The Rex Streak

A few weeks ago, Jim Rome, my favorite sports talk host, interviewed former NBA player Rex Chapman. The following Monday and Tuesday he interviewed Rex Hudler and Rex Ryan. Then the "Rex streak" was born. Everyday there was a different Rex being interviewed and on and on until Rex #20. It was such a great interview that the streak was called. He wanted to end on a high note.

He departed from sports figures at times due to the fact that he was running out of Rex's. Before closing with an astronaut named Rex Wilheim, he began to get more and more obscure.

He was interviewing golf coaches for Louisville, defensive line coaches in the CFL, bass players for Pantera, college wrestlers named Rex. There were so many people who would have never otherwise been interviewed. They weren't famous. They weren't icons. Some weren't athletes. Some were really smart. But none were inherently worthy of a nationally broadcast interview. And some knew it.

All except for one gave great interviews. They calmed down, because Jim Rome (people either love him or hate him), made them feel welcome, important, and showed an interest in their stories.

He was treating normal people like celebrities. They said, "Jim, thank you for having me on." And Jim would say, "No, thank YOU for keeping the Rex streak alive." What started out as a simple and goofy thing ended up being quite profound. He legitimately enjoyed hearing their story and so did his listeners. He treated ordinary people as though they were more important than he.

What a concept! Of course its not new; it's been done before. Treating people as more important than we are and listening to their story.

Phil 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

Now Jesus is the only who's ever applied this perfectly, but I still think, because Jim Rome (made in the image of God and still bears His image), can teach us by example through this "Rex Streak.'