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January 24, 2011

BEARS / PACKERS - THE REFLECTION!

     NOTICE: THIS POST IS STRICTLY FOR MY SENSE OF CLOSURE.  THERE WILL BE NO SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE IN HERE WHATSOEVER!

     There are certain times in your life when reflection is just natural.  Marriage, your first child, the end of the fantasy football season, and the Bears getting knocked out of the playoffs!  It's weird!  Right now I feel like I should be more down than I am.  The Bears just lost a game in which they could have won.  They were 30 yards from going to the Super Bowl.  They played horrible against their rivals in what was the biggest game in the history of Chicago.  But, I think I'm ok with it - almost relieved!
     I can finally wake up and be free to do whatever God wants.  For the last 5 months or so, every day was spent gathering more football information.  But now, I can truly just follow His lead.  That's also weird.  Football has become such a big part of my life, it seems weird to think about what I'll do with my free time now.  It's almost like I've got to rethink what I used to do before football season. 
     Sports has always been my release - that thing that keeps me balanced, keeps me excited, keeps me looking forward to doing the dishes or mowing the lawn.  But, the Bulls, the Cubs - I don't have that same amount of excitement as I did for football and the Bears. 
     It's time for Tony Melton P.F.S.  (Post Football Season).  Who is that?
     

January 22, 2011

BEARS / PACKERS WEEK - LOVIE SMITH!

Simply let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No;" anything beyond this comes from the evil one.  - Matthew 5:37

     On the eve of Bears / Packers, I think it's time for me to take a stand once and for all about my thoughts on Lovie Smith!  I've wavered back and forth and never really put my foot in the sand.  Well, today that stops!  So, here it is.....
I LOVE LOVIE!
     That's right!  I really admire what he has done as a coach.  I love the fact that we have no idea what he does with the players.  He doesn't put it on Twitter or give any inside information to reporters.  His players love him because he deals with them in a respectful way, and they respond by playing hard.  You can see general two-way respect there.  And really, that's half the battle as a head coach. 
     Does he always come up with the greatest game plans or make the right calls during the games? NO!  But, either does anyone else!  Even the incredible Bill Bellicheck has looked very unimmortal in his last two playoff games.
     So, for me I'll take the guy who does everything he can to earn the respect of those 53 guys in the locker room...and that's Lovie Smith. 
      Sure, it would be awesome if he was also as commical as Rex Ryan or as motivating as Mike Tomlin, but if you asked me who I'd rather have as coach for my Chicago Bears, I can't say for sure that I'd take anyone else. 
       Would I extend him?  NO!  I always think that's silly (By the way, why would you guarantee Ozzie another year after all his goofiness?).  Let that play out.  But, am I glad if he's still here in 2020 - Yes!
       Here's the deal.  With Lovie Smith, you know what you're going to get.  He's not going to do anything to embarrass his players or make them feel like he doesn't have their back.  He's not going to do the fiery thing or comedy routine, I think for fear of what it might do to the locker room.  And with Lovie, his Yes is Yes and his No is No.  What you see is what you get. 
       So, I'll say it again, I LOVE LOVIE......but that could change after Sunday.


January 21, 2011

BEARS / PACKERS - THE HISTORY!

You have heard that it was said, "Do not commit adultery."  But I tell you anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  - Matthew 3:28-29

    Think about all of the great players who have played in Bears / Packers over the years.  Just on the Bears side of the ball, there was Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Sid Luckman, Walter Payton.....and BOB CHRISTIAN.  What?  Who the heck is Bob Christian?  Well, he may just be the greatest of all the great players who have ever played in this game.
     See, there were a lot of talented players that made a lot of incredible plays.  There were a good number of Bears and Packers who were inducted to the Hall of Fame.  There were even a large percentage of these players that did amazing things for their community.  There have been a lot of great athletes / people who have donned the Blue and Orange or Green and Yellow - BUT ONLY ONE TOOK A STAND FOR MARRIAGE LIKE BOB CHRISTIAN!  
      He was the guy who said he was waiting to have sex until marriage.  He is the guy who as recently as Wednesday was being made fun of by McNeil and Spiegel on WSCR radio.  Out of the thousands of players who have called themselves Bears or Packers, he is the only one I remember taking this stand.
      Maybe as we see Cutler pass to Knox, or Forte run behind Kreutz, or watch as Urlacher and Briggs converge on a tackle, we'll remember that the things they do on the field pale in comparison to what we do in our true calling.  All of us who are husbands, play in a game that is much more important than any Super Bowl, and we play in it everyday.  It's the game of marriage...and our wives are our Super Bowl trophy.


