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Wednesday, May 29, 1996

Phebus, celebrity athletes place beliefs over other accomplishments

Sports and religion. What is the not-so-obvious relationship between the two?

By now, you know of the A.C. Greens, the Reggie Whites and the Michael Changs who have been using their sports celebrity status to preach their Christian doctrine. And whether you praised him or called him narrow minded, you know that Hakeem Olajuwon, a Muslim, participates in the fasting during Ramadan ­ which falls in the middle of the NBA season.

And of course, you've seen the way religion can become a volatile issue in sports when Denver Nugget and devout Muslim Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf would not stand during the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner."

In this generation of Direct TV subscribers, athletes have increasingly been using the media to proclaim their own faiths to non-believers and believers alike. For instance, "I just want to thank God, first of all, for blessing me with the talent ... " was the most frequently used introduction in 1996 ESPY Awards (ESPN's annual sports achievement awards) acceptance speeches. The power of that kind of mass media exposure for one's religion is undeniable. Just ask the televangelists.

If you have been paying close attention in recent years, religion has been intertwined with several of UCLA's most famous athletes. Running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar has been one of the most visible figures, not only because of his name change from Sharmon Shah to one that resembles the name of the talented actor that played the co-pilot in the movie "Airplane," but because he always lifts the palms of his hands to the sky in prayer to Allah when he breaks through the end zone.

Even after the Bruins captured their 11th NCAA Championship in basketball, religion made a lasting impression to those who took time off from hanging on the traffic signal at Gayley Avenue and Strathmore Drive to examine the images flashed on national television. In the midst of the mayhem when fans and players were going crazy on the Kingdome floor, the team gathered around assistant coach Lorenzo Romar and prayed after it won the game.

With such celebrated athletes asserting their religious faith through their actions and their words, a conscious thinker is led to question what their motives are. Why do they make such a cognizant effort to publicly carry out their faith?

In the middle of the NCAA Championships last week, when I conducted an interview with Keri Phebus of the UCLA women's tennis team, who is an active member of the Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC), I was able to enlighten myself in this issue.

For those who have just arrived on Earth or do not regularly read the Daily Bruin sports section ­ as farfetched as that might sound ­ Phebus is one of the premier collegiate tennis players in the nation, and she won both the NCAA singles and doubles titles last season.

Having full knowledge that she had accomplished a near-impossible sweep in last year's tournament, I asked her what she considers the biggest thrill of her life. As I sat there in a humid Tallahassee motel room with my tape recorder and a notepad in my left hand, I was fully ready to jot down something about the NCAA titles with my right hand. Displaying the modesty that she spoke with in prior conversations, I expected Phebus to mention the titles, then give credit to her teammates who helped her achieve them and blah, blah, blah ...

But much to my astonishment, Phebus started talking about a CCC event last month in which she was asked to give her personal testimony. Phebus talked about what a thrill that was ­ she didn't sleep for three or four nights prior to the event.

As I listened to this imposing figure (Phebus stands 6-foot-1-inch) talk about her Christian life with such enthusiasm and excitement, I simply couldn't believe that just hours before the interview, her team had fallen in the NCAA semifinals. "Doesn't she feel bad about losing the last dual match of her college career?" I asked myself.

By then, I was fascinated for sure. Time spent listening to Phebus seemed faster than the hours spent sitting on a stool playing "Bust-A-Move" at the Ackerman arcade. Finally, near the end of the interview, I was beginning to get a glimpse of the inner drive that motivates athletes like Phebus to take up the formidable task of being a public spokesperson for their religion.

I concluded that at the center of these athletes is a desire to serve their god by being a "witness." That means being an exemplary figure as to what kind of attitudes and actions a real believer of that faith must display. So, when Charles Barkley makes a shoe commercial saying that he doesn't want to be a "role model," athletes like Phebus gladly play that challenging role with a crusade-like attitude.

In other words, when a little girl observes Phebus conducting herself in such a humble way and is convinced that she is that way because she is a Christian, Phebus has done her job and has done it well.

Some say that sports has gone out of control these days. In the midst of athletes shoving officials and officials hurling four-letter words back at the athletes, Phebus and other athletes like her, who seek to impress nobody but their god, are a welcome change.

In this generation of Direct TV subscribers, athletes have increasingly been using the media to proclaim their own faith to non-believers and believers alike.

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