Tim Tebow
Editorial: Denver Post
Tebow is the face of what had been a moribund franchise that finds itself back in the spotlight following wins in six of his seven starts at quarterback. (Dare we offer up a thank you to Josh McDaniels?) His faith-first, run-second and win-at-every-turn style at the game's glamour position makes him one of its most popular, yet polarizing figures.
While Tebow's willingness to profess his faith in Jesus Christ grates on some, we don't fault him for sharing his beliefs.
His habit of taking a knee in prayer on the sidelines has become a flattering/mocking fad dubbed Tebowing.
And Tebow remains unbowed. He starts many interviews by thanking his "Lord and savior Jesus Christ." He frequently ends them with the words, "God Bless."
We can't remember a star athlete so openly and so regularly displaying his faith since Muhammad Ali.
What's remarkable about Tebow is that he remains humble even as his star soars to new levels.
This week television executives went into overtime in a fight over "flexing" the Dec. 18 Denver-New England game from its afternoon time slot on CBS to prime time on NBC. The Sunday night broadcast is the flagship of the NFL television franchise and it's fair to say there was something about the game pitting the first-place Patriots against the resurgent Broncos that was even more appealing for NBC: Tebow.
ESPN on Wednesday devoted nearly an entire hour of its "SportsCenter" franchise to the Broncos' unorthodox quarterback. Has that ever been done before?
Yet after leading the Broncos to another come-from-behind victory last week, Tebow told Sports Illustrated's Peter King what he was most proud of, which was being able to say the name of a young cancer patient in postgame interviews: "I let him know people cared about him. I let him know God has a plan for him."
Tebow's critics can cite numerous statistics to bolster their claims that his unconventional style isn't right for the NFL. Sometimes that criticism is a veil of intolerance for an athlete who wears his faith on his sleeve — or eye black, as the case may be. By the same token, Tebow supporters can be too quick to dismiss valid concerns or observations as heresy.
Does Tebow have room to grow as a quarterback? Absolutely. Will he lead a proud franchise back to the promised land? Time will tell. For now, he deserves a Mile High Salute not just for helping the Broncos string together a series of wins, but refusing to run from his evangelical Christian beliefs.
While some would begrudge him, we think the way in which Tebow carries himself is something everyone, regardless of faith, can learn a lesson from.
Sincere Praying Not a Substitute for Preparation: Strategy Support for Tebow
I enjoy the favorable outcomes Tim Tebow and the Broncos have had, and hurt for them when they are disappointed. Any success they have, however, will not be the result of Tim’s earnest praying during the game. Rather, it will be the outcome of their hard work to prepare during the week, actually, throughout their lives. On game day, the score will be consistent with God’s law of sowing and reaping which he ordained to govern his creation. No amount of earnest pleading, even with bitter tears, will alter that outcome.
Remember Esau?
“You know that after he made poor choices for his future, on the day when he wanted his father's blessing (inheritance), he was rejected. It was too late for repentance (a change of mind/values leading to wise choices), even though he begged with bitter tears.” – Hebrew 12:17
For this reason, I think I would enjoy (be inspired) more paying to watch the conditioning workouts during the week of preparation than the performance on game day.
DonLoy Whisnant/The Grace Perspective 12A02
