Tebow'ed

According to an ESPN poll, Tim Tebow is the most popular athlete in America today. What the poll didn’t say was that he was also controversial.

Tebow is an NFL quarterback starting for the Denver Broncos. His dad, Bob, is a Baptist Missionary in Mindanao. Most of you don’t know it but he has his roots here, as was born in Makati and spent three years here working for his dad.

Tebow was home schooled and in the US, they can play organize sports in the school of their choice which made him a bit controversial. In high school, he was known for his intense competitiveness and a high pain threshold when he played with what team officials thought was leg cramp but was later on diagnosed as a broken fibula.

Tebow came into the NFL with great college credentials, winning the prestigious Heisman Trophy, the highest honor in college football, playing for the University of Florida Gators. But in the NFL draft, he wasn’t considered an NFL QB material.

Tebow didn’t make a splash in his first season but this 2011-12 season, he was inserted when Denver had a 1-4 start. Management was a bit hesitant to start him at first but he won the next 6 of the next 7 games. And that’s where the controversy started.

What made second year pro popular is his game, or how he plays it. For 50 minutes in 60-minute game, he literally couldn’t complete a pass but in the last 10 he pulls a rabbit out of the hat. It drives the football purist crazy! In fact, but that’s what he did in 5 of the first 7 games he won this season, enough for Denver to go back to the playoffs since 2005. In the playoffs, they overhauled an experienced Pittsburg Steelers but the magic ran out when they were steamrolled by the New England Patriots.

With Tebow, the guy with the best selling jersey in the NFL, there is no fence sitting. You either hate him or love him. Love him or hate him are for those black QB’s who believed that Tebow is getting his nth chances because of the color of his skin. Love him or hate him are those who accuse him of blatantly showing off his beliefs. Hate him or love him are those players who resent his popularity. Love him or hate him for playing badly for 3 quarters and a half yet winning ugly. Denver management even thought of replacing him during the last game of the season!

Tebow also doesn’t shy away from his faith and he shows it. When his team scores, he “tebows”, he kneels on one knee, elbow on the thigh and hand cupped on the forehead. It was something football fans were uncomfortable with. For whatever reason, America doesn’t like people brandishing their beliefs on their sleeves. One Steeler player said before their playoff game, “God doesn’t roam the sidelines”. But I guess He did because the Steelers lost.

Despite of the schism he has created among the football faithful and the faithful of the faith, he remained down to earth and impervious to the hoopla around him. Regarding the ESPN poll, has this to say, “What’s that tell me? It tells me they have a lot of crazy polls out there. I hope people see I’m real and genuine. I hope they see that I make a ton of mistakes but that I always get back up and try again”.

In this time and age, Tim Tebow is a rarity. He may not be starring in this weekend Super Bowl XLVI but I’m sure he’ll be talked about. - THE FREEMAN