Why Football Will Never Be Americas New Civil Religion

Published: Feb. 2, 2017, 6:02 p.m.

This Sunday\u2019s Super Bowl game is a classic good v. evil showdown. (Okay, maybe that\u2019s editorializing. But it is true that the Patriots have won the Super Bowl 7 times since 2001 and the Atlanta Falcons have never even won a title, making the Falcons the inevitable favored underdog.) But beyond the actual teams, the Super Bowl stands atop a waning list of cultural events that bring America together. Last year, about 115 million Americans tuned in to watch the Broncos, the commercials, or Beyonc\xe9. The fact that there\u2019s something for everyone is one of the Super Bowl\u2019s biggest value propositions, says David Prince, the author of In the Arena: The Promise of Sports for Christian Discipleship. \u201cThe commercials during the Super Bowl\u2014it would be impossible for me to have less interest in that. And yet for some people, that\u2019s the main reason they\u2019re tuning in,\u201d said Prince, an Atlanta Falcons fan. \u201cThe halftime show\u2014I\u2019ve never watched a halftime show in my life and I don\u2019t plan to start this year\u2014but for others that\u2019s the main reason they\u2019re watching.\u201d Prince joined joined assistant editor Morgan Lee and editor-in-chief Mark Galli to discuss whether football be the country\u2019s new civil religion, why losing can be important than winning, and why players\u2019 faith isn\u2019t covered better by the media.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices