Faith and football are perhaps more intertwined today than ever before, a fact that seems undeniable in the wake of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s near-death cardiac arrest.
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And as the nation prepares for the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles to face off in Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII, Jason Romano, director of media at Sports Spectrum, an outlet covering the intersection of faith and sports, has some thoughts about the intermingling of Christianity and sport.
“I don’t know if there are more people of faith [in the NFL today], but I know there are more vocal people of faith than ever before,” Romano told CBN’s Faithwire. “I think with the Damar Hamlin incident, with platforms like ours at Sports Spectrum, with players like Brock Purdy coming on the scene … a devout follower of Christ, the two quarterbacks here at the Super Bowl … both sharing that they’re Christians.”
He said Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been more vocal about his faith than in the past, sharing how Mahomes believes God healed him from a terrible ankle injury.
Romano, who is on-site at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, leading up to the big game, said Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is also a believer, among many others in the league. He heralded the openness — and boldness — so many have to share their hope in the Gospel.
Watch Romano explain his take on faith and football:
“It feels like there’s a lot more people willing to speak up and share about their faith,” he said. “We need people out there talking about what brings them hope, and that’s Christ.”
The NFL has been experiencing a revival of sorts recently after Hamlin’s Jan. 2 cardiac arrest during a Monday night football game sparked a nationwide prayer wave. Players have come together from various teams to support Hamlin and appeal to the Lord.
“You saw a league … not just the two teams but a league, come together and say, ‘We need you to pray for Damar — not to just offer your good thoughts or your thoughts and prayers — we need you to pray for this guy,'” Romano said. “You saw a league, which turns into a country and turns into a world of people offering up prayers, and then you saw the prayers work: He got healed.”
The NFL’s faith infusion is especially intriguing in light of Hollywood and other venues moving further from spirituality and more into secular realms. It will be fascinating to see where it goes next.
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