Why Should I Care?
By Kelly L. Martinez

From the outfield bleachers, the name on the back of the player’s jersey was too fuzzy to make out.  The centerfielder was quite the athletic specimen — quick to the ball on defense and even more impressive at the plate.  If he didn’t play for the opposing team, he’d have been a fan-favorite at Dodger Stadium.  Because he wasn’t a Dodger, the youthful group chose to heckle him instead, in a good-natured sort of way.

It didn’t take Dale Murphy long to figure out he was the focus of a group of LDS missionaries at Dodger Stadium during the mid-1980s.  It didn’t take long for the missionaries to figure out who the Mormon guy was in the Braves’ uniform, either, since he kept waving at them.  It was California Los Angeles Mission Night at Dodger Stadium and hundreds of missionaries, both elders and sisters, were packed into the left field pavilion in white shirts, ties, and dresses, having a great time.  By the end of the night, the triviality of rooting for the home team crumbled and Murphy and the missionaries had made a deeper connection because of a shared faith.

This scene is one that is shared with much of the LDS sports-minded audience.  LDS athletes and their success on the court, field, pool, ice, vault, or track are very much our business and we root for them to succeed.  We care how they do and — even more importantly — who they are.

The scene in the movie The Singles Ward where Hyrum and Dallen banter back and forth about what celebrities are LDS plays on this fascination real-life Latter-day Saints have.  We’ve all done it to some extent; it’s okay to admit it.  When I was younger, I remember hearing that comedian Steve Martin was a member of the Church.  I also heard that Gary Burghoff (Radar on “MASH”), Chuck Norris, Bill Bixby, Gladys Knight (okay, this one was true) and other high-profile people had either converted to the Church or had been members for most of their lives.  I’m certain you’ve experienced this, too.

So What?

Why do we care so much about LDS athletes and celebrities?  What makes them more deserving of our attention than any other actor, singer, athlete or coach?  What about the Catholic minor leaguer who has had to overcome more obstacles than the LDS returned missionary on the same roster?  Or what about the Jewish big leaguer who wrestles with the choice of playing during the Jewish High Holy Days every season?  These have been driving questions for me during the four years I’ve been associated with Meridian Magazine. 

I have shared in this fascination of high-profile Saints; it has been a motivational point in my efforts to produce articles on LDS athletes and coaches.  It wasn’t very long after I began writing for Meridian that it became evident that there was an audience for stories about LDS athletes.  Mark Madsen, Andy Reid, Todd Christensen, Gary Crowton, Jeremy Guthrie, Greg Clark, and Vai Sikahema have all been subjects of articles I’ve written for Meridian.  In 2004, I stepped outside the sports world and wrote articles on LDS recording artist Cherie Call and Los Angeles television anchor Carlos Amezcua to try to broaden my scope.  It’s been a lot of fun but I’ve hit a hurdle that I’m perplexed with and could use a little help.

Afterthoughts and Your Thoughts

A colleague of mine is writing a book on LDS athletes.  Over lunch one day, our discussion turned to the “why” aspect of LDS sports and athletes.  More specifically, why do Mormons care so much about LDS athletes?  Neither of us was able to come up with a definitive answer but we both agreed that there is definitely an audience for books and articles on LDS athletes and coaches.

After writing more than my fair share of articles on LDS athletes and coaches, I’ve got to admit that it’s difficult coming up with a fresh angle when attempting to write another one.  I wonder what my audience wants to know about them and try to deliver, but it gets tougher with each article.

What do you think?  Why do we care so much about the Mark Madsens who rarely see action in the NBA?  Or the McKay Christensens who bounce up and down between the major and minor leagues and rarely see big league action?  Are we looking for an uplifting sports story?  There are a whole host of non-LDS athletes with inspiring stories if that’s what we want.  What about their stories?  Is a shared faith enough of a reason to take a special interest in an athlete or coach?  And what qualifies a sports story as an uplifting one?

Is there a clear-cut answer?  I am eager to find out what you think.

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