THOU SHALT NOT PLAY FOOTBALL ON SUNDAYS...
...BUT STEVE YOUNG DID!
WHEN MONEY TALKS THE SABBATH WALKS!
From The Northwest Herald
Tait takes switch in stride
By NICK HUT
BOURBONNAIS – If a sub-culture of coarse language and raucous locker-room humor are the norm, John Tait stands out as a notable exception.
As a member of the Mormon church, which forbids swearing and other lewd behavior, Tait sometimes shakes his head at various NFL players' antics.
"It doesn't bother me, though," Tait said. "I know the way I was raised doesn't apply to everyone else."
Tait commands respect from his offensive linemates because of his serious yet serene approach to his sport, and because of the cerebral skills he brings to the game.
Teammates say Tait, who jokes about having a big, round head, has a big brain to go with his sizable cranium.
"He goes about his business in a very serious, focused way," center Olin Kreutz said. "Some of the stuff the rest of us do [off the field], he maybe doesn't get involved in because he's more low-key. That serves him well, and his performances speak for themselves."
The first outing of Tait's second season with the Bears certainly spoke volumes, even though he played only a quarter.
In his first game as a left tackle in three years, Tait never allowed the Miami Dolphins' pass-rushers to threaten quarterback Rex Grossman.
Tait, who volunteered during the off-season to move from right to left tackle, was encouraged by the outing.
"It's not like we saw crazy blitzing," Tait said. "They were pretty vanilla [defensive] looks, but it was good work and it felt good to be out there."
As befits his intellectual approach to the game, Tait sat back and analyzed the situation before going to coach Lovie Smith and offering to switch sides.
Tait evaluated the offensive line's performance last season and scoured the free-agent list to see what sort of linemen might be available. He realized the Bears would have a better chance of signing a right tackle, who turned out to be Fred Miller, than a left tackle.
Tait also engaged in a bit of self-analysis. He figured the coaches might ask him to make the move and realized he would be more enthusiastic about it if he initiated it.
"It was almost like a pre-emptive strike," Tait said. "I'd much rather do it on my terms. It's like a psychological trick I played on myself."
Tait knew he could play left tackle, having performed well there in college at Brigham Young and during his first three NFL seasons with Kansas City. The Chiefs moved him to right tackle after signing free agent Willie Roaf in 2002.
Tait originally was not thrilled with the move, but he mostly enjoyed his time in western Missouri before signing with the Bears in March 2004.
A notable exception was in 1999 during negotiations on his rookie contract, which did not culminate until early September.
Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson lit into Tait and his representatives during talks in late August, using a string of profanity that caused Tait to get up and leave.
"That bothered me, when it's a sign of disrespect or someone thinking they can intimidate me," Tait said. "The stuff you hear in the locker room, that doesn't bother me. That's just life."
October 17, 2006
Herald Sun
A CHURCH-going footballer wants Sunday Grand Finals scrapped because of his religion.
Strict Mormon Campbell Walshe is taking legal action against his league, claiming discrimination after missing a premiership play-off last month.
The midfielder and two teammates, ruckman Jeremy Jose and fellow midfielder Stephen Hoare, abstained because their religion forbids sport on Sundays.
"Sunday is the Lord's day," Walshe said. "It is a day devoted to worship, attending church and spending time with family and friends."
Football authorities are monitoring Walshe's bid in what is shaping as a test case.
Walshe complained to the Equal Opportunity Commission earlier this year. He has now taken his grievance to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Riddell District Football League is resisting any changes to the grand final schedule.
RDFL general manager Neill Sharpe said the discrimination allegations would be defended. The league's last three seniors premierships have been held on Sundays.
The Mormons, or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, frown upon sport and other distractions, such as shopping, on Sundays.
Walshe spent time worshipping during his Diggers Rest team's 69-point Grand Final loss to Riddell on September 24.
"I could not even go to the match as a spectator," he said after a preliminary VCAT hearing yesterday. Walshe, 22, Jose, 24, and Hoare, 22, are among their club's top players.
Teammates supported their decision.
"Who knows what would have happened if we were all able to play?" Walshe said.
Walshe played for 20 other games, including two finals, this season.
Senior coach Glenn Hopkins and club president Peter Gulliver are backing the legal action.
"We respect these guys because their faith is so strong," Hopkins said.
"We understand they've got to stick by their beliefs."
Football Victoria is closely watching the case, which will proceed to a full hearing if mediation talks fail.
Chief executive Ken Gannon said although Saturday was most common, Sunday finals were timed to avoid clashes with nearby leagues.
Latter-day Saints spokeswoman Dorothy Petkoff urged sports officials to give Sunday sport the boot.
08Sep07
THE co-president of a Gold Coast Mormon church says he is proud of the Helensvale rugby union players who have refused to play in Sunday's local semifinals because of religious beliefs.
The Gold Coast Bulletin yesterday revealed that up to 13 Helensvale Hogs players -- eight first grade and five from the second grade -- would not play in tomorrow's semi-finals because their religion forbids sport on Sunday.
While all games during the Gold Coast Rugby home-and-away season are played on Saturdays, the minor semi-final clash has traditionally always taken place on a Sunday.
The club tried to have the first and second grade semi-finals moved, but Rugby Gold Coast was unable to do so after spending three days trying to resolve the issue.
Yesterday, the 13 Mormon players, who told the club they would not take the field, received support from the Isle of Capri-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
One of the church's co-presidents, Riki Horomona, said the Sabbath was very significant for people of the Mormon faith.
"What happens is we teach the young people the principles of keeping the Sabbath day sacred and attending church on Sunday," he said.
When asked if he was proud of the players for their defiant stance, Mr Horomona said: "Absolutely. Yes, I absolutely am.
