Just once I'd like to hear an athlete say...

"It's my muscles, not Jesus." or "I worked hard and practiced every day to get to this point." or something along those lines. It seems that every time somebody wins something, they thank God. Now if a person thanks their mother or father, that's one thing, but let's face it folks, it takes not only talent but hard work to be a successful athlete. I bring this up because an Iowa guy, my home state; won the Masters and then thanked God. Why couldn't he have said that he worked his ass off and that while humbled, still is glad he earned it with previously mentioned hard work and practice? It is doubtful that God told him to be a golfer.

have some respect for believers.

I think that athletes have the right to thank who and/or whatever they want. I remember when people didn't want to here Muhammad Ali give thanks after his fights. Tough shit. Athletes do not have to meet the requirements and expectations of every person watching them on tv.

who thinks 'God' made themselves win, but made his opponents lose? I'm supposed to 'respect' someone who believes this? Think about what that implies...God has nothing better to do than make the wind blow a little harder to the right or something so his 'favoured' player will win, meanwhile millions are hungry, abused, tortured, born with birth defects, murdered, raped, etc, etc. and God does nothing for these people? Not to mention the fact that there were 100 other players who didn't win, and therefore God thinks they are worthless?

You know, a lot of people 'believe' in George W Bush. Am I supposed to respect them as well? Why?

they played that tournament on somebody's sabbath. Since professional golfers earn a living golfing wouldn't that be considered work? So should they have not been stoned to death?

To me, thanking Jesus or Jehovah or the Flying Spaghetti Monster for your accomplishment is the pinnacle of selfishness.

With all the suffering and injustice in the world going on at any given moment, the idea that (insert deity here) took time out of their day to help you win a golf game is obscene. Like somehow your little sporting event was more worthy of their time than a child starving somewhere.

Sorry, as a believer, I find such self-serving grandstanding offensive. That isn't faith, it's vanity.

After winning a major event:

"Foremost I need to thank my parents for being atheists and raising me along those lines. Instead of allocating time and energy to vague made up beings I've utilized those hours and months and years becoming the best person I can be, dedicating myself to my family and my profession. This morning while my contemporaries were at church I was here on the driving range for hours, and discovered a minor swing key that directly led to the best golf of my life and this life changing victory."

Thank you!

and said on TV that they thanked themselves and those who helped them and that Jesus didn't have shit to do with it?

i personally don't really care either way, if someone wants to thank jesus then whatever, good for them - it doesn't really bother me.

(and i realize now this is turning into a big religion discussion) but why the fuck should i respect something that seems clear to me to be destroying the world, and why the fuck should i respect something when in this country it's what, 80 or 90% of the people say they'd never vote for an atheist (the least trusted and respected group in america)?

give me a break, and keep the fucking religion under your own roof where it belongs.

I guess God hates all the players that didn't win or the teams that don't win anything.

Kinda like the Cubs. :)

Right next to "take it one day at a time".

or Football for instance, to think God has something to do with it. the line between success and failure is so small, one little bounce, completely randomly, can make the difference between winning and losing. think about it. over 4 days, Johnson hit 289 shots, if just one bounces a different way, hits a funny blade of grass and goes left instead of right, catches a stray gust of wind and lands funny, he doesn't win. no matter how good you are, no matter how hard you work, there is an element of complete randomess that simply has to break your way to win.

I really don't think God favors one team over another (that even sounds ridiculous!)

VINDICTIVE Old Testament God.

The Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees! We have an excellent catalog of data 100 Seasons.
"World" Championships since 1908:
Yankees - 26
Cubs - 0

Truly when I pray at night, the image of God that manifests itself in my head is a pudgy-faced, beardless man with a yankees cap on his head.

Spare Us, Oh God! For truly your evil snow dost stoppeth your might from being evident by another Cubs defeat...

I think the funniest episode of God's mercurial nature came via the very religious Kurt Warner. Warner thanked God after the St. Louis Super Bowl victory over the Titans in 1999. But after the Patriots won in 2001, I don't recall Warner thanking God for boosting America's spirit post-9/11 by having the PATRIOTS win the Super Bowl...