The ‘Godballers’ are coming for the rainbow



In the book of Genesis, the rainbow symbolizes God’s covenant never again to destroy all living creatures in a global flood.

Then came the 1970s, when artist Gilbert Baker created the rainbow flag that became an enduring symbol of gay rights and, eventually, the broader LGBTQ movement.

Athletes reach audiences traditional religious institutions often struggle to reach, particularly young men.

Now some Christian athletes are beginning to reclaim the symbol — and something larger along with it.

A recent episode of A.J. Rice’s “Dangerous Laughter” podcast featured sports journalist Steve Eubanks discussing his new book, “Godball: How Athletes Are Saving Christianity.” Eubanks’ central argument is that professional and college athletes are increasingly using their platforms to express Christian faith openly and that this may reflect a broader religious revival, particularly among young men.

Athletes pray publicly, talk about Jesus in interviews, and use social media to communicate directly with fans. They no longer depend entirely on sportswriters or television networks to interpret what they believe.

That matters because athletes who embrace fashionable political causes are often celebrated, while those who express traditional Christian beliefs can encounter a different response.

Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey learned that lesson this year. The Bulls waived him for “conduct detrimental to the team” after he criticized the NBA’s embrace of Pride Month and described LGBTQ celebration as “unrighteous.”

Jonathan Isaac drew criticism in 2020 when, citing his Christian faith, he stood for the national anthem and declined to wear a Black Lives Matter shirt. Tim Tebow became one of the most polarizing athletes in America more than a decade ago, largely because of how conspicuously he displayed his Christianity.

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker faced enormous backlash after a 2024 commencement speech at Benedictine College defending traditional Catholic teaching on marriage, family, and gender roles.

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Yet Eubanks argues that the cultural resistance may actually strengthen the phenomenon. Athletes reach audiences traditional religious institutions often struggle to reach, particularly young men. Sports reward discipline, sacrifice, teamwork, perseverance, delayed gratification, and submission to something larger than oneself — virtues naturally compatible with Christian teaching.

The most literal example of Christians reclaiming the rainbow came earlier this summer in San Francisco.

During the Giants’ Pride Night, pitchers Landen Roupp, J.T. Brubaker, and Ryan Walker wrote Bible verses on their rainbow-themed caps. Roupp cited Genesis 9:12-16 — the passage describing God’s covenant with Noah and the rainbow as its sign. A fourth pitcher, Sam Hentges, declined to wear the Pride cap altogether. MLB issued formal warnings to the three players who altered their caps.

The episode contained an irony almost too perfect to invent. The rainbow began in Scripture as a sign of God’s covenant. Christian ballplayers invoked that meaning and found themselves in trouble for altering a rainbow symbol adopted by the modern gay-rights movement.

Commissioner Rob Manfred later acknowledged another wrinkle: Giants players had not been properly informed that wearing the Pride caps was optional.

Eubanks sees these episodes as part of something larger.

There is evidence for at least part of his thesis. Gallup reported this year that the share of young American men who say religion is “very important” in their lives rose from 28% in 2022-23 to 42% in 2024-25. Young men also reached roughly the same level of religious service attendance as young women.

Sports may be one conduit for that renewed interest.

Consider Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever. Cunningham has described herself as a “woman of God” and this summer publicly opposed transgender women competing in women’s sports, saying young girls “shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” The comments brought predictable backlash, but Cunningham refused to retreat.

RELATED: MLB’s Pride police strike out against Christian players

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That willingness to speak plainly is central to what Rice and Eubanks describe.

Young athletes do not need to become theologians. They need only refuse the increasingly strange proposition that Christianity belongs safely in private while every other moral and political creed may be displayed at center court, midfield, or home plate.

This is where “Godball” becomes more interesting than another collection of inspirational sports stories.

Athletes occupy an unusual position in American culture. They embody physical excellence, discipline, competition, loyalty, and sacrifice. Millions of young people watch them, imitate them, and listen when they speak.

If even a fraction of those athletes begin speaking openly about Christ, marriage, family, sex, sacrifice, and moral order, they create a cultural influence far beyond the stadium.

And perhaps the rainbow is the perfect place to begin.

Christians never needed permission to remember what it meant first.

Let the Godballers become the new heretics — and reclaim the rainbow.

'Gay Giants fan's heartbreaking letter' reveals major Pride Month win for sports



Like most professional sports, Major League Baseball players have been forced to promote the LGBTQ community — especially during Pride Month.

But this Pride Month things are changing, and gay baseball fans are not happy about it.

In one article for the magazine “Out Sports” titled “Gay Giants fan’s heartbreaking letter shows the cost of the team’s Pride Night failure,” a fan laments the actions of several San Francisco Giants players who chose to do their own thing on Pride Night.

