THE CHRISTIAN WORK ETHIC NEWSLETTER
January 2004
As the holiday season closes and the new year begins, the college bowl games bring to mind the sad truth of discrimination which still exists in this great country. A recent congressional hearing on the Bowl Championship Series has certainly highlighted the serious of the problem.
Senator Joseph Biden describes the way BCS determines rankings and ultimately who gets to play in which bowls as "phony". Biden says he no longer has enthusiasm for college football. For him, there was a time when this sport was exciting because he could see a real underdog play a higher ranked team. It seems that such pairings are now not possible because of the BCS mess.
In my book A Worker Need Not Be Ashamed, I address this subject because it is directly concerned with a disregard for Christian work ethics in the sports arena:
"Regardless of their record, some excellent teams are excluded based on their conference affiliation. Tulane achieved an 11-0 season and was ranked in the top ten teams in the nation but was not selected for a championship game because they were not in the 'right conference'.
If a team has the right school name, it can have a 6-5 season and be allowed to compete in a bowl while another school which has an 8-5 season sits at home for the holidays. Such favoritism is absolutely wrong because the school name becomes more important than its performance!
What kind of message does all of this send to young people? Work! Work! Do your best! BUT, there will be NO reward for you because you' didn't go to the "right school". Better luck next time!
This is a dangerous message to send to young people!
Please understand that this sad story goes beyond the world of sports because it illustrates an ugly word that has crept into all areas of American life: mediocrity! In the name of politics, money, and name we are often willing to settle for second or third best!"
Yes, Senator Biden, it ain't as much fun as it used to be! I am afraid the BCS hierarcy has forgotten that football teams consist of young people - people created in the image of God Almighty. God doesn't discriminate against anyone nor should we!
Isn't it interesting that in this case another WRONG has become so enlarged that a congressional committee feels compelled to spend valuable time conducting a hearing on college bowl games ? ?
Very truly yours,
Jim Hogsett, President/Founder; Worker Ministries and Writer for Guideposts Magazine