Divided Loyalties

I was one of the fans celebrating on Sunday when the Packers won the big one. But I had to feel for players like Troy Polamalu. He is known for his thick hair commercials and his violent hits but I had heard that he was one of the nicest guys you could meet in that high pressure world of professional football.

Now a Pittsburgh paper has reported that five years ago Troy and his wife converted to Orthodox Christianity. Troy says there is nothing so beautiful to him as the Orthodox liturgy. Troy fasts during Lent and for another six weeks during the winter Lent or what we call Advent. He does not claim that faith makes him a better player. But it does give his life meaning.

This is why it’s hard to be a sports fan-atic. When you get to know a little more about the personal side of the enemy team, your loyalties can be divided. Maybe that’s a good thing.

Peter