God reigns at sporting events

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The throng of fans cheered, shouted enthusiastic “Amens” and waved their arms above their heads to the tunes of a Christian rock band.

Nearby, children checked out the Bible-themed bobblehead dolls and posed with VeggieTales characters while parents scanned tables filled with Bibles in a family-friendly brand of pregame tailgating.

That scene before a recent Birmingham Steeldogs arenafootball2 game is one of a growing number of “Faith Nights” at sporting events around the country that mix religion and sports, praise and promotion.

“We want you to come to a game and have fun and listen to music,” said Brent High, president of Third Coast Sports, which runs and promotes the events. “But at the same time, we’re going to set the table for you with player testimonials and music. It’s a great night for you to reach out to people who don’t have a church home.”

It’s not a bad way for minor-league teams to coax a few extra fans through the gates, either. Nashville, Tenn.-based Third Coast has planned more than 60 events in 40-plus cities this year, even venturing into the major leagues for the first time. The Atlanta Braves have scheduled three Faith Nights this summer, and the Arizona Diamondbacks have one planned in August.

Mr. High said two NBA teams have expressed interest in similar events for next season.

For churches, it’s an opportunity for outreach. For teams, it’s a chance to reach out to new fans.

“It’ll be no different than any other group out there,” said Derrick Hall, the Diamondbacks’ executive vice president. “They will promote it at a much greater level than most groups can. As a result, we’ll sell more tickets.”

It worked for the Steeldogs, who have two more Faith Nights planned this season. The Friday night game drew 6,156 fans, nearly 1,000 more than the team’s average draw for previous May games, Steeldogs General Manager Scott Myers said.

The Steeldogs had planned to outfit their players in Bible-themed jerseys — with books of the Bible above the jersey number pointing to specific chapters — but nixed that idea when the league threatened a $25,000 fine if they changed uniforms.

Instead, they wore them during pregame warm-ups. The event featured a pregame concert with a testimonial offered by new University of Alabama at Birmingham basketball coach Mike Davis and booths set up outside the arena featuring Bibles and bobblehead dolls of biblical characters such as Moses and Samuel.

“It wasn’t anything very much in anyone’s face or overly evangelical,” Mr. Myers said. “It was an opportunity to do something unique and do something entertaining for our fans. Those who wanted to be involved could be involved as much as they wanted to. Those that did not could have avoided everything.

“The feedback we’ve received has all been positive,” he said.

Count 12-year-old Daniel Morton Jr. among the supporters. The Birmingham youngster raved about the “awesome” concert — before attending his first Steeldogs game with his father and a friend.

Sporting a T-shirt with a picture of the cross above the message “Jesus beat the devil with two sticks,” Daniel wasn’t just enamored with the music or the ballgame.

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