The trouble with Tim Tebow is that he doesn’t know how to spin a story. Otherwise he would have had some high-powered New York City press agent talk him out of that Super Bowl commercial.
Had Tebow really been smart, he would have called a media conference in Mobile, Alabama, wrapped himself in an American flag, taken a slug of milk and whipped out his new line of eco-friendly Nike Tebows, the ones designed for great traction without bruising the grass.
Then Tebow could have waffled on his religious views and muddled his pro-life position — and then maybe critics would have deemed it worthy of a TV commercial on Super Bowl Sunday. You know, like everybody else: Tell a few little white lies, but never really show your hand. Above all, don’t show your conviction.
After all, we have so many sports icons and political figures these days with such pristine character don’t we?
My goodness gracious sakes alive, just how far will they go to find a flaw somewhere in Tim Tebow?
Bad enough that the guy has already been stamped “failure” as an NFL quarterback by so many pro scouts/prophets who deem it necessary to trash his qualities as a passer and almost seem bent on trying to will him down to the third round of the draft.
Now they want to politicize his position on an issue that he not only stands firm about, but, in fact, stands as living proof of why he believes it. Very simply, if Pam Tebow had taken the advice of doctors in The Philippines and aborted the child she was carrying, there would be no Tim Tebow. Isn’t that a legitimate testimony to his argument?
This is the life story of Tim Tebow. I don’t care which side of the pro-life issue you come down on, you cannot deny that. Yeah, we get that by making the 30-second spot produced and paid for by Christian group Focus on the Family becomes a political stance.
“This ad uses one story to subtly dictate morality to the American public, and encourages women to disregard medical advice, potentially putting their lives at risk,” argued the Women’s Media Center.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we must ask what is so repulsive about political/religious commercials on Super Bowl Sunday? Are we afraid it will taint all those other alcohol-supported, sexual innuendo-laden ads?
And I have to laugh at some of these ivory-tower commentators who somehow think Tebow’s pro football career is now in jeopardy because of this “distraction.” Might even cost him money by being drafted lower, they proclaim. One guy on Around the Horn even went so far as to predict it would divide his team –– the team that hasn’t even drafted Tebow yet.
Clearly, the world outside The Gator Nation just doesn’t get Tim Tebow yet.
As if he really cared about how much his convictions were going to cost him in dollars.
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You’ve probably already read some of the reports out of Mobile saying that Tebow dug himself a hole in Senior Bowl drills, that he fumbled snaps under center the first day, that his throwing motion looked like Satchel Paige and that if there was a remedial course for reading defenses Tebow would be required to take it. Well, okay, I embellished that a little, but you get the drift.
There were some people who felt that Tebow would have been better served to stay at home, polish his skills for Pro Day and not compete in live drills. Sorry, that’s just not Tebow. He told reporters that he was there because of his love for the game of football, because he enjoys competition and because he wanted to get better as a player.
Projections of everything from a mid-first to a third-round selection have floated around in the media. Perhaps these people forget that at least two teams, their coaches and their front offices said they thought Tebow would be a first-rounder. Last time I counted it only took one team to pick a player in the first round to make him a first-rounder.
If, for some reason, the Jacksonville Jaguars don’t have a calculator, they should get one. All they need do is multiply the 17,000 season tickets they didn’t sell last year times about four or five grand. Then calculate their take on the half million #15 Jaguar jerseys they would sell in the first year. I don’t care if they lose every game the next two seasons — they’d be out of debt. And they might not have to move the franchise to Los Angeles after all.
Bet let’s get back to Tebow the player…
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There’s no doubt that his throwing style is unorthodox. You can make the case for him holding the ball too long and his windup style delaying his release. His short and medium range passes sometimes suffer because of it.
On the other hand, I’ve seen dozens of NFL quarterbacks whose throwing motions were worse and velocity not even close to Tebow’s. Some of them played in the Super Bowl.
There is a chance that Tebow won’t make it as a quarterback and will end up as a tight end or H-back. All he has ever asked for is a chance to prove himself. Proving himself is what Tebow has been doing ever since he strapped on his helmet.
Just three years ago there was some doubt whether he could be a starting SEC quarterback. And there were serious doubts about his ability as a passer.
I wrote this on Aug. 19, 2007:
Chris Leak is gone. So Gator fans shouldn’t be looking for all tight spirals and beautiful rainbow fade routes. Tebow’s form is more like that of a baseball thrower, but he is working everyday to improve on his technique. And it’s beginning to pay off.
“I grew up a pitcher,” Tebow said recently. “So I have a little bit longer of a motion. One thing we are trying to do is quicken that up and make that delivery as quick as possible. A little more compact, and getting it out quicker … using more of your body and trying to stay balanced. Not try to muscle it. Being smooth and throwing balanced.”’
Everybody wants to know: “Can Tim Tebow pass the ball?”
Working on throwing mechanics during camp has made a difference. On Monday, visitor Lou Holtz inquired of Urban Meyer about Tebow’s passing ability. On one of his best passing days, Tebow connected on some soft, long tosses out there that found their mark.
“How did Tim throw the ball today?” Meyer was asked.
“Tim threw the ball well today,” Meyer said. “Lou Holtz asked me the same question. I said, ‘just let me know’ (what you think). He was pretty impressed.”
All Tim Tebow did was pass for 83 touchdowns and just under 9,000 yards he next three seasons.
Challenge met.
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No, they just don’t get Tim Tebow. And it’s not just about football. Another thing they don’t get is the enormity of his popularity.
Whichever franchise drafts Tebow will get a huge windfall because fans will support him almost fanatically, like NASCAR fans supported Dale Earnhardt. They love all-in guys. It also doesn’t hurt that he has movie star good looks.
I’ve never seen a college football player cross more lines in the public sector or push more buttons than he does. Females, in particular. Mothers want to see him as their daughter’s Prince Charming, dreaming that he will someday come to the door for their hand. Younger women want to date him.
Word is that the Republican Party of Florida is salivating about the possibility of Tebow going into politics when he is done with football.
Urban Meyer has stated publicly that he’d like to see Tebow with “a whistle around his neck” as a coach at Florida someday.
So many roads to be taken, so little time.
Tebow has said he wants to devote time to causes like the orphanage he supports in The Philippines, where he was born.
Which, by the way, leads us back to that Super Bowl TV commercial. There is no doubt that the world is a better place because of Pam Tebow’s decision not to follow the advice of her doctors. Put that in your political pipe.