Athletes' inaction

The early stages of July’s Tour de France will begin in the Netherlands—not England, like last year. Why? Partly because “thousands” of English, by some reports, were leaning or even stepping into streets last year, turning their backs to cyclists, and taking selfies. Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck needed surgery after a collision with a spectator. Other cyclists took to Twitter to blast the “dangerous mix of vanity and stupidity.”

Cycling is by no means alone in having problems with selfie takers, and neither are athletes guiltless. Pride went before the fall in the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon, when many runners finished “bloodied and bruised” because of other runners abruptly stopping in front of them to take selfies. Some failed to finish this year’s Chongqing race on the mainland as hundreds of competitors clogged the route to grab pictures with a police officer who resembled a celebrity.

In other words, they stopped running the race. Down to the object of the gaze, it’s the antithesis of “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.”

It’s no coincidence, then, that Philippians 3 and other Scriptures mark the contemplations of many Christian athletes who focus on something higher than the self. “I think everything in life is spiritual, but I think running’s been especially spiritual for me,” said Sarah Kettel, a rising high-school senior who earned All-American status in less than two years as a homeschooled runner. “I’ve learned to trust in Him more … because running is hard” (see “Sarah’s gift,” May 30). Biblical passages for Kettel, particularly 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, are more than just clichéd motivators.

As in Hong Kong, the International Cycling Union can discourage selfie madness with carefully worded exhortations (though a new hazard, the selfie stick with an extended reach, emerged at the Giro d’Italia in May). But organizers and safety experts can’t touch the worldview contributing to fans’ and athletes’ focus, or lack thereof.

Horsing grand slam?

American Pharoah won horse racing’s first Triple Crown in 37 years. But Belmont wasn’t the end for the colt, whose dominance and sociability endeared him to fans. If he continues to train and perform well, trainer Bob Baffert and owner Ahmed Zayat will race through the fall and end his career at the Oct. 31 Breeder’s Cup Classic. When it comes to prestige, the Lexington, Ky., Breeder’s Cup is next in line to the Triple Crown races. It didn’t start until 1984, so no horse has taken all four. Some say the “Grand Slam” era has begun. —A.B.

The old college tries

Phi Slama Jama is back and ready for action. College athletes can dunk all they please after the NCAA ended a ban during pregame and halftime warm-ups. The most significant changes to men’s college basketball, though, address a dip of five points per game as the game grew more physical. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on June 8 instituted a 30-second shot clock, down from 35. It’s the first reduction since 1993, when the shot clock fell from 45 seconds to 35. Referees may also penalize players who fake fouls (aka “flopping”). Coaches will be limited to three second-half time-outs and may not call one while the ball is in play. —A.B.