And God Said, "It's Good!": Amusing and Thought-Provoking Parallels Between the Bible and Football [Hardcover]

Gary Graf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 17, 2007

And God Said, "It's Good!" takes the sport of football and compares this favorite Sunday pastime to the Bible--and it works. Once again, Gary Graf combines his love of sports with the Bible, resulting in an amusing and fun-loving book that delights any sports fan.

Comparisons include Hail Mary passes and answered prayers; immaculate receptions and Immaculate Conceptions; football stadiums and cathedrals; biblical verses and double reverses, plus good books and playbooks. These and many more parallels fill this lively and entertaining 192-page hardcover.

On any Sunday, you can bet some are brought closer to the spirit of the sport while others are more connected to the bible. The twenty chapters in this book compare football and the bible--with remarkable results!

"Forgiveness and good works were just pre-game drills for the Lord's true purpose here on earth."

"God rested on Sunday. Football is mostly played on Sunday. Coincidence? I think not."


Any author who can find similarities between the dazzling colors of a football team and the colorful vestments of a priest--needs to have his book read cover to cover. A delightful read for everyone--even if you're not remotely interested in football.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Graf has been a sports fan for more than 40 years and a Catholic longer than that. He holds a B. S. in Mathematics from the University of San Francisco and an MBA from the University of Washington. He has worked for the Big Cheese himself, having spent seven years in the employ of Mickey Mouse at Walt Disney Productions, where he served as a publicist and story editor.

For nearly 25 years, he has brought creativity to commerce as an advertising copywriter in such markets as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. He has developed entertaining yet pertinent stories to show how everything from synthetic wine corks to jumbo jets fit into consumers' lives. He is now taking a similar approach to help make Scripture and faith more relevant for people today. He is the author of And God Said, "Play Ball!"- Amusing and Thought-Provoking Parallels Between the Bible and Baseball, now in its fourth printing. A follow up book revolving around the Bible and football entitled And God Said, "It's Good!" is scheduled to be released in July.

Mr. Graf has played, coached, watched or taught baseball since he was seven years old. He counts his sixth grade homerun to defeat archrival St. Catharine's in extra innings among the highlights of his life. On the gridiron, he once kicked a 40-yard field goal when no one was watching. He has long found both the Spirit and sport to be among the great teachers in Life.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Liguori Publications (July 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764815784
• ISBN-13: 978-0764815782
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #836,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Graf's Work is a Masterful Piece of Teaching, August 27, 2007

By 

James S. McFarland "Jim McFarland" (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And God Said, "It's Good!": Amusing and Thought-Provoking Parallels Between the Bible and Football (Hardcover)

I played football from elementary school all the way into college. While I didn't know much about the Bible when I was young, I did become a student and avid reader of scripture later in life. And as God's plan for me has unfolded, I now teach people interested in joining our Church how to use, understand and appreciate the Bible.

So, when a close friend told me about Mr. Graf's book, I was intrigued about how he might combine my all-time favorite sport with the Bible. Well, just let me say that Graf has done a masterful job. In his second book (the first was on baseball and scripture), he becomes teacher, theologian, historian and story teller. He has woven and combined treasured and important parts of the Bible with some of the greatest plays, players and stories from football history. Importantly, he does in a very enjoyable, entertaining and thought provoking read.

Graf captures my interest and attention right from the beginning. He quite adroitly shows how Lambeau Field in Green Bay Wisconsin was indeed an "awesome place," just as the Bible says the home of God's chosen people was also such a place as is noted in Genesis 28:17. Honestly, when I was a quarterback in the third grade little leagues, there was no more awesome place on earth than the place (Lambeau Field) where the Green Bay Packers played.

Moreover, I believe Graf's gift with this book has been to create a marvelous teaching tool that will help with religious education for generations to come. As an example, in one of the early chapters he tells us in his words after quoting Proverbs 3:5-6, 23 that "there are two components to trusting God. One is to prayerfully discern his will for us in how we live our daily lives. . ."

Graf cleverly connects religious subject matter in a manner that is unusual and at the same time unexpected. He explains in one paragraph how God wants us to trust our instincts. Then as I am beginning to digest the power of his scriptural analysis, he turns the tables and suddenly introduces former the Detroit Lions great running back Barry Sanders into the story.

Graf seems to be a master at uncovering factoids and details about America's most famous sport, reporting that the first pro football draft was held in 1920 and that the first official transaction between teams when tackle Bob Nash was sold from the Akron Pros to the Buffalo All-Americans for $300. You won't be surprised, and nor was I, to read in several following paragraphs that Jesus also drafted his team of apostles.

The true spirit and soul of Graf's work is revealed as he is both teacher and commentator, when he says, "In football, a fumble can lose a game. In faith, a stumble can lose a soul. Through the game, we are taught to learn from our mistakes, to pick ourselves up off the turf, remove the clumps of grass from our facemasks, and play on. Through the gospels we learn that though we may stumble time and again, all we need to do is seek forgiveness."

One might think Graf is attempting to use this literary platform to force his views of religious topics and espouse his positions on important theological issues. But I don't think that is the case. Instead, Graf demonstrates that he is indeed a true fan of football, obviously the competent researcher and most important, he is a true student of scripture.

He proves with this book that he loves life, loves God, and loves his sports. And what can be more commendable than that.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And God said, "It's Good", January 7, 2008

By 

Bob J. Fisher (KS, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And God Said, "It's Good!": Amusing and Thought-Provoking Parallels Between the Bible and Football (Hardcover)

This book is absolutely fantastic. I actually bought it as a gift for my son in law but couldn't give it until I finished it. It has fantastic football knowledge and wonderful references to the Bible. I would recommend it to anyone. I am not a big football fan but I had a hard time putting it down.