Transcript – Home Court Advantage
(Note that all transcripts were created from audio recordings, and therefore any mistakes are the transcriptionist's, not the speaker's.)
Filename -- HomeCourtAdvantage_Encouragement_MarvinPhillips_transcription.htm
Marvin Phillips
Now I was looking at old statistics, every day in the sports page I look in the NBA statistics. Home court advantage simply means, you win more games at home then you do away from home. Now stop and think of that for a moment and that might make some sense if we’re talking about little league. Because mom and dad, and brother saying “Come on Johnny, come on Johnny.” And he wins some games you know. And then high school maybe so, college, well, maybe. But professional, come on now. Because Shaquil O’niel and Michael Jordan and Grant Hill and God help us even Dennis Rodman. Those guys sign multi-million dollar contracts. And you’re not gonna tell me they play better at home when people are cheering than when they’re away. Because they’re Pros. They know the ball, they know the score. It’s the same size court and same size basket the same length, the stadium is about the same. The crowd is about the same number. And don’t tell me they play better one time or another, but let me tell you what the statistics show.
Let’s take the Chicago bulls because this last year at about 80 games, they were 65 and 10. 65 wins and 10 losses. Now the Vancouver Grizzlies. Can we hear a cheer for them? God bless you, we better pray for you is what we better do! But they were about 11 and 65. 11 won, 65 lost. Now, I took the top and the bottom and all the rest, and could I tell you for honesty sake, that there are two conferences, four divisions, 29 teams, and these statistics I’m about to give you were true for every team of the 29 except one, and that’s the Miami Heat, and they were CLOSE! So 28 and one close is a pretty good survey. On the road, away from Chicago, the Chicago bulls last year, and they’re about the same this year. Best record this year like last year. Now get this now, they win seventy five percent of their games. That’s tremendous. That means three out of four games on the road they win! They’re the top team in the league. Now at home, the top team in the league who wins 75% of their games, at home, wins 97%. Let’s take the Vancouver Grizzlies, who on the road win 11 percent of their games, they play ten games and lose 9. They were as bad last year as you can get! Well, they won eleven games. But at home, the same losing team, having all those troubles when they get home, they win 20 percent, so it goes up double. They win twice as much. The worst team in the league. The worst team in the league wins twice as many games in the league when they’re at home!
Now that brings up the question, what happens at home? Well, here’s what happens at home. At home there are thousands of partisans! Do you watch it? You understand? Whether we’re talking football or basketball or baseball or tennis. Whether we’re talking about professional or little league or high school or college or anywhere in between, it is all the same. Listen here, there is a dynamic lesson, that is fortified by the word of Almighty God, so we see here before us all out in sports and the Word of God teaches it, you’d think we’d catch on in the family of God too. We owe each other the home court advantage.
Well have you seen all these little boys and girls running around with the painted faces? Well that’s what you see when you go to a basketball game. Well what happens at home. What makes the difference. Well, thousands of partisan cheering fans, they paint their faces with team colors and logos. They wave flags and hold up signs for National television. And the game announcers are highly partisan! They’re paid big money to over television or radio. “We’re about to start this game.” You know? And they’re partisan. They’ll announce great players like Shaquel O’niel and Grant Hill and Carl Malone and Iverson and people of the other team in a ho-hum fashion. “Now starting for the LA Lakers are Shaquel O’niel and Kobe Bryant.” And they’re just as partisan as they can be!
And then the lights go out in Chicago stadium. And the strobe lights start, and the drum roll beats. And he announces, “And Now!!!!! YOUR OWN... CHICAGO... BULLS!!!!” And that big bull head appears up in the stands, and they start pouring out on the floor with those great white warm ups and those red jerseys and suits and they announce those guys and everybody “Ron Harper, and Scotty Pippin, and Luke Longley and even Dennis Rodman, and then your Michael Jordan!!!” And the crowd goes wild! And they go out and win the game for the home team!!
Oh! Who couldn’t preach with a crowd like that?! I’m telling you! Who couldn’t be a great elder? You know? Who couldn’t be a great parent? Who couldn’t be a great kid? If everybody in the stands were cheering their hearts out, you understand? And that’s what home court advantage is. And that’s what we need to be giving each other.
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