January Series 2001
Introduction of Frank Deford, senior
writer for Sports Illustrated, at the January Series of Calvin College,
January 8, 2001.
At first glance
Frank Deford may seem a little out of place at the January Series.
Isn’t this prestigious lecture series
the haven of the nation’s best philosophers, scientists, and historians,
addressing the most high-minded of topics? In this setting it may appear
a sportswriter risks becoming the solution to the old Sesame Street riddle:
One of these things is not like the others.
Yet I would submit that Frank Deford
should find a warmer welcome here than at many other venues for his perspective
on sports.
After all, this institution in general
and this lecture series in particular are dedicated to the pursuit of the
broadest spiritual and intellectual themes of that which permeates our
everyday lives – as sports certainly do.
Our worldview is shaped Abraham Kuyper,
who claimed all creation and culture for Christ – every square inch. This
leads us to explore the entirety of the vast cultural terrain, and few
have worked to map that terrain as knowledgably and eloquently as Frank
Deford. In his work at Sports Illustrated, National Public Radio,
and in his many books, his frame of reference is the cultural context of
sports.
As Frank Deford talks today about the
sports hero in America, we realize that sports heroes are among our most
important cultural icons. Ever since the Ancient Romans erected statues
to commemorate star athletes when they died, sports heroes have both produced
and reflected the values and ideals of a society. Frank Deford has
a first-hand knowledge of today’s sports icons, such as Michael Jordan
and Mark McGwire. Most recently, he profiled Tiger Woods as Sports Illustrated’s
Sportsman of the Year 2000.
In the end, the wins and losses of
sports do not really matter for much. Frank Deford has done more than most
writers to show us what it is about sports that does matter.
So today we give him a hearty Kuyperian
welcome back to the January Series.
Calvin College is grateful to Huntington
Bank for underwriting today’s presentation.
Please welcome Frank Deford.
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