Category: Sport Cartoons

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Good old Sports Illustrations!

Cartoon of a man praying at a pulpit. He says, "And we give thanks for a football season that supplies ample sports illustrations."

Over the years, I’ve heard plenty of sermon sports illustrations. You can always tell when a pastor loves a particular sport. And what’s not to love about a story that illustrates courage, determination, and a little of the unexpected?

But like anything else, they can move into the realm of the cliché. Cartoonists aren’t immune to this either. There used to be tons of cartoons based on a desert island theme. But think what good came of it? If that never happened, we wouldn’t have had Gilligan’s Island!

Stories are important in any sermon. Jesus taught in parables for a good reason. They illustrate truths in a way that engages the audience and made them see differently. And when we have creative teachers bring a story to life, amazing things happen!

When an illustration is used effectively, it can make a powerful point. But if the audience can’t relate to your story, it can fall flat. The old proverb, know your audience, can be very important. That’s partly why sports illustrations have always stood out to me. While I love history, I’ve never been much of a sports guy.

Yet, I like sports illustrations for the following reasons:

  • They frequently illustrate perseverance
  • Many demonstrate how to overcome adversity through preparation and patience
  • They can show the value of teamwork

So let us be thankful for a new round of sports illustrations. While I’m at it, I’m thankful for autumn, cooler temperatures, and a little pumpkin spice latte.

Cartoon of a man praying at a pulpit. He says, "And we give thanks for a football season that supplies ample sports illustrations."

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

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cartoon Sport Cartoons

Was it REALLY a good game?

Cartoon of two soccer players. One is beaten up. The other holds out his hand and says, "Good game!"One of the best moments in sports is when competitors shake hands after a hard-fought game. Sportsmanship is what makes games great. Whenever I see a player take things too personally, the fun goes right out of the game for me.

Who knows which player was on the winning team in this cartoon. What matters is that when you have played a challenging game, you leave your aggression on the field, pick yourself up and make a friend or two on the opposing team. When that happens, no matter who won, it really is a good game!

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Sport Cartoons

That Old Football Injury

Cartoon of two guys. One has a football shaped bump on his arm. He says, "That? Oh, it's an old football injury."I’ve heard so many guys complain of football injuries, I’m starting to question if they really played football in high school. I don’t remember every single guy but me being on the football team. Come to think of it, high school is really big in my hometown. Maybe I was the only guy who didn’t play football in my town after all.

Does backyard football count? I suppose it does if you have an injury to go with it.

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Sport Cartoons

Cartoon: That Had to Hurt

Cartoon of two guys. The older one has a strange shape on his back. He says, “That?  Oh, it’s an old football injury.”

One nice thing about football is you have heroic injuries to show for it. It’s not nearly as awesome when I say I got a reed injury from playing the clarinet in marching band.

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"Pen and Ink" Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop Illustration Friday Sport Cartoons

Racing Gear

Cartoon of  two racers. One of them is wearing motor racing gear. The other says, “I get the feeling one of us is wearing the wrong racing gear.”

I’ve ran twice in the Indianapolis 500 Mini-Marathon. One of the highlights is you get to run around the Indianapolis Speedway. It’s amazing to know you’re running on the same track where race cars go over 200 miles per hour. So I’ve thought of this idea more than once as I’ve been jogging around the 2 1/2 mile oval.

I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week’s word is “racing.”