Jeff Van Gundy, the New York Knicks coach, griped that the two worst things happening to the modern NBA are golf and God. "Hugging and praying with opponents are not at the top of my list" - prayer turns pros soft. The reply to that is from Jeffery Hurd who had four years with the Dallas Cowboys. "I tried to knock people so hard that they couldn't get up ... Because I was a Christian, the other team thought I was supposed to be soft. Prayer is nothing but strength."

David Smaile, a representative of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, said, "God wants us to use that strength - even in sports ..." He names the New Testament as proof: 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, where the Apostle Paul told believers to "run in such a way as to get the prize."

Chaplains like Mike Lusardi said that guys with faith find that prayer brings peace to their lives and maximizes their abilities that God has given them."

(http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/religion.pat,fyi/3accb631.530,.html)