Christian Athletes vs. the Culture War: MLB, WNBA & the GODBALL Revival | Steve Eubanks & A.J. RIce

Christian athletes are no longer keeping their faith on the sidelines — and the culture war is following them onto the field.

On Dangerous Laughter, A.J. Rice sits down with New York Times bestselling sports journalist Steve Eubanks, author of GODBALL: How Athletes Are Saving Christianity, for a provocative conversation about the explosion of Christian faith across American sports — and why athletes speaking openly about Jesus, religion and traditional values can create such intense reactions.

From Tim Tebow and Jonathan Isaac to Aaron Judge, Harrison Butker and Fernando Mendoza, Eubanks argues that athletes are becoming some of the most influential voices in a growing Christian revival — particularly among Gen Z men.

And in 2026, the debate has only gotten hotter.

This summer, San Francisco Giants players ignited a national controversy after writing Genesis Bible references on their Pride Night caps, leading to warnings from Major League Baseball over its uniform rules. Meanwhile, the WNBA transgender-athlete debate has exploded around Sophie Cunningham, Riley Gaines, protests, counterprotests and questions about what athletes and fans should be allowed to say inside the arena.

Then there’s Fernando Mendoza — the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, national champion and No. 1 overall pick of the Las Vegas Raiders — representing a new generation of athletes whose faith, leadership and cultural influence reach far beyond the scoreboard.

A.J. Rice and Steve Eubanks get into:

Christian athletes and the return of faith in sports; GODBALL and the Christian sports revival; Tim Tebow vs. Colin Kaepernick; Jonathan Isaac and religious expression; Aaron Judge and leadership; Harrison Butker and Catholic faith; Fernando Mendoza and the next generation of the NFL; Gen Z Christianity; religious freedom in sports; MLB Pride Night and the San Francisco Giants Bible-verse controversy; the WNBA transgender-athlete debate; Riley Gaines; Sophie Cunningham; Kennedy v. Bremerton; athlete activism; sports-media bias; Christianity, politics and the culture war.

GUEST: Steve Eubanks
Author of GODBALL: How Athletes Are Saving Christianity
Follow: X @jseubanks

HOST: A.J. Rice
Host of Dangerous Laughter
CEO of Publius PR
Author of The Woking Dead, The White Privilege Album and The Curse of the Bearded Lady

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BOOK + SOCIAL LINKS:
GODBALL — Official Center Street / Hachette Page • Steve Eubanks — Hachette Author Page • Steve Eubanks on X — @jseubanks

Dangerous Laughter + A.J. Rice links

Dangerous Laughter Website • Dangerous Laughter YouTube • Dangerous Laughter Rumble • Dangerous Laughter Apple Podcasts • Dangerous Laughter Instagram • Dangerous Laughter on X • Dangerous Laughter TikTok

A.J. Rice Website • Publius PR • A.J. Rice / Publius PR on X • Publius PR Instagram • Publius National Post on Substack

A.J. Rice book links

The Woking Dead — Amazon • The White Privilege Album — Official Site • The White Privilege Album — Amazon • The Curse of the Bearded Lady — Official Site • The Curse of the Bearded Lady — Amazon • A.J. Rice — Amazon Author Page

Duration

1:02:38

Source

640×360 · 25 fps

Qualities

144p, 240p, 360p

License

Standard Banned.Video license