Sports
Coach who lost his job for praying on field kneels again in first game after years of legal battles
By Ed Komenda — September 1, 2023
BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — After fighting to be rehired for seven years, Joe Kennedy isn’t sure he wants it anymore, and the thought of kneeling in the spotlight again makes him queasy.
Potential new rivalries in Big 12 with BYU becoming league’s 3rd private Christian school
By Stephen Hawkins — August 22, 2023
(AP) — There can be commonality among fans from such schools, even of different denominations, in valuing what religion adds to higher education, said Northern Kentucky professor Joe Cobbs, an expert in sports rivalries.
Makkabi Berlin, founded by Holocaust survivors, to be 1st Jewish team in German Cup
By CiarÁn Fahey — August 11, 2023
BERLIN (AP) — When the annual competition was started under the Nazis in 1935, Jews weren’t allowed to take part.
Morocco’s Benzina becomes the first senior-level Women’s World Cup player to compete in hijab
By The Associated Press — July 31, 2023
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — A FIFA ban on playing in religious head coverings in its sanctioned games for “health and safety reasons” was overturned in 2014 after advocacy from activists, athletes and government and soccer officials.
Loyola’s Sister Jean captured hearts during March Madness. Now she’s written a book.
By Emily McFarlan Miller — February 21, 2023
CHICAGO (RNS) — At 103, Chicago’s beloved Catholic sister, best known simply as ‘Sister Jean,’ has added publishing a memoir to her list of achievements.
Buffalo Bills team chaplain: Prayer that began after Hamlin’s collapse hasn’t stopped
By Scott Barkley — January 12, 2023
Bills chaplain Len Vanden Bos said he has witnessed a unifying desire for prayer among both players and fans since Hamlin fell to the turf in Cincinnati.
William Barber points to NFL players’ humanity in prayer for Damar Hamlin
By Kathryn Post — January 8, 2023
(RNS) — The league is still reeling from Hamlin’s on-field injury on Monday night.
At 50, ‘Immaculate Reception’ still lifts a region’s spirits
By Peter Smith and Jessie Wardarski — December 19, 2022
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Immaculate Reception crystallized the rise of the Steelers — even as their namesake industry was on the decline, as was the Pittsburgh of compact immigrant neighborhoods with multiple ethnic Catholic parishes.
Qatar offers World Cup visitors an introduction to Islam
By Luis Andres Henao — December 19, 2022
(RNS) — Hundreds of thousands of visitors have come to Qatar during the World Cup. For many it's their first visit to a Muslim country.
Sujood, Morocco in the World Cup and what we still don’t know about Muslims
By Dilshad Ali — December 17, 2022
(RNS) — The Morocco football team has exhibited a joyous expression of Muslimness in front of a world audience on a global sporting stage.
Supreme Court backs coach in praying on field after games
By Jessica Gresko — June 27, 2022
WASHINGTON (AP) — The case forced the justices to wrestle with how to balance the religious and free speech rights of teachers and coaches with the rights of students not to feel pressured into participating in religious practices.
NBA’s Biyombo brings Congo to the pope after trip canceled
By Associated Press — June 22, 2022
VATICAN CITY (AP) — 6-foot-9 Biyombo towered over the Argentine pope, even as he stood for photos.
Baseball, like religion, can teach us something about enchantment
By Jacob Lupfer — April 6, 2022
(RNS) — As MLB’s delayed season begins, we're reminded that truth, beauty and enchantment matter.
Yeshiva University basketball team ends unforgettable era
By Luis Andres Henao and Jessie Wardarski — March 10, 2022
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — In the locker room after the game, some players — and even their usually stoic coach — choked back tears.
‘If you build it they will come’ no longer works for baseball — or organized religion
By Bob Smietana — March 4, 2022
(RNS) — Faced with declining audiences and a troubled product, baseball — like organized religion — has turned on itself.