January 20, 2011

BEARS / PACKERS - MATT FORTE!

"But I tell you that anyone who is angry with is brother will be subject to judgment."  - Matthew 5:22

     Yesterday, I had a two-hour lunch - one of the perks of substitute teaching.  That game me just enough time to go over to Abuelo's house and watch a good portion of the interviews for Bears / Packers.  I saw Jay Cuter (he really does come off as arrogant), Lance Briggs, Lovie Smith and Matt Forte.
     At one point, they asked Forte, "Do you hate the Packers?"  And I loved his answer....kind of.
     He said, "That's more for the fans." 
     Basically, he went on to say that he was preparing to play his best to win the game, but there wasn't any hatred toward this team.  I like that!  He's going to go out and do his best!  He's not going to try and humilitate the Packers.  He's not going to go out to put the Packers down.  He's not going to try and ruin the Packers day.  He's going to do his best!
     Wouldn't life be a lot better if everyone just did their best and didn't worry about revenge?  Wouldn't life be a whole lot better if we didn't even think about "getting even"?  Wouldn't life be better if we didn't use anger for our brother to motivate us? 
      I think Matt Forte had it right.  For football players, anger can't be your motivation.  But, let's aim a little higher.  That's not for the fans either.  C'mon Bear fans, anger isn't the answer.  Let's not get angry with our brothers from the north or anyone else - let's just do our best and try to "win the game" (aka - build the kingdom!)

January 18, 2011

BEARS/PACKERS WEEK - THE FANS!

"Are you giving up cheese until Sunday?" 
That's what my brother asked me last night.  Funny huh?

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.  - Matthew 5:20

    The Bears / Packers rivalry goes back "uh, hundreds of years" according to Charles Tilman.  But, to him as well as most of the players, it's really just another game against a team that is trying to stop you from getting to Dallas.  But, for the fans, it's much bigger than that.  StubHub.com has said that this game will bring in the most money of any sporting ticket - EVER!  Sure, you can go to the game, if you're willing to give up a mortgage payment or two. 
     And it makes sense.  Bears/Packers has been going on forever.  Fans have had a long time to watch each team beat the other up.  And since we live so close, there's a huge possibility that you have friends or family who wear the Green and Gold.  So, what do you get?  A week of trash-talking (if you really want to have some fun, Google "Packer jokes" - you'd have enough to last you way past the Super Bowl), probably a few wagers, and possibly some vandalism - we don't encourage that.
     That's all fun (except the vandalism) and good, but I think the Bear / Packer rivalry is a great reminder for us all.  Anyone can love those who love them.  Anyone can do good to those who do good to them.  Anyone can be nice to someone who agrees with them and believes in the same thing they do - but what do we do with our "enemies"?  This is just a football game - I get it.  But, unless we can treat the "Packer fans" in our life with love and respect, I would say our righteousness doesn't surpass that of the Pharisees. 
     So, let's give up cheese, let's talk some trash, but after the Bears win, let's not rub it in to Packer fans.  

January 17, 2011

BEARS / PACKERS WEEK - JAY CUTLER!

 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden."
- Matthew 5:14

     Jay Cutler had a tough week in the press.  Everyone was getting on him for not being "likable."  They sited past experiences of him not paying attention to coaches or giving the proper respect to legends from the team.  Then, they attacked how friendly he is with Bear fans, and how they haven't "connected" with him as much as they would have liked.  When asked about it, Jay said "I don't care."
     Either do I.   If Jay Cutler plays like he did on Sunday and leads us to the Super Bowl, I could care less if he's always got a smile on his face, if his interviews after the game are warm and fuzzy, if he's the hardest worker or best student of the game.  I don't know Jay Cutler.  I don't care what type of person he is.  I just like it when the Bears win.
      I guess the only problem I have is that Jay doesn't care if he's likable or about what he is protraying to others.  Sure, he has said that what he cares about is the coaches and players in that locker room.  I get that, but does he see the larger picture.  In Chicago, he has the ability to affect millions of people by what he does, how he acts and where he chooses to spend his free time. 
     I know that there are not many athletes who care how they're seen by the outside world, but I just wish they realized the platform they had.  I wish they realized they can be a light to the world....or at least their football world.  I wish they cared about letting their light shine and helping the whole world see that there is something / someone better out there.
     If Jay gets us to the Super Bowl, I'm happy.  But, deep down, I bet if you asked Jay when it's all said and done, if that was enough.  He'd probably say, "No!"  I bet when we all get to the end of our lives, we're gonna wish we'd spend a lot more time being a light.