I’ve been talking with several people recently about the feature that NBC aired about Michael Phelps’s body (called, revealingly, “Michael Phelps: Perfect Body”). We’ve all been slightly disturbed by how mechanistically the human body is presented within the clip. Phrases like “superior genetics” have icky overtones left over from the eugenics movement, and there’s something reductive about the way the graphics chop Phelps into his component parts: torso, legs, feet, etc. On the whole, the video treats Phelps as if he is a robot extremely well designed for the task of swimming. In a way, this video about the “perfect body” actually devalues human bodies by making them seem like machines.

Phelps’s eight gold medals and constant world-record-breaking are amazing, and no doubt some of the credit goes to his physical build—as well as to his training regimen. Along with the rest of America, I’ve celebrated watching Michael Phelps crush his competition, but I think my favorite tidbit I’ve learned about him is that he’s ADHD. Not perfect. He has flaws, and perhaps he wouldn’t be the athlete he is without those flaws.

The idea that there’s a formula to the perfect body type for a particular sport is easily proven false by Jamaican runner Usain Bolt. At 6’5”, he towers above his fellow sprinters, who have the compact, muscular bodies more common in short-distance running. Bolt , according to common sports wisdom, should not be able to excel at sprinting, because tall people don’t have a fast enough turnover between strides. However, it seems, if a tall person’s strides are significantly longer than everyone else’s, he can win with fewer strides. That’s what Bolt did, even if his body isn’t “perfect” for his sport. (He definitely seems to have flaws in form and discipline as well, but that’s outside the scope of this post.)

The exceptions to the standard expectations about athletes’ bodies are always the most interesting to me. When 33-year-old Oksana Chusovitina won her silver medal in women’s vault, I cheered and chalked it up as a victory for all women who have ever been deemed “too old” for something. Here’s a 33-year-old—a 33-year-old who’s given birth, no less—proving her excellence in a field dominated by 16-year-olds (and in China’s case, perhaps some who aren’t yet even 16). Chusovitina’s story also showcases the fragility of the human body, in addition to its resilience: the reason she competed for Germany rather than for her native Ukraine is that she moved to Germany to seek treatment for her son, who was diagnosed with leukemia. (His cancer is now in remission.)

The Olympics may revel in bodily “perfection,” but they also direct our attention, over and over again, to the breakability and transience of our bodies. Liu Xiang, who won the men’s 110m hurdles in Athens, couldn’t even make it to the first hurdle in his race in Beijing, due to an injury. He tried, but was clearly in excruciating pain. Bodies do this sort of thing to us. Hamstrings pull, bones break, joints deteriorate or inflame, tumors metastasize, gums recede. We do wither like the grass. And yet this is the human body in which Jesus became incarnate. This is the human body in which the Holy Spirit dwells.

Though I do resent some of the excesses in how announcers praise athletes’ bodies, the Olympics serve to remind me of the “already and not yet” qualities of our bodies’ redemption. The human body has already been made into a sacred dwelling place by God choosing to take on human form; however, we still live in a fallen world, and our bodies constantly remind us that we will surely die. Even in our fallen condition, though, there are still surprises and hints of the glory that awaits the faithful.

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Really, it is simple. The NCAA basketball tournament satisfies several things which are important to the souls of competitive people everywhere.

1. It satisfies the love of simple competition.

Sports fans are just that- fans of sports. The tournament supplies lots of sports.

2. It satisfies a love for underdog stories.

Nearly every year, a team that was expected to lose early pulls of some impressive victories (for instance, Davidson is this year’s undisputed Cinderella).

3. It satisfies a love for dream matchups.

When you watch football, people constantly say, “if THIS team faced THAT team, THIS team would undoubtedly win.” And, of course, supporters of the opposite team disagree. Most of the time, the question is never answered. March Madness, on the other hand, tends to come pretty close to answering those questions. Even if your personal “dream matchup” does not happen, you can still see with a certain clarity how your team measures up on a national level.

4. It satisfies the desire for a number 1.

People always want to know a simple question; who is the best? That isn’t always answered in football, where this year’s, “national champion,” lost twice during the regular season! March Madness, on the other hand, emphatically answers that question, because the team who wins six games in a row against the best teams in the country can say with near-certainty that they are the best.

