Some people may not realize that football isn’t over yet. Football is one of those things people watch when it isn’t baseball season.
That said, Green Bay and Pittsburgh, of all places, are in the Super Bowl.
Another thing people may not realize is that former Bishop of Green Bay, H.E. David Zubick, is now Bishop of Pittsburgh.
From a story in the The Compass, the Green Bay diocesan newspaper:
“Bishops’ challengeBishop David Ricken and Bishop Zubik have agreed on a charitable Super Bowl wager. The bishop from the losing team will make a cash donation from his personal funds to Catholic Charities of the winning diocese.
I think the fix was in.
And they are both named David… hmmmm….
There’s something dodgy about this.
Come to think of it, Bp. Ricken was born in Dodge City. Hmmmm….
Coincidence? You decide.
[CUE MUSIC]
When you’ve had a hard day worrying about how ecclesiastical assignments might be the basis for how teams reach the Super Bowl… or perhaps… how future Super Bowl match-ups might be the reason for some ecclesiastical assignments, why not enjoy a piping hot “To Be Deep In History” mug filled to the brim with Mystic Monk Coffee?
That’s right the aroma of freshly brewed Mystic Monk Coffee emanating fromyour big coffee mug, emblazoned with Card. Newman and that famous quote, is sure to lure the unsuspecting into your orbit. Then you can hit them with your theories about how the NFL and Masonic bankers in Zurich paid teams to throw games so that the Super Bowl line-up would have Green Bay and … of all places… Pittsburgh. They will be amazed.
Otherwise, why not check your coffee supply right now and just order some coffee and help those monks in Wyoming? That’s a good enough reason, isn’t it?
Refresh your coffee supply now!
Mystic Monk Coffee!
It’s swell!
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ah yes but Zubic was from Pittsburg before he was at Green Bay. Pennsylvania only loaned him to the Cheese heads for awhile. :)
LOL Even as a Packer fan, I know Zubick brought in the IKCSP and the Traditional Mass to Green Bay, so I would think he is the more trustworthy. But you never know, maybe the Green and Gold rubbed off on him during his time here.
Ah, Father, you don’t know the half of it…When David Ricken was Bishop of Cheyenne (Wyoming), he was instrumental in the founding of Wyoming Catholic College, and in encouraging the coffee-roasting Carmelites to move in.
Coincidence? I think not…
I think this was given the blessing of Bishop Zubick:
Our Father,
Who Art in Pittsburgh
Football be thy game.
The Kingdom come,
6 Super Bowls won,
On earth as it is in Heinz Field.
Give us this day a playoff victory,
And forgive us our penalties,
As we defeat those who play against us.
But lead us into a victory,
And deliver to us Green Bay.
A-Ben.
I think this was given the blessing while the dear Bishop was drinking a piping hot cup of Mystic Monk coffee!!!! :)
You know after Vince Lombardi died he was let into heaven and God showed him his mansion. It was a nice mansion with a GB Packers flag. Vince liked it. Then he noticed a huge mansion covered in Steelers flags, terrible towels, and was painted black and gold. The mailbox had the Steelers’ emblem painted on it. And in the driveway was a large RV all done up for the Steelers. Vince asked God “Not to be ungrateful My Lord, but I have lived a good life. I was inspirational, motivating, a Father of Football. Why is Big Ben’s future house so much larger?” God chucked a bit and replied “Vince, that isn’t Ben’s future house, that is MY house!!! GO STEELERS!!!!”
Ok, enough from me…..GO STEELERS!!!! You know Myron Cope is the announcer up there. :)
I had a trying day today, and this post made me chuckle. It lifted my spirits. Thanks, Father.
GO, PACKERS!
I wonder Fr. Z, and the other WDTPRS intelligentsia, whether you have hear theories that competitive sports are un-Christian, because they promote virtues contrary to the Christian faith. See for example http://www.chastitysf.com/q_sports.htm from a Catholic psychologist who is by no means a bleeding heart who wants to emasculate men. I have been a baseball fan for a long time, but some of his arguments trouble me.
jeffmcl: I skimmed the criticism, and it seems to point out how sports can be corrupted… but whether they must be corrupted, that’s an entirely different matter, isn’t it? (I will say this for it: I’ve heard crazy criticisms that compare the Superbowl to Christians being fed to lions in the colloseum, so at least it’s not out there like that!) Competition isn’t always about pride nor always contrary to love, for starters. I’d say furthermore that sport is mainly a bigger manner of play, not essentially unlike kids trying to be the best climber of a hill. Can it be a temptation to pride that is contray to love? Certainly. Is it always? Certainly not.
I wish I could top MargaretC, but I don’t think I can…
GO STILLERS!!!
I don’t think competitive sports are un-Christian. However I do think that the bizarre over-hyping of professional sports is a disturbing indicator of something awry with society. Who wants to bet on the Leek Greens?
Whatever interest I once had in these things (both Baseball and Football) waned with the proliferation of bogus ‘play-offs’ designed to pad the bottom line of the franchises.
Fill in the missing words: A ____ and his ____ are soon ____.
David H-your Lombardi story and the ‘Steelers’ Our Father’ are hilarious!
‘It’s swell!’-say, Father Z. I heard these words last night while listening to a vintage radio broadcast (1940) called ‘Beat the Band’ on the local NPR station. It was the slogan for-you’ll never guess-KIX cereal! The program’s sponsor was General Mills. It seems that KIX was ‘brand new’ when this program was originally broadcast on NBC Radio. I thought that was pretty cool!
Sports are certainly not inherently anti-Christian. As mentioned above, certain corruptions within them are anti-Christian, but they are not at their core. In fact, sports offer manly valuable lessons regarding the Christian life, including discipline, hard work, and the value of solidarity. As with anything, Satan will take some good and twist it to his own means.
Perhaps my question was a little too heavy for a combox discussion. I see a lot of conclusions but none of the premises which led to them. I found the argument on the web site I listed well thought-out and convincing, and I haven’t yet seen much of a rebuttal. Perhaps it would be more appropriate for a later “Quaeritur” for Fr. Z.
Competitive sports were good enough for St. Paul as an analogy for the Christian life, and I don’t think I’m going to argue with divinely inspired Scripture.
Also, Isaiah 22: 17-18 says God plays football with Shebna, master of the palace:
“Behold the Lord will cause thee to be carried away, as a cock is carried away, and he will lift thee up as a garment… he will toss thee like a ball into a large and spacious country….”
I live in Chicago.
And that’s really all that need be said on the matter.