Let’s be frank, we have heard enough about Tebow, right? Everyone and his brother seems to be writing or YouTubing (yes, I made Youtube into a verb) about him. Enough is enough, right? Obviously not, as you decided to read this.
As a UF Gators fan, I have liked Tebow for years now, mostly for the national championship he delivered to GatorsNation. His fearless attitude won over the hearts of the Gainsville faithful, and earned him the Heisman in his sophomore year. Who doesn’t like a guy who “wants the ball” late in the game? Why wouldn’t fans want to root for a guy who is willing to put the team first, and himself second? Okay, some of you may question his intentions, but not me.
Why he is garnering this much media attention is beyond me. I think more than anything it has to do with the clear dividing lines that have been drawn in the sand between fans and critics. More than any other player I can think of, Tim Tebow is either loved or hated just as much for his playing profile as his lifestyle choices. There are two groups of naysayers; those who feel his performances are less than adequate, and attribute his success on the field (7-2 as a starter) to divine intervention, and those who find his “holier than thou” attitude less than appealing. Let’s see if either is warranted.
Let’s begin by discussing his playing career. It’s hard to argue that T.T. is a winner, plain and simple. The best word to describe his style is “efficient”. He does not have good numbers, certainly. In the game against New England, who I remind you has a deplorable total defence, he went 11-22 (.500), which is certainly nothing to write home about. He had 194 yards passing, which when considering he only had 11 completions shows you that many of those 11 completions were for big, big gains (20+ yards). So do we give credit for him for finding the receiver, or to the receiver for the YAC yards (yards after catch)? I know which argument critics would suggest. He didn’t win the game, but many agree it was his finest complete individual performance. It was a stretch for him to win considering how easily Brady carved Denver’s defence. I can’t argue his numbers because they are “satisfactory” at best. The problem is that “heart” and “determination” aren’t quantifiable, and because they are immeasurable they will not be used to explain his success by his critics.
And then there is the religious side of #15 that seems to irk people to no end. Tebow has been blamed for pushing baptism down people’s throats, giving no apologies for his faith. He has been open about his lifestyle choices that his religion demands. Religion is always going to be controversial, but I just don’t know why that is enough to annoy people to the point it has? It certainly has provoked angst amongst his detractors.
One thing is for certain, at 7-2 Tim Tebow is turning heads and proving the faithless, in more than one sense, wrong.
…and that is the last word.
