I have been a Denver Broncos fan—a rabid one—since I was five years old. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, years of heartache and seasons of Super Bowl satisfaction, I have orange and blue blood in my veins. I remember like it was yesterday, while I was in the 8th grade in Pueblo, the wide-eyed fascination with the new quarterback sensation traded to the Broncos—a young kid named John Elway. Well, a new kid is in town, of course—Tim Tebow. He is certainly drawing a lot of attention, even nationally, in a way that is leaving casual fan and expert alike wondering why.
I love Tim Tebow’s leadership, his competitive fire, and yes even his raw determination. After a string of highly charged, come from behind victories under his leadership, some of his harshest critics have now admitted that this young man has raised the level of play for the entire team. All-pro cornerback Champ Bailey, a future shoe in for the Hall of Fame, has stated that Tim Tebow has inspired an inexplicable level of belief and mutual support on the team that has raised the performance of all aspects of the game.
But I also love Tim Tebow’s faith. Like many NFL athletes before him, Reggie White and Curt Warner for example, Tim Tebow is unapologetically committed to Christ. Even while in college at the University of Florida, he started a foundation to build a hospital for orphans in the Philippines. Before his first start this season against the Dolphins, Tebow said the highlight of his weekend was his visit with a young boy who had leukemia. When harshly criticized and slandered, Tebow consistently responds with humility, kindness, and love. So much has his personality captured the interest of a nation that even people who otherwise have no interest in football are watching Denver Broncos games and following Tim Tebow!
This young man has been criticized right and left. In his senior year of college, he was pressed in a news conference as to whether he was a virgin. He admitted he is, saying he is saving himself for the right person. A firestorm of criticism rained down; one former NFL linebacker even said that if he were still playing, he would hit Tim Tebow as hard as he could simply because he was a virgin. I suppose virginity is something to be ashamed of?
Other Critics say he has found a gimmick to market himself. Public praying on the sidelines (“Tebowing”) is now showing up viral on the internet. Other athletes mock him at times. Some are saying that such public displays go against Jesus’ warning in Matthew chapter six against public prayer. Not so. Jesus was warning against public religious actions done for the purpose of impressing people. The New Testament offers several examples of public prayers by the Apostles in Acts. I have seen other Broncos players in years past such as Rod Smith bow on the sidelines in prayer before a game; strangely, it never showed up on television. But when Tim Tebow does it, the cameras start to roll and it goes viral. Still others will say that Tebow shouldn’t be praying that his team wins. But he has stated more than once that he knows God is not ultimately concerned about who wins a game.
People who are skeptical of his faith seem to say that, upon meeting him, Tebow wins them with his genuine sincerity. So why is he so captivating to our nation? I think that all of us are refreshed to see an athlete who strives to live for what is good. He is not the only one, certainly. But, all of his life, he has faced experts saying he couldn’t make it, and through determination and stout heart, he has proven them wrong. I think the good hearted fighter in him inspires us. No doubt, Tim Tebow is NOT perfect. But even if you don’t subscribe to his faith, are you not inspired by his moral courage, his persistent ambition, his sense of priority to the things that go beyond sports? As a Broncos fan, as a Christian, as a parent, I say, “Go Tim Tebow!”
