have been a lot of strange and funny thi ngs," says Warner. "Times I' ll go to the grocery store and just be shopping .. ." he begins, contemplating his very public life, when an example comes to mind. "One lady saw me and waited for me outside the grocery store. She asked if I could give an autograph and I said, 'Sure.' "She kind of looked through her purse, but she couldn't come up with anythi ng for me to sign. So she asked if I would follow her home and sign all the stuff she had in her house." Ah, yes. Grocery stores. Kurt Warner knows his way around supermarket aisles about as well as he knows how to maneuver through opposing defensive formations. After gelling a preseason pink slip from the Green Bay Packers in 1994- Brett Favre was already the man in Titletown-Warner returned to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where he had success quarterbacking Division
1-AA Northern Iowa University. That's when he had his now very famous but then very anonymous job working nights at a local grocery store stockin g shelves for $5.50 an hour. Taking that shift freed him up during the day to work out and work the phone, hoping an NFL club would give him a tryout. But the NFL, as well as the Canadian Football League, indicated that Warner should not quit his night job. So Warner ended up playing three seasons for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League. Some fans might thin k t:ight-un-eight football inside the closed quarters of arenas tailored for basketball and hockey doesn' t compare to the real thing. But it was that quicker-than-NFL action that helped Warner hone the skills that would eventually lead to last yea r's remarkable 4,353-yard, 41-touchdown campaign with the Rams. As a Barnstormer from 1995 through 1997, Warner threw for more than 10,000 yards and 183 TDs. Football wasn't the only area of Warner's life that was beginning to fall into place during that span. Warner says he started to become more grounded in his Christi an faith back then-a fa ith he admits he "never really knew" much about before-by allending a Bible study with some Barnstormer teammates. His gi rlfriend, Brenda, whom Warner first met while country line-dancing in Cedar Falls, helped him grow spirituall y too. "She had been born again for a long
SPORTS SPECTRUM - NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2000
2 3
I
SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS
------------------------------- -------------- -- ---- ---------------- -- -------------------------------- -- ----- ---- --of her parents caused her to doubt her things with my kids that I'd li ke to do. 2::> The Warner Zone I tried to take them to a little kids' normall y strong fai th in God for a KURTIS EUGENE WARNER > 6-2 > 200 > DOB: 6-22-71 Two sports: Lettered in basketball and football at Cedar Ra pids (IA) Regis High School. From downtown: Once won a three-point shooti ng contest with former NBA player Brad Sellers. Autobiography: His story, All Things Possible, was published in August by Harper-Collins/Zondervan Publishing. Home team: Wife, Brenda; Children, Zachary, Jesse, and Kade. REWIND > Went to th e University of Northern Iowa, where he didn't start at quarterback until his senio r year > Played for the Iowa Barnstormers in t he American Football League 1995-1997 > Played for the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe in 1998 THE GOOD STUFF > 1993 Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year> 1998 Set NFL Europe records for passing yards, attempts, completions, and touchdowns> 1999 Most Valuable Player, Super Bowl XXXIV. Set a new record for passing yardage in the Super Bowl with 414 yards > 1999 Named The Sporting News NFL Player of the Year> 1999 Selected to play in the Pro Bowl> 2000 Had his uniform retired by the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League
time," says Warner. "So we would constantl y have talks about my faith and her faith and the differences there. "Warner has not been a Christian very long, maybe about 4 or 5 years," says Walter Enoch, who is affi liated wi th the Kansas City, Missouri-based Fellowship of Christi an Athletes (FCA) and who has led the Rams' Bible study and chapel services since the club moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis in I996. "Brenda had a great deal to do with his coming to Christ." Brenda and Kurt Warner were married in I997 after a 5-year courtship. He adopted Brenda's two children, Zachary and Jessie, from a previous marriage (the Warners have since had another son, Kade), and has helped see Brenda through some tough-and tragic-times of her own. As an infant, Zachary, now I0, suffered brain da mage after landing on his head when he accidentally slipped from the arms of Brenda's first husband. Fortunately, Zachary has made great strides from those bleak days when doctors, who first thought he wouldn' t live, to ld Brenda her son would never walk, talk, or see. Just a year before Brenda and Kurt were married, Brenda's parents, Larry and Jenny Carney, died when a tornado ripped through their Mountain View, Arkansas, home. Ad mittedly, Brenda said the death
