We all know that politics and religion are good topics to stay away from if we want to keep the conversation friendly. And perhaps the NCAA also has decided that sports and religion shouldn't get mixed.

That might be the message sent by today's decision to ban college football players from wearing eye black messages next season, as reported by the AP.

Florida's Tim Tebow in particular had brought attention to the messages, putting the numbers of Bible verses on his eye black.

Then again, Reggie Bush also drew attention to them a few season back at Southern California, when he put his San Diego area code on the black dashes beneath his eyes.

-- Tom Weir