WACKY WEDNESDAY WISDOM: A Moment Made For Television

    There's a new trend in college basketball and I'm all for it. Being able to see footage of a head coach entering his victorious locker room after a huge win has become one of my favorite things to witness. The scene goes something like this: University of State College wins huge game, sometimes via last minute three point shot. Team members celebrate and make their way to the locker room. Head Coach (heretofore known as HC) remains courtside to conduct brief post game interview. HC tries to hold it together during interview by saying all the right things and thanking all the right people while doing his best to appear calm and in control of his emotions, despite the adrenaline still pumping throughout his entire body.
     After waving goodbye and thanking the fan base one last time, HC then proceeds to the locker room where his hyped up players await. But they grow strangely quiet as HC approaches. A lookout at the door whispers- "Here he comes, everybody be quiet and get ready." An eerie hush pervades the locker room as the door opens and the fearless leader enters. HC enters and for half a second, there is total silence. And then the scene becomes Pearl Harbor minus the bombs.
     HC is now bombarded with bottled water spray, Gatorade, fruit punch, Chocolate flavored Muscle Milk, and whatever other liquids are available for dousing purposes. The celebration reaches 2.5 on the Richter Scale as the exuberant coach in his soggy suit and tie dances with delight while his young stars surround and coronate him.
     I could watch these scenes over and over. They illustrate why human beings play sports to begin with- because sports are designed to be fun. And as a coach myself, I can assure you that being around excited college kids makes those of us who are long in the tooth feel alive and vibrant.
     Television networks love it as well. During March Madness (the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship), cameras follow the winning coach down the hallway as he prepares to enter the locker room. They know what is going to happen and it makes for high ratings.
     Texas Tech dramatically won an exciting Final Four basketball game last Saturday night that put them in the national championship contest. And as usual, the network cameras followed the coach through several hallways and turns for what seemed like five minutes in anticipation of the grand moment when he would enter the locker room to receive his coronation. As the excitement and anticipation built, the announcers continued to remind the viewing audience about the historical significance of this victory for Texas Tech. Surely the celebration would be grander and wilder than ever.
     But as the head coach entered the locker room, there was no jubilation. There was no spewing of liquids or group dances. He simply entered the locker room where his players calmly awaited his arrival. To the obvious disappointment of the network execs, the coach and his players immediately went to their knees and the coach began a team prayer. The cameras quickly flashed away from the locker room and back to the stunned announcers and analysts, who began an awkward conversation about how Texas Tech's excitement was subdued because they had expected to win all along and that their main goal was still ahead of them.
     I love the liquid coronations and dancing. But in this case, I loved the Texas Tech prayer circle even more. It was obvious to me the habit of this team and its coach is to pause to give thanks for their blessings after each game, even after monumental triumphs. The Bible tells us in Luke 17 of a group of ten lepers who cried out to Jesus for healing and received it. They all went to the temple to show the priests that they had been cleansed. But only one returned afterward to thank Jesus, prompting Jesus to pronounce- "Weren't there ten healed? Did only one of these return to give glory to God?"
     I can clearly remember our pregame and post game locker room routine when I played high school football. We prayed the Lord's prayer together before every game. One year we started out on a winning streak and began praying the Lord's Prayer after the game in the locker room as well. After our first loss, our coach entered the locker room and said, "If we're going to pray after a win, we're going to pray after a loss, too." It was a lesson I hope I'll never forget.
     How often do we pray fervently for something and then upon receiving it, forget or neglect to immediately give honor, praise, and glory to our God from whom all blessings flow?
     I'm not irritated at the television network (okay, slightly disappointed) for cutting away from the team prayer after the Texas Tech basketball game. They were expecting something else. But it was very obvious to me that the players in that locker room knew exactly what was going to happen when their coach entered the room. Probably the same thing that happens after every game, win or lose. They hit their knees together and give glory and praise to God. And for me at least, it was a moment made for television- that the network missed out on.