time. "That was my lowest point, I would say," she told the St. Louis PostDispatch. 'That's just hard to understand why two people that were such good people were killed instantly." Today, Warner says he can see God's hand in all the good-and the bad- that has brought him to NFL stardom and a happy family life. " It wasn't just being lucky or having all these bad breaks and fi nally getting a good break," he says. " It was about how the Lord used my whole situation .. .. I could really take no responsibility for the position that I had, the platform that He gave me." Warner's platform is NFL football- the nation's No. I spectator team sport. He realizes that his ragsto-ri ches story and his leading the Rams to a Super Bowl crown have won him the adoration of sports fans across the country. But he believes there's a higher purpose to the success he's now enjoying. "It didn' t just happen," says Warner, who also labored for a season with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe. "It wasn't like everything ha always been great. I' ve had some times where I had to struggle through some things, and I think now the Lord used that to keep me humble. I know it's not all roses. If you lose sight of what's more important, you can ve ry easily be where I was 5 years ago and not where I am now. "It's not just stepping on a football field, but it's how it affects people's lives for Jesus. I think that's what helps me stay grounded-that I know I'm here to do the Lord's work. I'm not here to make a lot of money or to get fame. Although there's obviously great bless in gs that the Lord has given me, I' m here to make a difference for Hi m." Although he may not be seeking it, fame and money-plenty of bothfell into Warner' s lap after he and the Rams ascended to the top of the NFL ladder wit h their Super Bow l triumph over the Tennessee Titans last Janu ary. Before las t seaso n, Warner could walk into a restaurant aro und the St. Louis area with his fami ly and not be noticed. Not anymore. "That's a difficult part," he admits, "that I can't go out and do those
pizza parlor a few weeks back, and it was just constant people coming up to me and wanting au tographs. Part of this whole thi ng is trying to figure out what we can do [together as a family) and what we can't do. "We've come to the realization that our time is going to be at home. We try to come up with some family rules
A. Mr. & Mrs. MVP. Brenda and Kurt Warner were big hits at the gospel music's Dove Awards in April.
The Greatest Story Kurt Warn er prefers lining up behind the center to standing behind a podium, but the Ra ms' quarterback has nonetheless been maki ng t he ro unds as a guest speaker. The story of how he toiled for years until he fina lly got a shot to be a starter in the NFL-let alone leading the Rams to the Super Bowl-puts him in high deman d. "It's one of the most amazing stories in t he history of pro sports. An d that's not an overstatement," says Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein. So what does Warner emphasize whenever he addresses an audience? "Every speech I give, there's obviously a focus on hard work and determination and the things that go along with being successful," he says. "But I always try to tell them the lord was a huge part of my success, that t here's no way I could have gotten to the point where I'm at now without t he Lord and His grace and His love. "That's my underlyi ng theme in everything I do. I try to let people know where I'm at, an d what put me over the hump or made the biggest difference in my life, and that obviously was Jesus and my fait h in God." -MIKE SANDR OLINI
-- ----- ---- - - -- -------------------------------------------- - ----- -- -- -- --------- -- --- - ---------- -- --- -- --- - ---- -~ 24
SPORTS SPECTRUM - NOVEMBER 路 DECEMBER 2000
TO SUBSCRIBE' CALL 1 路 800路 283 路 8ll3
that work fo r us when we're in public, but we understand that's part of the situat ion and blessings that the Lord has given us. And we've got to look at it in that way." Warner plans to move Brenda and the kids into a more secluded home so he can give them-and himself-an oasis from all the attention. "It's something we think we need to do for our family so we can have quality family time and not have people coming up to our front door and leaving stuff on our porch to sign," he says. "Things like that take away from the whole family atmosphere." Over the summer, Warner signed a one-year tender offer of $358,000the minimum salary for an NFL player with 3 years experi ence-while continuing to negotiate a long-term contract. Eventually, Warner did ink a 7-year ex tension for $46.5 million with an $11 .5 million signing bonus, but his Chi cago-based agent, Mark Bartelstein , insists Warner wou ld have played the 2000 season fo r the minimum had an agreement not been reached, because Warner didn 't want the team's chemist ry and camaraderie to be affected. "He felt he had an obligation to his coaches and teammates," says Bartel stein, who represents several pro athletes. "He wasn' t going to let the contract come in the way of his teammates. I think that's what makes him so special. You often read about athletes who are under contract and don' t report because they' re unhappy, and here's a guy who came in without a contract. He's unique." One of the first things Warner did after signing his new cont ract was donate I0 percent of his earnings to his church, St. Louis Famil y Church, whose pastor Jeff Perry and hi s wife Patty have taken Kurt and Brenda under their wi ng and helped the couple deal with their thrust into the national spotlight. "We've been able to take some trips with them and confide in them, and have them help us out," says Warner. Ac hieving notoriety and wealth can, of course, be a dangerous mix for an athlete. Stories of pros gettin g caught in life's fast lane, or facing financial or legal troubles, appear on the sports pages almost as regularly as box scores. Warner, however, says he has his SPO RTS SPECTRUM ON THE WEB: http://www.sport.o r g
priorities in order. "Although obviously [there have bee n] great blessings that the Lord has given me, J' m here to make a di fference for Him," he says. "As long as I stay focused on that, I don't think I' ll ever allow it to take away my humble attitude toward it." In other words, don't loo k for success to spoil Kurt Warner. "I don' t expect any changes [in him] to take place," says Enoch. "I think Kurt was able to keep his head on straight and keep his priorities in focus last year. He is a very strong fami ly man, and he did all he could do with the demands on him to keep his family and his relationship with the Lord on the top of his priority list." "He's a class act," adds Bartelstein, who's been Warner's agent for about 3 years. "He's so appreciative and thankful for all that's happened to him. He's a real gentleman, and that makes it all that much sweeter. To me, what's been so fun about it is that he hasn't had any of this change him." Warner reali zes that on the field, he and the Rams are under pressure to get to the NFL's promised land again this fa ll or run th e risk o f being labeled a one-hit wonder. Before the season began, many of the "experts"
picked Washington or Tampa Bay to represent the NFC in the 200 I Super Bowl, rather than the Rams. Speaking of those expert selections at the time they were being publicized, Wa rn er disag reed wit h the prognostications. "If you look at our team, we're the same team that won a championship last year, so to think that you can just discount us before we've even stepped on the field is ki nd of crazy." Co nfide nce wit hout arrogance. Fame without pride. Riches without greed. That's the spirit of Kurt Warner. And the spi rit of St. Louis' quarterback represents more than just the spirit of a city, it represents the spiritual depth of a man whose life has become an open book that's worth reading.
.A One last hug. Kurt Warner embraces Dick Vermeil, the man who gave him the one chance he needed. According to Warner's book All Things Possible, when Kurt made the team in 1998 as a third-string 08, Vermeil told him, "There's something special about you. You're going to make a difference next year." More prophetic words from a coach were never spoken. Vermeil retired the week after the Super Bowl.
Mike Sandrolini is a freelance writer who resides in the Chicago suburb of Warrenville, ll/inois.
