American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez Christian Review
There are some stories that are just hard to watch. Not because they’re full of jump scares or gut-wrenching tragedy—although American Sports Story has its fair share of gut punches—but because they put a mirror up to us, to our culture, to the systems we’ve built, and the messes we try not to notice. The Aaron Hernandez saga is one such story. A tale of immense talent, bad choices, and a system that chews up young men in the name of football. The question that lingers after watching this show isn’t just about Hernandez. It’s about us. What do we value? What do we let slide in the name of winning?
Hernandez, the Man Behind the Headlines
From a Christian perspective, Aaron Hernandez was a man tangled in sin and brokenness. But what American Sports Story does well is avoid turning him into a one-dimensional villain or an object of pity. Yes, Hernandez committed heinous acts. But he was also a young man with potential, with charm, with moments of humanity that make his downfall all the more tragic. This show walks a fine line between portraying him as the criminal he became and the person he once was—and could have been, had things gone differently.
It’s unsettling, really. We want our stories to have clear heroes and villains, but Hernandez doesn’t fit into those neat categories. He’s a guy who, at times, seems like he could’ve been any one of the athletes we cheer for on Sundays. And then you remember the murders. The violence. The secrets. It makes you squirm in your seat, which is the point. American Sports Story doesn’t let you get comfortable.
Violence, Sin, and the Tension Between the Two
There’s no getting around it: American Sports Story is full of violence, both physical and emotional. The series doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of Hernandez’s life. The violence he inflicted on others. The violence he experienced. It’s everywhere, lurking behind every conversation, every moment of football glory. But the show doesn’t glorify it, which is important.
From a Christian viewpoint, violence is always a symptom of something deeper, a reflection of the brokenness in our world and in our own hearts. The Bible is full of stories of violence, but it never celebrates them—it mourns them, using them as reminders of how far we’ve strayed from God’s original design for peace. Watching Hernandez’s story unfold is a stark reminder of that brokenness. The football field, for all its glitz and fanfare, becomes a stage for aggression, for domination, and, in Hernandez’s case, for the cultivation of a mindset that would spill over into his personal life with devastating results.
And then there’s the sin. Hernandez’s sexual identity is a central theme in the series, and while it’s handled with nuance, it’s hard to miss how much of his struggle comes from a place of shame and secrecy. In many ways, the show is a commentary on the ways our culture—especially in hyper-masculine spaces like football—demands conformity and punishes vulnerability. Hernandez’s inability to be fully himself, his need to hide parts of his identity, contributed to the inner turmoil that eventually consumed him.
But here’s where things get tricky. As Christians, we recognize that sin is real and that it has consequences, both in our own lives and in the lives of those around us. But we also know that there’s always room for redemption. Hernandez’s story, tragically, doesn’t offer that resolution. He’s a man who seemed to spiral deeper and deeper into sin and chaos, never finding the redemption that’s always available in Christ.
The Football Machine
Where the show really shines—and where it gets closest to a broader critique of culture—is in its portrayal of the football-industrial complex. This isn’t just a story about Hernandez; it’s a story about the system that produced him. American Sports Story does a good job of showing how the world of professional sports is often more concerned with winning than with the well-being of its players. Hernandez, like so many other young athletes, was celebrated for his physical prowess, but no one seemed to care about the toll that the sport—and the culture surrounding it—was taking on his soul.
In a way, the football machine becomes a kind of idol, something that demands sacrifice but gives nothing of real value in return. It promises fame, wealth, and glory, but at what cost? Hernandez had everything the world says you should want—money, talent, adoration—and yet he was deeply unhappy, deeply conflicted, and ultimately consumed by his demons. The Bible warns us about chasing after the things of this world (Matthew 16:26), and Hernandez’s life is a tragic example of what happens when we put our trust in idols.
What’s frustrating, though, is that the show doesn’t push this critique far enough. It points out the problems in the system, but it doesn’t offer any solutions. There’s no call to action, no real examination of how we might change things. Instead, it seems to shrug its shoulders and say, “This is just the way it is.” As Christians, we know better. The world may be broken, but we are called to be agents of change, to work for justice and peace, even in systems as big and powerful as professional sports.
Watching With Discernment
There’s no getting around it: American Sports Story is a tough watch. The violence, the sexual themes, the darkness that hangs over every episode—it’s not for everyone. As Christians, we have to be careful about what we allow into our minds and hearts. Philippians 4:8 tells us to focus on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. American Sports Story isn’t devoid of these things, but they’re often overshadowed by the ugliness of sin and human brokenness.
That’s not to say there’s no value in watching the show. It forces you to confront hard truths about the world we live in, the systems we support, and the people we sometimes forget to see as human. But it’s also important to watch with discernment. Not every story needs to be told, and not every show is worth our time, especially if it pulls us away from the things that help us grow in our faith.
Final Thoughts: A Reflection on Our Own Stories
At the end of the day, American Sports Story is about more than just Aaron Hernandez. It’s about all of us. The choices we make. The systems we participate in. The idols we chase. It’s a reflection of a world that’s deeply broken, a world that celebrates talent over character, violence over peace, fame over humility. Hernandez’s story is a cautionary tale, not just for athletes, but for anyone who finds themselves drawn to the things of this world that promise so much but ultimately lead to destruction.
As Christians, we are called to live differently. To seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33), to be in the world but not of it (John 17:16). Watching American Sports Story should make us uncomfortable—not just because of the violence and sin, but because it forces us to ask hard questions about our own lives. What are we chasing? What systems are we complicit in? And, most importantly, how can we be agents of change in a world that so desperately needs the light of Christ?
