Yeah, I agree with your take. Also, I was kidding. Maybe not the right audience for that joke. I will say, though, that I don't necessarily consider "hardcore" and "devout" to be synonymous. When I think of someone who is "hardcore," I tend to think of crazy people who are unwilling to let reasonableness stand in the way of their devotion. For instance, a hardcore Mets fan would have argued that Jose Reyes was a better shortstop than Derek Jeter, whereas a merely devout Mets fan may have loved Reyes and not cared for Jeter, but would be too reasonable to make that kind of statement. Maybe not the best example, but crunched for time. The point is that "hardcore" people (as I said, about anything) are the ones I'm leery of, not religious people. Sorry to have offended.