Throughout last year's Super Bowl run, Kurt Warner and his teammates never let their quest for the Lombardi Trophy interfere with their desire to be fed-both spiritually and physically. Every Wednesday night, Warner opened up his house to the team for Bible study. Led by Jeff Perry, Kurt's pastor at St. Louis Family Church, the study became more and more popular with teammates as t he season progressed. "Guys started getting involved and getti ng excited and getting fed," says tight end Ernie Conwell, a frequent attender. That's getting fed, in a spiritual sense, although reserve tight end Ro land Williams says the Warners always provided their guests with the necessary means to feed their faces too. "Brenda made some delicious desserts," says Williams. "We had a great time ... we had more and more people believing that we could achieve, and we all decided to trust God and trust whatever He had for us to do. And t hat's what we did." Warner also attended the church's Friday night service on a regu la r basis. "It's something that's very important to me," says Warner. "And then just surrounding myself with a lot of Christian brothers from the team and those who go to my church. That's who I hang out with." -MIKE SANDROUNI SPORTS SPECTRUM - NOVEMBER路OECEMBER 2 0 00
2 5
When it comes to spirituality, some might wonder if New York City has a prayer. Wall< the streets of this city of millions and you are overwhelmed with the thought that it's full of people who are rushing headlong toward eternity-and millions of them don't have the hope of eternal life with God. The City That Never Sleeps is full of people who don't seem to care that there's an eternity that never ends- and that what they do with jesus Christ will decide where they spend it. If New York does have a prayer, that prayer might have been offered up a couple of years ago when evangelist Steve Jamison walked around Madison Square Garden and prayed for an opportunity to share the gospel with New Yorkers. Answers to that prayer and a beginning to the answer to New York's need have come in a variety of formsincluding a pastor's vision of basketball evangelism, an NBA player's phone call, and a couple of magazine articles. One of the key people in this mix was Allan Houston, the NBA All-Star and Olympic gold-medal winning shooting guard. Sports Spectrum magazine takes you inside the story of one big effort to reach New York City. PHOTO BY TON HAUCK I AU.SPOAT
â&#x20AC;˘ It was a warm August night in New York City, and All an Houston had a ton of things to do. In just 4 days, he would be leaving to join his teammates on the US Olympic team as they prepared to take on the world in Sydney. Unlike most other NBA players, his summer vacation was just about over. From August 24 on, he would be back into the basketball routine. He also had a million things to do at home. He and his wife Tamara were transferring from one Connecticut home to another, and it was moving day. As any busy husband and father knows, this would definitely not be the ri ght day to be out of the house. But Allan was not home.
BY DAVE BRANON PHOTOS BY BETSY BECKER He was in Midtown Manhattan. At a party. On Saturday night. With loud music. And people dancing. To top it off, Allan Houston was the life of this garden party. A Madi son Square Garden party, that is. The reason the All-Star sharp-shooter was at the center of this event was because of a decision he made about a year after he signed on with the New York Knicks in 1996. He was at the Garden to tell I 2,000 of his closest friends about his best friend, Jesus Christ. This was a party called Jammin' Agai nst The Darkness, and for one night it transformed the most famous arena in sports into a rocking evangelistic tent meeting. To understand why Allan Houston would give up this evening in the waning hours of his vacati on while life at home was in a bit of an ..,. On stage: Evangelist Steve Jamison and friends: Allan Houston, Andrew Lang, Monty Williams, and Grammy-award-winning gospel artist, Hezekiah Walker. T Jammin' up close: Houston's interest kept the concept going. Charlie Ward signs autographs. Street ball, New York-style. Allan's cousin George "Sonny Faith" Hughes performs for the MSG crowd. Knlcks mates get ready for some Jammin' action. Ronnie Grandison, who played for the Knicks in 1994 and 1996, tells what's on his heart.
upheaval, you have to go back a few years and begin to understand what kind of man Houston has become. Wade and Alice Houston knew what they were doi ng when they raised their son. It was vital to them to teach him important life ski lls as he grew up in Louisville, and it's apparent that Allan was a good learner. For one thing, they taught him to be the ri ght kind of person. "My parents taught me to be humble," he says. "They taught me the principles of a godly lifestyle, but I just didn't know they came from the Bible." Those principles, which arc not often highlighted when pro athletes are described, have earned Houston the greatest respect among the people who kn ow hi m. And rew Lang, who was Houston's teammate during the 1999-2000 season in New York, characterizes the Knicks' No. 20 as "the most thoughtful teammate imaginable." Lang gives an example. "He's very personable. He says, 'Hello,' 'Good morning,' 'How's the family?' It's the little things that bring the character out in a person," says Lang. "He's a very well-rounded, Christ-centered person." To New York Kni cks chaplain John Love, Houston's strength of character comes through in his ability to keep his priorities straight. 'The thing that impresses me the most about Allan Houston is that he's al ways been a 'first things first' kind of guy," says Love. "For instance, when it comes time fo r chapel, he' s there." Love says Houston lets the media know that when chapel time rolls around, the tape will have to stop rolling because he's headed for
A JAMMIN' SAMPLER Wearing uniforms from Charlie Ward's apparel company G. First, NBA players past and present helped Allan Houston challenge fans with the gospel. Here's what some said.
