By Kevin Foley
As obnoxious as the ostentatious displays of patriotism are at sporting events, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has upped the ante.
Tebow is a talented athlete but only a mediocre professional signal caller. Nevertheless, the former Florida Gator has enjoyed a remarkable string of victories since taking over as the Broncos’ starting QB eight weeks ago.
But that’s not what makes Tebow noteworthy.
It’s his incessant pointing at heaven when he completes a pass, his kneeling in prayer on the sidelines every time the kicker tries a field goal, and his thanking Jesus Christ, his Lord and savior, for all his success before every news conference or public appearance.
I’m here to report that Denver’s 8-5 record has nothing to do with either God or Jesus Christ. They probably have more pressing problems then helping Tim Tebow defeat the Chicago Bears.
No, credit the “cover three” defense opposing teams employ late in the games Tebow has so far played. Cover three is also known as the “prevent,” as in, prevent Tebow from throwing a touchdown pass. But as the old saw goes, all the prevent defense does is prevent you from winning.
Yet Tebow would have us believe that divine intervention is the reason the Denver Broncos are atop the AFC West. The media has taken the bait, too, breathlessly invoking “miracles” whenever Tebow manages to throw for a touchdown.
NFL observers note Tebow is much better at running the ball than passing it. That’s another way of saying he’s just one crushing hit away from praying that his professional career isn’t over.
Meantime, while he’s healthy, Tebow is proving to be a crafty proselytizer aided by his movie star good looks and his humble (and genuine) aw shucks personality. You see, Tebow’s brand of Christianity is all about bringing non-believers to Jesus Christ. What better way to achieve that then by exploiting the national media platform afforded winning NFL QBs?
The sticky public relations problem Tebow presents to his team’s owner can be found in the New Testament, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Unfortunately, Broncos Nation is secular, made up of football fans who follow a wide variety of faiths or practice no religion at all. Why go out of your way to alienate them with rhetoric they might find offensive?
"I think that when he accepts the fact that we know he loves Jesus Christ, then I think I'll like him a little better,” observed retired Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer. “I don't hate him because of that, I just would rather not have to hear that every single time he takes a good snap or makes a good handoff.”
Of course conservative pundits are attacking Tebow’s critics, citing a non-existent “war on Christianity.” Fox’s Todd Starnes wrote that Tebow “will always be a lightning rod for anti-Christian bigots.”
Kurt Warner, an evangelical Christian and former quarterback who won an NFL championship with the St. Louis Rams before taking the Arizona Cardinals to their first-ever Super Bowl, sees things another way.
“The greatest impact you can have on people is never what you say, but how you live,” Warner said, addressing Tebow’s excessive displays. “When you speak and represent the person of Jesus Christ in all actions of your life, people are drawn to that. You set the standard with your actions. The words can come after."
In other words, religion, like patriotism, is highly personal, best expressed in meaningful rather than overbearing ways.
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Kevin
Foley is president of KEF
Media Associates, an Atlanta-based producer and distributor
of sponsored news content to television and radio media. |