NOW Who Am I Supposed to Root For?

With the news that Tim Tebow has been traded to the NY Jets I have a dilemma.  I'm a fan of Tebow and I doubt there's anybody in the league who works harder than he does to make the most of his talent.  I'd love to see him do well somewhere.

However, the Jets pose a problem for me.  Their current quarterback, Mark Sanchez, went to my kid's high school and I watched him play his last two years there.  He was really something at Mission Viejo High, and I've enjoyed following him as he went through USC and on to the pros.  I'd love to see him have a good year too.

I guess it's a good thing I'm not that much of a football fan.

Focus on the Family's John 3:16 Ad Gives Some a Bad Case of the Vapors

Believe it or not, this ad run during the Broncos-Patriots game has caused some viewers to get a bad case of the vapors (from Todd Starnes):

Focus on the Family’s 30-second ad featured boys and girls reciting John 3:16 during the second quarter of the football game.

John 3:16 declares: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

According to the Denver Post, CBS faced outrage for accepting the ad because it contained a religious theme.

David Barron, who writes a blog for the Houston Chronicle, said he received a call from a friend who said the ad “was one of the most offensive things I’ve seen.”

“When I asked why, he said, ‘Time and place. I don’t want to see a Cialis ad on the 700 Club, either,’” Barron recounted in his blog.

Focus President and CEO Jim Daly told the Post that they expect people to be upset over the ad.

“We will hear about shoving religion down people’s throats,” Schneeberger said. “But if it’s OK to shove Doritos down people’s throats, and cars and everything else, we have the right to advertise, too.”

But he said the central message of the ministry is to share the Gospel of Christ with people.

“There’s been a lot of buzz lately about what John 3:16 says, and we wanted to help people understand it without having to run to their computer to look it up,” Daly said in a press release. ”For Christians, the verse is the essence of the Good News of Jesus Christ, and when you have good news you want to share it with as many people as possible. We hope this helps everyone understand some numbers are more important than the ones on the scoreboard.”

How far have we fallen as a society when an ad featuring children reciting a Bible verse is "the most offensive thing" someone has ever seen? This guy must not watch much TV.

Tebow's team had a bad night, but maybe some viewers had a better night because of this ad.

Sports Tweet of the Day

From Andy Borowitz:

If Tebow has God on his side but loses anyway, that will make him an honorary Jew.

Massachusetts Witches Trying to Stop Tebow

The Witches are not the name of the New England team - they're still the Patriots.  But some of the local covens are doing their part to stop the Tim Tebow phenomenon:

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady may not need the help, but some witches are planning to cast a spell to put an end to Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow’s miraculous season.

Witches Lorelei and Lori Bruno were scheduled to hold a seance at noon today – Friday the 13th – at Haven Crow Corner in Salem, Mass. to fix a win for the Pats.

“I’m going to raise the energy of the universe and send out all the good mojo,” Lorelei told the Boston Herald. “Lori will call in the Angels.”

The good witches won’t hex Tebow, as it’s “not their way,” but plan on setting up an altar with a hand-sewn Brady puppet and mojo bags filled with herbs and stones for every Patriots team member.

Apparently God did not send down fire to destroy the witch gathering as he did with the Prophets of Baal in the Old Testament (He doesn't tend to do that stuff anymore), but I'm not sure I'd want to be on the underworld side of a God vs. witchcraft confrontation.

As I've said before, I don't think God cares who wins the football game.  He'll leave that to the mere mortals. Either way, He'll get a lot of attention from the game that's about to kick off in New England.

43% Think God Helps Tebow Win

Count me as a dissenter:

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is not the only one who thinks God helps him on the football field.

According to a national telephone survey conducted by Poll Position, 43 percent of people believe that “divine intervention” is responsible for his success compared to 42 percent of people surveyed who think that God has nothing to do with Tebow winning.

I don't think God really cares who wins, but I have no doubt that God provides a balance in Tebow's life that helps him do better at everything he does.  If God was backing him the way some people think, why the poor performances two weeks in a row?  Did Tebow have an impure thought and God punished him for it?  That's the direction this kind of logic has to take you, and that's why I don't buy the argument that his success is divine intervention.

