42: The True Story of an American Legend

Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, April 15, 1947 — “The air was sparkling. The sunlight was warm. The band struck up the national anthem. The flag billowed in the wind.”¹

On this spring afternoon, a young baseball player sporting the number 42 would take first base and change the history of the game forever. The support and criticism following Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the “color barrier” in baseball served as a microcosm of the racial tension that persisted across the country in the 1940s. Nearly 66 years later, Jackie Robinson’s story unfolds onscreen in the feature film 42.

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In a League of Our Own

Tonight marks the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. The opening ceremony is one of my favorite events of the games. I love the pageantry and sense of camaraderie among athletes and countries. As the games progress, I get swept up in the passion of competition, the athletes’ varied back stories, and the unexpected dramas that unfold throughout the event.

An event like the Olympics always brings to my mind the astounding differences between humans and animals. Although we share some similar biological characteristics, the animals are the physical gold-medalists for sure. Imagine Michael Phelps racing a bluefin tuna or a gymnastic team competing against high-flying monkeys.

 

Still a Fan

Key leaders are fighting. So-called devotees have assaulted both supporters and cynics. And overall attendance—not to mention morale—is down.

A quick scan of news headlines makes it increasingly difficult to defend why anyone is still a fan, and yet many remain faithful. Why stay committed to such a movement when all signs indicate it’s losing its sway? I’m talking about the Los Angeles Dodgers, but I could just as easily be talking about the Christian faith.

Bear with me for a minute.

 

Gold-Medal-Winning Design

Today marks the opening of the twenty-first Winter Olympic Games, held this time in Vancouver, British Columbia. Athletes representing over 80 countries will compete in fifteen winter sport events, all hoping to hear their national anthem played for them.

Though the Olympics have long been considered an amateurs’ competition, there’s nothing unprofessional about the competitors. They’ve spent years conditioning their bodies and training their minds for their respective sports. Meanwhile, scientists and corporations continually work together to produce uniforms and equipment that aid participants in competitions. Everything about these athletes, from their technique and form to their specially designed apparel, is optimized for the best performance possible.

 

15-Yard Penalty

It’s the first big holiday of the year (after New Year’s, that is). Stores overflow with themed decorations, and ads persuade consumers to buy their honeys a grand gift in honor of the big day.

But it’s not St. Valentine’s Day I’m referring to. This celebration involves more than one Saint—in fact, a whole slew of Saints, at least this year. Yes, folks. I’m talking ‘bout the Super Bowl—the most watched television program of the year.

 

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

There’s no better way to fill a Saturday morning than perusing the vast aisles of a members-only warehouse club—“where shopping is a baffling ordeal.” But nothing—not even a drum of coffee beans—catches my attention quicker than the neatly folded heaps of clothes in the warehouse’s hub. This latest trip revealed a fresh stack of baseball jerseys—and a couple of fans inspecting the goods.

Never one to overlook Dodgers gear, I moseyed over to take a gander—and that’s when I saw him.