Tim Tebow. Is there a more hated quarterback in the NFL? Or, is there a quarterback loved more by his fans, than Tebow? Whenever the conversation of Tim Tebow comes up, you seem to get one of two reactions. Either, he is the worst quarterback in the history of the NFL – and Denver even considering playing him is a disgrace to the shield. Or, Tebow has more heart than anyone in the league, is a proven winner, and will be a star in the NFL. Which one is it? Well, simply put, the answer is neither. Is he the worst quarterback in the NFL? No. Will he be a superstar? Only time will tell, but probably not.
All of the Tebow hate and love got me thinking, is there a middle ground? Why is he a lightning rod for people’s emotions? Is it because of his hard religious beliefs? Is it because of his personality? Is it because of his style of play? What makes people either hate him or love him? And where is the fan out there that says, ‘Tebow? Eh, I don’t mind him.’
Now that Tebow is a full time starting quarterback in the NFL, he has been draped over the sports headlines more than usual. And it got me thinking, and investigating. I recently got a job at ESPN Radio 1080 The Fan in Portland, Oregon. This past Monday, the day after Tebow’s first start of the season against the Miami Dolphins – we spent the first hour of the talk show discussing the Tebow paranoia. A city without an NFL franchise, miles away from Denver and even further away from Miami – spent an hour discussing Tim Tebow. If that doesn’t tell you how much attention ‘Tebow Mania’ garners, then I don’t know what will.
One of my roles in working with the station is to answer the phone lines when people call in. When the Tim Tebow topic arose on the show, those phone lines were immediately full. Now, in my time working at the station, only three things have caused the phone lines to fill up. One, is when we give away prizes to callers; two, is when we discuss a hot topic regarding Oregon Ducks football (most recently, Cliff Harris); and third, is Tim Tebow.
Out of all the folks calling in to the show to give their opinion on Tebow, it was about 50-50 love, hate. Almost every single caller had something to say about Tebow’s religious views – and most seemed to believe his religious beliefs were what caused the lightning rod of attention that surrounds him.
While Tim Tebow has never discussed, at length, what his exact religious beliefs are – his Super Bowl ad a year ago caused quite a storm of controversy. Tebow was a spokesman for Focus on The Family, in two 30 second ads that ran during the primetime commercial spot of the year – the Super Bowl. While the ads did not discuss a particular issue, Tim Tebow told his personal story and how an avoided abortion saved his life. We’ll get to that story in a second, but first; what is Focus on The Family?
Focus on The Family is an evangelical Christian non-profit organization based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The groups’ beliefs have caused controversy since its founding in 1977. Their primary focus, it to strengthen what it considers to be traditional marriages and families – and most of their beliefs come from the work of leader Dr. James Dobson. However, the main reason for controversy surrounding the group is their stance on gay marriage. Dobson has made some claims regarding gay marriage that have castrated many amongst the American public. Three quotes, from Dobson, that stood out to me where – “marriage is about to ascend into a state of turmoil unlike any other in human history” (in regards to states allowing gay marriage). “Most gays and lesbians don’t want to marry each other, their intention is to destroy marriage altogether.” And, “Same-sex relationships undermine the future generation’s understanding of the fundamental principles of marriage, gender and parenthood,” and would lead to “unstable homes for children.” I want to remain apolitical in this blog – so I will let you decipher those quotes how you choose to.
Another controversy surrounding the religious organization is their stance on abortion. The group regularly supplies donations to Crisis Pregnancy Centers in aim to help reduce abortions throughout the country. It staunchly opposes any federal funding that has to do with helping families receive abortions. The abortion issue is where Tim Tebow comes in. The Super Bowl ad, which stared Tebow and his mother Pam, told his personal story relating to abortion.
Now, I understand how people would see Tim Tebow in an ad for Focus on The Family and be furious; obviously depending on their political and religious beliefs. However, before casting judgment, one must understand what Tebow’s story is. While pregnant, Pam (Tebow’s mother) suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of the drugs used to rouse her from a coma and to treat her dysentery, the fetus experienced a severe placental abruption. Doctors had expected a stillbirth and recommended an abortion to protect her life, but she remained undaunted and refused having an abortion. The child she was pregnant with – was Tim Tebow.
Let me ask you this – if your mother had gone through a similar situation; was recommended to have an abortion and didn’t, which resulted in your birth and life, what would your stance on abortion be? For me, it’s easy to understand his pro-life stance and why he would star in an ad for Focus on The Family.
While I may be ok with his Super Bowl ad, purely because of his own personal story, what I am not ok with is Tebow’s desire to shove his religion down the throats of fans. For instance, what if you were a gay, lesbian, or pro-choice believing, fan of the Denver Broncos – how would you view Tim Tebow? If I fell into any of those categories, I honestly would question my team. Why is my quarterback telling me what to religiously believe?
I fall generally into the Charles Barkley – athlete role model debate. While I do believe professional athletes need to be good role models for the youth, at the same time the main importance falls on the shoulders of the parents. “I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball, doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.” That’s what Charles Barkley had to say in his 1993 Nike commercial, and I have to agree. And this is what makes Tim Tebow stand out in a negative light, to fans of the NFL. Who are you to tell me how I should live my life? To me, it’s condescending, over the top and simply rude the way Tim Tebow flaunts his Christian beliefs. For decades, athletes have been professing their faith in Jesus and God and thanking the Lord for the successes on the playing field. Yet, to this point, no one has taken it as far as Tim Tebow.
“If you have Jesus Christ in your heart, you’re going to spend eternity in heaven. If you don’t, you’re going to spend eternity in hell. You’re going to last forever, the question is where” (Tim Tebow, talking to a group of elementary school students in Florida). What makes him believe he has the right to tell this to a group of children? When I saw this quote, I was reminded of one of my favorite religious philosophers – Larry David, and what he had to say about Christianity. “Why do Christians take everything so personally with Christ? Ya know, it’s like not only do you have to worship him – you want everybody to. It’s like, I like lobster – do I go around pushing lobster on people? Do I say you must like lobster? Eat lobster! It’s good, it’s good! It’s not only where you live, you have to go to Africa, go all over the world – eat lobster! Have lobster! It’s good! We want you to have lobster!”
There resides the simple problem with Tim Tebow. Do people have a problem with his religious beliefs? No, many athletes over the years have been deeply religious – and praised the Lord for their success. What people have a problem with is his pushing religion onto other people. There is something wrong with you, if you are not a Christian. You must be a Christian in order to survive eternity in Heaven. Or, as Larry David puts it – “Have some Lobster!”
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