OUR VIEW: Odd player, follower of God: Tebow deserves our respect
Poor Tim Tebow. The man who has become the talk of the National Football League can’t catch a break, evidently because of his irregular style of play and his penchant for telling all comers about his devotion to God.
Poor Tim Tebow. The man who has become the talk of the National Football League can’t catch a break, evidently because of his irregular style of play and his penchant for telling all comers about his devotion to God.
Tebow won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and led the University of Florida to two national championships. Yet his throwing motion is clunky — at least by NFL standards — and his style of play is more suited to the rough-and-tumble running game of 50 years ago than to today’s computer-like precision passing attack.
Why don’t people like Tebow, who this year became the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos? Good question, and it likely has less to do with his odd playing style than it does his passion for doing God’s work.
Go to Tebow’s website and see that his foundation is dedicated to “Bringing faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.”
This week, he used his Twitter account to tell his fans, “Have a good night, everyone! God bless + Go Broncos = GB2.”
He was featured in an anti-abortion commercial that ran during the 2010 Super Bowl. He is constantly seen praying on the sidelines of Broncos games.
He also has led the Broncos to seven wins in the eight games since he became their regular quarterback. Before Tebow got his opportunity, the Broncos were 1-4.
In short, Tebow wins games, but also is vocal about his religious beliefs. And for this, he’s been ostracized by NFL insiders, analysts and fans worldwide. We don’t get it. It’s odd to us how so many NFL players can display lawlessness and poor moral values yet still be granted hero status. After a fight in 2000 resulted in the stabbing death of two people, Baltimore’s Ray Lewis faced murder charges that were dropped in exchange for his testimony against others who were on the scene. Randy Moss intentionally ran over a traffic cop in Minneapolis. Michael Vick spent time in jail for running a dog-fighting operation. He lied about his involvement until he was cornered. We could go on, but space and general disgust prevent us. These players haven’t taken near the grief that has fallen upon Tebow, whose greatest knocks are that he throws a little funny and gets excited about the Lord.
Not all NFL players are bad; many are exceptional role models. We’re proud of the community role Mount Vernon’s Chad Greenway has assumed for the Vikings, for instance.
But the NFL has many bad apples, and yet they are seemingly beyond reproach.
We’re pleased by Tebow’s rise to prominence. His coaches should be excited about the string of thrilling victories that have come the Broncos’ way these past two months, and his teammates should be excited about the young quarterback’s passion for the game.
So Tim Tebow wins football games, hates abortion, prays on the sidelines, promotes a healthy and morally sound lifestyle and really, really digs Jesus.
What’s not to like?
Tags: tim tebow, sports, opinion, editorials, updates
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