The National Pastime?

When I was young and growing up, we spent our afternoons playing whiffle ball in my next-door neighbors front yard.  It was the mid to late sixties and I lived about 20 miles east of Los Angeles.  Every day after we finished our homework and jobs around the house, we met outside for the daily game.  And it was always the Dodgers vs. the Giants.  We were those teams.  My best friend Steve was a big Dodger fan, so I naturally went for the hated archrival San Francisco Giants.   My team was loaded.  Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry were my pitchers.  My big hitters?  The Willies, Mays and McCovey.  And a young Bobby Bonds.  Steve’s Dodger team had a couple of pretty good pitchers.  You might recall them.  Sandy Koufax and Big D, Don Drysdale.  Maury Wills played on his team.  So did Ron Fairly and Willie Davis.   Baseball used to be known as our National Pastime.  It was the nations most popular sport.  Nobody really cared about football because baseball was king.  Somewhere along the way everything changed.  Football is now king.  The Super Bowl is huge.  Companies pay millions to advertise because the entire country will be watching.  Not to mention people outside the US.  I’ve thought a lot about this and I want to share a few of my conclusions and see what you think. Baseball has become about individuals while football has remained about team.  Sure football has its stars, but they remain part of a team.  For most of their career.  Think of Brett Favre and what team comes to mind?  The Packers.  Think of Peyton Manning and you think of the Colts.  Marshall Faulk?  Rams.  Jerome Bettis, Steelers.  See how easy this is?  Now try this.  Roger Clemens.  Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros.  Reggie Jackson…Oakland A’s, Yankees, Angels.  A-Rod…Mariners, Texas, Yankees.  Are you seeing a pattern here?  It is hard to be passionate about a team when you do not who the players will be, or if your favorite player will be there tomorrow. It wasn’t always like that.  Cal Ripkin…Orioles.  Willie Mays…Giants.  Johnny Bench…Reds.  There was comfort and familiarity in knowing that Ernie Banks would always be a Chicago Cub.  And that bred loyalty and interest from the fans.  With players moving around so much these days, it is hard to remain committed to “your” team because your team no longer exists.  I am convinced baseball has to address this if they want to reclaim their position as the national pastime.  The NFL understands this.  They have figured out a system where the players can make money and yet pretty much the stars stay in place.  Why can’t baseball do that? The other big issue is time.  You used to be able to watch a baseball game in less than two and a half hours.  Now you have to invest almost an entire night.  Hey baseball, we are too busy for that.  And when your games start at 8:00 at night, can you really expect me to take my kid to a game?  He has school the next day!  Even your championship series is on so late that those on the east coast must go to bed before the games are over.  How does this bring in new fans?  I know you think you are making more money by broadcasting in prime time, but at what long-term expense?  I believe we are now seeing the results of 25 years of Championship Baseball being played at an hour when kids should be in bed resting up for school.  Ratings, interest, and participation in Little Leagues are all down. So that’s it.  I love baseball.  I want to see it grow and flourish, but like most of you, these next two weeks my thoughts will be on football.  That said, I am rooting for the Steelers.  What better story than to see Jerome Bettis end his career with Pittsburgh by winning a Championship.  But I think the Seahawks will win.  Oh, and by the way, my Giant teams usually beat Steve’s Dodgers!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today as a country we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. If you search the blogosphere as I do, you will find many tributes to his work and life. Many of you will be familiar with the famous speech he gave in Washington D.C. It is posted here by Dennis McFadden. Another post comes from Tom Marker. He has published Dr. King's entire "Letter From A Birmingham Jail". Please take a few moments and read them. Rather than try to add to the eloquence of these two messages, let me offer a few personal words. Thank you Dr. King. Your life gave a young white boy from suburbia the chance to meet and fall in love with the love of his life. In the mid 1970's, it was still pretty rare to see a mixed race couple. The family I am now a part of has enriched my life in ways beyond most peoples imagination, and for that I am grateful. While there is still much to do in the area of civil rights, without a doubt, the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has made our world a better place.

Coffee...and change

I was in Ensenada, Mexico last week. Ensenada is about 75 miles south of the US/Mexico border on the Pacific Ocean. It is also where the ministry I work with, Adventures in Life, began serving in 1992. I was there to see how some of our church partners were doing and to make ministry plans for later this year. It has been exciting to me to see how both the city and the Christian community have grown and changed since we started ministry in that area. I remember when we had to drive through a river just to cross to the other side of town. I can remember when what now seems to be close to the center of town was considered the boondocks. I even remember bringing water with us from the US because clean safe water was not available where we were working. And I remember when Mariano started a little cafe on Calle Lopez Mateos serving coffee and espresso. It was the second coffee shop in Ensenada and it was called Cafe Tomas. Now I will be honest with you. The coffee is only good. But the espresso drinks are incredible! The guys there are artists. And not just when business is slow. They take their time to make a really good cup of espresso and make it look good too. Check this out. Have you ever seen a better looking cup of joe? I drank that latte. It was delicious. As it is every time I go in, no matter what day, time, or who is working. They care about quality. Now let me tell you why I always go back to Cafe Tomas when I am in Ensenada. I believe we need anchors in our lives. Unchanging, dependable experiences, traditions, and places. Those anchors give us comfort as we travel and navigate the seas of life. Cafe Tomas is one of my anchors. Jesus is another. Probably my most important one. For no matter how big the squalls, no matter how much change is swirling about, I know He is always there, unchanging and full of love, for me. And that is incredible. Change has become a constant fact of life for both individuals and institutions like the church. One of my friends even has a blog titled Turnaround, sharing a little about how his church deals with change. As someone who works with churches both here and in Mexico, I am confronted with this on a regular basis. And here is what I have learned about dealing with change. We need to go to Cafe Tomas more often. We need to experience our anchors in life on a regular basis. Whether that is Mom and Dad's house on spring break, church on Sunday, or a great latte in your favorite coffee shop, those anchors keep us grounded in a world that is changing faster today than ever before in the history of mankind. Think about that and the next time you are going to be in Ensenada, get in touch with me. I know where we can always get a great cup of coffee.