I confess, I love Tim Tebow, ever since he became the starting QB for the Broncos in 2011 and went on an incredible 7-4 run, with several last minute game heroics. We all became familiar with “Tebowing” where Tim would get on one knee, before, during, and after a football game, and pray to God. Then at the post game press conference, win or lose, Tim thanked his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Tim would always bring a sick child, and their family, to a football game. He would meet them before the start, and spend time with them after the game, when everyone else went home. Even if he didn’t play for the home team, how could anyone root against him, so I thought. Then you watch ESPN or listen to sports radio, and the disdain for Tebow was over-the-top. It clearly, in my eyes, went beyond his unorthodox, playing style.
Well, my suspicions came true while at a Bruins game. On Jan 12th of 2012, I took my son to a Bruins-Canadiens game, just days before the Patriots would host Tebow and the Broncos in a playoff game in Foxboro. Everyone was having a great time, Romney had just won the NH primary two days before, the Bruins holding on to a 2-1 lead in the 3rd period. During a break, the scoreboard began flashing waving fans, as is customary. Then it showed two kids “Tebowing”. Expecting a positive reaction, as I had, about two teenagers displaying a praying pose, the entire TD Garden filled with boos, and more boos, and louder boos. I was shocked, actually. My son turned to me and asked “Dad, why do they hate Jesus”?
Then came “Tebow Sucks” chant that not only lasted (off and on) for the rest of the Bruins game, but as we walked down the flight of stairs to exit The Garden, then outside the Garden, spilled onto the streets, then the chant continued as we waited for the Green Line. It came to a merciful end once we got onto the Red Line.
I have never seen a player for another team, get such a rise out of the Boston fans. My theory is Tim reminds many of us, including me, of our shortcomings, our past failings or where we failed to live up to our Judeo-Christian upbringing. Just by watching and listening to Tim Tebow, my son became curious about Jesus and God and Heaven.
There is nothing better than seeing good things happen to good people. I hope Brady and Belichick can turn a great person, into a great NFL player. Good luck Tim, and let’s hope some day, it’s “Tebow Time” in New England. If there is a professional athlete we want our kids to emmulate, it’s you.
so if brings value to the team, I’d like to have him here.
You’re an odd duck with the rest of the rambling Dan.
He’s a low-end back-up QB. We’ll like him as much as we liked Brian Hoyer. As in we’ll ignore him unless Tom Brady’s head falls off.
I think that has a lot to do with people’s dislike of Tebow. It isn’t his faith, but the fact that he expresses it in a way designed to bring the most attention to himself. New Englanders tend to be much more reserved in how they express their faith.
I don’t really understand why they signed him. I don’t see him stepping in for an injured Brady. Perhaps they intend to use him primarily as a running back? Anyway, I am sure the fans will like him well enough if he fits into the Patriot’s system and plays well.
Reading this right after the Gay Pride parade, and considering the Beverly parade, and other such demure displays just makes me smile.
Otherwise it would be just a group hike. Tebow, on the other hand, is the very definition of exhibitionism, since a football game is about football (shocker, I know!), not drawing attention to your religious beliefs.
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a rather high ratio of attention versus actual accomplishments. He made a few good clutch plays at the end of one season in Denver. Some of those other “miracle” comebacks were as much if not more the doing of other players but he was seen as something of a lucky charm. Otherwise, though, calling him a mediocre quarterback is being charitable.
It’s pretty fair to say that the level of attention Tebow receives is wildly out of proportion to his on-field accomplishments. Few true sports fans will find that appealing. (There’s a difference between being a sports fan and being either part of the cult of celebrity or admiring someone for his religious beliefs.)
He’ll be the third-string QB on a team where the second-stringer hardly ever steps on the field. This sure looks like a charity move by Bill Belichick, whose fondness for Tebow is well known.
Tebow is better than an undrafted free agent, so since no one else is interested, my bet is that he can take a look at him firsthand. This in no way means he’ll make the team. Depending on where he needs the depth he might carry a 3rd QB or maybe not, maybe Tebow could play another position or special teams given his athletic ability. As usual we’ll have no idea. But Belichick might also like to throttle the NFL and the Jets a little bit too.
getting a download from Tebow on the Jets could be useful (even if it only makes Rex Ryan worry about Tebow giving a download). Selling a boatload of Tebow jerseys won’t hurt the Patriots bottom line any. And I bet there are some in the Patriots organization (coach not among them) who don’t mind breaking into Boston sports consciousness at a time when people had been focused mostly on the Bruins (and as always the Red Sox).
he signed a deal with no guaranteed money, he’ll get paid the veteran minimum the days he’s in camp. Short money to get a look-see.
But he did work out with the QB’s, if that’s any indication of where they will want to use him if he makes the team.
First – the BB/TB partnership’s success is unprecedented in the game, and will not be replicated soon.
But Tom Brady is 36 years old.
The System, The Program – they are calibrated to the talents of a particular QB. It works so well that Matt Cassell was able to use it to take us to a winning record when Brady was sidelined. But there’s no recovering from time and age.
I think Tebow could be useful as a running, rather than passing, QB and we could really play with the heads of defenses who won’t know precisely which OL is coming to play. And the offense has been together almost five years now, and has really jelled well enough to have different QB’s with different styles. Josh McDaniel coached him to a playoff before, and as coordinator may be able to do so again.