“So this fan wrote a note to the San Francisco Giants ... about this incident that happened at their Pride Night festival,” BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere explains on “Stu Does America.” “Now as you may know, every Major League Baseball team has a Pride Night with the exception of the Texas Rangers.”


While the team did celebrate Pride Night, multiple Giants players wore hats boasting Bible verses.

“Signifying, ‘Hey, like you know this isn’t a thing that we want to be involved in, and we have a different opinion,’” Stu explains.

The Bible verse in question “talks about the rainbow and how it was God’s sign.”

The disgruntled fan wrote that he has been “a lifelong Giants fan for over 40 years,” beginning when he “attended games as a kid” and “arrived early to get autographs from players.”

“As an LGBTQ athlete, I’ve had the honor of going to a Pride night or day for many years. I’ve also organized 200 plus softball players to attend the game annually,” he said.

“I was unbelievably disappointed by the offensive and disrespectful actions of a few Giants players who chose to write a Bible verse on their hats that was meant to reclaim the rainbow as a Christian/Catholic symbol,” he continued.

“Now, my understanding was the Bible came long before Pride Night. I don’t know if that’s accurate, Dave, historically, but I believe it is,” Stu says.

The gay author went on to explain that in 1978, Gilbert Baker created the rainbow flag in San Francisco as a symbol of pride.

“I will note 1978 is after the Bible came out,” Stu comments, pointing out that “not everything has to be about sex.”

“Like you can actually have a sport where people come out and enjoy the sport,” he adds.

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MLB says warning Christian players was a mistake — but confirms 2 teams are allowed to push Pride propaganda



Major League Baseball says it was wrong to issue warnings to San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their caps.

Specifically, Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker were threatened with discipline after writing different forms of Genesis 9:12-16 on team caps that support transgenderism and other sexualities, with the league citing violations of its uniform policy.

'The players were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be.'

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) had sent a letter to the MLB on June 16 calling out the league for promoting Black Lives Matter in 2020 and becoming a "billboard" for political messaging, yet still issuing a warning to the Giants pitchers last week.

MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred responded to Hawley on Monday, who posted the letter online for all to see. In the text, Manfred revealed that the Giants' communication with players was "inadequate and not clear" regarding their option to wear Pride hats. He claimed that some players did not understand they had the option to wear the normal Giants cap instead.

The commissioner's office said "unfortunately" it issued a "routine oral warning" before it became aware of the Giants' "lapse in communication."

Players "should not be compelled to participate in a celebratory event ... if such participation would violate their sincere religious beliefs or values," Manfred told Hawley.

The MLB boss later confirmed, "The players were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be."

RELATED: SF Giants commentator compares gays to black people as 'oppressed' minority following Christian protest

In the same letter, Manfred revealed that only two teams are permitted to wear special gay-themed hats in games: the Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Despite the league saying in 2023 that it would not permit clubs to utilize unauthorized hats, the clubs submitted special requests to have their Pride hats grandfathered in, and their requests were granted.

These "Pride Night" hats were justified by Manfred, who claimed it was because the cities have "some of the largest LGBTQ communities in the United States."

However, players are not required to wear them, as he previously stated.

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Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images

The commissioner cited other "faith/religious-related games" and nights that "celebrate different ethnicities or nationalities" at MLB ballparks and said that the league "does not regulate these events, but also does not permit Clubs or players to utilize special uniforms/equipment for such games, or alter the uniform or equipment."

However, for 12 league-wide events, MLB teams are mandated by the head office to alter their uniforms. Those days are:

Mother's Day, Father's Day, Armed Forces Weekend, Play Ball Weekend, Memorial Day, Lou Gehrig Day, Independence Day, Hall of Fame Weekend, Childhood Cancer Awareness Day, September 11th, Jackie Robinson Day, and Roberto Clemente Day.

Manfred said the league has had "no significant complaints from fans or players for those days."

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SF Giants commentator compares gays to black people as 'oppressed' minority following Christian protest



San Francisco Giants sportscaster Mike Krukow vehemently defended the team's Pride Night celebration in lengthy remarks after three pitchers wrote Bible verses on their hats.

Pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker wrote differing forms of "Genesis 9:12-16" on their Giants rainbow-themed hats last week, and veteran commentator Krukow says it was a big mistake.

'The strength of this city is its ethnicity, its culture.'

Krukow's diatribe came after hosts on radio station KNBR asked him on Tuesday if he had any thoughts on the protest. Krukow did not hold back, directly comparing the "gay community" to black Americans by referring to homosexuals as an oppressed "minority."

"It's hard to put it into perspective when you have so much emotion and so much of love for people who have been pinged at and oppressed and there was so much prejudice at you," Krukow attempted to explain. "The gay community has had to deal with issues, as the black community, as any minority community has had to."

