>> AFTER GAMES, FORMER BREMERTON
WASHINGTON FOOTBALL COACH JOE
KENNEDY WOULD KNEEL AND PRAY
ONLY WITH PLAYERS WHO
VOLUNTARILY CHOSE TO PARTICIPATE
FOR IT WHEN THE DISTRICT SET NEW
GUIDELINES IN RESPONSE TO THIS
HERESY, KENNEDY ENDED HIS GROUP
PRAYERS, BUT STILL ENGAGED IN
POSTGAME PRAYERS BY HIMSELF OR
THE PICTURES DIDN’T LIKE THAT
EITHER SO THEY PUT HIM ON LEAVE
AND THEY WON’T ALLOW HIM TO
COACH.
THE FIRST LIBERTY INSTITUTE
FILED SUIT ON HIS BEHALF SOME
SIX YEARS AGO AND IN JANUARY OF
THIS YEAR THE SERENE COURT
FINALLY DECIDED TO TAKE UP THE
CASE.
THE COURT HASN’T EVEN ISSUED ITS
OPINION BUT THAT DIDN’T STOP THE
PUBLICATION OF SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
FOR ALLEGING SOMETHING FAR MORE
NEFARIOUS ABOUT COACH KENNEDY.
HE IS A HUMAN EMBODIMENT OF THE
COUNTRY DEEPLY DIVIDED RELIGIOUS
MOVEMENT SURGING WITH MOMENTUM
EVEN AS ORGANIZED RELIGION
BECOMES INCREASINGLY UNPOPULAR
AND OURS IMPORTANT RIGHT-WING
WISHING MANY SAY IS EMPLOYING AN
TACTIC, US VERSUS THEM.
FOR THIS LOGIC TRYSTING MAKES
THE ARGUMENT CHRISTIAN
NATIONALISTS HAVE LOST THEIR
RIGHTS ALL TO MAINTAIN A CULTURE
WAR STRATEGY THAT HINGES ON A
ROAST OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF
SPEAK.
TRADING NOW, FORMER HIGH SCHOOL
FOOTBALL COACH JOE KENNEDY AS
WELL AS HIS ATTORNEY CEO OF
FIRST LIBERTY INSTITUTE FOR A
JOE, THAT’S A MOUTHFUL, NOT
PARTICULARLY GOOD WRITING, BUT
THERE YOU HAVE IT.
THAT PRAYER, EVEN JUST PRAYING
BY YOURSELF, IT IS SUCH A THREAT
TO THEM.
WHY?
>> I HAVE NO IDEA.
ALL THOSE WORDS, I DON’T EVEN
KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN GREAT I
DON’T EVEN THINK THEY KNOW WHAT
IT MEANS.
IT’S JUST LIKE IN THE PRINCESS
BRIDE, I DON’T THINK THEY MEAN
WHAT I THINK IT MEANS.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY REQUESTS TO
KEEP YOURSELF?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
YOU KNOW I SERVED 20 YEARS IN
THE MARINE CORPS SO I CAN
EXERCISE MY RIGHTS, AND THE
THOUGHTS THAT SOMEBODY OF ANY
KIND OF FAITH WOULD HAVE TO HIDE
WHO THEY ARE OR HAVE TO JUST BE
ASHAMED OF THEM BEING A YOU KNOW
, ANYBODY OF FAITH, THAT IS
JUST WRONG IN MY BOOK.
>> WHAT UP INTO SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED BEING A PUBLICATION
RICOH LEARN ABOUT SPORTS?
>> I THINK THEY WANDERED OUT OF
THEIR ARENA IN THEIR IN FOR
TROUBLE, SAYING THIS WOULD BE A
THREAT TO DEMOCRACY.
AS YOU AND I KNOW, IT’S NOT A
DEMOCRACY IT’S A CONSTITUTIONAL
REPUBLIC AND WE VALUE FREE
SPEECH IN THE FREE EXERCISE OF
RELIGION WHICH IS THE IT IS
BIZARRE.
I WOULD TELL PEOPLE ENGAGE THEY
WONDER, IF YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COACH, WE
HAVE THE FACTS.
YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE ORAL
ARGUMENT TO THE SUPREME COURT, PEOPLE CAN JUST GO TO FIRST
PEOPLE CAN JUST GO TO FIRST LIBERTY.ORG.
LIBERTY.ORG. JOE, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO.
THAT HAS INSPIRED SO MANY YOUNG
MEN OVER THE YEARS.
>> IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO PUT IT
INTO WORDS, YOU HAVE SOMETHING
THAT YOU LOVE DEEPLY.
COACHING IS SOMETHING THAT I
NEVER KNEW HOW MUCH THOSE YOUNG
MEN WOULD EVER MEET TO ME.
AND IT GETS TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU.
SO LIFE BECOMES JUST A BIG OLD
MESS AND NOT TO MENTION MY WIFE
ACTUALLY WORKED FOR THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE
HR DEPARTMENT WAS UP TO THEIR
EYEBALLS WITH COACH KENNEDY.
IT’S JUST BEEN A MESS AND I’M
REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
COURTS ACTUALLY JUST RULING ON
THE FACTS OF THE CASE.
>> SETTING THINGS STRAIGHT INTO
IN KELLY, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT
JOE HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY THIS.
WILL HE GET ANY MONETARY
SATISFACTION BY THE TIME THIS IS
ALL WRAPPED UP?
>> LAURA, HE DIDN’T WANT TO ASK
FOR ANY MONEY, HE DIDN’T WANT
ANYBODY TO EVER SAY THAT THIS
WAS ABOUT MONEY, SO HE DIDN’T
SEEK MONETARY DAMAGES, HE WANTS
THE RIGHT, AND IF HE WINS,
YOU’RE GOING TO SEE HIM BACK ON
THAT FIELD COACHING THOSE
PLAYERS AGAIN AND GOING TO NEED
FOR 20 SECONDS TO THINK GOD FOR
THE PRIVILEGE OF COACHING THEM
AGAIN.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE
GREATEST VICTORY THE COACH COULD
EVER HOPE FOR AND I THINK IT
WILL DECIDE A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR
THE COUNTRY THAT THIS IS A
COUNTRY THAT BELIEVES IN THE
FIRST AMENDMENT AND WE RESPECT
PEOPLES RIGHTS TO PRAY BY