‘Touchdown Jesus’ destroyed by act of God

A 62-foot-tall statue known as touchdown Jesus was struck by lightning yesterday and destroyed outside of Cincinatti:

The only thing visible this morning is the charred frame of the structure.

“It burned to the ground. The whole statue is gone,” said Kim Peace, a police dispatcher.

The large “King of Kings” statue was a Butler County landmark since it was erected in 2004 outside Solid Rock Church, 904 N. Union Rd., along northbound Interstate 75 in Monroe just north of the Ohio 63 exit.

Fire crews were called to the church at 11:15 p.m. after several people phoned 911 to report the blaze as a severe thunderstorm swept through Greater Cincinnati, producing a spectacular lightning show, Peace said.

“The lightning was just amazing,” she said, wryly adding: “It was a lot of fun in here last night.”

The statue alone cost $300,000 to build. And you thought God was a football fan ...