Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow isn’t only the most talked about person in US sports at the moment, he may very well be the most talked about person in the US, period, right now. Granted, a lot of that talk has been about his stellar rookie season in the NFL, but much of it has also centered around his display of Christian convictions or beliefs.
Tebow’s displays of faith have increased his fan base by large numbers but the religious quarterback also has his detractors. What about religion in motorsports, particularly NASCAR?
NASCAR-sanctioned tracks typically have track chaplains, prerace ceremonies alway include invocations and then there’s MRO (Motor Racing Outreach), which provides non-denominational church services to NASCAR participants on race weekends.
NASCAR has its critics, but they’re usually critical of the way races are conducted, other NASCAR rules, or they just simply hold on to the belief that NASCAR and its fans are just a bunch of rednecks. The religious practices surrounding NASCAR racing never seem to be criticized in the same way Tebow is when he discusses or displays his Christianity. Why is that?
Maybe it’s because of the dangerous nature of auto racing. Maybe critics of athletes displaying their religious beliefs aren’t bothered by it in motorsports, since motorsports is somewhat of a death-defying sport, of sorts. Maybe the answer lies in geography. Sure, NASCAR prides itself on its growth in recent decades from a regional spectacle to a national sport, but its base is still in the southeast, i.e. the “Bible Belt.”
Who knows? But it is an interesting question to ponder.
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Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 01/18 at 02:13 PM
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