Article September 22, 1997 Issue

Taking a more serious look at things of the Spirit

Warren Bolon

During this past January's professional football playoffs in the United States, there were several encouraging references in sports news coverage to religious faith and its impact on team and individual performances.

In its story on the Jacksonville Jaguars' upset victory over the Denver Broncos, Sports Illustrated (Jan. 13, 1997) included what amounted to a testimony of spiritual healing. On the Friday night before the Sunday game, Jaguars lineman Tony Boselli, "rock of the team," was sick in bed at the team's hotel. "At about 9:30," the story says, "a handful of teammates came into his room, surrounded his bed, knelt and prayed for his recovery. Fourteen hours later, bingo! 'God actually healed me,' said Boselli," who not only played but turned in an outstanding performance.

In his story titled "Jaguars' leap of faith," Boston Globe writer Michael Vega described a postgame interview with Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell and his teammates (Boston Globe, Jan. 9, 1997): "As he stood in front of his locker, surrounded by local and national media who had descended upon Jacksonville to chronicle the Jaguars' amazing ascent to the [conference] [c]hampionship game, one reporter wanted to know what question, beyond football, had yet to be asked of the quarterback.

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