On a certain quote by Jim Eliot

In his diary Jim Eliot writes about a football game he went to...Oklahoma in the fifties. In typical style, Jim dismisses the game in a few sentences. His comments are full of light and conviction. "What would it be like if all these men were yelling with one voice for the return of Jesus?"

I am a Patriots fan.

I never had a team in high school. I was never really a Lions fan. Nogales is too far from Phoenix for me to become a Cardinals fan, if there is such a thing.

This was an issue for me in every sport. I loved sports, but had no teams to root for.

So when I went to Boston as a freshman, I decided that I would adopt the Patriots as my football team. My uncle was also a big Pats fan, and I figured we could watch some games together, maybe if I was enthusiastic enough he would let me go to a game with him (that never happened).

At the time, the Pats were coming of off a 5-11 season, and about four years of mediocrity under that college genius, Pete Carrol. Belichick's first season had been mediocre at best. And the Pats proceeded to drop their first few games, stumbling to a 0-4 record, before losing their biggest asset, star quarterback Drew Beldsoe. I watched 3 of the first 4 games (by myself, at a conservatory where few football fans existed), and did not regret my choice. I finally had a team to go up and down with (mostly down so far). I was stunned when Bledsoe was injured.

Now, if there are two things I hate in sports, it is bandwagon fans and dynasties. I have always hated teams like the Lakers and the Yankees. When I signed on to be a Pats fan, they were miserable, and looked likely to stay that way for a while.

Remember, they went into their first Super Bowl 14 point underdogs, and were 9-7 the next year, missing the playoffs. I watched nearly every game of those two seasons. They were hardly dominant.

Then, they lost the first game of the 2003 season 38-0. Super Bowl 36 seemed years in the past. Of course, three games later they started a win streak that would be the longest in NFL history. In the playoffs in 2005, they played in succession the number one offense and the number one defense in the league. The Colts they held to 3 points, and they put up 42 on the Steelers.

At any rate, it has been interesting being a Pats fan, moving from lovable underdogs to hated and feared champions.

But I am afraid it all has a sour taste in my mouth now. Did the Pats really cheat before Super Bowl 36? I sincerely hope not. And today's loss was humiliating, ruining the greatest regular season of all time.

It makes me wonder. Why am I sports fan?

All these men, giving glory to what is not God. Cheering, filling stadiums with cheers for mere men. The old Scottish preachers would never let men applaud them, saying that such honor belonged to God alone.