If it is divine intervention, God will have his hands full this week when Denver goes against New England again.  The last meeting was all Tom Brady and Denver was handily beaten 41-23.  It may take a pillar of fire to turn this game around.

Tebow Wisely Staying Out of Politics

He's probably the most sought after sports endorsement any politician could covet right now, but he's not getting involved:

Sensing the excitement and loving his message, Tebow is also being courted by Republican presidential candidates. The quarterback recently told The Associated Press he’s been asked by more than one of the contenders for his support. He wouldn’t name names, but did say he’d declined the offer.

“I think you have to have so much trust in who you support, just from product endorsements to endorsing a candidate because if that person or company does something (bad), it reflects on you,” said Tebow, who’s a pitchman for Nike, Jockey and FRS energy drink.

Tebow has been getting some pretty good advice all along the way, and whoever is advising him to stay away from political endorsements is a very smart guy.

Ignorant Sports Tweet of the Day

ABC News Correspondent Chris Cuomo was tweeting about Tim Tebow and wasn't getting much love from his followers. However, one respondent took the stupidity to record levels (larger version here):

CIV obviously went to public school. She not only doesn't understand the concept of "separation of church and state" (which for the record can be found nowhere in the Constitution), but thinks our founding document requires the separation of religion from EVERYTHING.

CIV - do yourself a favor and close your Twitter account. You're embarrassing.

Tebow Time

It's game time in Denver with the Broncos taking on the New England Patriots.  I'm guessing the ratings for this game will be pretty high (it's on CBS if you're looking for it).  If my mom is asking me when the game is on you know there's an unusual amount of attention for this event.

For some reason people seem to have a lot riding on quarterback Tim Tebow.  People who aren't normally Denver fans are rooting for him to win his 8th of 9 starts largely because they appreciate his dedication to his faith and his defiance of his critics.  And there are those hoping he stumbles and finally justifies their criticism of him.  Many have been predicting his demise week-after-week, so don't be surprised when that loss inevitably comes (whether this week or in the future) that the gloating will be insufferable.  Even SNL was making fun of his faith last night.

I probably won't see the game, but I'm pretty sure the Twitter feed on my phone will include a lot of updates.

Tim Tebow Is Living Rent-Free in Liberal Talker Bill Press' Head

I love how some arrogant non-Christians feel they have the right and responsibility to lecture Christians on how they're supposed to act.  And of course, they always insist the Christian apply a standard of behavior they themselves would never agree to.  Liberal talker Bill Press is one of those guys (from The Blaze):

Liberal radio pundit and former CNN host Bill Press has a message for Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow: “S-T-F-U” about Jesus.

The leftist commentator used this acronym (which stands for “shut the f**k up”) while speaking on his radio show this morning about his dislike for Tebow’s “in-your face” Christian faith.

“…And you know what I want to say, S.T.F.U. I’m tired of hearing Tim Tebow and all this Jesus Talk,” Press said. ”He better be praying hard this week, because he’s up against a real quarterback on Sunday — against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.”

As if this weren’t rough enough, Press continued, saying, “Everybody wants to make him a hero. I think he’s a disgrace. I think he’s an embarrassment.” Listen to his controversial assessment of Tebow, below:ourse, Press wasn’t done there. He later turned to his web site, where he posted even more commentary about his opposition to Tebow. “Jesus said a lot of strong things. But one of the strongest things he ever said was: When you pray, don’t be like those hypocrites who like to stand on a street corner and pray, so everybody can see them,” he wrote. “Somebody ought to tell that to Tim Tebow.” He continued:

By dragging God into every football game, Tebow makes a mockery of Christianity – and trivializes religion. The truth is, God doesn’t care who wins an election, a bingo game, or a football game. Sorry, Tebow, Jesus is not a Broncos fan.


Now, if you’re one of the silly millions of Americans who loves Tebow’s in-your-face kind of Christianity, consider this. What if he were a devout Muslim, who bowed to Mecca after every touchdown and shouted “Allahu Akbar?”

If Tebow was a Muslim you wouldn't hear a peep out of Press. He obviously think highly of his head and would like to keep it on his shoulders.

As far as Tebow praying hard for this week's game, my guess he won't pray any more any harder than he does all the time.