5. It satisfies the desire for participation.

This one, I think, is the real key to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament earning the title, “March Madness.” Sports fans love to not only SEE competition, but also to -in some way- compete against each other (this is best shown through the massive sports gambling industry). The simple bracket system of the NCAA basketball tournament allows workplaces, schools, churches, and even families to compete against each other for bragging rights (as in; “I got a higher percentage of my guesses right than you did!”) no matter how extensive your level of knowledge. And as knowledgeable sports fans everywhere know, knowledge does not always lead to victory!

Now, for the most part, I think participation in NCAA basketball tournament picks is both harmless and morally neutral. However, I do want to throw out a couple reminders this March Madness season.

1. Always be wary of gambling.

It is probably no big deal to throw a couple bucks into a pot with some friends to reward the best (or, more often, luckiest) guesser. However, remember that gambling can easily become an addiction for many people. Be a wise steward of your money, and don’t get into a pool whose stakes are too high for your income bracket. Also, don’t let March Madness draw you into habitual sports gambling. (Some pastors might say ALL gambling is wrong. I wouldn’t go that far, but as a matter of full disclosure, I once participated in two small pools with different scoring systems, and I won them both. The 160 bucks was a nice little way to tease my non-Christian friends about God being on my side! However, that was several years ago and I haven’t put money on the tournament since.)

2. Don’t let trash-talking and bragging go too far.

A little teasing back and forth can be fun, but be sure that you don’t hurt people’s feelings or act as though you have any type of superiority over others on the basis of your picks. Remember, good relationships are more important than your pride!

3. Don’t let sports get in the way of life.

This is just a good general rule, but it can be easy to justify taking a rain check on life because “the tournament only comes once a year!” I have no personal problem with watching several of the games for fun, but I would suggest that’s only the case when you have the free time (or maybe when your alma mater is making a run for the Final Four). Your family will still be there when everyone forgets who won the Elite Eight game in the St. Louis bracket.

That stuff out of the way, have fun! And try not to be too disappointed when Memphis runs over your alma mater Spartans in the Sweet Sixteen (Darn it!). Especially when you had picked Michigan State for the Final Four!

See Also: How Do You Respond When your Team Loses?

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It’s not easy to accept defeat, nor to endure the embarrassment and shame that come along with it. Everyone hates to see their team lose, but the world has a particular view on sports that eats into the very heart of a person. When you say that an individual bleeds blue (like a Kentucky Wildcat fans), or when you become known and labeled as “The Buckeye Guy” you have moved beyond being a simple fan of your team. Men become obsessed with sports, and consequently with their teams. There is a degree of “loyalty” to which some fans go that is far beyond any right enjoyment in sports and any right delight in their teams. Why do fans shoot referees, why do men curse and swear and hold grudges when their teams lose? Why do some fans react in full on heartbroken tears and sobbing over the loss of Ohio State to LSU? I honestly don’t know the answer, but I know that it is not the type of reaction becoming of a Christian.

We are to be consumed by the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to “bleed” Scripture. We are to love and adore Christ. Being a Buckeye fan is fine. Getting frustrated at your teams loss is understandable. Reacting with bitterness, hurt, and rage over that loss, however, is idolatry. There is a point at which team devotion becomes team worship. It is an obsession that can hurt our evangelism, to be sure, but even more than that it can hurt our own spiritual growth. It is an obsession that can turn our hearts more and more to the things of this world and away from the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course sports aren’t alone in this temptation, but when I watch a game like I watched last night and I respond in the way I responded I sense it as more present and more prominent. Perhaps this is why God orchestrated OSU’s loss yesterday: to teach me a lesson about my own heart. If such is true then I am grateful for their defeat. Maybe next year God will be more inclined to teach someone on a different team this lesson!

• Christians and March Madness
• Sports Fanatic vs. Family Man
• Hard to Watch

When David told me he would be out of town last weekend, we both agreed that it was the perfect time to talk about sports. Though we are both college football fans (Me: Auburn/Florida/Louisville; David: Ohio State/Ohio State/Ohio State), we aren’t really all that knowledgeable about the subject. And yet, no other aspect of pop-culture evokes the sort of passion and devotion as sports, and more specifically American football.

We decided our first-ever guest host needed to be someone who was passionate about football, but even more passionate about Christ. We found that person in Keith Goad, an elder at our church and a Ph.D. student at our school. He played in high school and has been a fan ever since. In today’s episode, Keith breaks down the season for us, defends his sport, addresses the scandals, and more.

Want to respond? Leave a message at 206-202-0507, email us at christandpopculture@gmail.com, or leave a comment below!

• How Do You Respond When Your Team Loses?
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• Christians and March Madness