Tim Tebow: A Bird of a Different Feather

Kudos to Cincinnati Enquirer Columnist Krista Ramsey for her latest weekly column.

In this world where people will tolerate anything from anyone, as long as it isn’t “Christian” or “Jesus-related,” it’s refreshing to see someone come to Tebow’s defense.

Thank you Krista for your well-written piece.

And thank you Tim Tebow for shining the mainstream spotlight on us birds.

Stay strong brother.

So what if Tebow believes his audience is God?

Written by Krista Ramsey

It was a casual football conversation, about

this being the Year of the Quarterback.

Then Tim Tebow’s name came up and the

football enthusiast beside me said, “He’s

good. He just needs to drop the religion

stuff.”

Except that, to Tebow, the Denver Broncos

quarterback, religion isn’t stuff.

His faith is who the man is, even more than

his ability to run the football or rally his

team from a fourth-quarter deficit.

The notion that anyone can simply

segregate his religious beliefs – slice them

off from the rest of his identity – is a

patronizing thought. The idea that Tebow

should do it because his beliefs make

others uncomfortable is truly an arrogant

one.

So what is it about Tebow, his playing style

or his personal religious practice that some

people find so upsetting? Why is it that a

player who, in another age, would have

been hailed as a clean-scrubbed role

model now faces skepticism, even derision?

Today professional athletes are far more

likely to make news for carrying guns,

slapping girlfriends or using drugs than

they are for thanking God or praying on the

sidelines. Yet they are quietly endured or

forgiven, while Tebow is parodied and

mocked.

Tebow has never hidden his religious

beliefs. An NCAA ban on putting letters or

symbols in players’ eye black is called the

Tebow Rule, because the former University

of Florida Gator used to display Bible

verses there. Yet it’s hardly fair to say that,

as a pro, he’s exactly forced his beliefs

down anyone’s throat.

In a game where defensive players throw

quarterbacks to the ground then prance

above them, and receivers taunt defenders

with salsa dances in the end zone, Tebow’s

quick kneel on the sidelines or index finger

pointed skyward hardly seems provoking.

He’s not stopping the game. He’s not

prancing for TV cameras. Cynics may

believe he’s posturing for the crowd, but

maybe it’s just the opposite – maybe he’s

forgetting all about the crowd and

expressing his faith in a way that seems

natural to him. How unthinkable would it be

if he saw his audience as … God?

His faith, in fact, may be the source of the

traits fans admire most – like his humility or

his sterling work ethic – and may have as

much to do with a perfect touchdown pass

or a Tebow run as does his coaching.

They are simply part of who he is.

And therein lies the secret to seeing the

best of Tim Tebow. He is a bird of a

different feather; let him be.

Like it or not, the Broncos’ success has

come by accepting that fact. Yeah, his

passing game is weak and sometimes

awful. He needs more time to read a

defense or find the open man. He’s got to

be more decisive.

But Tebow is incredibly mobile. He’s

ridiculously strong. And – when you let

Tebow be Tebow – he’s strikingly

confident, and inspires the same in his

teammates.

Perhaps the Broncos will crash by building

their offense around Tebow’s unlikely style.

It’s also the only way they’ll soar.

So on the field, accept Tebow’s unorthodox

approach. And off the field, accept his

orthodox faith.

If you can’t, then keep your gaze on the

gridiron.

If he’s not hurling his helmet after a failed

possession, or berating a teammate or

lambasting a coach – and he’s not – then

what Tim Tebow does on the sidelines

should be purely his own business.

Krista Ramsey’s column appears Friday

and Sunday. Email kramsey@enquirer.com.

~ by Maureen on January 13, 2012.