The announcer championed the Giants organization's long history of supporting gay people, which he said dated back to 1994 when it raise money for AIDS research. This was just one of the reasons Krukow said it was the duty of Giants players to understand the culture of the city, and thus, to support gay events.

RELATED: Minor league baseball team cancels Pride Night ballgame — but still holds Pride Night to punish players

Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

"It's your responsibility to know just how sensitive this city is in regards to that cultural freedom and religious freedom and just the way that you live your life. And I think they were in for a rude awakening with the response," Krukow said.

However, the protests did not prevent Giants fans from showing up at the next two home games. As Blaze News reported, attendance fluctuated in the days following the allegedly bigoted acts, with more fans showing up on the Sunday after Pride Night than they did on Pride Night itself.

The 74-year-old announcer made plenty more partisan comments during his radio appearance, saying the "ethnicity" and "freedom" of San Francisco is what makes the city great.

"The strength of this city is its ethnicity, its culture," Krukow claimed. "It's the freedom for people to be able to come to a city and be free. And that's a powerful thing."

Though Krukow frequently mentioned "freedom," he seems to have been referring to sexuality.

RELATED: Do Giants fans hate the Christian protest on Pride Night? Attendance numbers reveal the truth

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Krukow did mention that he feels it is necessary to respect both sides of the issue.

Krukow said that complaints about the Pride Night protests were not from just "trolls," but rather "deep thoughts" and "educated opinion[s]" on why it is imperative to support the "gay community."

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Do Giants fans hate the Christian protest on Pride Night? Attendance numbers reveal the truth



Fans threw a lot of vitriol at three San Francisco Giants players who wrote biblical references on their caps last Friday, leading to turmoil with the league.

Major League Baseball issued a warning to the players while the Giants franchise offered an apology, seemingly pointing to a huge blowback against the team over the protests.

'Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued.'

After pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker wrote differing forms of "Genesis 9:12-16" on their LGBT-themed Pride hats last Friday against the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park, fans took to social media to vent their gripes.

The fan page on Reddit was particularly ruthless, where one fan even compared the use of Bible verses to "writing racist s**t on Jackie Robinson night."

"What a bunch of f**king morons," the user added.

Another Redditor called the players "the 4 Bigot pitchers," adding reliever Sam Hentges in the mix, who simply chose to wear a regular Giants cap on the night in question, not the Pride one.

More commenters seemed frustrated that the "locker room leaders" did not express concern over the incident.

However, the outrage seemingly did not affect attendance at the park when compared to the home games that followed Pride Night on Friday, which had an official attendance of 38,115. On Saturday, attendance dipped to 35,142 before jumping to 40,093 on Sunday afternoon, less than a thousand short of a sellout.

RELATED: MLB sends subtle threat to SF Giants pitchers over Pride Night biblical protest: 'We have warned the players'

Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images

While many factors affect ticket sales — starting pitchers, day of the week, time of day, etc. — one thing is certain: Fans still showed up for the games following the widely discussed protest.

The Giants won't return home until June 23 against the Athletics, when the dust surrounding the MLB warning and team apology may have settled.

In a statement to the Athletic, the league warned the three pitchers, saying, "The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations."

The MLB has remained steadfast in its restrictions on players altering hats, having warned players in the past for writing phrases like "Dad," "Happy Mother's Day," "I Love Mom," or names of family members, the MLB said, per ABC News.

RELATED: Minor league baseball team cancels Pride Night ballgame — but still holds Pride Night to punish players

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

According to the San Francisco Standard, the Giants organization issued a statement reinforcing that "baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued."

While the team said it respected the decisions made by its players, the Giants noted, "We understand that the choices by individual players have caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that."

The protest does not change the Giants' commitment to "inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all," the team added.

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NY Times Says Christian MLB Players Wearing Bible Verses Will Cause Mass ‘Abuse’ Of Gay People

During a Friday pride night game, several San Francisco Giants pitchers wrote Bible verses on their gay-ified hats. One player made clear there was “no hate at all. It’s just what I stand for, and what I stand on: I believe in God.” The same player added that the rainbow is a symbol of God’s […]

MLB’s Pride police strike out against Christian players



For years, June looked like the American Ramadan: an entire month dedicated to the state religion of LGBTQ politics, complete with mandatory observances across every major institution.

Gay men exposed themselves to children at parades while police looked on. Transgender activists went topless on the White House lawn while Joe Biden declared that transgender youth “shape the soul of America.” The spectacle was grotesque, but the LGBTQ movement kept winning, and its radicals assumed they could do whatever they wanted without consequence.

For too long, conservatives pretended the state could remain neutral while the left captured every major institution. That fantasy is over.