It fractures me that the signing of Moss, Ocho, Seau, Welker, and all the other Lost Boys of the NFL never got a post (BTW – why is it that liberals seem addicted to the loser Red Sox?). But THIS – well, this was different. It speaks to the casual bigotry against the religious that permeates the left, who are usually so ‘inclusive’ of others.
just sayin’
are you saying that Dan’s casual bigotry of religion caused him to not post about Ocho Stinko?
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
That was Jesus being quoted above. Most people don’t pay good money to have to watch someone be flamboyantly sanctimonious at a sports event, not to mention break His rules about praying in public. Tebow is giving Jesus the finger with every “Tebow”.
Also, don’t forget that Tebow featured in a pro-life Focus on the Family commercial a few years ago. As we all know, FOTF is a virulently anti-choice, anti-gay organization. Not much there for most Bay Staters to love.
And he did an innocuous commercial of how his mom was told to have an abortion, which she refused, instead, gave birth to Tim. Are you annoyed when David Ortiz points to The Heavens, after hitting a homerun, or an athlete blesses himself before taking the mound, or gets into the batters box? Is it just sports professionals who need to be muzzled, or would Hollywood and rock stars apply as well?
Giving the finger to Christ? I thought The Lord asked his Disciples to spread the Good News, no? Tebow isn’t being flamboyant, he is being who he is. I submit, with all due respect, those that criticize Tebow for the way he shows love for God, are the intolerant ones.
You’ll have to take that up with him. But no worries, I’m sure he’ll agree with whatever you conclude. 😉
I’m an atheist. There is no God. I’ve never prayed in my life and see no point to it whatsoever. Jesus was, at best, an interesting political leader.
That said, your selective misinterpretation of a couple of lines in the Bible here is absurd.
This passage (Matthew 6:5-6) is about praying “to be seen by others.” Any reasonable interpretation – to be consistent with the many other clearly pro-evangelical parts of the Bible – will acknowledge that this can’t simply mean you should *never* pray or state religious beliefs in any public location. Instead, this quote is about the motivation of the person praying. Throughout the Bible, Christians are encouraged to pray in public as long as they do so for the right reasons. Not “to be seen” as “holier than thou.” But evangelicalism is certainly welcomed.
Everyone can interpret it how they wish. You’re entitled to your reading of it, as I am to mine. There is no definitive interpretation; there are as many interpretations as there are readers.
Yes, He said to go into the world and make disciples of all people, but praying for show He seems to frown upon and one could reasonably see Tebow’s actions as that. My advice to anyone uncomfortable with it is to think of it as his version of an endzone dance, which ultimately doesn’t hurt anyone.
I think you identified an important distinction. I consider the “John 3:16” that Tebow has printed on his black under-eye patches (whatever they’re called) to be evangelism, whereas his Tebowing is public prayer.
for that whole “make a joyful noise unto the Lord” thing in Psalm 100. Jesus’ Dad said it was okay. 🙂
I don’t know what it is about this kid (and he is a kid) that makes people so angry, but I like him. There are far worse to emulate. As a Catholic Democrat (I know, it’s getting to be an oxymoron in terms these days) I find that people who purport to be the most inclusive and sensitive tend to be incredibly intolerant of others. I say give the kid a chance and see how he does. Pax.
You really do troll hard, don’t you?
Ever wanted to write a dfw comment or post and just didn’t have the time? You’re in luck! Cut out and replace the bracketed terms with those that you select, and you will have your very own danfromwaltham content!
Hi there! [Minor small talk]. You know, I really like [thing/person that sucks] and I’m excited that [thing that sucks] will now [suck in a slightly different way]. I tremendously admire [minor accomplishment], not to mention the fact that [other minor accomplishment] is so impressive that [cliche].
Then I thought how would [thing that sucks] do well in [liberal area]? I [concerntrolling] when I think of it. Sure, [thing that sucks] may [reason that it sucks], and some people will care about that more than [minor accomplishment]. I bet it’s because [euphemism for liberal]s don’t like [irrelevant factoid] and pretend it’s all about [reasons that it sucks]. I hope that [euphemism for liberals] won’t allow [irrelevancy] to keep them from admiring [thing that sucks].
Do you, as a Patriots fan, accept Bill Belichick as New England’s football savior or not? If the answer is yes, than by all means he has something wonderful planned for Tebow and everyone will walk away a winner.
Tebow’s beliefs don’t matter. Not a reason to root for him and certainly not a reason to root against him. It’s Bill’s belief in Tim and my belief in Bill that makes me oddly excited about this.
it was a minimum price for a 3rd string QB. If the experiment doesn’t pan out, they can drop him without wasting much money.
After this decision, though, and paying for the over-the-hill Chad Johnson Ochocinco… I’m wondering if someone in the Pats’ front office might have a concussion…
So the good news, Tim Tebow got a job with the Patriots. The bad news: now that he’s associated with the wold “Patriot” he’s being audited by the IRS.
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2013/06/12/leno-now-tebow-s-associated-word-patriot-he-s-being-audited-irs#ixzz2W1MWOZdI