Craig James Fired by Fox for Faith Based Comments

A Fox Sports college football analyst was fired after just one week once video footage surfaced of him in 2012 speaking of gays having to face God for their sexual choices.

Craig James, a former NFL player who unsuccessfully ran last year for a Senate seat in Texas, said during a campaign debate that gays would “have to answer to the Lord for their actions,” the Daily Mail reported. He also said, to applause, that being gay “is a choice” and those who “choose to do that” face accountability from God.

He made the comments about gays in context of explaining how “God’s going to judge each one of us in this room for our actions."

He added: “We should not give benefits to those civil unions. They should not occur. We have to stay strong on this, this is important, man. … We have a fiscal issue in this country. … We also have a moral issue in this country.”

Fox executives fired him and said he “will not be making any further appearances on Fox Sports Southwest’s football coverage this season,” a network spokesperson told Sports Illustrated.

Another Fox spokesman told the Dallas Morning News, “We just asked ourselves how Craig’s statements would play in our human resources department. He couldn’t say those things here.”
Mr. James was formerly an analyst for ESPN, but took a hiatus to run for Senate. He was hired by Fox Sports a month ago.

At the time of Mr. James‘ hiring, Fox Sports Southwest executive producer Mike Anastassiou called him a “talented broadcaster who I’ve admired throughout his career. His knowledge of college football and the experience he brings as an analyst will be a tremendous asset to our coverage.”

Katherine Webb vs. the Kardashians

Katherine Webb insists she is nothing like reality star Kim Kardashian after being recognized for her stunning looks while cheering on her University of Alabama boyfriend, A.J. McCarron, during the recent BCS National Championship.

Webb, 23-year-old Miss Alabama USA 2012, gained popularity when sports announcers complimented her appearance during the college football championship game last week.
The beauty queen will appear in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue scheduled to hit newsstands on Feb 11.

While she recognizes that people are noticing her beauty, Webb said many are respecting the fact that she is nothing like Kardashian.

"I have morals and I have class." Webb told SI. "A lot of people have said I'm the anti-Kim Kardashian and I'm all right with that."

Although Webb recognized that Kardashian is a success in her own right, she told the publication that she wants to approach her career differently.

"She made herself into who she is and that's fine and all that. But I guess the way I want to go about all this is, I just want to have a positive image for myself," Webb told SI. "I want girls to be able to look up to me and to say, 'I want to be just like her one day.' That's what I did as Miss Alabama and I loved that."

The Christian beauty queen recognizes that she has been blessed with her recent rise to fame.

"I was completely dumbfounded. It was so shocking to me because literally overnight I go from being AJ's girlfriend and going to support him in the championship game to being on every major media news outlet," Webb told SI. "It's just so surprising to me. I don't know what God has planned, but obviously He's working on something. When Sports Illustrated called it just became even more real that this is happening. Every single model wants to be in Sports Illustrated, and I feel extremely blessed to have that opportunity."

McCarron seems to feel just as blessed to have her as a part of his life.

"Loving my life like no other! Beautiful family, great girl beside me and a small circle of great friends and my teammates," McCarron tweeted recently. "#blessedfromabove."

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ESPN Again Features Switchfoot

ESPN debuted five songs from Switchfoot’s new album, Vice Verses during this past Saturday’s Oklahoma (#1) at Florida State (#5) game on ABC. The telecast also featured Switchfoot’s new video of the first single “Dark Horses.” They were also featured in this past year's BCS Championship game. In conjunction with the CD release, ESPN will host an exclusive stream for fans to be the first to hear the entire Vice Verses album on ESPN.com, which includes a link to a contest for winners to attend the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena to watch the game with Switchfoot on January 2, 2012. Check out the stream here. Switchfoot will be performing "Dark Horses" on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight on ABC. Vice Verses will be in stores on September 27.

Tebow’s Super Bowl ad isn’t intolerant; its critics are

Sally Jenkins thinks the government has no right to tell a woman whether she can have an abortion or not. But this pro-choice sports columnist also thinks that the group NOW is not right in trying to pull the pro-life Tim Tebow ad from airing during the Super Bowl.

"I’ll spit this out quick, before the armies of feminism try to gag me and strap electrodes to my forehead: Tim Tebow is one of the better things to happen to young women in some time," quips Sally Jenkins in a Washington Post column entitled, "Tebow’s Super Bowl ad isn’t intolerant; its critics are."

Jenkins pointed out that the public is always calling on athletes to be more responsible and to care about social issues, but when star college quarterback Tebow and his mother Pam try to tell their “genuine pro-choice story,” the group National Organization for Women goes on the attack. NOW’s criticism, Jenkins says, reveals that the group is not pro-choice but rather pro-abortion.

