Politics
Wednesday February 7, 2007
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
Super Bowl Coach’s Christian Witness Reported by Mainstream Media World-Wide
Bloomberg News Service removed the Christian content from the coach’s response
By Gudrun Schultz
FLORIDA, United States, February 7, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Indianapolis Colts’ coach Tony Dungy, who led his team to a 29-17 win in the Super Bowl XLI Sunday, used the post-game interview to give an impassioned witness to his Christian faith and that of his fellow coach for the opposing Chicago Bears.
Asked about the “social significance” in being African-American at such a moment--the coaches of both teams were black, for the first in Super Bowl history--Dungy responded by saying, “I'll tell you what. I'm proud to be representing African-American coaches, to be the first African-American to win this. It means an awful lot to our country.
“But again, more than anything, I've said it before, Lovie Smith and I, not only the first two African-Americans, but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way. And we're more proud of that.”
Dungy’s comments triggered a media furor over the place of personal Christian witness in the secular world of sports. Los Angeles Times columnist Kevin Modesti wrote, “It was no shock to hear religion come up at that moment; we're used to athletes crediting God for their victories…But Dungy had to know when he told the biggest audience of his life that promoting his Christian identity meant more than achieving a racial milestone, he was poking a hornet's nest.”
Among the international news sources covering Dungy’s comments were the Associated Press, International News Service, (Australia), The Edmonton Sun and the Toronto Star (Canada) The Scotsman, UK. and the UK ChristianToday.
While the Associated Press covered the story without editing Dungy’s quote, Bloomberg News Service removed the Christian content from the coach’s response and presented it as a simple commentary on racial achievement, as World Net Daily coverage of the event pointed out.
Bears’ coach Smith also spoke out about his Christian faith in an interview last week, saying, “"My relationship, first, is with Jesus Christ, and he is the center of my life," said Smith when asked about his faith. "I try to live a Christian life. I would like for players to know my faith based on what they see on a day-to-day basis."
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Legislators Seek Abortion-on-Demand for Every State in Mexico
- Video Catches Planned Parenthood Covering Up Statutory Rape
- Kenyan Cardinal Blasts Government Attempt to Legalise Abortion
- Franciscan University Board Member Backs Obama, School Distances Itself
- Democratic Platform Promises, Republican Platform Rejects More Abortion Overseas
- San Francisco Catholic Charities Ends Relationship with the US' "Gayest Adoption Agency"
- US Government Cuts Off Supplies to Marie Stopes International
- Pope Commends Knights of Columbus for their Pro-Life Work
- The 16th International Week of Prayer and Fasting
- Billy Graham to Turn 90: Public Invited to Send Personal Stories, Birthday Wishes
- Catholic Magazine Calls For Defeat And Removal Of Prime Minister Harper
Most Read this Week
- Extreme Pro-Abortion Feminist Heather Mallick Scheduled to Speak at Catholic St. Mary's University
- Sarah Palin Speaks on Abortion, Contraception, Homosexuality
- Martin Sheen Stars in Ad Opposing Assisted Suicide in Washington State
- Abortion Patient of George Tiller Feared for Life: 'They're Liable to Kill Me'
- Bella Star Eduardo Saves Five Unborn Babies' Lives
- CBC Apologises for "Porn Star" Attack on Palin
- Russia: 64% of Pregnancies End in Abortion
- Catholic Magazine Calls For Defeat And Removal Of Prime Minister Harper
- Eduardo Verastegui Talks about Obama, Saving Babies Outside L.A. Abortion Clinic
- Swedish Man Awarded $24,170 Compensation after Filming Himself Having Sex with 14 Year-Old
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.