Liars Hall of Shame
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Stories
Contents
“Liars Hall of Shame” by John Sumwalt
“One Bible Seven Soldiers” by Frank Ramirez
Liars Hall of Shame
by John Sumwalt
Philippians 3:17--4:1
“Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eye on those who live as we do.” (v. 17)
Another one of my sports heroes has joined the Liars Hall of Shame. Aaron Rodgers is not the first Wisconsin professional athlete to succumb to the temptations that come with fame and money, and sadly will probably not be the last.
I remember how disappointed I was as a 12-year-old Green Bay Packer fan in 1963, when my favorite player was suspended for a year for gambling on football games. Paul Hornung, known as the “golden boy” after winning the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame, was the NFL’s most valuable player in 1961. He and Jim Taylor were the Packers’ star running backs. There was nothing like watching one or the other lead the way to a touchdown on one of those famous Packer sweeps.
When NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle confronted Hornung, he finally admitted his guilt and was genuinely repentant. He went on to help the Packers win the first Super Bowl and was inducted in 1986 into the NFL Hall of Fame. But the damage done; his relationships with teammates and coaches took years to repair. Coach Vince Lombardi, who had personally confronted Hornung when he first heard about the investigation, was more disappointed that the “golden boy” had lied to him.
Another Wisconsin MVP with a Hall of Fame career, who like Pete Rose may have blown his chances to make it into the hall, is Ryan Braun – my favorite Milwaukee Brewer. My wife, Jo, and I were in the stands Sept. 24, 2011, when Braun hit a three-run homer to clinch the National League Central Division title.
Braun was rookie of the year in 2007, is a five-time All Star and was named Most Valuable Player in the 2011 season – the same year he was charged with violating Major League Basball’s anti-drug policy following a positive test for synthetic testosterone. At an angry press conference in February 2012, Braun denied the charges, maligned the testing program, accused the tester of being anti-Semitic and pleaded for the support of his fellow players.
Eighteen months later, Braun accepted a 65-day suspension and apologized for his actions.
“I deeply regret many of the things I said at the press conference after the arbitrator’s decision in February 2012,” Braun said in the statement. “At that time, I still didn’t want to believe that I had used a banned substance. I think a combination of feeling self-righteous and having a lot of unjustified anger led me to react the way I did. It was a huge mistake for which I am deeply ashamed, and I compounded the situation by not admitting my mistakes immediately.
“I understand it’s a blessing and a tremendous honor to play this game at the major league level. I also understand the intensity of the disappointment from my teammates, fans, and other players. When it comes to both my actions and my words, I made some very serious mistakes, and I can only ask for the forgiveness of everyone I let down. I will never make the same errors again …”
Perhaps in time, Aaron Rodgers will be able to come to terms with his actions and begin to make amends in a similar way. Ironically, at the time, Rodgers distanced himself from his friend and business partner. He defended Braun at first but when the charges proved to be true, Rodgers expressed deep disappointment.
“(Braun) looked at me in the eye on multiple occasions and repeatedly denied the allegations,” he said. “It’s disappointing, not only for myself as a friend but for obviously Wisconsin sports fans, Brewer fans, Major League Baseball fans. It doesn’t feel great being lied to like that, and I’m disappointed about the way it all went down.”
Now the three time most valuable player is being held accountable for knowingly lying in the same way by another Wisconsin MVP. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time MVP, including in 1971 when he led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship.
In his column in Substack, Abdul-Jabbar wrote that Rodgers, “directly and deliberately lied to fans and the public when he assured everyone he was ‘immunized,’ knowing that word would be interpreted as his being vaccinated.”
Columnist Max Boot conceded that, “Technically, perhaps, this wasn’t an outright lie because of Rodgers’s innovative theory that he can be ‘immunized’ without either having had the disease or received the vaccine. But his response was definitely deceptive – and the deception was only heightened when he added, ‘There’s guys on the team that haven’t been vaccinated. I think it’s a personal decision. I’m not going to judge those guys.’
“(Rodgers) gave no indication that he was one of ‘those guys’ and acted as if he wasn’t by often not wearing a mask in situations where NFL rules require unvaccinated players to be masked.”
Noted sports commentator Bob Costas said of Rodgers, in an interview on CNN, “If you want to be extremely kind, you could say that he was disingenuous. He was obviously comfortable with most of the media and football fans nearly unanimously believing he was vaccinated.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also took Rodgers to task for spreading misinformation about the Covid vaccines, saying his “… ignorance regarding the science of immunology brings back to life the old stereotype of the big dumb jock. His utter lack of even the most basic knowledge and logic is shocking.
“Aaron Rodgers didn't just lie. His lies, his illogical defense and his hubris damage all professional athletes.”
Abdul-Jabbar stressed that the greater damage may be to young fans.
“According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study, children 10-17 years old admire famous athletes second – 73 percent – only to their parents – 92 percent,” he said. “That’s a sacred trust not to be abused.”
If I were preaching this Sunday, I would share all this in the sermon, and, if I were honest with myself, I would need to confess that I have been inducted into the “Liars Hall of Shame” more times than I care to remember. We all have. The fact that we do not typically have our everyday lies exposed in the national media does not excuse us.
If we are lucky, we have friends who hold us accountable and forgive our lies when, like Ryan Braun, we come to our senses and ask to be forgiven. This is my prayer for Aaron Rodgers.
* * *
One Bible Seven Soldiers
by Frank Ramirez
Psalm 27
Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. (Psalm 27:3)
In 1965, a fellow named Jesse Maple from West Lafayette — Ohio — was given a Bible by the Gideons. It is a rather humble-looking item. Containing the King James translation, with a black leather cover, it measured around three by five inches. According to Maple’s own account he was living a wild life, but his mother had taught him to respect the Bible so he stuffed it in his pocket and kept it there.
It went with him on his tour of duty in Vietnam. It was still in his pocket when he got caught in an intense firefight. One bullet pierced his backpack but struck -- not the Bible, as you might think — but a can of fruit. Maple was unhurt. Later, with the fruit juice leaking out of his pack, a priest walked by and said, “The Lord was with you today.”
That made him think of that Bible in his pocket. And he kept that Bible in his pocket throughout his tour of duty. After that he passed on that Bible to his brother, Bill Maple when he went on active duty.
Over the years, five other solders from his native Coshocton County were given that Bible to carry for a combined eleven tours of duty, the last in Afghanistan. These included Roger Hill, who was badly wounded while in Vietnam, and who now prays every day. It went with Cliff McPeak to the Gulf War, and Zac Miller, who fought in Iraq. Later, it went to Zac and Will Allen in Iraq. Altogether that little Bible accompanied soldiers who went into harm’s way and came back alive, though not necessarily unharmed, no one suggested that this Bible had some special power to preserve and protect each soldier. Remember, it did not stop the bullet that could have killed Jesse Miller. Nor did it cause instant conversions. Each was at a different level of belief or non-belief at the time of their deployment, but all of them came to open that Bible and read, as anyone in dangerous circumstances might well come to do. All of them saw death firsthand. The presence of this simple book, filled with ancient words, was a constant reminder, however that God is present, strengthening them, providing comfort, and healing the heart and soul.
Zac Miller took a special interest in the book and became its official caretaker. He wrote and self-published a book about that book, titled Faith in War: The Soldiers Bible.
This story began making the rounds of various news services and Christian writers weighed in on the subject as well. Each of those soldiers drew strength from that Bible. It was a reminder that they were not alone, and that someone was watching over them.
If you can get a sense of the presence of God from carrying a Bible, imagine what strength you get from opening the Bible and reading it. And over time, that’s what Jesse Maple learned. He himself has to listen to the Bible now, because of damage to his eyes he believes was caused by exposure to Agent Orange.
Psalm 27 may include King David’s memories of those times when the enemy was encamped nearby, and battle seemed certain. It certainly reflects the experience of so many over the centuries in similar circumstances. Not everyone engaged in battle will live. Not all those who live will recover. And that recovery will leave scars, physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. But King David seems to be telling us God is waiting for us in the house of the Lord and ready to walk with us, and with others, through all our days.
