Rich: When David told me he would be out of town last weekend, we both agreed that it was the perfect time to talk about sports. Though we are both college football fans (Me: Auburn/Florida/Louisville; David: Ohio State/Ohio State/Ohio State), we aren't really all that knowledgeable about the subject. And yet, no other aspect of pop-culture evokes the sort of passion and devotion as sports, and more specifically American football.

We decided our first-ever guest host needed to be someone who was passionate about football, but even more passionate about Christ. We found that person in Keith Goad, an elder at our church and a Ph.D. student at our school. He played in high school and has been a fan ever since. In today's episode, Keith breaks down the season for us, defends his sport, addresses the scandals, and more.

Want to respond? Leave a message at 206-202-0507, email us at christandpopculture@gmail.com, or leave a comment below!

Rich: This week we’re asking anyone who enjoys (or at least listens to) our podcast to give us a mention and/or a link on their own blogs or website. We’re going to link to everyone we see in our referrals in a special post, and we’ll also keep a spot in the sidebar for listener links. We’re just getting off the ground and I think David would agree when I say this thing is a whole lot more fun when there are people listening that we can interact with. We’re not looking for fame and fortune (if so, I think this would be a giant waste of time), just a conversation!

We recorded our show on action heroes not realizing that we were about to come face to face with one of the greatest action movies we've seen in a long time. After David and I saw 3:10 to Yuma, we were pretty stunned. It was one of the most well-made, unique and unlikely movies we'd seen in a long time, and after chewing on it for a while, we decided we just had to talk about it.

What makes a good Western? What makes a good villain? What's the true nature of bravery? Yeah, we cover all that, plus we read some viewer mail from our Action Hero show.

Sure, if you really wanted you could email us (christandpopculture@gmail.com) or leave a comment, but even better than that, you can leave a voice mail at 206-202-0507 and you just might end up on our show!

We now have a voicemail box at the following number: 206-202-0507.

This past Sunday, the world watched as Hollywood commended itself for producing such brilliant television, and at the same time acknowledged that it really doesn't put out brilliant television. So what's the deal? How good is television, really? And what do the winners of the Emmys say about, well, anything?

This episode, David and Rich attempt to answer this question, and they also try their hardest to come up with five new Fall television shows they kind of want to watch. It's harder than you think.

Let us know what you think by emailing us at christandpopculture@gmail.com or by commenting below!

On a dark, cold night in December, Rich and his wife camped outside of Best Buy on a whim. After braving the cold for eight hours (and you better believe his wife got the sleeping back), they left the store with a Wii... and it was totally worth it.

Or was it? If the iPhone is overrated, is the Wii the truly revolutionary invention of the decade? Can a video game truly embrace community, or are the two concepts mutually exclusive?

Well, David's skeptical. And so are you. But in this episode of Christ and Pop Culture, Rich tries to explain the lure of such a machine, and explains how it's made his life just a little bit more fulfilling.
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Show Notes:
Next week we begin our consistent, more structured version of CAPC. Twice a week we'll put out episodes that are hopefully more up-to-date and beneficial.

Show topics to look forward to: The Emmys, 3:10 to Yuma, and more!

These days, a good action movie is hard to come by. The high cost and risk inherent in this genre means that the film studios must be convinced (more than usual) of a film's success before they take a chance. This means most of the action films we see are long-lasting franchises which do well time after time. The Bourne series, though it seems new, has become one of those series.

And so, now that Jason Bourne has entered into the same cannon as Indiana Jones and John McClane (and I'm sure on that point many will cry blasphemy), we turn to ask just why he has become so popular. What is it about Jason Bourne - and what was it about Jones and Mclane - that makes us weep when they weep and rejoice when they rejoice?

In this episode, we discuss this issue and we also share our own Top Five Action Heroes.
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Show notes:
This is our last really stinkin' long show. The rest will be 20-30 minutes and will come out twice a week. So look forward to that!

The article by Owen we mentioned can be found here.

Rich: Your brand new full-length episode of Christ and Pop Culture will show up here sometime today, but I wanted to give you fair warning that our 5th episode will be our last "full-length" episode as you know it. After today, full-length will equal 20-30 minutes. Our new schedule will offer two twenty-minute episodes every week.

Hopefully you'll find even more benefit from this new format. As always you can leave any comments in the comment box or email us at christandpopculture@gmail.com.

This episode we respond to those of you who wrote feedback! Listeners address the existence of decent Three-quals, the true meaning of the Shrek series, the merits (or lack thereof) of Pilgrims Progress, the Christian merits (or lack thereof) of Harry Potter, their top fives, and more!

If you want us to respond to your comments on the air, just email us at christandpopculture@gmail.com or leave a comment below!

What makes a good movie review? Are movies just conversation starters, or something more?

Well, David read a book. In this book, Richard Leonard attempts to look at various movies through the eyes of faith. Does he succeed? Well, David has an opinion, and we discuss that and the answers to the questions above. Don't miss it, and don't forget to check back Thursday for another episode of Christ and Pop Culture!