Mixing religion with sport: does it matter?

Rodin's The Thinker

In his actions and words, Tim Tebow mixes religion into sport. His “tebowing” — praying on one knee with face resting on first in a pose similar to The Thinker sculpture, has become a sensation. He talks about God in interviews.

Some say Tebow has a right to do what he wants and it’s not interfering with the game; others hold that his public displays of faith are out of place.

Pro-cyclists like Alberto Contador and Christian Vande Velde call God to mind when they make the sign of the cross in the time trial starthouse.

Does it matter if an athlete mixes religion / God into his or her sport by gestures or words? What do you think?

It’s OK

• It adds another dimension to understanding an athlete’s motivation
• It’s not new; plenty of athletes have made their religious beliefs public
• If it’s part of how an athlete prepares for an event, it’s not fair to take it away from him/her

It’s not OK

• Sport should be purely about athlete vs. athlete or team vs. team and what they do on the playing field to win or lose
• It’s just to generate hype for the athlete and does nothing to make the game / race more interesting
• Too much overt action by an athlete and focus on it could polarize fans and media and take the spotlight off the sport itself