Welcome to Church 08. My Money is on the Politicians.

In an effort to promote Euro 2008 as a peaceful sporting experience, and discourage any potential drunken riots, clergy from Switzerland and elsewhere are lacing up their boots and taking to the pitch. That’s right, folks - it’s Church 08. Really? Church 08? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … the Catholic Church does a lot of things well, but naming and marketing sporting events are not on that list.

There is a serious side to this bit of pre-tournament fluff news, as religious leaders across Switzerland are using the event to highlight the challenges of integrating waves of Muslim immigrants. Participants are hoping to use “Church 08″ as a symbol of unity and welcoming. One tip, guys. In Islam, it’s not a “church”, it’s a mosque. That’s strike one on the inclusiveness front.

There are several events planned for the pre-tournament multicultural football extravaganza, but the main event comes Tuesday, when a team of religious leaders from across the spectrum of religions will face off against a side made up of Swiss politicians. As I say in the title, my money’s on the politicians to dive and hack their way to a healthy win, unless the clergy side bless their own boots. Then all bets are off.