MercyMe’s Bart Millard Talks Sports, Family and Fandom
By Movieguide® Contributor
Christian sports hub Sports Spectrum recently interviewed MercyMe lead singer and football and baseball megafan Bart Millard, who shared his love for sports and how it helps him bond with his sons.
“It was so much fun to watch,” Millard said about the Texas Rangers’ last season. “It was amazing ’cause I’ve got five kids. I’ve got three boys. The youngest is 12; the oldest is 22.”
“And so all three of them are just in the sweet spot, and they’re rabid Rangers fans,” the singer said. “I’ve raised them up well. So that was a blast.”
For Millard, the memories they make together as they share their love for the same teams are special.
“Hopefully, it’s memories they’ll have the rest of their lives—us just dancing in the living room and going nuts and going to games. We went to probably seven or eight home games there in Dallas, which is the most we’ve ever done while living in Nashville and just loving it,” he said. “And my 12-year-old is the most rabid, so I’ve got a few years left in the old tank.”
He shared that the final World Series game with the Rangers and the Diamondbacks happened on his anniversary. At an expensive restaurant, his wife “was gracious enough” to let him prop up his phone to watch it while they shared a meal. When they won their first World Series championship, he paced the room until his excitement waned a little.
For more inspiring sports stories, check out Sports Spectrum.
Last week, he shared a photo of himself with some Rangers players, including Evan Carter. Millard held their World Series trophy with a huge smile.
He said, ”A great day at @rangers spring training. Thanks for the time @evancarter @wyattlangford8 @freddyj_6 @jacob.degrom @coachtonybeasley and @josh_sheltontex.”
Millard and Sports Spectrum’s Jason Romano also bonded over their shared disappointment in being Dallas Cowboys fans.
In January, the Cowboys lost a home game to the Packers, 48-32. They hadn’t lost at home since 2022.
Shortly after the loss, Millard posted a photo on Instagram that said, “I hate how much I love football…Cowboys trying to ruin my 2024.” His caption read, “There’s Cowboys…then there’s playoff Cowboys.”
He shared that his dad passed his love for the Cowboys on to him, so he can’t completely turn his back on them, no matter how badly they perform.
Movieguide® recently reported on Millard’s band, MercyMe:
Millard explained that MercyMe now performs about 50 shows a year, as opposed to the 250-300 they once did.
“We’ve worked so hard. We’ve just decided: MercyMe will never break up. We’ll just do less shows,” he laughed.
Millard admitted it’s hard to take that step back and said he sometimes worries that, in the social media age, time off might mean fans forget about them. “But we got in a healthy place of not caring anymore about what people thought we should do,” the singer added. “We still love what we do.”
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
