A "life-changing" moment?

The other day I was driving somewhere and I happened to be listening to a sports station. Generally, I listen to Christian music in the car, but I decided to listen to a segment of sports talk. During a commercial break, this particular station promoted the fact that the listener could also hear this sports station online. What struck me as baffling is the reason that they cited for the listener to keep up with the station online. It wasn’t to remain informed on the state of the local teams. No, they claimed that one should listen to their station, “so you won’t miss a life-changing moment.”

I sat there in stunned disbelief. Did they seriously just claim that their station, or sports as a whole, is “life-changing”? I think this is a good reminder for us as the NFL’s regular season is about to commence: sports are anything but life- changing. Yes, I would certainly grant you that sports can be life-changing for the individuals actually playing the sport, but I’m talking about the spectator here, not the athlete. For the fan, any sport (be it football, baseball, etc.) is just inconsequential entertainment.

Let me be clear so I’m not misunderstood: you are not hearing me say that it is wrong to watch sports. There is nothing morally unsuitable about spending a Sunday afternoon watching your favorite football team play a game. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing how all the teams in the NFL will do this year, not just the Denver Broncos. I’m a fan of the entire league, and I have been since I was a very little boy. I’m simply saying that when you get right down to it, a football game is not a life-changing event. Sports are wonderful. Sports are exciting. Sports are unpredictable and enthralling. But sports are not life-changing.

Kevin