The God Blog is again SoCal’s best blog

At least according to the Los Angeles Press Club.

Just like two years ago, I really didn’t expect The God Blog to be named by the LA Press Club as Southern California’s best individual blog. At least this time I wasn’t wandering the Vegas Strip when the award was announced. And thankfully this time I didn’t embarrass myself by sending a pre-congratulatory email to the blogger whom I expected would win.

The two consecutive days of blogging that I was recognized for were from April 2009, and can be found on this page. The topics included evangelical atheists, anti-Shylock laws, Carrie Prejean, academic comparisons of Israelis to Nazis and, my favorite topic, Jews in basketball. Here’s a sampling from that last post:

Every time I come home from playing basketball, I lament my physical stature. Short, skinny shooters—that’s what we consider ourselves: shooters—can only get so far; even J.J. Redick is 6’4.”

“This is ridiculous. Jews can’t play basketball.” Oh, the wisdom of Eric Cartman. And that look on Kyle’s face? I know it. But what if there was an era when Jews dominated basketball, when the chosen game strategy was known as Jewball, when a guy who was only 5’4,” barely taller than Mugsy Bogues (pictured with Manute Bol) and half a foot shorter than me, could be such an overwhelming force that he would be considered one of the greatest players in the game?

There was, and I wrote about it at length in this week’s Jewish Journal.

That last line was an allusion to a massive profile I wrote about Jordan Farmar and the surprisingly history of Jewish hoopers; that profile earned top sportswriting honors.

But the best part of the evening was the tip of the hat that the award presenters, actress Wendie Malick and Variety deputy editor Ted Johnson (also a finalist for best blogger), gave to the Godbeat. I’m not sure how to get my hands on the audio from the evening, but Malick said something to the effect of:

Nothing has a bigger impact on our lives, but covering religion often doesn’t get a lot of respect. Well, tonight it is getting some much-deserved respect. Honors for best blog go to ...

Amen.