"Because we are a Christian church we believe in the Ten Commandments and the observance of the Sabbath day."
Despite the unavailable players, the club will still meet Palm Beach-Currumbin and is set to rely on its under-19s Colts side to make up the numbers.
It will be a big weekend for the club's youth brigade as they will play in their own Colts semi-final today before backing up for tomorrow's senior matches.
Colts skipper Hayden Draper said the players would be ready to stand up for the club.
"We have to focus on our game first but the boys are stoked and we just want to do it for the Hogs," he said.
"It is pretty upsetting though in a way when religion interferes with rugby, but hopefully we can do it for the first graders and second graders."
There are some Mormons who do play sport on Sunday, including Gold Coast-based Brisbane Broncos prop Ben Hannant.
Mr Horomona said playing sport on a Sunday was an individual choice.
"There is definitely a difference between a career and playing sport as a hobby," he said.
"But we basically teach them the same and they all have the choice whether they want to play or not. Everyone makes their own decision on that."
For Hannant it was a tough decision when he made the call to play.
"I never played any sport on Sunday until I had a good talk to Mum and Dad and people at the church about how I wanted to play rugby league seriously," said Hannant recently.
"That's when we made the decision that it was going to be my job and my livelihood, so you have to do that, play on Sundays.
"Through rugby league I can be a good example for the kids and do the right things.
"Part of the package is I have to play on Sunday. I'd prefer not to if I didn't have to, but I've got to support my family."
Hannant is not the only player who has struggled to balance his playing career and his religious beliefs.
It was reported earlier this year that Melbourne Storm young gun Israel Folau and Parramatta fullback Krisnan Inu -- who are good mates and both Mormons -- are considering leaving the NRL to complete a two-year overseas religious mission.
Rugby Gold Coast CEO Tim Rowlands yesterday said it was likely this year would be the last that semi-finals were scheduled on a Sunday.
"As a total supporter of the Super 14 finals format -- which is first versus fourth and second versus third with the winners going straight to the grand final -- I will be moving that we adopt this format going forward," he said.
"This would also mean Rugby Gold Coast will not be playing any senior finals football on a Sunday again."
Mr Rowlands said the decision by Rugby Gold Coast was not made lightly.
"Rugby Gold Coast is totally sympathetic to the Helensvale players' plight, which is why our staff spent three days this week trying to resolve the issue to give those players the opportunity to play in the finals," he said.
He reiterated it would have been too difficult to make the switch.
"This Saturday Rugby Gold Coast also has eight other semi-finals being played on the Coast," he said.
"The fact is we don't have enough officials."
- The Weekend Bulletin
Ghosts in the coach Reid story
Posted by dpulliam
November 13, 2007
Getreligion.com
The troubles in the family of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid is a difficult story for reporters to cover. In many ways, one would wish for the story to just go away. Coach Reid’s family life is in public disarray. A judge has publicly castigated him about his abilities as a parent and his two oldest sons are in prison because of their long-standing drug addictions.
A headline from The New York Times is particularly appropriate: “There Are No Easy Answers for Reid and His Family.”
Much of this story appropriately has to do with drug addiction and whether it should be considered a disease. But there is another aspect of this highly personal story that has not received much attention, particularly by the Times. The Philadelphia Inquirer, perhaps because it is closer to the story than anyone else, touched on it on Sunday:
The boys were expected to become Eagle Scouts — and Garrett and Britt did so, Tammy Reid said. Piano lessons were required through age 18. Other rules were bent to accommodate the crazy hours of a coach. If her husband “got home at 9 o’clock, you’ll bet the kids are up to see him,” she said.
And when that wasn’t enough, she let him know. “We’ve got our roles down pat,” she said in that earlier interview. “I’m the one who tells him when he really needs to be home. There’s just times you can read the kids’ coverage - that’s what I call it. You just know one of your kids needs their dad. I say, ‘You really need to get to this.’”
As Mormons, the Reids did not allow even alcohol in their home. And Tammy Reid has described her husband’s determined efforts to carve out time with Garrett, Britt, and the three younger children — to be present at their sporting events, to take them to movies, to cut down a tree and sing together on Christmas.
There’s obviously only so much that a reporter can do when reporting on a person’s personal faith. If a public person doesn’t acknowledge that faith publicly, then it is probably out of bounds in stories like this.
But it would be difficult to say that Reid’s Mormon faith is not part of his public character. Check out this story from earlier this year by the sports director at Philadelphia television station NBC 10:
For all of us, there are times when the lines that separate our personal and professional lives are sometimes blurred. This is one of those times for me.
You see, I’ve known Garrett and Britt Reid since they were in their early teens. Their parents, Andy and Tammy, were classmates at BYU in the early ’80s and Andy and I were college teammates. More importantly, we share a common faith, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We’re Mormons — which is still a relatively small community here in the East. . . .
Most Mormon young men apply for and serve a two-year church mission following their freshman year of college. Neither Garrett or Britt did that. A church mission in the Mormon faith is almost a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood — almost like being bar mitzvahed if you’re a Jewish boy. . . .
The Reids are very private and, as reported in newspaper accounts, very religious.
It’s moments like this that their faith really matters.
To be perfectly clear, the Mormon angle to the Coach Reid story should not be raised to castigate or criticize Reid or Mormonism. Reporters should treat this highly difficult subject with care and resist any urge to cast stones. But ignoring the Mormon angle of the story gives readers an incomplete picture.
Variations of this situation can happen in any family. Faith will often play an important, if not key, role in a family’s efforts to adjust and cope. To the extent that figures in the family are public and the situation becomes public, the faith aspect should not be tucked away or ignored.