Press' statement reflects ignorance about a lot of things, none the least of which is the Bible. Yes, the Pharisees Jesus was talking about were hypocrites who made a great show of a faith in which they didn't really believe. They made big public displays so people would think them more righteous than others. Jesus also described them as "whited sepulchrals", clean on the outside and dead on the inside. Sort of like Press' head.

However, has anyone offered any evidence that Tebow doesn't believe what he displays on the outside? No. Therefore Press' statements are ignorant nonsense.

I've seen something similar here on this blog.  I write something that somebody on the left doesn't like (usually an atheist) and they feel led to lecture me on how my attitude is "non-Christian" and how I'm supposed to act a different way.  Well, folks, as I'm sure it says somewhere in the Bible, tough toenails.  They need to take the log out of their eye before they worry about the speck in mine (that IS in the Bible).

Sunday will be interesting.  I'm guessing the ratings for the Denver-New England game will be much higher than they would have been had Tebow not been such a story.  You'll have part of the audience rooting for Tebow and the Broncos  because of his faith and his late-game heroics, and another segment praying to their own pagan gods for his demise.  If Denver loses, whether by one point or fifty, the gloating from the anti-Tebow forces will be something to see.  Every one of them will tell us how they knew all along he was no good and now (after weeks of making the same prediction) they'll feel vindicated in their hatred.

Should be interesting.

Leadership Video of the Day

Normally I would have called this the "Sports Video of the Day", but I think the leadership qualities that show throughout this piece on Tim Tebow are more important than the sporting achievements.  It's not that much of a mystery to me why this guy's a winner after you watch this:

Sports Quote of the Day

The Christian Post did a lengthy interview with entertainer Bill Cosby. Cosby recently posted a video praising Tim Tebow for bringing his best to the game of football, and the Post asked Coz about that:

CP: I understand you're a dedicated football fan and I recently saw a video of you encouraging Tim Tebow as he encounters public criticism. Why do you like him?

Cosby: I like what's happening in Denver. The beauty of what I see is that Tebow speaks his mind. When we look at the settling of this country we see a Bible in hand and God. Every Thanksgiving has God and the peacefulness of gratitude. It was important when the Twin Towers were hit and the sorrow with them that the first thing Congress did was sing "God Bless America."

There are thus people in the media and business who after an athlete does something will give them a bum rush. Mr. Tebow is someone who the media has picked on. ESPN found all sorts of athletes and experts to say this young man is not a good football player and that the other starting quarterback is better. They said his footwork is awful and that he is a freak or something that couldn't play at all. People are Tebowing, Tebowing and Tebowing but Tebow won't allow people to focus on what he has done and has not done. He just states the glory of being out there and the privilege of playing. He tells them how his team plays and succeeds and the way he does it is almost biblical.

There are stories in the Bible about people telling other people how to do things. When you hear this young man say "we don't give up," that's something human beings who win will tell you every time. Breaks will happen. When they happen, you keep the same mind about what you're doing. It's about we the people getting on with our lives and doing it that way.

There's good stuff throughout the interview. You can read it here.

This weekend Tebow faces his toughest test in the New England Patriots. His critics are expecting him to finally get his comeuppance (which they've been predicting every week for several weeks), but we'll see. On paper New England should win handily, but things haven't gone this season for Denver the way the "experts" have thought they would.

Sports Quote of the Day

As a Christian, would a Tim Tebow win in the Super Bowl inspire you to go burn a mosque?  Joshua Hammerman, a nutcase rabbi from Connecticut, thinks it will and said so in a piece written for Jewish Weekly, newspaper serving the Jewish community in New York.  Here's just part of what he said:

If Tebow wins the Super Bowl, against all odds, it will buoy his faithful, and emboldened faithful can do insane things, like burning mosques, bashing gays and indiscriminately banishing immigrants. While America has become more inclusive since Jerry Falwell’s first political forays, a Tebow triumph could set those efforts back considerably.

After this whole premise blew up in his face the rabid rabbi took down the post and offered one of those classic non-apology apologies:

“The piece has been taken down and I apologize to all those whom it has offended. Some additional reflections will be forthcoming. Thank you.”

