Andy Griffith had a hit in the 50’s with a parody trying to explain
football to someone who had never seen the game, after his first impression of
it. “What it was, was football,” was funny, mostly because it was true. A
light hearted look at our new national pastime. And then there are the
Chargers, who may have benefitted from listening to Andy. Finding ways to
snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, they were first and less than a yard for
a touchdown to win the game. No way they could lose-or was there? First down
was a replay of the running paly that they used to lose to the Raiders. Second
down was throwing a pass 5 feet wider than the field. Third was throwing it 10
yards longer than the end zone. They went into OT, then lost quickly, wondering
what had happened. A unique combination of wrong personnel-starting running
back and fullback not on the field, poor play calling-an arm’s length from a
score and you pass, and poor play execution, they displayed, with apologies to
Mr. Griffith, that what they were playing wasn’t football!
My first year of college was at Union College, a JC. No intercollegiate
sports, but a tough intramural program, known for its competitive flag
football. Now we joined as ACE, a group of hippies, freaks, greasers, Viet Nam
vets, and bikers, quite the opposite of the clean cut athletic types we were to
compete against. Add to that we were from a satellite campus, that once was a
Mayfair grocery store, and we were a joke. We went to school where the produce
section used to be, and took English by the check out stands. They even kept
the old in/out electric doors-so much for the ivy halls some went to. But we
were tough, and at the end of the first game we were tied. Our last time in the
huddle, we decided that this one particular jerk was going to get his, so we all
ran at him, and landed on him. Game over-a tie. But we had set a precedent for
the season, as we tied every game. Now we liked to think we were undefeated,
but we also hadn’t won any either. But more importantly, we decided that the
last play of every game we would gang up and tackle one guy who was a particular
irritant to us. And as the season progressed, we learned that you weren’t
allowed to tackle the guy first, then pull his flag, and tearing off a jersey
didn’t count the same as a flag either. And we also proved you don’t have to be
on the field for us to go after you, as we proved more than once. And soon
opponents, and the officials were onto us, leading to our last game-forever.
Win Phillips, the AD was at the game, he had been warned about us, and the best
ref was to officiate. They would show us-and the contest began. He cut us no
slack, and when the game ended, instead of chasing a player, we chased the ref
to his car, where he locked himself in. Blow your whistle now tough guy! The
last person we ever would get to chase. And we had gone undefeated! Just not
sure what legend we left behind, that of the ref or of our perfect, undefeated
season, but years later when I heard someone talking about the ref being chased
to his car, I smiled-I had chased him. What it was, was football. Played our
way.
My first time coaching football was a Pop Warner league, called Young
American Football League, or YAFL for short. We were the Rams and had a 4-4-1
season record, with the –1, the tie, being our biggest victory of the year. It
came against Bloomfield, who had the toughest parents, prettiest cheerleaders,
and coaches who all had whistles and shirts that said “coach” on them. They
ruled with all the compassion of a drill sergeant, and they practiced, warmed
up, and did everything with an emotionless vigor, almost like robots. They
would applaud each other after jumping jacks, and were as good as they were
obnoxious. We considered them ripe for the picking. This year’s success story
was one kid, who was so good, he looked too old, and it was rumored the coach
kept a copy of his birth certificate if the players age was questioned. We were
more like the bad news bears, more bad news than bear. But falling back on an
old high school lesson, we put Jose in the position of Monster on defense. His
job was to go wherever this kid went-follow him into the bathroom if needed.
And Jose did, if not in on the tackle, his was the first face he saw when
getting up. Jose was always there, and even would follow him back to the
huddle. Jose was his shadow, and his coach and the kid didn’t like it. They
loved attention-just not like this. And at half time Jose followed him to the
bench-he was relentless, and the kid became paranoid of Jose. Looking out for
him, and losing his concentration. We had shut him down, and soon the whole
team was energized, with the opposing coach complaining as they went down to
defeat-in a tie. We bragged after that that we didn’t always win, but never
lost. The opposing coach called it unfair, they had never lost, but what it
was, was football.
Scripture tells us that Satan, our enemy is like a roaring lion, seeking to
destroy us. To rob us, confuse us, and in any way intimidate us and rob us of
our joy in the Lord. 2 Corinthians even tells how we are beaten down and
persecuted for Christ. But we win the game of life, even if we lose some
battles in between. Yet some blame Satan rather than praise Jesus, seeing
devils in each trial, never seeing God, and never taking credit for their own
sin. They believe the lie of “the devil made me do it,” when he cannot make you
do what you don’t want to do-it is your choice. Yet through intimidation, can
mess with our minds and draw us away from Jesus. We get sidetracked from Jesus,
like the running back did with Jose, and once you are confused, you start to
find fault with others, starting arguments, and at that point you have lost. It
is someone else’s fault, when it is your decision to make excuses. And like
football, and like the Chargers showed us yesterday, you can have the wrong
personnel-no Jesus. Keeping Him on the bench in your daily life. You can have
the wrong plays, calling your own as needed, based on your judgment not God’s.
And you can have poor execution, giving up, not allowing God to finish the good
work He started in you. When you, not God become the play caller, you are
inviting defeat. And like our undefeated season, in which we never lost, we
never won either. Each game a battle that ended in a tie.
So when scripture tells us we run the race to win, hang in there. Life is
not a sprint, but a marathon, and not just one play, but many that make up a
drive. And we need Jesus until the end, until the final gun, or trumpet in our
case and we are called home. Game over, victory, in Jesus. So life can be like
a football game, and the time is running short. Choose Jesus as your coach
today, and face any and all intimidation. For He also tells us to resist the
devil and he will flee. Much different than blaming him-chase him away in
Jesus! Some contests end in defeat, some in a tie. There is no reason to be
anything but victorious in Jesus. In a game of inches, don’t get it confused by
measuring it in feet. Missing by that much is still a miss-just ask the
Chargers. Fourth and inches is supposed to be different than first and inches.
Let Jesus lead, and you will find that you may not always win, but you will
never lose. What it is isn’t always football, but is always Jesus.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com