Clinton Portis says Jim Zorn looked down on non-believers

[hawknation2015]

WASHBURN, Va. -- Former Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis on Tuesday said ex-coach Jim Zorn lost the players' support because he split the locker room based on faith.

Portis, during his weekly appearance on ESPN980, said Zorn, who coached the Redskins in 2008-09 before being fired, divided the locker room between "Christians and ballplayers."

"So if you didn't believe in what he believed in, if you weren't Antwaan Randle El, if you weren't the guys who sat and prayed with him and did everything the way they thought your life should be, you kind of got, 'Well, you're not doing right' speeches directed toward you," Portis said.

"I'm grown," Portis said. "I can do what I want to do. I don't have a police record. If I don't get in no trouble, don't assume the way that I live my life, don't preach to me about what's right. Because you're not right, you're phony, you're sitting here in my face telling me one thing and then you go behind my back and say something else."

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13939 ... n-religion

 

[chris98251]

WASHBURN, Va. -- Former Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis on Tuesday said ex-coach Jim Zorn lost the players' support because he split the locker room based on faith.

Portis, during his weekly appearance on ESPN980, said Zorn, who coached the Redskins in 2008-09 before being fired, divided the locker room between "Christians and ballplayers."

"So if you didn't believe in what he believed in, if you weren't Antwaan Randle El, if you weren't the guys who sat and prayed with him and did everything the way they thought your life should be, you kind of got, 'Well, you're not doing right' speeches directed toward you," Portis said.

"I'm grown," Portis said. "I can do what I want to do. I don't have a police record. If I don't get in no trouble, don't assume the way that I live my life, don't preach to me about what's right. Because you're not right, you're phony, you're sitting here in my face telling me one thing and then you go behind my back and say something else."

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13939 ... n-religion

Took this long for them to trash him, nice job.

 

[Tech Worlds]

Portis always has been kinda.... Well... Kinda....

 

[massari]

Religion is evil.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

Zorn is a bit of a quirky sort as well, in his own way.

 

[CalgaryHawk]

I wish the Hawks would consider hiring Zorn as an Assistant QB coach - he could help Wilson improve his game in my opinion and his shared faith would be a good match with Wilson.

 

[ivotuk]

Clinton Portis, now without the costumes, trying to boost his talk show ratings. "Look at me! Look at me! Please? Somebody look at me? Okay, but I warned you...now I'm going to do something that will get hits and popular backlash!" "I'm going to trash Christianity!"

 

[marko358]

Clinton Portis, now without the costumes, trying to boost his talk show ratings. "Look at me! Look at me! Please? Somebody look at me? Okay, but I warned you...now I'm going to do something that will get hits and popular backlash!" "I'm going to trash Christianity!"

Was there more to this than what was quoted in the OP? I'm struggling to see where he trashed Christianity.

 

[theENGLISHseahawk]

Good for Clinton Portis.

There's no room for this type of attitude in any work place. No wonder Zorn flopped in Washington.

 

[drdiags]

I would be uncomfortable if my boss (Sherman Smith, in this case) proceeded to have prayer meetings during regular work time. I don't have an issue with others wanting to practice their faith but do it during non-work hours at the facility with the approval of the facilities folks. Not in a meeting room before discussing game items.

Touchy subject and though I respect Jim's views he has to separate work from non-work activities while on team facilities.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Explains why he and Hasselbeck (devout Christian) got along so well.

Our QB also happens to be a crazy devout Christian, so maybe Zorn wouldn't be a bad fit?

 

[mrt144]

Clinton Portis, now without the costumes, trying to boost his talk show ratings. "Look at me! Look at me! Please? Somebody look at me? Okay, but I warned you...now I'm going to do something that will get hits and popular backlash!" "I'm going to trash Christianity!"

Was there more to this than what was quoted in the OP? I'm struggling to see where he trashed Christianity.

Don't you know, pointing out how one religious fellow was zealous is trashing the entirety of Christianity in the eyes of Christians in America today.

I dealt with this in high school all the time as an outspoken atheist - at one point in my sophmore year after a team recited the lord's prayer, I said any god who cared about our baseball team was a pretty shitty god given how awful we were playing, more than half the team thought I was the root cause of our troubles.

Very few people are so secure in their religious beliefs that you can point out the obvious without hurting their feelings.

