Picking Teams

This season the cricket commentary on ABC radio has an extra feature - Justin Langer. Having retired only a few seasons ago, his insights on the game (and life) are insightful.

Today Ricky Ponting scored another double century. It was reasonably important after some people have been wondering if he still has what it takes to bat at number 3 for Australia - having made 0 and 11 in the previous match.

Justin Langer's comment probably applies to life as much as it does to cricket.

I'd like to think that when you're picking a cricket team, you pick character over cover drives.... There's plenty of talent out there, but you need strong people - strong characters.

Eye Line of Tim Tebow

Channel One showed some American college football today, with the Florida University team and their famous Tim Tebow.


Some players in football use 'eye black' to minimise glare from stadium lights, but it's Tebow's habit to write a bible verse on it (eg here and here). Today's was Ephesians 2:8-10

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

I think this might be catching on. A player from the Cincinnati team had "1 Tim 1:15-16" on his arm. So i looked that up as well:

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" — and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

A Save to Savour

The other day i wrote about players who do extraordinary things. An example is this catch by LA Angels outfielder Torii Hunter. The picture doesn't quite show how far Torii had to jump to catch what would have been a game-changing home run.


There's something about such feats of excellence - those momentary pieces of brilliance that give us a glimpse of magnificence.

Players and Fans

The other day I was writing on a friend's blog about sports fans. I got on a bit of a roll, and finished up with this comment which summed up my point - and kinda also sums up this blog.

If we are to take inspiration from sport, I suggest we aim to be more like the players than the fans. Players eat, sleep and breathe the game. It is a part of their lives every day of the year. Their life is centred around improving their game, such that they can be more effective. Every now and again they come together to do something so great that thousands are attracted to it.

Ricky Ponting, The Ashes & MJ

You probably already know that the 2009 Ashes (cricket's traditional contest between England and Australia) has been won by England. One unfortunate record is that Ricky Ponting becomes the first Australian captain to lose 2 series in England since 'Billy' Murdoch in 1890.


In cricket circles, some say Ponting should resign from the captaincy. Others say he should lead Australia for as long as he wants - being the first Australian captain to win in India in 35 years, and the only captain to win 2 World Cups (2003 and 2007) - both undefeated.

Ponting even mentioned the possibility of playing on for the 2013 Ashes (at the age of 38) in order to get some "good memories" of a series in England. It reminded me of that famous quote by Michael Jordan:

I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot ... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

All-Star Qualities

I tuned in for the start of US Baseball All-Star game, forgetting there'd be at least half an hour of American-style pomp and ceremony before the game actually started. Howevere, i did enjoy the pre-recorded message from President Obama. He described the qualities that determine greatness - for baseballers and for everyone else..

Hard work, Leadership, Passion and Teamwork.

Tomorrow's Game

Yesterday i caught some baseball action between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds. The Phillies took it out 22-1 (the largest defeat in the Reds' history). The result was obvious at 16-1 in the 7th inning, when the commentators made the following observation:

The beauty of the game of baseball is that you play tomorrow. If you're a football team and you get shellacked the way the Reds are tonight - you gotta wait a whole week, you gotta study film the next day, you have to have your coaches getting on you for the next 3 or 4 days. (In baseball) tomorrow you come out here, you take batting practice, you warm up, you play the game just like it never happened. So, hopefully that'll be the case for the Reds, and they'll get their momentum back in the way of a win.

It struck me that this is similar to the forgiveness offered by Jesus. From time to time, we put in a poor performance - but the slate can be wiped clean and with forgiveness we can go on to put in better effort the next time around. I've heard the phrase "A God of second chances".

For the record, the Cincinnati Reds did go on to play the following night, and record a 4-3 win.