*****************************************
StoryShare, March 13, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Liars Hall of Shame” by John Sumwalt
“One Bible Seven Soldiers” by Frank Ramirez
Liars Hall of Shame
by John Sumwalt
Philippians 3:17--4:1
“Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eye on those who live as we do.” (v. 17)
Another one of my sports heroes has joined the Liars Hall of Shame. Aaron Rodgers is not the first Wisconsin professional athlete to succumb to the temptations that come with fame and money, and sadly will probably not be the last.
I remember how disappointed I was as a 12-year-old Green Bay Packer fan in 1963, when my favorite player was suspended for a year for gambling on football games. Paul Hornung, known as the “golden boy” after winning the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame, was the NFL’s most valuable player in 1961. He and Jim Taylor were the Packers’ star running backs. There was nothing like watching one or the other lead the way to a touchdown on one of those famous Packer sweeps.
When NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle confronted Hornung, he finally admitted his guilt and was genuinely repentant. He went on to help the Packers win the first Super Bowl and was inducted in 1986 into the NFL Hall of Fame. But the damage done; his relationships with teammates and coaches took years to repair. Coach Vince Lombardi, who had personally confronted Hornung when he first heard about the investigation, was more disappointed that the “golden boy” had lied to him.
Another Wisconsin MVP with a Hall of Fame career, who like Pete Rose may have blown his chances to make it into the hall, is Ryan Braun – my favorite Milwaukee Brewer. My wife, Jo, and I were in the stands Sept. 24, 2011, when Braun hit a three-run homer to clinch the National League Central Division title.
Braun was rookie of the year in 2007, is a five-time All Star and was named Most Valuable Player in the 2011 season – the same year he was charged with violating Major League Basball’s anti-drug policy following a positive test for synthetic testosterone. At an angry press conference in February 2012, Braun denied the charges, maligned the testing program, accused the tester of being anti-Semitic and pleaded for the support of his fellow players.
Eighteen months later, Braun accepted a 65-day suspension and apologized for his actions.
“I deeply regret many of the things I said at the press conference after the arbitrator’s decision in February 2012,” Braun said in the statement. “At that time, I still didn’t want to believe that I had used a banned substance. I think a combination of feeling self-righteous and having a lot of unjustified anger led me to react the way I did. It was a huge mistake for which I am deeply ashamed, and I compounded the situation by not admitting my mistakes immediately.
“I understand it’s a blessing and a tremendous honor to play this game at the major league level. I also understand the intensity of the disappointment from my teammates, fans, and other players. When it comes to both my actions and my words, I made some very serious mistakes, and I can only ask for the forgiveness of everyone I let down. I will never make the same errors again …”
Perhaps in time, Aaron Rodgers will be able to come to terms with his actions and begin to make amends in a similar way. Ironically, at the time, Rodgers distanced himself from his friend and business partner. He defended Braun at first but when the charges proved to be true, Rodgers expressed deep disappointment.
“(Braun) looked at me in the eye on multiple occasions and repeatedly denied the allegations,” he said. “It’s disappointing, not only for myself as a friend but for obviously Wisconsin sports fans, Brewer fans, Major League Baseball fans. It doesn’t feel great being lied to like that, and I’m disappointed about the way it all went down.”
Now the three time most valuable player is being held accountable for knowingly lying in the same way by another Wisconsin MVP. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time MVP, including in 1971 when he led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship.
In his column in Substack, Abdul-Jabbar wrote that Rodgers, “directly and deliberately lied to fans and the public when he assured everyone he was ‘immunized,’ knowing that word would be interpreted as his being vaccinated.”
Columnist Max Boot conceded that, “Technically, perhaps, this wasn’t an outright lie because of Rodgers’s innovative theory that he can be ‘immunized’ without either having had the disease or received the vaccine. But his response was definitely deceptive – and the deception was only heightened when he added, ‘There’s guys on the team that haven’t been vaccinated. I think it’s a personal decision. I’m not going to judge those guys.’
“(Rodgers) gave no indication that he was one of ‘those guys’ and acted as if he wasn’t by often not wearing a mask in situations where NFL rules require unvaccinated players to be masked.”
