http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201105/other-side-sparky

Many bloggers have picked up this story as evidence that this man saw the fallacy of Christianity and abandoned the Church.  Such a very tiny bit of social behavior on the part of the Priest could not cause this life long Roman Catholic to abandon the Church,  and refuse a Church Funeral.  The article depicts a sincere and good man, and I am sure he considered that he too may have made some minor social mistakes during his life.  This kind of practicing Christian was not unaware of any faults of his own that others had silently forgiven.  Surely, he saw the Priest as a man with a job.  The Priest obviously has come to his friend.  Good.  The Priest has done his role with the dying Catholic.  Good.  So what that the Priest was an avid Baseball fan!  The Coach merely decided to affirm  something that he practiced throughout his life, humility.  The self-righteous anger of many bloggers about this devout Roman Catholic dishonors his memory.  He decision about his own funeral was a final action of a devout Christian man who was consistent.  He understood that his “daily Mass” attendance had inculcated in himself an attitude of gratitude in his own life which for Jesus’ sake resulted in good works and charity throughout his life.  One small fault of one priest who was a baseball fan did not cause Sparky to abandon all of that.  Instead, it informed his decisions concerning what he most wanted, and that was to be the best Christian he could be and if that meant no funeral or memorial service because he rested completely in the arms of Jesus and not his own fame, that speaks volumes.