On the Super Bowl and setting priorities with an observation on Greg Schiano and a story from the life of Tom Landry

SCRIPTURE 2 Corinthians 12:9 (TM):
My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness.

STORY from an unknown source:
In recent years a head coach divorced his wife of 26 years when he left coaching a college team to become head coach in the National Football League. He said he needed a wife while coaching on the college level for social functions and to show families that he would be looking out for their sons. In pro football, however, she was an unnecessary accouterment and a distraction to winning. He said winning football was his number one priority and his two sons second. How tragic!

In contrast to this, Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas cowboys said, "The thrill of knowing Jesus is the greatest thing that ever happened to me ... I think God has put me in a very special place, and He expects me to use it to His glory in everything I do ... whether coaching football or talking to the press, I'm always a Christian ... Christ is first, family second and football third."

OBSERVATION:
The world, or at least most of it, will be captured this week about the Super Bowl to be played on Sunday. The pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre, etc. game shows have already started. Much like the never ending political ads, these “pre-game shows” will go on forever to the point that many of us will be kind of tired of the game long before it is ever played while others will record them on their DVD so they can watch them again and again.

I will admit that I will watch a number of them – not all of them by a long shot – and I will be duly planted before my TV to watch the “BIG” game. Just hope that it is worth watching. Too many times the hype doesn’t match the reality of the actual matchup. But, nevertheless, there I’ll be like most of the rest of the world.

Tom Landry kept things in proper perspective as does Tim Tebow, Tony Dungy and now, thanks to a Tampa Bay Times article on the new Bucs coach Greg Schiano, “All In His Family,” I have a deeper appreciation for Coach Schiano who places his family and his players and God at the top of his priority list. I’ve witnessed him giving God the glory after a win, but didn’t give it much thought since a number of sports figures point towards heaven at various times during a game, but here is someone, like Tim Tebow, Tom Landry and Tony Dungy, who actually lives it out on a daily basis. I would encourage everyone to read the article. It is good to know that in Coach Schiano we have someone who really cares deeply about his players and his family and his faith.

I cheer for the Bucs (as well as the Dolphins – after all I did grow up in Miami), but the cheers this next season will be a little sweeter now that I am getting to know the new coach better. Thanks Tampa Bay Times for shedding some light on him and an insight into his inner being.

PRAYER:
Help us, Gracious Lord, to keep our priorities start and our lives even straighter as we go about our jobs today and the rest of this week. Amen.