In other words, I'm sorry you're too dumb to understand my brilliant analysis. He should have just come out and said "I'm sorry I wrote something really dumb and you had to read it."

Here again is a person allowing Tim Tebow to live rent-free in his head.

Sports Commentary of the Day

After Tim Tebow's latest last-minute heroics in the game against Chicago yesterday, sportscaster Bob Costas offered a commentary on Tebow's success that I think is pretty much right on the money:

The Denver Broncos now lead the AFC West at 8-5, 7-1 with Tim Tebow as their starting quarterback. Here’s the list of quarterbacks with higher winning percentages this year than Tebow: Aaron Rodgers — and nobody else.

And the truth is, there’s nobody else quite like Tebow. No fewer than five of his seven victories have featured late fourth quarter comebacks. Approaching — okay, we’ll say it — the miraculous.

Again today, Tebow did next to nothing until the waning moments, and then, down 10-0 with two minutes left, he throws a touchdown pass, and the Broncos tie it at the gun on a 59-yard field goal. And then win it in overtime on a 51 yarder. The combination of Denver’s continuing late heroics, and today, the Bears otherwise unexplainable errors, is enough to have some at least suspect divine intervention. Except that Tebow, whose sincere faith cannot be questioned, and should be respected, also has the good sense, and good grace, to make it clear he does not believe God takes a hand in the outcome of games.

Most of us are good with that. Otherwise, how to explain what happens when there are equal numbers of believers on either side. Or why so many of those same believers came up empty facing Sandy Koufax. Or hit the deck against Muhammad Ali. Or why the almighty wouldn’t have better things to do.

Still, there is no doubt that Tebow and his team benefit from his honest belief. How? Frank Bruni put it well in today’s New York Times. Whatever Tebow may lack in classic NFL quarterbacking traits, he possesses other qualities in abundance. And in his case, those qualities — confidence, equanimity, optimism — and a presence that can’t be explained, but can certainly be felt. The whole Tebow persona derives from how he sees the world, and his place in it. Those qualities, no matter how one comes by them, are an asset, perhaps especially in sports.

Good for Tebow, and those who share his beliefs. And those who don’t can still acknowledge, and appreciate, that who Tim Tebow is, is not only genuine, but for the moment at least, it makes him and the Broncos, one of the most fascinating, and in whatever sense you interpret it, uplifting stories in sports.

The site where I got this is pretty much representative of the Tebow haters. You can go there if you wish and read his take on Costas' remarks, but it's clear that Tebow is living rent-free inside this guy's head.  It's really funny how Tebow inspires such acrimony from his critics.

Sports Cartoon of the Day

Tim Tebow is now 7-1 as a starter for the Denver Broncos, with four come-from-behind victories in a row:

Does God Control The Denver Bronco Games With His Universal Remote?

I'm not a football fan (except possibly for Mission Viejo High School).  I don't care who wins what in the NFL, and I couldn't tell you who's good and who's bad this year.  I don't follow the sport.

However, I can't help but take note of the Tim Tebow phenomenon because every time Tebow wins one of these last minute cliffhangers my Twitter and Facebook feeds explode with comments.  And there's one that seems to pop up multiple times in each of the past several weeks:

"One of these days Tebow will come up against a defense that will kick his butt."

Well of course he will. Every quarterback, from the greenest rookie to the most seasoned future Hall-of-Famer, is going to have games in which the defense eats him alive. It's not exactly a profile in courage to make that prediction about Tebow.

But why do these people feel it necessary to say these things, and why are they so angry when he wins? They just can't understand why Tebow has been so successful (6-1 as a starter). They look at him and see a guy whose skills apparently aren't worthy of a starting NFL spot, and yet he's a starter AND a winner. And his faith really makes the uncomfortable.

Those who scoff at faith in general are really bugged by this guy because his faith is right up front and that really seems to perturb them.

Can his faith be credited with his success? I don't think God sits up in heaven with his "universal remote" and orders the outcome of NFL games based on the godliness of the players. If that was the case you'd have a lot more teams with winless seasons.

However, Tebow's faith is undoubtedly a calming and comforting influence on his life, and that can't hurt in the high pressure world of professional sports.

