Are You, Christian, Among Those Who Hate Ryan Day or Kalen DeBoer?
Will Ryan Day be fired if he loses to Tennessee? That seems to be the question lingering among Buckeyes fans as the College Football Playoffs showdown looms Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
It doesn’t have a lot to do with the Volunteers. There’s no seething dislike for Tennessee among Ohio State fans that makes them want to beat the Vols. Day’s job status as head coach teeters on the cliff of a 1-4 record against Michigan.
For Ohio State, losing to Michigan is unacceptable. Buckeyes fans wouldn’t be happy losing to other teams, but beating Michigan causes other setbacks to lose some of their sting.
There’s a similar situation at Alabama, where Coach Kalen DeBoer is an object of fan dissatisfaction. His team not only lost to Vanderbilt, but also missed out on the first-ever 12-team CFP.
But the one thing DeBoer and Day seem to have in common is hatred from a certain percentage of the schools’ fan bases. Not dislike. Not “let’s get a new coach.” But it looks like, sounds like, walks like, and talks like “hate.”
It can be a slippery slope. Fans get so caught up in winning and losing that they kick around the hedges of hate when things don’t go their way. It can become a situation where DeBoer or Day becomes your enemy. You may believe they are taking your beloved football program in an unwanted direction.
But what did Jesus say about how we are to treat our enemies? In Luke 6:27-36, Jesus said:
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
Those verses create a difficult transition to the world of college football. It seems like hatred is the fuel that burns the fire and creates passion in the sport. Think about the Ohio State-Michigan example. If these teams didn’t specifically hate each other, would that game have any more meaning than Ohio State versus Wisconsin? Or Michigan taking on Purdue?
The problem grows when hatred turns toward specific people. Many Ohio State fans probably hated former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh before he bolted to the Chargers. And they hated Day for losing to Harbaugh.
It’s OK to have a favorite team and to want success. It’s also not a problem to desire a different head coach when the one in-house doesn’t meet the standard. But Day and DeBoer are people. They should not be objects of hate for Christians simply because they don’t win enough — or the most important — football games.
Another problem with developing hate is potentially losing support for the program you claim to love. People who hate Day and want him to be fired might have difficulty rooting for him to succeed against Tennessee. The rationale would be: Losing to the Volunteers might cost Day his job and open the door for a new — presumably better — coach. A win might keep Day around for more years — and possibly cause more losses to Michigan.
It’s very likely both Day and DeBoer will return to the sidelines with their respective schools in 2025. Coaches these days face many problems guys like the legendary Bear Bryant never had to endure. That doesn’t mean they should get a free pass.
But as Christians we should guard our hearts and not let Satan deceive us into thinking it’s OK to hate someone just because, in our opinion, they made excessive contributions to a losing cause.
