After last nights exciting division clinching win by the Reds, it seemed that a repost of this repost might be relevant today. (please read – it’s more than just a “sports story”.)
September 4, 2010
Fair Weather Fans – Again
Tags: friendship, Jesus, Cincinnati Reds, Chapmania, Joey Votto, fair weather friends, Aroldis Chapman, grandkids
Whenever I do something that the grandkids really get a kick out of they say, “again”, indicating that I should do whatever it is again.
I thought I would re-post this blog “again” from July 2009. It seems that the Cincinnati Reds have plenty of fan support now that they have an eight game lead, Chapmania, and Joey Votto vying for a triple crown.
Good. In my estimation everyone ought to root for the Reds. Go Reds.
But there is always a message . . .
July 23, 2009
fair weather fans
Tags: Chapmania, Cincinnati Reds, fair weather friends, friendship, Jesus, Joey Votto
I’m a Cincinnati Reds fan. Have been since I was old enough to remember. Last night the Dodgers beat the Reds for the third straight game on a Manny Ramirez grand slam in the sixth inning. Cincinnati has lost 12 straight in Dodger Stadium dating back to 2006. What a bummer.
My wife had asked me Tuesday night when the Dodgers were thrashing the Redlegs to the tune of 12 to 3 when I was going to just give up on them. I immediately began to give her my “fair-weather fan” speech. Coupled with the fact that it was a west coast game (it was around midnight in Eastern Kentucky) and that she had heard the speech numerous times before, she simply dozed off into a restful sleep unconcerned about my status as a fan.
The shortened version of the speech goes something like this. There are thousands of “fans” who can reminisce about the last division championship in 1995, or the 1990 World Champion Reds, or the Big Red Machine of the 70′s. And all with fondness. Hey, some of us still remember 1961. But catch them six games below 500 and fading quickly out of the pennant race and they get few and far between.
Aren’t you glad that Jesus isn’t a fair weather fan/friend. The writer of the book of Hebrews quotes Him saying, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (13:5). If we have established a relationship with Him by faith in His death, burial, and resurrection we can count on Him when everyone else is gone. Everybody loves a winner but it takes a real friend to stick with you when you’re losing. And Jesus is a “friend that will stick closer than a brother”.