Ronnie Grandison Former New York Knick
Standing on the playing floor, Ronnie pointed to the other side of the court and said, "You might remember me as the guy who used to sit over there at the end of t hat bench." He then told about growing up with a single mom in Los Angeles, and about how God changed his life when he got saved. He told how he and Charlie Ward had a chance to help Allan Houston in his spiritual growth. "God used this little guy at the end of the bench," he told the crowd, "and God will use you."
David Wood Former NBA player
"God gave me a hope and a fu ture. Even though life doesn't always turn out like you want it to, there's a God who loves you very much!" "I want you to know about the greatest champion of all time, who had t he greatest comeback of all time. Two thousand years ago Jesus Christ ca me to earth and He died on t he cross. But t hree days later, he rose again! He'll give you a future and a hope!"
Monty Williams Orlando Magic
"I never thought I'd have the opportunity to present God at Madison Square Garden in front of thousands of fans." "My wife led me to the Lord, and I'm in it for t he long haul."
Mark Jackson Toronto Raptors
"What a mighty God we serve! I can't help but praise Him!" Mark shared the story of going out on a date wi th a girl na med Desiree. They were in the car and Mark was thinking about whether he could get a good-night kiss. Instead, she turned to him and asked, "Are you saved? Are you born again?" That evening, she led Mark to faith in Christ. "''ve had over 8,000 assists in the NBA, but the greatest pass I ever made was when I gave it all to Jesus Christ."
Andrew Lang New York Knicks (1 999-2000 season)
Andrew read an announcement that a mother and her daughter had been separated in the Garden and they needed to be reunited. Then he said with com passion, "You don't want to be separated from the one who loves you. You don't want to be separated, either, from a God who loves you."
A Future Liberty stars? Getting a chance to shoot on the home floor of the New
York Liberty, these future stars got an assist from Andrew Lang and Jam-Man.
worship with his teammates. Love told of one time after a playoff game in which Houston put on a stellar, high-scoring performance. NBC sent their rep to cotTa! Allan for a courtside interview with Jim Gray. Politely, Allan begged off, saying that he first had to join his teammates for a prearranged postgame prayer circle at midcourt. To Love, it was another indication that this is a man of his word. Being the right kind of person can get a guy a good reputation and it can make him li keable, but Houston realized as a teenager that it doesn' t go far enough. As good as he was, he needed a change of heart-something that developed in a two-step process starting when he was a teenager. Hav ing grown up in the church, Houston understood the gospel of Jesus Christ. When he was 16, he became a Christian . "I believed that Jesus died and rose again," he recalls. "I knew that he died for us." So he tru sted Chri st, was ba ptized, and joined the church that year. It was the right th ing for Wad e and Ali ce Houston's son to do, and he always did the right thing. Yet that decision was followed by a number of what might be described as "lost yea rs" spi rituall y. Although Houston had put his faith in Christ, he floated along in his relationship wi th God. "I knew God was directing my life," he says, "but I reall y didn ' t develop my relationship with Jesus Christ. My means of communication with God was somewhat void. You real! y have to search for that personal relationship with Jesus. That's a level
