A Tragic Day in the World of Sports

There are certain days where sports take a back seat. It is so easy to forget that these are just games, certainly not a matter of life and death. Sports are like anything else in life, given to trials and tribulations, never immune from pain and tragedy. It is unfortunate that it takes days like this for many sports fans to step back and gain perspective.



Yes, the news is that the famed “Touchdown Jesus” that stood for years just off of I-75 around Cincinnati was destroyed by lightning during a storm last night. The landmark that many Bengals passed on the way home after a defeat at the hands of the Steelers is gone. Touchdown Jesus burned to the ground after the strike, leaving only the steel frame standing.

It was Touchdown Jesus’ dream to see a Bengals Super Bowl victory. After their 2005 Wild Card home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Touchdown Jesus was inconsolable, his tears flooding the interstate. It took a visit from Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer to cheer up Touchdown Jesus.


Palmer and Ochocinco discuss their upcoming visit to TDJ

Touchdown Jesus was quoted after that meeting as saying, “Yay, my faith in the Bengals has been restored. May eternal light guide them. Especially since they brought me some Five Guys, shit’s crazy good.”

But that Super Bowl was never to be. The team toiled in mediocrity for the rest of Touchdown Jesus’ days. But TDJ never lost faith in his beloved Bengals, and will take his fandom with him to the grave.

There has been no word yet on a funeral service. The rumor is that the Bengals will don an emblem honoring Touchdown Jesus on their jersey’s during the 2010 season, and that he will also be inducted into the Bengals’ Ring of Honor. May you rest in peace, Touchdown Jesus. You are undoubtedly in a better place, soaring towards the uprights of the sky.

RIP Touchdown Jesus 2004-2010