{"id":111835,"date":"2013-10-06T15:25:22","date_gmt":"2013-10-06T19:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/?p=111835"},"modified":"2013-10-06T15:45:23","modified_gmt":"2013-10-06T19:45:23","slug":"another-haunted-story-about-faith-in-ravens-locker-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/getreligion\/2013\/10\/another-haunted-story-about-faith-in-ravens-locker-room\/","title":{"rendered":"Another haunted story about Ravens locker room faith"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

At this point, fans who pay close attention to the Baltimore Ravens are contemplating a deep moral and religious question. No, I am not referring to the sins being committed on a weekly basis by the offensive linemen who are allegedly blocking for quarterback Joe Flacco.<\/p>\n

No, the bigger question is this: Who dominates the locker room, the party players associated with the recent \u201cparty bus\u201d incident<\/a>, with that strong supporting role played by a stripper named Sweet Pea, or the inner core of religious believers who are clearly being pulled into the organization or retained as leaders by head coach John \u201cgive me some mighty men\u201d Harbaugh?<\/p>\n

As the defending Super Bowl champions attempt to get their act together on the field, it\u2019s clear that there are questions that need to be answered in the locker room.<\/p>\n

Do the reporters and editors of The Baltimore Sun<\/em> see what is going on<\/a>?<\/p>\n

I honestly do not know. I do know that, in story after story, the folks that operate the newspaper that lands in my front yard demonstrate that they are tone deaf when it comes to writing about the lives of the many religious believers who are playing key roles in the Ravens locker room. Tone deaf? What other explanation is there for this trend in which the religious role in players\u2019 personal lives is either ignored or downplayed in story after story? Want to see a few examples, just from the past 12 months? Then click here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The latest story in this haunted series focuses on safety James Ihedigbo<\/a>, who \u2014 against strong odds \u2014 has emerged as a leader on the Ravens defense. It\u2019s important to know that his family is from Nigeria.<\/p>\n

Thus, this crucial transition in the story:<\/p>\n

After bouncing around the NFL for a couple of years and surviving another training camp competition, Ihedigbo is thriving as a starter for the Ravens. The 29-year-old is providing sound coverage, reliable tackling and leadership for a younger group of defensive backs that lost a pair of veteran mentors in Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard this past offseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cJames has been kind of the glue back there,\u201d coach John Harbaugh said.<\/p>\n

Fighting to keep a dream alive is nothing new for him or for the Ihedigbo family. Decades before, Ihedigbo learned about perseverance and the power of faith from his parents.<\/p>\n

The Ihedigbos, Apollos and Rose, left Nigeria and came to the United States in 1979, settling in Amherst, Mass. Two of their five children were born there, including their youngest son, James.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

OK, there\u2019s the faith word. Now what\u2019s the story, in terms of the journalistic facts?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Well, later in the story there is a reference to a book produced by this player\u2019s mother, who appears to be quite a remarkable character. Is she a church leader? The evidence online is mixed.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, readers are soon given another fact-free reference to religious influences in this family:<\/p>\n

James Ihedigbo\u2019s father, who died in 2002, and mother both earned doctoral degrees at Massachusetts \u2014 where James would eventually go \u2014 worked in education and opened a small technical and agricultural college in Nigeria that is still in operation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see that if my parents accomplished that, then there is no reason that I can\u2019t accomplish what I set out to do growing up here in the United States with the resources that I have and the people I have around me and the spiritual foundation that they laid out in front of me,\u201d said Ihedigbo, whose HOPE Africa foundation provides financial aid to students of African descent. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s kind of my mindset.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And later on:<\/p>\n

\u201cWinning the Super Bowl kind of brought everything together for him, for me and for the family,\u201d said Rose Ihedigbo, who recently published a book, \u201cSandals in the Snow,\u201d<\/a> about the family\u2019s journey. \u201cThroughout his career, he has been underestimated and under-graded. He was not recruited. He was not drafted. And he continued on. Finally, getting that victory with the Ravens and him having that Super Bowl ring, it\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At the end of the story, there is one clear Godtalk reference, but again no factual material about the faith commitments in the life of this player or his family.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, his defensive coordinator talks about the \u201cwisdom\u201d that Ihedigbo offers to younger players, how he is a \u201cmotivational guy\u201d whose voice is important in the locker room.<\/p>\n

But what does he say with that voice? The final quote offers a hint:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a firm believer in my faith, and I believe that what God has set in stone, no man can change,\u201d Ihedigbo said. \u201cThat\u2019s something that has been throughout my career. \u2026 I knew what it was going to take to be a starter. \u2026 That was my goal. Earn that starting job so everyone understands why you\u2019re [playing].\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It also helps to dig around a bit in Ihedigbo\u2019s Twitter account<\/a>: DIGGZ32. He isn\u2019t hiding much.<\/p>\n

In terms of journalism, why offer vague religious references about this leader in (one side) of the Ravens locker room? Why not ask one or two questions and print a few facts?<\/p>\n

Just saying. Again.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At this point, fans who pay close attention to the Baltimore Ravens are contemplating a deep moral and religious question. No, I am not referring to the sins being committed on a weekly basis by the offensive linemen who are allegedly blocking for quarterback Joe Flacco. 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