Skip to content ↓

The Perfect PoMo Apology

Like many other people, I was a little disturbed by the introduction to this week’s broadcast of Monday Night Football. If you happened to miss it, it featured the Eagle’s always-controversial receiver Terrell Owens and Nicollette Sheridan from the show Desperate Housewives. Sheridan was clad initially in a towel, but in an effort to persuade Owens not to take to the field but to instead spend time with her (hint hint), she soon dropped the towel and leapt into his arms. Owens made some comment about the team having to make do without him and that was that. It was provocative and was clearly lewd. It made many people upset. The NFL issued a statement saying that it was innappropriate for a broadcast and the network ABC has also subsequently apologized.

I was glad that my son wasn’t watching the game at that moment. While it was clearly inappropriate I can’t deny that there are far worse things to be seen on television – it’s just that football is usually family-friendly viewing.

The headlines on ESPN and NFL.com today announced an apology by Owens. In my view it is the perfect postmodern apology:

“I felt like it was clean, the organization felt like it was a clean skit and I think it just really got taken out of context with a lot of people and I apologize for that,” Owens said. “Personally I didn’t think it would have offended anyone and, if it did, I apologize.”

I’ll interpret that.

“In my system of morality I tought it was clean. Other people, in their old-fashioned views which are no more or less correct may have seen it otherwise. If any of those old fashioned people are offended, I apologize to them. But I don’t think it should offend you because it doesn’t offend me. But if it did anyways, I apologize.”

Note to Owens: that is not an apology. That is, at best, an explanation. Heck, it might be a legitimate one – he had no moral qualms with doing the spot and willingly participated. His apology is just silly and it can’t possibly make anyone who was offended feel better. A true apology is premised on true remorse, and clearly Owens has none. And again, that doesn’t bother or surprise me. What bothers me is that he gives us this silly, meaningless apology.

If it wasn’t 5:00 PM on a Friday afternoon I would take the time to make a spiritual connection here, showing that repentance before God indicates both a turning towards (an apology) and a turning away (an admission of guilt). But I smell a roast cooking and I need to make sure my wife doesn’t overcook it.

For those of you who disappear for the weekends, enjoy your days off. For the rest, perhaps I can finish this up tomorrow!


  • Educated, Free, Wealthy, and Privileged

    We are an educated people with high standards of literacy. We are a free people who enjoy religious liberty. We are a wealthy people with unlimited access to a nearly infinite quantity of Bibles. We are a privileged people who may not realize how blessed we are.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (November 2)

    A La Carte: Coldplay’s prayer in Melbourne / Zombies, Heath Lambert, and gatekeeping biblical counseling / Keep the Feast (a new song) / Stop playing the numbers game / Squandering security / and more.

  • Giveaways / Free Stuff Fridays Collection cover image

    Free Stuff Fridays (Ligonier)

    This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, who also sponsored the blog this week.  Yesterday was Reformation Day, when many Protestants celebrate the sixteenth-century recovery of the biblical gospel. It was while Martin Luther was studying the book of Romans that he rediscovered the doctrine of justification by faith alone. So, today…

  • Daily Liturgy Devotional

    Why Not Use a Daily Liturgy for Your Devotions?

    Trends come and go. Certain habits or interests rise for a time, wane, then rise again, often at unexpected moments. One of the recent trends I have found particularly surprising and also particularly interesting is the rise (or re-rise, if you prefer) of liturgy. This may be liturgy within formal worship services of the local…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (November 1)

    A La Carte: When a Berkeley feminist had three sons / The tragedy of IVF / What if I don’t feel forgiven? / Piper on how not to respond to suffering / What sola scriptura protects us against / Kindle deals / and more.

  • New and Notable Christian Books for October 2024

    New and Notable Christian Books for October 2024

    As October draws to its close, I wanted to ensure you know about at least some of the most notable books it brought our way. I did not see quite the quantity of new books I have seen in some previous months, but there were still some special ones. For each, I’ve provided the publisher’s…