Why
Should I Care?
By Kelly L. Martinez
From
the outfield bleachers, the name on the back of the player’s jersey
was too fuzzy to make out. The centerfielder was quite the athletic
specimen — quick to the ball on defense and even more impressive
at the plate. If he didn’t play for the opposing team, he’d have
been a fan-favorite at Dodger Stadium. Because he wasn’t a Dodger,
the youthful group chose to heckle him instead, in a good-natured
sort of way.
It
didn’t take Dale Murphy long to figure out he was the focus of
a group of LDS missionaries at Dodger Stadium during the mid-1980s.
It didn’t take long for the missionaries to figure out who the
Mormon guy was in the Braves’ uniform, either, since he kept waving
at them. It was California Los Angeles Mission Night at Dodger
Stadium and hundreds of missionaries, both elders and sisters,
were packed into the left field pavilion in white shirts, ties,
and dresses, having a great time. By the end of the night, the
triviality of rooting for the home team crumbled and Murphy and
the missionaries had made a deeper connection because of a shared
faith.
This
scene is one that is shared with much of the LDS sports-minded
audience. LDS athletes and their success on the court, field,
pool, ice, vault, or track are very much our business and we root
for them to succeed. We care how they do and — even more importantly
— who they are.
The
scene in the movie The Singles Ward where Hyrum and Dallen
banter back and forth about what celebrities are LDS plays on
this fascination real-life Latter-day Saints have. We’ve all
done it to some extent; it’s okay to admit it. When I was younger,
I remember hearing that comedian Steve Martin was a member of
the Church. I also heard that Gary Burghoff (Radar on “MASH”), Chuck Norris, Bill Bixby, Gladys
Knight (okay, this one was true) and other high-profile people
had either converted to the Church or had been members for most
of their lives. I’m certain you’ve experienced this, too.
So What?
Why
do we care so much about LDS athletes and celebrities? What makes
them more deserving of our attention than any other actor, singer,
athlete or coach? What about the Catholic minor leaguer who has
had to overcome more obstacles than the LDS returned missionary
on the same roster? Or what about the Jewish big leaguer who
wrestles with the choice of playing during the Jewish High Holy
Days every season? These have been driving questions for me during
the four years I’ve been associated with Meridian Magazine.
I
have shared in this fascination of high-profile Saints; it has
been a motivational point in my efforts to produce articles on
LDS athletes and coaches. It wasn’t very long after I began writing
for Meridian that it became evident that there was an audience
for stories about LDS athletes. Mark Madsen, Andy Reid, Todd
Christensen, Gary Crowton, Jeremy Guthrie,
Greg Clark, and Vai Sikahema have all been subjects of articles I’ve written for
Meridian. In 2004, I stepped outside the sports world and wrote
articles on LDS recording artist Cherie Call and Los Angeles television
anchor Carlos Amezcua to try to broaden my scope. It’s been a lot of fun
but I’ve hit a hurdle that I’m perplexed with and could use a
little help.
Afterthoughts and Your Thoughts
A
colleague of mine is writing a book on LDS athletes. Over lunch
one day, our discussion turned to the “why” aspect of LDS sports
and athletes. More specifically, why do Mormons care so much
about LDS athletes? Neither of us was able to come up with a
definitive answer but we both agreed that there is definitely
an audience for books and articles on LDS athletes and coaches.
After
writing more than my fair share of articles on LDS athletes and
coaches, I’ve got to admit that it’s difficult coming up with
a fresh angle when attempting to write another one. I wonder
what my audience wants to know about them and try to deliver,
but it gets tougher with each article.
What
do you think? Why do we care so much about the Mark Madsens
who rarely see action in the NBA? Or the McKay Christensens
who bounce up and down between the major and minor leagues and
rarely see big league action? Are we looking for an uplifting
sports story? There are a whole host of non-LDS athletes with
inspiring stories if that’s what we want. What about their stories?
Is a shared faith enough of a reason to take a special interest
in an athlete or coach? And what qualifies a sports story as
an uplifting one?
Is
there a clear-cut answer? I am eager to find out what you think.
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