 

[theENGLISHseahawk]

Explains why he and Hasselbeck (devout Christian) got along so well.

Our QB also happens to be a crazy devout Christian, so maybe Zorn wouldn't be a bad fit?

Why would we want to encourage this kind of behaviour?

If the backup QB wasn't a Christian, does he get locked out of the meeting room?

 

[IndyHawk]

Explains why he and Hasselbeck (devout Christian) got along so well.

Our QB also happens to be a crazy devout Christian, so maybe Zorn wouldn't be a bad fit?

Why would we want to encourage this kind of behaviour?

If the backup QB wasn't a Christian, does he get locked out of the meeting room?

This.I Met Jim Zorn and Steve Largent when I was a kid.He spoke to all of us kids about being a Christian and so on,I remember it pretty well because we didn't come into that expecting a sermon so it was a suprise.I will credit Jim Zorn for never changing who he is despite being involved with the NFL all these years and same for Steve Largent.I can understand others like Portis who may be say baptist not comfortable with Zorn.

 

[Popeyejones]

I dealt with this in high school all the time as an outspoken atheist - at one point in my sophmore year after a team recited the lord's prayer, I said any god who cared about our baseball team was a pretty shitty god given how awful we were playing, more than half the team thought I was the root cause of our troubles.

Very few people are so secure in their religious beliefs that you can point out the obvious without hurting their feelings.

Ehh, OT but I do think you're still somewhat responsible as you're making the conscious effort to needle people. You got the response you were looking for, so you can't really complain about it, IMO. That doesn't mean reciting Christian prayer should in any way be an organized team activity, though.

FWIW on my HS team our coach also made us congregate in Christian prayer before and after games. I'm Jewish so I didn't engage, but also didn't disengage in a disruptive way. The several Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and atheistic/agnostic kids on the team (about 10 of us total maybe) would just sit silently and sometimes make faces at each other while they did their thing (that the coaches and all the Christians had their eyes closed while praying made that possible ).

As for Portis, his claim is that he was essentially reprimanded by his boss at his place of work due to his religious beliefs. If true, anybody who is defending that behavior or thinks that critique of it is an attack on Christianity isn't worth engaging with, IMO.

 

[mrt144]

I dealt with this in high school all the time as an outspoken atheist - at one point in my sophmore year after a team recited the lord's prayer, I said any god who cared about our baseball team was a pretty shitty god given how awful we were playing, more than half the team thought I was the root cause of our troubles.

Very few people are so secure in their religious beliefs that you can point out the obvious without hurting their feelings.

Ehh, OT but I do think you're still somewhat responsible as you're making the conscious effort to needle people. You got the response you were looking for, so you can't really complain about it, IMO. That doesn't mean reciting Christian prayer should in any way be an organized team activity, though.

I totally was fishing for a reaction (as a ornery teenager is wont to do), I didn't realize that in addition to being religious they were also superstitious. But baseball is baseball in that regard I guess. What adulthood has taught me is you don't discuss your existential views unless prompted :lol:

 

[Popeyejones]

:lol: :lol: :th2thumbs:

 

[JesterHawk]

I dealt with this in high school all the time as an outspoken atheist - at one point in my sophmore year after a team recited the lord's prayer, I said any god who cared about our baseball team was a pretty shitty god given how awful we were playing, more than half the team thought I was the root cause of our troubles.

Very few people are so secure in their religious beliefs that you can point out the obvious without hurting their feelings.

As for Portis, his claim is that he was essentially reprimanded by his boss at his place of work due to his religious beliefs. If true, anybody who is defending that behavior or thinks that critique of it is an attack on Christianity isn't worth engaging with, IMO.

If the allegations are true then the only one attacking Christianity was Jim Zorn. Christ didn't come to condemn. The Gospel doesn't say "Thou shalt love only those who believe like you believe."

 

[kearly]

It's just one person's version of the story. But if true, shame on Zorn.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Explains why he and Hasselbeck (devout Christian) got along so well.

Our QB also happens to be a crazy devout Christian, so maybe Zorn wouldn't be a bad fit?

Why would we want to encourage this kind of behaviour?

If the backup QB wasn't a Christian, does he get locked out of the meeting room?

Sign Tebow.

Problem solved

:stirthepot: