फैथ एंड FOOTBALL

FAITH AND FOOTBALL

I remember back in the 20th century as a kid following the Dallas Cowboys and their star quarterback. His name was Roger Staubach. A Catholic hero for a Catholic kid.
I read of his exploits in the U.S. Navy, in college, and the gridiron. I wanted to go out to sea just like my dad and Roger The Dodger.

Of course the influence of my uncles being in the U.S. Army kept me on shore when I decided to serve my country.

I would endure the taunts of the Houston Oiler fans at school and march into the school week with my Dallas Cowboys d-ring notebook. I am pretty sure it was d-ring. It had the Cowboys helmet on both sides.

Sundays I watched the Pokes tangle with their divisional foes and other teams in the league. Win or lose I was a loyal fan. I would not give up on them. I would not follow the flavor of the day team just because they were winning more than losing. Loyalty meant more back then.

Back then WE had Catholic heroes we would admire. You could tag along with myself and my dad to the barber shop in Mission and sit there and view the pictures of John F. Kennedy. JFK was there among the pictures of Catholic saints. We all know he was human. He was just like us. Catholic. Human. Ah, the worst thing the enemy can do is create a martyr. In our eyes he died a Catholic hero. In his death he grew in stature. I know some would scoff at that.

Poland in the 1980s. The communists were hellbent on stomping Solidarity and Lech Walesa. The murder of a popular priest made him a martyr. Bad idea commies.

Fooball. Faith. Politics. The other trinity in our household was one we still follow to this day.

I am still a Dallas Cowboys fan. Still a Catholic. Still anti-communist.