Last week Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stomped on an opponent's arm and got himself suspended for two games. Yesterday Suh crashed his car into a tree in downtown Portland, OR. There's a guy who could use some calming and comforting.

My hat's off to Tebow for making the best of what skills and opportunities he has.  He's a great example of a guy who is not only a man of faith, but a man who is getting the optimum results from his efforts.

And my guess is he'll keep confounding his critics...until he has a big loss and then they'll all gloat assuming the loss will bother him as much as it would bother them were they talented enough to be in his position.

It won't.

What Tim Tebow Can't Do

From the Wall Street Journal:

He cannot fly. He cannot see through walls. He cannot talk to the animals, not even cats. He's never picked up an automobile and tossed it across the road. He's failed to publish poetry in Russian. He can't explain Ryan Reynolds.

These are just a few of the many things Tim Tebow can't do.

Every day we are reminded of more things Tim Tebow can't do. He cannot throw a proper pass. He cannot stand still in the pocket. He can't run a conventional offense. He runs, but he doesn't run gracefully. He runs upright and frantic. He runs like he's stealing a toaster from the mall.

He's a cavalcade of failures. Why the Denver Broncos give him a paycheck, nobody knows.

Because Tim Tebow never lets you relax. He never puts a football game away in the first quarter. He forces you to watch the whole thing, with commercials and no fast-forwards. It's never pretty.

He's also 5-1 as a starting quarterback. Read the whole thing. His faith mystifies his critics, and I can't think of a better example of a Christian athlete.

UPDATE:  Tebow now 6-1 after beating Minnesota on Dec. 4 with more late heroics.  He's making a believer out of people in a lot of ways.

After Being Embarrassed Yesterday the NAGS Are Still Complaining About the Tebow Ad

The pro-abortion groups took a serious beating yesterday during the Super Bowl game. For a couple of weeks they had complained and moaned about the ad that Focus on the Family was planning to run celebrating life and featuring Pam Tebow and her son Heisman winner Tim Tebow. They tried to get CBS to drop the spot and generally made fools of themselves in the media.

Focus on the Family, which sponsored the ad, played the angry feminists like a fiddle because when the ad ran no one could have mistaken it as the least bit objectionable or political. If you didn't see the ad that ran, you can find it here.

Well, let me correct that. There were some people who still found the ad objectionable - the angry feminists, and their reasoning is as always a stretch as shown here by Kathryn Jean Lopez at The Corner:

They made fools of themselves with the outrage over the Tebow ad — even getting themselves called out by fellow members of the feminist sisterhood. So now that we've seen the life-affirming, compassionate ad? They're still at it. Now NOW says the ad was a "celebration" of violence against women. The Los Angeles Times reports:

Some anger persisted after the ad aired.

NOW president Terry O'Neill said it glorified violence against women. "I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it," she said. "That's what comes across to me even more strongly than the anti-abortion message. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence, and I don't find it charming. I think CBS should be ashamed of itself."

Liberal women — at least the groups that claim to represent them — have long hated the Super Bowl. It's nasty and brutish, they claimed for years — that there was an epidemic of women being beaten because of it. As New Orleans celebrates a great joy that is the culmination of many recontruction joys today, it's hard to argue that the Super Bowl is the source of all evil. So the Tebow ad is their continued target. They're doing it for Pam Tebow, you know, even if she doesn't agree.

The only real violence I saw surrounding the Super Bowl was the violence NOW is doing to its agenda.

There are some seriously red faces among the angry left today and they don't take jokes very well. This lame attempt to declare the Focus ad as "violence against women" is so silly that few if any can possibly take them seriously.

The Full Tebow Story

You may have seen the Focus on the Family ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mother during yesterday's Super Bowl and may know about the lefties who got the vapors over an ad celebrating life, but you may not know the whole story of the Tebow family. There's a nice video at FOTF that explains it all.

Tim Tebow and the NAGS

Sally Jenkins, a sportswriter for the Washington Post, offers one feminists' take on the Tim Tebow pro-life Super Bowl ad controversy, and her column will probably tick off a lot of members of the National Association of Gals (NAGS):

I'll spit this out quick, before the armies of feminism try to gag me and strap electrodes to my forehead: Tim Tebow is one of the better things to happen to young women in some time. I realize this stance won't endear me to the "Dwindling Organizations of Ladies in Lockstep," otherwise known as DOLL, but I'll try to pick up the shards of my shattered feminist credentials and go on.

