Heart Soul and Might

I’ve been a part of a fantasy football league with the same group of 10 guys in Wisconsin for the past 14 years and count it one of the highlights of my year to get together with them for our annual “draft.” Since I moved to Tennessee eight years ago, most years I take part in the draft via phone, Instant Messenger and email. But this year, I took the plunge and drove the 650 miles to Watertown, Wisconsin on Friday for the draft on Saturday and drove 650 miles back on Sunday. But, oh, was the drive worth it!

If you’re wondering what on earth Fantasy Football is, here is the wikipedia definition:

Fantasy Football is a game played by Football fans where one assembles a team of real life NFL players and then accumulates points based on their statistical performance on the field. Leagues can be arranged where the winner is the team with the most total points at the end of the season or by a head to head format (which mirrors the actual NFL) where teams play against each other each week and at the end of the year the team with the best win-loss records wins the league.

So every year, the ten of us get together - most in person with one or two on Instant Messenger - and draft our players for the league - with no shortage of verbal barbs poking fun at seemingly bad picks. And no shortage of emotion when one’s targeted player gets picked by someone else! It can get pretty lively to say the least.

What makes this league so fun is not just the football. I love football and this is a fun way to stay engaged in what’s going on in the NFL. But this league is full of guys I’ve known for many years - I’ve known Matt Anderson for 25 years, Bill Stranberg for over 20 and Jeff Helstad for over 20… Making this trip, albeit a short one, was priceless just to see the friends I don’t get to see much anymore. All the guys in this league are friends at one level or another and we usually combine golf with the draft - as we did Saturday morning with a best-ball scramble tournament. My dad was able to join us - he anchored our winning team!

Pictured above on Bill’s deck for the official draft, left to right, is: myself (a.k.a. “Otis”), Matt “Greeko” Maletis, Ted “T-Dog” Schiess, Bill “Cletus” Stranberg (in red shirt and white hat), Jeff “D.A.” Helstad, Matt “Rufus” Anderson, Dan Muleski (Bill and Matt’s father-in-law, sitting in for absent Gery Woelfel), Tom “Pickles” Polzin and Mark Maletis. Matt and Mark’s brother Mike was sitting out of camera range. Notice how serious the mood seems. This is serious business! Everyone is prepared with draft lists, “cheatsheets” and fantasy football guides…and I had my laptop for up the minute advice.

Pictured here to the right are the golfers: Matt, Dan, Bill, Mike, Tom, Matt, Ted, Brian and George (my dad). For the record, the winning team is the four on the right. (smile)

Well, I have to admit, I’m pretty pumped about the team I drafted this year - I was fortunate enough to draw great numbers for the draft order. Although I learned a long time ago that good pre-season feelings don’t always translate into good football season results! So, I’ve prayed, asking the Lord to really bless my efforts and look after my team, keeping my top players free from injury and helping me to beat the rest of the guys in my league.

Ok. Of course that’s pretty ridiculous. I don’t think God is as concerned about my team as I am… But, I was thinking… What if God was in my fantasy football league? What would His team look like? I mean… He is omniscient and omnipotent. Being all-knowing and all-powerful, wouldn’t God draft the perfect fantasy football team? The following are some of my thoughts regarding how God would approach this year’s draft if He would have been on Bill’s deck in Watertown, WI this past Saturday…

My first thought was that obviously God would have drafted Brett Favre at quarterback, Ahman Green at running back, Donald Driver at wide receiver and Bubba Franks at tight end. “Why?” you ask? Isn’t it obvious? They’re all starting for the Green Bay Packers, America’s team! Well, that was my first thought. But my immediate second thought was that my beloved Packers aren’t expected to compete for anything more than last place, so I would lean against God drafting any of the Pack in this year’s draft.

So, aside from the ultimate fantasy team being made up of Green Bay Packers, this is who I think God would have drafted this year:

Quarterback

Player rankings are pretty subjective, but are based on past performance, potential, offensive weapons, team strength, etc. Most ranking systems list Peyton Manning (Colts) at #1 with Tom Brady (Patriots), Carson Palmer (Bengals) and Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks) as top tier quarterbacks. (I took Hasselbeck) However, I think God would look beyond the cheatsheets and rankings and look at intangibles like character and personal testimony and take Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals. Kurt has aguably the best wide receiver tandem in the league in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and with the addition of running back Edgerrin James, the Cardinals offense looks to have a great year. With the NFL’s all-time record for passing accuracy (65.7%), two NFL MVP awards and this great cast of offensive talent, I think God would want Kurt and his influence on the field calling the shots. If he stays injury-free, he’s going to put up big numbers.