Donald Trump’s 2024 victory shocked the cultural radicals who expected the country to keep swallowing the agenda. Trump did not end wokeness, but his mandate signaled a limit to what the public would tolerate. Movies and television still push woke pieties. Democrats still advance insane views on child transition. But the most outrageous excesses of Pride Month have begun to recede. This June, far fewer institutions seemed eager to signal total loyalty to the rainbow regime.

Professional sports remain among the stubborn exceptions.

Hockey and baseball teams still drape their social media in rainbow colors and hold Pride nights at their stadiums. On the surface, this makes little sense. Sports audiences tend to be male, more conservative, and far less interested in radical LGBTQ propaganda than the professional class that runs these leagues. Pride branding does not attract these fans. It alienates them.

So why keep doing it?

Because the point is not profit. The point is domination.

The leagues maintain their public worship of homosexuality because it irritates their middle-American audience. Hollywood did something similar with “Joker.” The first film made a fortune, but elites hated that disaffected young men embraced it. So the sequel humiliated and destroyed the main character. The studio cared more about punishing the audience than pleasing it.

Sports owners increasingly behave the same way. They despise the people who make them rich and would rather lecture them than serve them.

San Francisco is hardly a conservative stronghold, so no one should be surprised that the Giants held a Pride night and required players to wear LGBTQ-themed uniforms. The team redesigned its logo in rainbow colors and placed it on player caps, as it has done before.

This time, a few players found a way to resist.

Pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker wore the required Pride caps but wrote “Genesis 9:11-16” beside the logo. The passage refers to God giving mankind the rainbow as a sign of His promise never again to flood the earth.

RELATED: MLB sends subtle threat to SF Giants pitchers over Pride Night biblical protest: ‘We have warned the players’

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

It was a clever protest. The players wore the mandated symbol of the regime. They did not directly attack LGBTQ activists or the Pride agenda. They simply recontextualized the rainbow, turning a celebration of homosexuality into a reminder of God’s love, covenant, and dominion. The shift was subtle but devastating. It seized the frame and subverted the intended message.

Activists were predictably outraged. They could not tolerate faithful Christians finding a tactful way to register dissent. They demanded punishment, claiming the players had “politicized” the event.

That complaint sounds absurd until you understand the real rule. This is not hypocrisy. It is hierarchy.

Pride night itself is political. Professional athletes routinely wear political messages for approved causes such as Black Lives Matter. Leagues have no problem turning games into ideological performances when the message serves the left. The issue is not whether Major League Baseball should remain neutral. The issue is that only one form of politics is allowed.

The warning to the Giants pitchers was an assertion of raw power over players and fans. It told Christians that they may be forced to wear the symbol, but they may not interpret it according to their own faith. They may participate in the ritual, but they may not confess a higher authority.

Major League Baseball understood its dilemma. The protest was too careful to cast easily as hateful. The players had worn the required uniform. A severe punishment would look vindictive. But the league also needed to placate activists who treat every Christian objection as heresy.

So the league chose the worst possible middle ground. It reportedly warned the three players that they had violated a rule and could face consequences if they did it again. Fans and Christians will see the warning as a bigoted attack because that is what it is. LGBTQ activists will see it as insufficient punishment for disobedience.

The decision may also bring legal trouble. Major League Baseball operates in Florida and is subject to that state’s law. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier noted on social media that the policy appears to show religious discrimination by the league. He warned that Major League Baseball would be hearing from his office soon.

Good.

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Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

This is why conservatives must obtain political power and use it. Progressives will not stop discriminating against Christians. They will not leave believers alone. They will demand submission, call it inclusion, and punish anyone who remembers that the rainbow belonged to God before activists turned it into a corporate loyalty oath.

For too long, conservatives pretended the state could remain neutral while the left captured every major institution. That fantasy is over. Someone will dictate the culture. Someone will decide which beliefs are honored, which are tolerated, and which are punished.

Christians should not seek persecution as proof of virtue. They should seek victory as the proper end of political life. If corporate sports leagues want to conscript players into Pride rituals and punish faithful dissent, they should face lawsuits, investigations, and political consequences.

The rainbow is not theirs. It never was. It’s ours. The lesson should be obvious by now: Neutrality never survives contact with a militant faith. If Christians refuse to defend their symbols, the regime will gladly steal them and demand gratitude for the theft next June too.

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D-Backs Pitcher Ryan Thompson Defends Giants Players’ ‘Really Cool’ Christian Expression

A group of San Francisco Giants players facing unhinged leftist blowback for sharing their Christian faith is receiving support from a fellow brother in Christ. Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryan Thompson defended Giants players Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker on Tuesday after they wrote references to Genesis 9:12-16 on their LGBT-themed hats during the team’s […]