"Apparently NOW feels this commercial (featuring Tebow) is an inappropriate message for America to see for 30 seconds, but women in bikinis selling beer is the right one," Jenkins writes.

Rest of the article here.

'Redefined' NFL Quarterback Michael Vick to Star in Reality TV Series

For those who have been unconvinced by the turnaround of pro football player Michael Vick and his professed return to Christ since his arrest for an illegal dog-fighting operation, the upcoming BET reality series should illuminate the topic.

"Life is about choices, making good judgments, good decisions," says Vick in the promo for the documentary series.

Since the bust, Vick has apologized for initially lying about his involvement in illegal dogfighting and expressed regret for being a poor example to all his young fans. He’s also said he found Jesus – a claim that was, not surprisingly, met with skepticism.

"I'm upset with myself and, you know, through this situation I found Jesus and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God," Vick had said in a public apology on Aug. 27, 2007. "I think that's the right thing to do as of right now."

Following Vick’s remarks, some – including conservative radio talk show host the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson – accused the disgraced quarterback of evoking Jesus' name to stop the criticism and gain public sympathy.

"'Jesus' is the most abused name in black America and Vick is following a long line of abusers," commented Peterson, who is himself African American.

"We can no longer allow celebrities and politicians to break laws and then use 'Jesus' as a get-out-of-jail free card,” he added. “Most of these people go right back into their bad behavior and criminal activities as soon as the storm passes."

But Vick’s supporters say the former Atlanta Falcons star quarterback (and now back-up for the Philadelphia Eagles) has changed and that he has been making good on his pledge to commit himself to long-term participation in outreach programs to steer inner-city youth away from dog-fighting.

His character has also been vouched for by former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, one of the most respected figures in the NFL and the man whom Vick credited for his turnaround.

Dungy "helped redefine me as an individual," Vick said.

What that definition looks like today will be clear to the public when “The Michael Vick Project” makes its debut.

rest of the article here

The Blind Side Nominated for Two Oscars

The Blind Side has been nominated for two Academy Awards: Best picture and Sandra Bullock for Performance by an actress in a leading role.

This comes on the heels of Bullock's win at the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes for Lead Actress in a Film.

CBS Considering Airing Gay Dating Site Ad During Super Bowl

After days of deliberations on whether to run a controversial Super Bowl ad from gay dating site ManCrunch, CBS has not yet reached a decision.

Some conservatives have been concerned that CBS' acceptance of the Focus on the Family spot would open the door to other advocacy ads like this one.

Liberal Women's Groups Want CBS to Drop Tim Tebow Super Bowl Ad

College football phenom Tim Tebow is about to become one of the biggest stars of Super Bowl XLIV — and he's not even playing in the game.

Tebow and his mother Pam will appear in a pro-life commercial that tells the story of his risky birth 22 years ago -- an ad that liberal critics suggest could lead to anti-abortion violence, even though none of them have seen it.

It's a happy story with an inspirational ending, but pro-abortion critics say Focus on the Family should not be allowed to air the commercial because it advocates on behalf of a divisive issue and threatens to "throw women under the bus."

"This organization is extremely intolerant and divisive and pushing an un-American agenda," said Jehmu Greene, director of the Women's Media Center, which is coordinating a campaign to force CBS to pull the ad before it airs on Feb. 7.

Focus on the Family buys Super Bowl Ad

Focus on the Family will air its first Super Bowl spot during the upcoming Super Bowl game. The 30-second ad will feature Tim Tebow, a former quarterback with the University of Florida's Gators and 2007 winner of the Heisman Trophy, along with his mother Pam.

"Tim and Pam share our respect for life and our passion for helping families thrive," Jim Daly, president of Focus of the Family, said in a written statement on Jan. 15.

Focus on the Family spokeswoman Lisa Anderson would not reveal how much her organization paid for the ad or provide further details about it. But she told CNNMoney.com that the funds were donated specifically for this purpose by unnamed individuals. She said the money did not come from the group's general fund.

CBS, broadcaster of the 2010 Super Bowl game, is charging about $3 million for 30-second spots, according to spokesman Dana McClintock. But CBS would not reveal how much it charged Focus on the Family for their ad.

The Blind Side tops $200 Million

Sandra Bullock has accomplished a box office feat that fellow A-listers Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon and others have never succeeded - she's cracked the $200 million mark at the domestic box office.

According to Variety, "The Blind Side" is the first movie ever "driven solely by a top female star" to break $200 million.

One wonders how much the Christian family at the center of the film and faith-based marketing helped drive the success of the film.