Running Back

Fantasy players know that this year, there are only three running backs that really matter - and they are almost universally ranked 1-2-3 in this order: Larry Johnson (Chiefs), Shaun Alexander (Seahawks) and LaDainian Tomlinson (Chargers). In our draft, they went in the same order and I was fortunate to get Tomlinson, who I believe is going to have another stellar year. But, I’m almost positive God would draft Shaun Alexander for some of the same reasons as Warner. From a talent and production perspective, Alexander had a breakout year in 2005 as the NFL’s leading rusher with 1,880 yards and setting a single season record for rushing touchdowns with 28. He was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player and won 2 ESPY Awards for Best Record Breaking Performance and Best NFL Player. Shaun is also an outspoken Christian and revealed at July’s ESPY Awards that he remained a virgin until he got married at age 24. Clearly a leader and role model, Shaun would be someone God would want on His team - not just for his unquestionable offensive production, but for His character and ability to lead younger players.

I was hoping God would do something miraculous with Priest Holmes, who until he got injured last year, was unquestionably the top running back in the NFL. I think God appreciates his first name - since Jesus IS our high priest (Hebrews 4:14-15), and those of us who are Christians are all priests (I Peter 2:5,9). But equally as important, Priest Holmes was one of my running backs in another “keeper league” I’m in, and I would think God might choose to miraculously heal Priest’s spinal cord issues resulting from a 2005 concussion. If God, our Great Physician and Healer, chooses not to heal Priest, my keeper league season is in severe jeopardy!

Wide Receiver

At wide receiver, it might actually be easier to confirm who God would certainly stay away from… Both
Terrell Owens and Randy Moss are top-tier wide receivers, but both unquestionably lack depth of character and neither would be a role model in the huddle, locker room or community. However, it’s obvious that historically God has taken men who would seem to be totally UN-qualified and helped them turn their lives around and make a difference in the world. Jonah, the disciple Peter and the apostle Paul certainly come to mind. God is so full of grace that I bet He might even give T.O. a chance. (of course He would!) I’m definitely a walking, breathing example of someone who has been shown a LOT of grace by God considering all of the ways I’ve fallen short and the many mistakes I’ve made. But, thank God that 2 Corinthians 12:9 is real: God’s grace is sufficient for all of us. It should give all of us hope knowing that no matter what we’ve done or how bad we’ve been, we’re never too bad for God’s grace and forgiveness in our lives. Even T.O. and Moss qualify for God’s grace. Not only that, but they are the type of guy that God goes after and pursues. Each of us have the opportunity to respond to God’s grace. Yes, I think God might even draft Owens and Moss, but He’d need good insurance, so He’d also most definitely draft…

Yes, Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers. First, simply put… He’s a Packer. Second, he’s the Packer’s top offensive weapon and why wouldn’t God want the top offensive weapon on America’s Team running deep routes to the endzone on HIS team? It makes perfect sense. Then, you add into the equation that Driver is one of my three keepers in my keeper league, and I really need him to perform this year. I need to see Donald doing the Lambeau Leap following Favre-thrown touchdown bombs on a regular basis and God knows it.

Tight End

There really is only one tight end to consider. And this tight end is often drafted ahead of the most productive receivers because he’s that good. Yes, I believe God indeed would draft Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers. Never mind that he is by far the most productive and most prolific scorer among tight ends in the league, averaging over 1,000 receiving over the last two seasons and amassing 23 touchdowns over the same period of time. He is sure to put up big numbers for God’s team.

But, he’s also a former power forward with the Golden Flashes of Kent State University, my dad’s alma mater. I think God would appreciate that.

I also think God appreciates his last name - because it’s one of the names of Christ. In John 10:9, Jesus says “I AM the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” In Christ’s role as the gate and gatekeeper, we all have a way to find eternal life in Him if we simply place our faith in what He did on the cross for our sins.

Yet another stellar quality of Antonio Gates is his humility - and clearly, God desires humility from all of those on his team! According to wikipedia, when compared to former leading tight end Tony Gonzalez of the Kansas City Chiefs, Gates said:”Tony Gonzalez is still the best tight end in the league; I still have to learn quite a bit.” God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (I Peter 5:5)

Plus, if God drafts Gates, he’s sure to have a great year, which helps me in my keeper league, since Gates is my only solid “keeper” from 2005!

Kicker

I don’t think God would feel the need to even draft a kicker for his fantasy team. Following touchdowns, His offense would probably be perfect in two-point conversions, so they wouldn’t need anyone to kick extra points. And I can’t see God’s team failing to make the endzone on each drive they make it to the red zone, so they wouldn’t need a field goal kicker. As far as kickoffs, just about anyone off God’s bench would be able to kick the ball downfield deep enough for His stellar special teams unit to cover the ball carrier. No need for a kicker!

Conclusion

I understand that God most likely wouldn’t join a fantasy football draft here on earth. This was a fun exercise in satirical humor, so please take it as it was intended. (And because God is perfect, it would probably be hard for him to have any humans on his team and be happy anyway, so He’d most likely choose the angel Gabriel as His quarterback and start his own cellestial league…) But there actually IS a message in this. A message of hope. Life. Forgiveness. Freedom from guilt and shame. One simple act - put your faith in Christ who died a horrific death on a cross, paid the penalty we all deserve because of our sin and was raised from the dead so we could have the hope of eternal life. If anyone has a question on how to actually make this a reality in your life, write a comment and give me your email address or phone number. I’d love to walk through this process with you.