As statements at Super Bowls go, I prefer the idea of Tebow's pro-life ad to, say, Jim McMahon dropping his pants, as the former Chicago Bears quarterback once did in response to a question. We're always harping on athletes to be more responsible and engaged in the issues of their day, and less concerned with just cashing checks. It therefore seems more than a little hypocritical to insist on it only if it means criticizing sneaker companies, and to stifle them when they take a stance that might make us uncomfortable.

I'm pro-choice, and Tebow clearly is not. But based on what I've heard in the past week, I'll take his side against the group-think, elitism and condescension of the "National Organization of Fewer and Fewer Women All The Time." For one thing, Tebow seems smarter than they do.

Tebow's 30-second ad hasn't even run yet, but it already has provoked "The National Organization for Women Who Only Think Like Us" to reveal something important about themselves: They aren't actually "pro-choice" so much as they are pro-abortion. Pam Tebow has a genuine pro-choice story to tell. She got pregnant in 1987, post-Roe v. Wade, and while on a Christian mission in the Philippines, she contracted a tropical ailment. Doctors advised her the pregnancy could be dangerous, but she exercised her freedom of choice and now, 20-some years later, the outcome of that choice is her beauteous Heisman Trophy winner son, a chaste, proselytizing evangelical.

Pam Tebow and her son feel good enough about that choice to want to tell people about it. Only, NOW says they shouldn't be allowed to. Apparently NOW feels this commercial is an inappropriate message for America to see for 30 seconds, but women in bikini selling beer is the right one. I would like to meet the genius at NOW who made that decision. On second thought, no, I wouldn't.

There's not enough space in the sports pages for the serious weighing of values that constitutes this debate, but surely everyone in both camps, pro-choice or pro-life, wishes the "need" for abortions wasn't so great. Which is precisely why NOW is so wrong to take aim at Tebow's ad.

There's a lot more about Tebow at the link and it's worth reading.

Just two days ago the same Washington Post ran a piece from some of the main NAGS on "How to be pro-choice on Super Bowl Sunday". They have a link to that piece on the article I mentioned above. I must be old fashioned, but I always thought Super Bowl Sunday was about football, not social issues.

This is once again a situation in which the left is their own worst enemy. By vigorously complaining about an ad which promotes life and family they brought all kinds of media attention to the ad that it wouldn't have had if they'd just remained silent. The 30-second ad would have quickly come and gone and few would have noted it.

The NAGS made themselves look like the silly pro-abortion ideologues that they are.

Well done, ladies.

The Other Super Bowl Ad Controversy

We all know about the Focus on the Family ad featuring Tim Tebow that has pro-abortion feminists in a lather, but there's another ad that's getting attention too - from what is supposedly a gay dating website. However, this one looks pretty fishy:

Lorie Byrd makes an excellent point regarding an ad for a gay male dating service currently under review for approval to run during the Super Bowl - assuming a spot opens up.

I could imagine CBS approving a different ad for the same company however -- one with less "making out." I have a feeling the company would not want to submit such an ad though. It is much better for them to submit one with little chance of getting approved so they get lots of publicity at little cost. The racier the ad, the more publicity it will generate, especially in the current atmosphere where the discussion has been over the Focus on the Family pro-life Tebow ad.

Based upon Google and the sites 2009 - 2010 coyright notice, it looks as if the site is a brand new creation. Ican't find one news mention of the site before this. Advertising Age isn't impressed and thinks it's a scheme. Sure enough, the alleged business just launched this month. Imagine that.

Also, why there certainly are gay football fans, is this the business's key demographic? There've been several popular TV shows with prominent gay male characters, would they be interested in advertising on them? All in all, it does look like as much ploy, as serious ad play.

I'll bet these people don't have the $3 million bucks it would take to buy a 30-second ad, so they've submitted something sure to generate a lot of free publicity for them without risk of it actually airing (and costing them the money).

Clever marketing ploy if nothing else.