Power Players Radio :: Field Notes

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Without fail, whenever people hear that we are going to the Super Bowl, they ask if we need someone to carry our gear, kiddingly, of course, but with the hope of the remote possibility that if there was an actual opening in our crew roster, they might be the person to join us. I also can tell that most people think that our going to the Super Bowl means that we are going to sit around the pool having umbrella drinks, relaxing and having fun hanging out with the athletes. The reality is that we are literally “running and gunning” as we call it, going from 6am, usually spending a minimum of 12-16 hours a day schlepping 50 pounds of gear around, on and off buses, in and out of buildings, going from press conference to press conference. Usually there is no break for lunch or dinner because all the events are scheduled back to back. “No whiners” is our motto.

But in the midst of the 4000 other media people here, we are usually the only group with non-sports credentials, looking for stories that are based in football (because after all, it IS the Super Bowl!), but are really about life. And the great thing is that when we ask players about their lives, they perk up. There are many players that are passionate about their faith and are willing to talk about it if you only ask. And of course, that is our job, to open the door for that conversation.

Roman Gabriel III, oldest son of the great LA Rams and Phildelphia Eagle QB from the 1970’s, is the host of our show and a strong presence based on his football background and knowledge - he himself playing QB in the pros for a few years. More importantly, Roman has a very strong faith is Jesus, and is not afraid to talk about it or ask the hard questions in the middle of this predominantly football oriented environment.

Our schedule is pretty hectic this whole week preceding the big game. Tuesday is the official Media Day on the field, and everyday there are press conferences with each team where we go and meet with the teams at their hotels - one hour with each team and all their players. We have talked with the obvious players, i.e., those known to talk openly about their faith - Kurt Warner, Troy Palamalau, Heinz Ward, Anquan Boldin. Ironically, we are known as the “God people” and eyes will inevitably roll when we ask the questions straight out. More often than not, we’ll just open the door by asking something like, “Tell us about what is important in your life and how you feel that your example can be a role model for people.” I went up today to talk with Antonio Smith, defensive end for the Cardinals. He was alone in one of the media booths and I asked him about having Kurt Warner as a leader on the field. He told me the obvious, "Good example, good person." Then I asked him about how Kurt’s example impacted his off-the-field life, and he started talking excitedly about the team Bible study and how strong his faith has grown with this team. We had a great conversation and then I asked him what he wanted his legacy to be, how people would think about him after he was gone. “I want to be known as a man of God.” Wil and I looked at each other thinking that it doesn’t get better than that!

Then we met Dominique Dawes. (I know, you’re thinking “What is SHE doing at the Super Bowl?”) Dominique was an Olympic Gymnast who won a bunch of medals in 1992, 1996 and 2000. We started talking about what we were doing and she was very excited that someone would choose to be so bold about their faith. (What choice do we have?!!!) Anyway, had some great conversations with her and then I asked if we could interview her for our show. It was awesome. She talked about how in high level athletics you can easily believe it is all about “you” and God might take a back seat. She really dedicated her life completely to the Lord back in 2002. When we finished, I asked if we could pray with her and we did, praying for her influence in her new job with Yahoo Sports and impacting people with testimony and example. She looked up at me in tears when we were done. We love these moments, watching God inspire and push people to stand strong for him in everything they do. And a new friendship has begun with our new friend. More info on her at her website at www.dominiquedawes.com.

Look for our blurbs on God Tube and more updates as the week progresses - we’re in the mood to write in between our long days. And please pray for our connections here, so we can share with everyone the stories of Christ at work in the lives of everyone we meet!