October 23, 2007

Rockies Place Their Faith in God, and One Another. : Players on the Colorado Rockies, once described as an organization that adhered to a "Christian-based code of conduct," say that faith is not a requirement for peer approval.

read story | posted by tommytrump to Culture at 11:09 AM CDT (24 comments total)

Interesting article. So long as there's no pressure exerted from the employer for players to embrace a certain religion (or, perhaps more accurately, a certain movement within a religion), I really don't see what they're doing as controversial. Finding players with good character is probably a laudable goal irrespective of any religious motivations, particularly so long as it doesn't have negative effects in terms of on-the-field performance.

Comment icon posted by holden at 11:33 AM CDT on October 23

Curious what will happen after the Mitchell reports comes out. Hopefully no Rockies will be on the list. May be set up article. Always skeptical about setting standards to high and if there a fall, may kill yourself.

Comment icon posted by brickman at 12:14 PM CDT on October 23

Does this mean they don't do Irish jigs in their underwear?

Seriously, it seems to me that the headline writer at the NYT didn't bother to read the story. They're just a group of decent guys who get along and don't rent whores. O'Dowd points out it has little to do with religion. The main reference to religion pointed out they're not much different than other clubs and was brought up mainly to discount a USA Today story that made them sound like uber-Christians.

Comment icon posted by SummersEve at 12:24 PM CDT on October 23

Here's the original article about the Rockies and religion.

I admit that things like this give me the creeps. My experience has not been that religious people are more moral than anyone else. However, if your employer thinks so, I guess you better show off your fancy new religiosity

Comment icon posted by bperk at 12:25 PM CDT on October 23

OK, having a team philosophy based on players with good character is laudable. I just hope that, like Brickman stated, they don't put themselves in a glass house. When it seems that the team has made a noble announcement of adhering to Christian standards in terms of decision making, I hope that they don't forget that some players need to be treated differently. I mean, a certain former Atlanta pitcher might SAY all the right things in public, but his deeds speak to a different calling. Notice that there aren't any wildfires in Colorado currently.

Anyway, on to the World series, where it will be the saintly Rockies of Colorado versus the heathenly Red Sox of Boston. Manny will be summoning the Dark Lord of San Diego to aid in his unholy smiting. Just you wait and see.

Comment icon posted by THX-1138 at 12:34 PM CDT on October 23

Religion doesn't help you hit a 98 mph fastball! Excuse the expression, My God, they play on a field named after a can of beer. Let's play some baseball!

Comment icon posted by americanleague at 12:46 PM CDT on October 23

My God, they play on a field named after a can of beer.

Not necessarily a can, not to mention the funding for the stadium from the Coors family. Did you really think the stadium was named after a can of beer? Even if it was, would that make them bad people?Of bad charachter, even?

Comment icon posted by hawkguy at 1:30 PM CDT on October 23

In addition to the above, what does this say about the Cardinals, or God forbid, the Milwaukee...gasp...Brewers?

Comment icon posted by hawkguy at 1:34 PM CDT on October 23

Not necessarily a can, not to mention the funding for the stadium from the Coors family. Did you really think the stadium was named after a can of beer?

The Coors Brewing Company bought the naming rights, not the family.

Comment icon posted by bperk at 1:41 PM CDT on October 23

Excuse the expression, My God, they play on a field named after a can of beer.

Okay, that really cracked me up. I vote no gettin' all holy if your ballpark is named after beer, unless your religion says, "Beer is good."

(it's horrible crappy beer too)

Comment icon posted by lil_brown_bat at 1:58 PM CDT on October 23

My religion does say "beer is good." In fact, it's a sacrament, along with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and naps.

Comment icon posted by kirkaracha at 2:18 PM CDT on October 23

...Must... Not... Be... Intrigued by ideas.... and.... Subscribe to.... Newsletter...

Weak article. Christian fellowship blah, blah, blah. Religion and sports, blah, blah, blah.

At times like these I am always reminded of Major League:

"Are you saying Jesus Christ couldn't hit a curve ball?"

Comment icon posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 2:22 PM CDT on October 23

The Coors Brewing Company bought the naming rights, not the family.

Not to be nitpicky, but didn't Adolph Coors found the Coors Brewing Company? I think Pete Coors is still President and CEO. I'd metasearch it but I'm at work and my IT department evidently does not like me researching beer names.

Comment icon posted by hawkguy at 2:26 PM CDT on October 23

This year's Rockies have been a real class act. Whether this is because of religion or not does not especially matter to me. Their actions kind of speak for themselves.

Comment icon posted by Joey Michaels at 2:44 PM CDT on October 23

But they still have the name of a crappy beer on their ballpark, Joey. Not a classy beer, a crappy beer.

Comment icon posted by lil_brown_bat at 2:56 PM CDT on October 23

Not to be nitpicky, but didn't Adolph Coors found the Coors Brewing Company? I think Pete Coors is still President and CEO.

Maybe, but the money for the stadium came from the publicly-traded beer company, so the stadium is named after a crappy beer and not the family by the same name.

Comment icon posted by bperk at 3:03 PM CDT on October 23

lil_brown: But they still have the name of a crappy beer on their ballpark, Joey. Not a classy beer, a crappy beer.

You're right. What was I thinking! Burn them! Burn the slaves of the crappy beer drink producers!

Comment icon posted by Joey Michaels at 3:21 PM CDT on October 23

I mean, a certain former Atlanta pitcher might SAY all the right things in public, but his deeds speak to a different calling. Notice that there aren't any wildfires in Colorado currently.

That is so not his style, though. Nobody's been slashed, gutted, decapitated, eviscerated, dismembered, disembowelled, drawn and quartered, gashed, or manually torn to bits. I just don't see it. Sorry.

Comment icon posted by The_Black_Hand at 5:19 PM CDT on October 23

I am going to puke......

......and predict that Boston wins in 3 games, because the Rockies decide that god don't want them to win and quit. Drunken Boston player subsequently do their horrible dances all over beer field.

Comment icon posted by Cave_Man at 5:27 PM CDT on October 23

I am going to puke......

......and predict that Boston wins in 3 games

I'll do worse than puke if that happens. Given that it's a best of 7 series, if Boston wins in 3, I expect I'll be dead. Or maybe outta here for a real early ski season.

Comment icon posted by lil_brown_bat at 5:57 PM CDT on October 23

"I think that if they were Catholic or Baptist or didn’t believe in God but were quality players and good people and good teammates, there would be a place for them here"

Reminds me of the line from Blazing Saddles, " . . . but no Irish!". My only thought on this set up is that it didn't work well in Texas when the Rangers had a large Christian contingent. It's a fine feel-good story as long as you're winning, but tougher when things go South.

Comment icon posted by yerfatma at 5:57 PM CDT on October 23

It's a fine feel-good story as long as you're winning, but tougher when things go South.

Yeah, because, y'know...who do you blame?

Comment icon posted by lil_brown_bat at 6:21 PM CDT on October 23

We are a bit more wary of involving religion in public and sporting life down here.

But the Sydney Swans AFL team also have a great way of making sure everyone respects each other and behaves properly on and off the field. They call it the "No Dickheads Policy".

I believe beer drinking is still allowed.

Comment icon posted by owlhouse at 6:47 PM CDT on October 23

I just don't see it. Sorry.

Dude, the fires are a subterfuge. Check the obits and police reports. I bet disemboweled transients start turning up like weeds in spring. And Coors is scab beer.

Comment icon posted by THX-1138 at 7:31 PM CDT on October 23

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