God left off ESPYs stage, but not out of sports

The 2024 ESPY Awards ended Wednesday night with bright lights, political speeches, and corporate jingles — but not a single “Thank God.”

From the Dolby Theatre stage to the post-show press scrum, winners thanked coaches, trainers, parents, and activists. The Author of Every Talent didn’t even make the credits. The omission wasn’t just noticeable — it felt deliberate. And for those of us who still believe sports can lift our eyes toward Heaven, the silence thundered.

God is still in the game, because we the people keep inviting Him.

Simone Biles, who took home two trophies, captured the event’s tone. While accepting Best Championship Performance, she closed with: “I believe in the power of sport, the power of us, and, of course, the power of she.” A slick nod to gender politics, sure — but no hint of the divine.

The Icon Award segment turned up the ideological volume. Soccer star Alex Morgan credited a legacy of “women who gave us the confidence and will to play, to fight, to advocate.” She declared: “We’re standing on the shoulders of giants. … It’s because of you that we never have to apologize for speaking up or for fighting to raise the bar.”

Rugby player Ilona Maher, named Best Breakthrough Athlete, offered her viral mantra: “Strong is beautiful. Strong is powerful. It’s sexy — whatever you want it to be.” Empowerment rang from every line. Gratitude to God? Missing again.

Even the evening’s most historic honor, the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, stayed strictly secular. NBA legend Oscar Robertson described his long battle for player rights: “It was a desperate need for players to have more security. … It’s important to do the right thing even if it comes at personal sacrifice.” Admirable. But no recognition that courage itself might be a gift.

Now compare that to what fans reward outside the ESPN echo chamber.

Just 24 hours earlier at MLB’s All-Star festivities, Yankees captain Aaron Judge was asked what truly satisfies him. His answer came without hesitation: “Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He’s given me this platform. … The fame is great and all, but it’s not as fulfilling as the relationship I have with Him.” Social media lit up. Judge’s bat — engraved with 2 Corinthians 5:7 — sold out in hours. Open faith still resonates. That’s the marketplace talking.

Football fans feel it every Sunday. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, now chasing a Super Bowl three-peat, once told reporters: “Before every game, I walk the field and do a prayer at the goalpost. … I thank God for letting me be on a stage where I can glorify Him.” That clip has tens of millions of views on TikTok — and thousands of comments from rival fans typing “Amen.” Stadiums full of people may disagree on who wins, but they unite in prayer.

College football delivered another reminder. LSU’s Jayden Daniels opened his 2023 Heisman speech with: “I want to first give thanks to God. … He’s my rock, my savior. He blessed me with the talents and ability to get here.” The ballroom erupted. ESPN’s own cameras showed fans rising to their feet. Hashtags like #GloryToGod trended for days.

Spectators haven’t rejected God. The gatekeepers have.

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  Photo by Loic Venance / Contributor via Getty Images

The same networks that replay Mahomes’ pregame prayer for clicks strip divine gratitude from their own scripts. They celebrate activism in every language — except the one that thanks Heaven. But when tragedy strikes, like Damar Hamlin’s collapse, the crowd knows what to do. Silence falls. Heads bow. The reflex is prayer. The reflex is God.

As a father of three, a Catholic convert, and host of the YouTube show and podcast “We the People,” I see what’s at stake. We welcome current and Hall of Fame athletes and popular entertainers on every episode to talk about faith, family, and freedom. And of the three, the one they speak most freely and fervently about is their faith in God.

Sport remains one of the last places in American life capable of binding us across lines of class, creed, and color. Strip out its spiritual bloodstream, and all that’s left is a corporate pageant — flashy but hollow.

So here’s the call to action the ESPYs missed: If you hoist a trophy the size of a small child and can’t spare one breath to credit the One who designed your lungs, hand the mic to someone who will. Fans still cheer character as loudly as clutch shots. They did it for Judge, Mahomes, and Daniels — and yes, even Biles, when she thanked God after winning gold in Rio.

The appetite is there. The crowd is ready. Only the stage managers lack the courage to serve it.

Until then, award shows will keep cutting Heaven from the highlight reel. But the roar in the stadium — and the quiet prayers whispered at home — tells a different story. God is still in the game, because we the people keep inviting Him.