Active Faith: Pro Athletes Bring Christian Apparel to the Masses

There have always been Christian athletes in the ranks of professional sports. Guys would pray together in the end zone or in the locker room. Last year, some pro teams even started to add religion-themed promotional fan days.

The San Francisco Giants, for example, added days had game promotions for Christian, Jewish, and Mormon fans planned, according to USA Today, which didn’t sit well with Muslim fans of the team. Oakland A’s yarmulkes were handed out a Jewish Heritage Night that team held. The rise of new New York Jet Tim Tebow and the New York Knicks’ Jeremy Lin, two very devout Christians (and pals, apparently), has drawn attention to how religion and professional sports mix. 

Two pro basketball players — Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Tolliver and former NBA D-Leaguer Lanny Smith — have been capitalizing on all that interest, the Associated Press reports. The pair have started a company that produces sports apparel with Christian messages, called (punningly) Active Faith.

Lin, for one, wears the company’s wristbands during games with the IJNIP (“In Jesus’ Name I Play”) slogan on them, the AP notes. And other pro-ball players are getting into the act, too: Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry and San Diego Padres pitcher Micah Owings have invested in the brand.Continue reading...