I didn't reach until 1997." In the meantime, despite his spiritual drift, Houston was establishi ng himself as a remarkable basketball player. After graduating from Ballard High School in Louisv ille, Ken tucky, Alla n en rolled at the Un ive rsity of Tennessee, where he spent 4 years under the tutelage of a head coach he called, " Dad." Learni ng from his father was nothing new fo r All an , who feels he was give n his abi lity by God and then trained properly by his dad. "Basketball was God's chosen thing for me," he says, not with pride in himself but with trust in his Creator. "My dad was a coach; I grew up with it. I had great guidance from my father." At Tennessee, that guidance continued. As with some of the other great father-son tandems-Tony and Dick Bennett, Saul and Tubby Smith, for example-All an and Wade Houston made a success out of what can be a volatile situation. "It worked out very good," All an says of their 4 years together on the court at Tennessee. "We got to spend a lot of time together. We became very close. It was just a matter of getting to know each other in really intense situations." While a Vol unteer, Houston made his mark na ti onall y-becom ing Tennessee's alltime leading scorer with 2,801 points, smashing a mark set by his future boss, Ernie Grunfeld, former president and GM of the Knicks. In 1993, the Detroit Pistons drafted Hous ton in the first round , right behind his backcourt mate in Detroit, Lindsey Hunter. After an "I' m new
---
,_------------------------------------------A- ~R-A~~ ~ ~~R-~ ~E- ~~:~--------around here" first year in wh ich he averaged 8 points a game, Houston established himself during the 199495 season as a risi ng star, averaging 14 points a contest for the Pistons. During one ga me aga inst the Bulls, Houston proved his shooting prowess by hitting seven three-pointers in one half, tying an NBA record. The next season, he moved his average up to nearly 20 point s a game and wa s clearly on his way to being a main part of the Pistons' future. But then New York came calling. To the dismay of Pistons' fans, the Knicks signed Houston as a free agent on Jul y 14, 1996. NBA followers now realize what a difference this made for Houston and the Knicks as together they' ve become a perennial playoff team. Yet something else happened in New York for the likeable Houston. He was challenged to get off the spiritual treadmill he had been troclding on for years. Waiting for him in New York were three people who challenged him: a relative plus a couple of players who were serious about their faith in Jesus Christ and who knew about the difference it makes in a person's life to have a close relationshi p with Him each clay. The relative was George "Sonny" Hughes, a cousin who was attending college in New York City. Hughes, now a Christi an rap musician who goes by the stage name "Son ny Faith," had an enthusiasm about his
faith that captured Al lan 's attention. The basketball players who helped redirect All an 's life were Charli e Ward and Ronnie Grandison. Ward , of course, is the former college football Hei sman Trophy winner who went undraftecl by the NFL but was selected by th e Knicks in the 1994 NBA draft. And Grandison, a journeyman basketba ll player who has toiled in Italy and for several CBA teams, had a couple of short runs with the New York Knicks. One of those stays at 33 rcl Street an d Eight h Avenue in NYC put him in the lockerroom with Ward and Houston. "It was th rough some fellowship and talki ng to those guys that I reall y realized what God was trying to do wit h me," say s Houston . "That 's when I said, 'I' m ready.' That's when I said to Jesus to take over in my life. Charlie and Ronni e had a huge role in tha t." The year was 1997, and Houston realized it was time to dedicate himself to knowin g God better and serving Him. Since that landmark decision, the continued maturity of Allan Houston as a Christian has been clearly evident to those who know him best. Ward says of one of the main targets of hi s crisp passes: "Yo u ca n see the progress. It 's lik e my bask etba ll skills. I' ve grow n and grow n as a player just as he's grown in his walk with Christ. It's about growing." Both Ward and Lang see the clif-
T Houston, we have no problem. Allan Houston and his star-spangled buddies captured gold at the Sydney Olympics.
路路~.
.a. The Instigators. Steve Jamison, Tom Mahairas, and Ronnie Grandison share a moment on the mike.
HOPE AND A PRAYER If anybody could be a spokesperson fo r "I " NY" bumper stickers, Tom Mahairas could be the man. He loves New York, and he has dedicated his life to reaching Manhattan with the gospel through his church, Manh attan Bible Church, and his ministry, CityVision. A couple of years ago, he saw an art icle in Sports Spectrum that gave him an idea. He read about the 1998 Washington DC "Jammin' Against the Darkness." At the time, CityVision was just getting started with an idea called Hoop Heaven, a basketball outreach camp north of the city. Th e idea of basketball evangelism appealed to Mahairas. When he ca lled the offices of SS and asked about "Jam mi n'," he was given the number of Steve Jamison, who along with David Wood, is cofounder of the event. When Mahairas ca lled, Jami son, who lives in Seattle, was not in, Tom left him a message, telling him of his burden to reach New York with an event li ke "Jam min'." To Tom's surprise, when he got a call back, Steve told him that he had just been in New York. In fact. he had walked around Madison Square Garden, and he had prayed for the city: "If you want me to come here, show me." Fast forward to February 2000. Allan Houston and David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs are at the All-Star Game. David tells Allan about the two "Jammin' " events that had been held in Sa n Antonio. Excited about the prospects, Houston gave Jamison a ca ll and suggested that he bring the event to New York. Sudden ly, things began to pick up speed. Jamison called Mahairas, who already had a meeting planned in 2 days for 20 key New York pastors to discuss Hoop Heaven. Jamison hopped on a plane to New York and addressed that group, yet he cautioned Mahairas that planning this kind of event takes at least a year. Mahairas, in his typical enthusiasm, said, "Can we do it now?" In just 5 month s, Mahairas, Jamison, and Houston teamed up to secure Madison Square Garden, enlist hundreds of volunteers, get com mitments from several other NBA players, sign up the popular group the Newsboys, and take care of the thousands of details this event required. As a result. 12,000 New Yorkers heard a message of hope. And it all began with a prayer for the city. 1M
- DAVE BRANON
Ference in Hou ston 's life. Ward no ti ced it espec iall y last season when Ho uston strug gled with a clown-time at the free-throw line. "He went through a stretch when he couldn' t knock clown big free throws at the end of games," recal ls Ward. "Whether it was to put us up or tie SPORTS SPECTRUM - NOVEMBER路 DEC EMBER 200 0
2 9
A PR AYER FOR TH E CIT Y
Jammin ' on the streets. Part of the ali-
.t.
day Jammin' Against the Darkness hoops extravaganza was a three-on-three basketball tournament held on the streets of lower Manhattan.
the game, he was going through this process, and it didn 't look good. But he always remained peacefu l. He didn't show that it was gelling to him . That was a big step, something th at I saw in him in his wal k with Christ. I j ust prayed for him, and he was a champ through it all." Lang, who at 6- I I is a huge man with a mall ego and a calm, friendly, ge nuin e way about him , received encouragemen t from Houston at the end of the I999-2000 season. The I2year veteran big man, who is leani ng toward retirement, got home after the Knicks were eliminated from the playoffs and rece ived an e-m ail from Houston. " It had the Sc ripture, Romans I0:9. Because Allan is such a spiritual, th ought ful pe rson, th at Scripture spoke to me: 'If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you are saved.' That lillie e-mail clicl a lot for me that particular day because I was looking at not coming back to the Kn icks, looking at not playing basketball. It was so
nice to get that e-mail because I fe lt con nected to him . I' m a fan of hi s faith." All an Houston's faith was what took him to the cit y on that August clay when he could ill afford to be away from home. He was there to help offer hope to a city that some think is unredeemab le. He was there as an answer to a prayer offered up for New York some two years earlier- a Madison Square Garden prayer from evangelist Steve Jami son (see sideba r). He was there for Jam min ' Against the Darkness. Houston was joined at the Garden by fellow NBA players Ward, Lang, Gra ndi son, Mont y William s of the Orlando Magic, Mark Jackson of the Toronto Raptors, and David Wood, wh o cu rrentl y plays pro ball in Spain- plus Canadia n Ol ympian Dav id Daniels. They were there to draw a crowd and to tell their stories of what Jesus Christ had clone in their lives (see sidebar). And whi le the night was shared by all those players, by the music group Newsboys, and by evan-
First Place Calling!
ge li st Jami son, it was clear ly Houston' s night in the spotlight. When it came time for him to speak , Houston told the crowd, "This is the most fun I' ve had at Madison Square Garden. I'm praising the Lord today." And he challenged hi s listeners to make a life-changing decision. "We' re putting press ure on yo u toni ght ," he said. " We're here to encourage you to make a decision to trust Jesus Christ." When Jammin ' Again st the Darkn ess was all over and Jamison invited the people to do just that, hundreds of them streamed to the front of the stage. Just as Houston had done when he was 16, they were there to put their faith in Jesus Christ. They were heeding the call of their star guard who had reminded them earlier, "When you accept Jesus, you've won the championshi p." Allan Houston had good reason to be at the Garden as the curtain came down on his vacation. He was helping bring an answer to a prayer for the city.
Wh en you use Lifeline, you are supporting First Place Calling . Join our team and support Motor Racing Outreach by purchasing a Limited Edition prepaid phone card featuring Bill Elliott, Chocolate Meyers, the Interstate Batterie s
the Formula One Boat . You r f avo ri te ca rd is FREE wh en you c h oose Li feline l ong distance with rates as low as 4.9 cents a minute. Help Motor Racing Outreach minister to racing fans, th e drivers an d th eir fam ilies when yo u p urc hase a Coll ectibl e Prepaid Card or sign up for long distance. Now that's a calling that takes First Place.
Connecting People. Changing Lives.
Straight Talk Bij
~awrence
Funderburke with Rob Bentz
-- --------- ------------------ -----------------------
l.invAeDc-e h_adedt.MJ_d-
Forward, Sacramento Kings • Has a .521 career shooting percentage after t hree NBA seasons • 1996-97 MVP of t he French Professional League (22 ppg) n my NBA rookie year of 1997, I was playing pretty well. I was among the league leaders for rookies in many of the top categories. But I was also hanging out, partying, and doing things I shouldn't have been doing. It wasn't until a road game, late in my rookie season, against the Chicago Bulls, that I realized that something needed to change. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, I always went to church. I had even accepted Jesus Christ into my life when I was 11 or 12. But as I got closer t o college, I pretty much walked away from the Lord. This lifestyle continued while I played professional basketball overseas for 3 seasons before returning · to the US to play in the NBA. It wasn't until that night in Chicago that I realized God was calling me back to Himself. It started while I was playing. I had played basketball all of my life, and that night I felt as if I didn't even know how to play the game. I just didn't have any peace while I was on the floor. I believe that it was God speaking to me, saying, "You need to get right with Me, because if you continue this way you'll never have any peace." When I got on the plane to fly home, I told my teammates that my time of partying and hanging out was over. When I finally got home, it was just me and the Lord. I cried all night. I just laid everything on the line before Him in total humility. I knew that He was reaching out to
me and I had to either accept it or reject it. Humbly, I accepted God's hand of mercy. Is God reaching out to you? Are you going to accept His hand of mercy? If you would like to receive God's mercy, humble yourself and talk with Him using the words of the following prayer as an example: Heavenly Father, I'm sorry for all the things I've done that have been disobedient to You. I ask for Your forgiveness. I humbly ask the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross as my sacrifice, to forgive me and come into my life, to change me, and to make me a new creature. I open up my heart- my l!feand give everything to You unconditionally. Amen. If you trusted Christ as your Savior, I believe the Lord will open up the doors and see that you come into His kingdom for eternity.
Fl-ee B ooldet If you want to read more about the salvation Lawrence is talking about, we suggest the fallowing resource: Why Does It Make Sense To Believe In Christ ? To get a copy, write to Sports Spectrum Booklet, Box 3566, Grand Rapids, MI 49501 . Ask for the booklet by title and this code: 01104.
Like it was a Ready for something intense? The Sports Channel on crosswalk.com has all the scores, the stats, the inside action. But even better, it lets you ...=~====:__ check out the lives of Christian athletes like Mark Brunell, John Smoltz,
~~~~~~~~~a~nd David Robinson. You'll hear testimonies on streaming audio and
Get spiritual insights and advice. And enjoy online contests, read s.~~: devotionals,
-.t~llirlW""_.
..
ToP
¡"'
or just hang out and chat with fans who understand the
SHpower of faith. Add more cool channels on everything from fam ily to finance, and you'll see why crosswalk.com is the ultimate Christian community on the Internet. So log on today. And let the games begin.
Discovery House Publi shers PO Box 3055 . Langhorne, PA 19047-9 155
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
PAID RADIO BIBLE CLASS
FORWARD & ADDRESS CORRECTION
â&#x20AC;˘ Baseball, football, hoops, racing . Sports Spectrum covers it all. To subscribe, call toll free: 1-800-283-8333