Noted sports commentator Bob Costas said of Rodgers, in an interview on CNN, “If you want to be extremely kind, you could say that he was disingenuous. He was obviously comfortable with most of the media and football fans nearly unanimously believing he was vaccinated.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also took Rodgers to task for spreading misinformation about the Covid vaccines, saying his “… ignorance regarding the science of immunology brings back to life the old stereotype of the big dumb jock. His utter lack of even the most basic knowledge and logic is shocking.
“Aaron Rodgers didn't just lie. His lies, his illogical defense and his hubris damage all professional athletes.”
Abdul-Jabbar stressed that the greater damage may be to young fans.
“According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study, children 10-17 years old admire famous athletes second – 73 percent – only to their parents – 92 percent,” he said. “That’s a sacred trust not to be abused.”
If I were preaching this Sunday, I would share all this in the sermon, and, if I were honest with myself, I would need to confess that I have been inducted into the “Liars Hall of Shame” more times than I care to remember. We all have. The fact that we do not typically have our everyday lies exposed in the national media does not excuse us.
If we are lucky, we have friends who hold us accountable and forgive our lies when, like Ryan Braun, we come to our senses and ask to be forgiven. This is my prayer for Aaron Rodgers.
* * *
One Bible Seven Soldiers
by Frank Ramirez
Psalm 27
Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. (Psalm 27:3)
In 1965, a fellow named Jesse Maple from West Lafayette — Ohio — was given a Bible by the Gideons. It is a rather humble-looking item. Containing the King James translation, with a black leather cover, it measured around three by five inches. According to Maple’s own account he was living a wild life, but his mother had taught him to respect the Bible so he stuffed it in his pocket and kept it there.
It went with him on his tour of duty in Vietnam. It was still in his pocket when he got caught in an intense firefight. One bullet pierced his backpack but struck -- not the Bible, as you might think — but a can of fruit. Maple was unhurt. Later, with the fruit juice leaking out of his pack, a priest walked by and said, “The Lord was with you today.”
That made him think of that Bible in his pocket. And he kept that Bible in his pocket throughout his tour of duty. After that he passed on that Bible to his brother, Bill Maple when he went on active duty.
Over the years, five other solders from his native Coshocton County were given that Bible to carry for a combined eleven tours of duty, the last in Afghanistan. These included Roger Hill, who was badly wounded while in Vietnam, and who now prays every day. It went with Cliff McPeak to the Gulf War, and Zac Miller, who fought in Iraq. Later, it went to Zac and Will Allen in Iraq. Altogether that little Bible accompanied soldiers who went into harm’s way and came back alive, though not necessarily unharmed, no one suggested that this Bible had some special power to preserve and protect each soldier. Remember, it did not stop the bullet that could have killed Jesse Miller. Nor did it cause instant conversions. Each was at a different level of belief or non-belief at the time of their deployment, but all of them came to open that Bible and read, as anyone in dangerous circumstances might well come to do. All of them saw death firsthand. The presence of this simple book, filled with ancient words, was a constant reminder, however that God is present, strengthening them, providing comfort, and healing the heart and soul.
Zac Miller took a special interest in the book and became its official caretaker. He wrote and self-published a book about that book, titled Faith in War: The Soldiers Bible.
This story began making the rounds of various news services and Christian writers weighed in on the subject as well. Each of those soldiers drew strength from that Bible. It was a reminder that they were not alone, and that someone was watching over them.
If you can get a sense of the presence of God from carrying a Bible, imagine what strength you get from opening the Bible and reading it. And over time, that’s what Jesse Maple learned. He himself has to listen to the Bible now, because of damage to his eyes he believes was caused by exposure to Agent Orange.
Psalm 27 may include King David’s memories of those times when the enemy was encamped nearby, and battle seemed certain. It certainly reflects the experience of so many over the centuries in similar circumstances. Not everyone engaged in battle will live. Not all those who live will recover. And that recovery will leave scars, physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. But King David seems to be telling us God is waiting for us in the house of the Lord and ready to walk with us, and with others, through all our days.
*****************************************
StoryShare, March 13, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
