Basketball Is Not A Sacrament And It Will Not Get You To Heaven

A short portion of a sport editorial justifing the coaches postion. The writer does not forget to jab and insult the Church with his celebacy statement. Not finished, he then insults the integrity of Archbishop Burke.

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Majerus well within his rights
January 27, 2008

By Ron Kremer

Burke must recognize Majerus' right to form his own opinions and to occasionally disassociate himself from the Catholic ideals of the university where he works. His free time is just that -- his. He is not on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Nor is it likely he is the only one on staff at St. Louis ever to speak out on abortion.

The issue is one of many in Catholicism to fall under scrutiny. Some have wondered why priests aren't allowed to marry.

Does that condemn them to a life in purgatory? I would hope not. Majerus should be applauded for taking his job as a coach and teacher to heart.

He chooses to engage in topics of relevance. And in what better arena is there to wage debate than on a university campus?

He is part of a larger think tank than is outlined in an ordinary basketball handbook. Yes, he is also a man of some influence. He uses that influence every day in every way imaginable, whether he is casting his enormous shadow on the sideline, needling an official, or demanding a level of excellence from one his players during a routine workout. He is recognized as a giant in the coaching world because he dutifully tends to his flock.

Burke is the attention-getter here. He first thrust himself in the spotlight in 2004 when he said he would deny Holy Communion to John Kerry, then a Democratic presidential nominee, because of Kerry's support of abortion.

Now, Burke wants to speak with St. Louis University president Lawrence Biondi about Majerus. Clearly, Burke is envious of Majerus' everyman's charm. Burke wants equal air time.

Link (here)