Alright, let’s talk about something a bit lighter today. Fantasy football season was gearing up, and like every year, I hit the wall: what on earth should I name my team? I’ve been playing for years, mostly in leagues with friends, some from church, some not.
This time, I kinda wanted to try something different. Usually, I go for some dumb pun based on a player I drafted or just something completely random. But I got this idea, maybe I could mix in a bit of my faith with the football silliness. Not preachy, just, you know, funny. Funny Christian fantasy football names. Seemed like a fun little challenge.
My Brainstorming Process
So, I actually sat down with a notepad. Old school, I know. First thing I did was just list players known for being outspoken about their faith. Guys like Kirk Cousins, Cooper Kupp, used to be Tim Tebow back in the day. That gave me some raw material.
Then I thought about football terms. Touchdown, Hail Mary, Blitz, Sack, Holding, Pass Interference. Stuff like that.
Next, I started thinking about Christian terms or concepts. Grace, Faith, Prayer, Saints, Angels, Genesis, Exodus, Miracles, Forgiveness, Turning the other cheek… you get the idea. Just dumped it all onto the page.
Now came the messy part: trying to mash them together.
- Combining player names with concepts: This was hit or miss. “Kirk Cousins’ Prayer Warriors”? A bit bland. “Kupp Runneth Over”? Getting warmer. I played around with puns on names and biblical phrases. Some were real groaners, not gonna lie.
- Combining football terms with faith: “Hail Mary Full of Grace”? Too obvious, maybe? “Forgive Us Our Trespasses (and Penalties)”? Okay, that one got a chuckle out of me. “Sunday Saints”? Simple, but works if you like the New Orleans team too.
- Using Bible stories or figures: “David vs. Goliaths of the League”? Felt a bit epic. “Noah’s Dark Horse Team”? Maybe. “Jacob’s Fantasy Ladder”? I started just free-associating here.
Finding What Stuck
Honestly, a lot of the initial ideas were pretty bad. Like, really forced or just not that funny. You try too hard, and it falls flat. The goal was ‘funny Christian’, not ‘awkwardly Christian’ or ‘trying-too-hard funny’.
I found the best ones usually came from simpler puns or wordplay that wasn’t overly complex. Stuff that made sense quickly. I thought about team names too. Like, the Cardinals… “Cardinals Sin”? Nah, feels negative. How about focusing on positive concepts?
I spent probably a solid 30-40 minutes just scribbling, crossing things out, saying them out loud to see how they sounded. It’s weird how hearing it makes a difference. Does it roll off the tongue? Is the joke clear?
Eventually, I landed on a few I actually liked. I won’t share the exact one I used, gotta keep some mystery for my league mates, right? But the process was the fun part. Taking two different things I enjoy – my faith and the ridiculousness of fantasy football – and finding a creative intersection.
It wasn’t some profound theological exercise, just a way to make the team name a bit more personal and maybe get a laugh or two from the league chat. Just messing around with words until something clicked. That’s usually how these things go, isn’t it?
