First, in the interest of full disclosure, I’ve been a Denver Broncos fan for years. I always loved watching John Elway with his never-say-die attitude and amazing fourth-quarter comebacks, and I’ve remained a Broncos fan ever since.
Ever since Elway retired, I’ve been waiting for another quarterback to helm my team with that same never-say die attitude. It looks like we finally found him in Tim Tebow.
Does Tebow have all of the same mechanical talents as John Elway? No, at least not yet. Tebow’s passing is inconsistent and unorthodox. But what he lacks in passing consistency he more than makes up for in moxie. When pressured, he dances free and rushes, often for more yardage than his running backs. To put it in perspective, Tim Tebow has rushed for more yards in a single game than legendary quarterback Dan Marino did in his entire career combined.
Most importantly, Tebow, in his rookie season, led the Broncos out of the wilderness and back into the playoffs, and he led them to a huge upset victory over the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers in round one. For that alone, I am a grateful fan.
So why I am writing about sports in a political blog? Well, sports is merely the context. My real point is about Tim Tebow the man.
Tim Tebow has become a cultural phenomenon specifically because of his open displays of his Christian faith. He famously kneels to pray to God after every touchdown (“Tebowing”), paints “John 3:16” on his black eye shade, and begins every interview by giving all credit to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And by and large, an American people who are generally repelled by people who wear their religion on their sleeve love Tim Tebow.
Why?
The answer is that Tebow’s faith is self-apparently sincere and genuine, and his sincerity and genuineness are a breath of fresh air in a world that has grown dark and cynical.
Tim Tebow doesn’t publicly trivialize God by praying for victory on the football field. But when he achieves victory, he consistently gives the credit to God in a display of sincere humility.
Tebow doesn’t preach the Gospel and then hypocritically go spend his millions on sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll. He used his NFL signing bonus to open a children’s hospital in the Philippines. In fact, throughout his time in college, he spent every summer in the Philippines helping underprivileged people. And during his time in school, he was so involved in community service that his example made it cool and trendy for his fellow students to do the same. And he still managed to win the Heisman Trophy.
Tebow could have his way with any number of beautiful women, but consistent with the teachings of his faith, he is a celibate virgin. Indeed, a tabloid recently offered tens of thousands of dollars to any woman who would disclose that she had slept with Tebow. There were no takers.
But maybe the best example that I’ve seen of Tim Tebow’s character was this recent account from the Wall Street Journal:
Mr. Tebow’s acts of goodwill have often been more intimate. In December 2009, he attended a college-football awards ceremony in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The night before, at another gala at Walt Disney World Resort, he met a 20-year-old college-football fan named Kelly Faughnan, a brain-tumor victim who suffers from hearing loss and visible, continual tremors. She was wearing a button that said “I love Timmy.” Someone noticed and made sure that the young woman had a chance to meet the player.
Mr. Tebow spent a long while with Ms. Faughnan and her family, and asked her if she’d like to be his date for the award ceremony the following night. She agreed, and the scene of Mr. Tebow escorting the trembling young woman down the red carpet led much of the reporting about the event.
As a Jew, I don’t share Tim Tebow’s Christian religious beliefs. But I do share his values, and I admire the sincerity of his faith and the consistency of his character. In a world that is severely lacking in role models, Tim Tebow has stepped up. And for that, I am a believer.
