One Last Tebow Time…

I know I’ve talked a lot about him over the last week or so, so I promise this is the last thing (for now) that I have to say. But it’s bothering me enough that I wanted to dedicate an entire post to it.

I’ve said before that I listen to a decent amount of sports talk radio. Last week I heard several other NFL players commenting that they were a little disgusted by how much face time Tebow has been getting on ESPN, compared to other people who have done more impressive things. I even heard an ESPN commentator say that he also was disgusted by how much attention was being given, and agreed that it was really too much. And I also agree that, objectively speaking, what he is doing as an NFL player does not warrant the amount of time he’s been receiving on sports news. However, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s been that way.

That’s thing one, after I talk about thing two, I’m going to put them together. Thing two is the fact that I’ve heard SO many people, in real life and on the radio, taking sides over Tebow. Nobody has said “You know, I just don’t really care” or “He’s okay” or “Good for him.” Everybody has an opinion, or more specifically a side. They are either FOR or AGAINST Tim Tebow. And last time I checked, it wasn’t mandatory that you pick a side. But everybody has. Either people say, I really like Tim Tebow and what he’s doing on and off the field, I love it that he’s winning; or they say, I’m not a Tebow fan, I hope he loses.

Now, putting the two together. I believe that this whole Tebow media frenzy and everyone having an opinion is about more than football. It’s about Christianity. In fact, it’s more about Christianity than it is about football. If he was not a devout Christian, wearing it on his sleeve, but instead just a regular Joe like most of the rest of the players, I guarantee his TV time would be at least cut in half, and people in Denver would be the majority talking about him and most everyone else could care less (other than us Fantasy Football people who care about every player).

Here’s why I think that. Almost everyone I’ve heard who says “I’m not a Tebow fan” is a non-Christian. And the Christians love this guy, they think he’s the new banner boy for the faith. In fact, as I’ve stated before, a lot of Christians are tying his success to his faith - meaning he’s winning because he’s a Christian. OK, now that he lost to the Patriots, what does that mean?

When I hear somebody say “You know, I’m just not a Tebow fan” I have to wonder what they are basing that on. How can you like football and not be a Tebow fan (aside from being division rivals’ fans of the Broncos)? He’s revitalizing the QB position, playing in an exciting way, winning, and he’s a GOOD guy - he encourages his team and compliments his opponents. What’s not to like? I mean, I know a lot of people dislike certain other QBs because they’re cocky, or because they are jerks off the field, etc. And I’m not saying you have to “love” Tebow, but to not be a fan seems beyond just being indifferent - you feel it necessary to say you’re NOT on his side.

And I think this is about Christianity. People are afraid to associate themselves with Tebow if they don’t want to be associated with Christianity. And people who associate themselves with Christianity feel it necessary to associate with Tebow. Both of these perspectives are unnecessary and shallow in my opinion. Any Christian who likes people because they are Christians and want to be associated with them because of that - they’re drawing a line whether they mean to or not. And that line says something. It says, on the contrary, I don’t want to be associated with people who aren’t Christians. And that it the exact opposite of how Jesus lived his life.

And the non-Christians who are afraid to be associated with him, it’s sad to me that they are insecure about what they believe to that degree. I guess without God in the picture, you have to get your identity from somewhere else, ie. people, and so the most important thing to you is what others think of you. So then you have to work extra hard to preserve your identity. As a Christian, I personally wouldn’t think anything different about an atheist who liked Tebow because of what he’s accomplishing in the NFL, and despite the fact that he’s also a Christian. In fact, I would applaud them for having a higher ability to reason logically and have an open mind.

It really gets me that there’s still such an “us vs. them” mentality on both sides. I dislike it, it saddens me, and I will continue pointing it out. Because Jesus was against division, and segregation of religious and non-religious. He was bigger than that.

I think Tebow is getting so much air time and so much conversation because Christianity is a highly polarizing subject, and he is very closely associated with this, and he’s famous. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the producers of ESPN are making their decisions consciously aware of this. I think they just know that he’s a hot topic right now and they are going to play to the ratings. But what people say about him is more telling. People who don’t like him or who aren’t a fan - really never state a reason, they “just aren’t” they say. And Christians love it too because they feel like him winning equals Christianity somehow “winning.”

I like Tim Tebow as an NFL quarterback because he plays the game in a unique way and has a bulldog, winning attitude. I love that. I like him just like I like Drew Brees for how hard he works and the fact that he’s first in last out every day, and he’s good guy on and off the field.

The only reason I am glad that Tim Tebow is a Christian is that I know he’s tapped in to a better story, a better life, and I wish that for everyone. I’m glad he’s found the same thing I have.

I wish Christianity and this whole association thing wasn’t as polarizing as it is, but I guess that’s just reality. My hope is that eventually people will grow beyond the shallow reactions of simply “for” or “against” with Tebow. We need more mutual understanding in the world, especially between Christians and non-Christians. We ought to be just as “For” non-Christians as we are for Christians.

I think I’ve officially talked way too much about this now, so I’m done.

P.S. - I do acknowledge that some of the news about Tebow is actually football related, and not simply because of his religion.