Brooks certainly named the touchstones on which Lin has become a marketing success. And although they are more true than not, if you dig beneath the last two covers of Sports Illustrated and the headlines of Sportscenter you will see other anomalies abound. One has been getting the work done with the Phoenix Suns for the past eight years.
I remain a student in the school of Steve Nash. Whenever I go to the Warriors vs. Suns game, I find myself focusing my attention on Nash’s game. Consequently, I cheer at odd times. Strike that. I am cheering at times that are at odds with one another-- when the Warriors score and when Nash does, or when he leads his teammates to do so. That’s a whole lot of cheering.
He may not be overtly religious, but I certainly reference him as an example of an athlete who exhibits admirable character traits. I would send my child to study at the school of Steve Nash. They might learn virtue without even knowing it.
To this point, Brooks contends, “Ascent in the sports universe is a straight shot. You set your goal, and you climb toward greatness. But ascent in the religious universe often proceeds by a series of inversions: You have to be willing to lose yourself in order to find yourself; to gain everything you have to be willing to give up everything; the last shall be first; it’s not about you.”

Steve Nash is another chapter in my course "Sports and Spirituality" Time will tell if Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow remain in the curriculum, but it’s safe to say that the future Hall of Famer and anomaly that is Steve Nash is in there to stay.
Photo Credits
Tebow and Lin
Steve Nash
Mr. Canada
No comments:
Post a Comment