WASHINGTON — I have officially called off my boycott of the
National Football League (NFL). I do not care how many felons or
frotteurs play the game. Now there is Tim Tebow to redeem it. He
can pass and run. He inspires his teammates. He inspires many
returning fans like me. I shall follow him through the playoffs and
maybe even next year as the season resumes anew. He is an American
original — and he is controversial. I am for him.
No, I shall not fall for the NFL’s gimmicks. You will not
see me wearing a jersey of the Denver Broncos for whom Tebow plays.
I shall not even buy a coffee mug. In fact, I think I shall add up
how much money I could spend on Tebow paraphernalia and donate it
to charity. Tebow inspires his teammates and now he has inspired
me.
I first noticed Tebow when he won a string of games in the
last minutes. It was phenomenal, but then I seemed to have brought
him bad luck for he lost the next three games. Then came the Denver
Broncos’ surprising upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday.
The Steelers played a great game behind the two-time Super Bowl
winner, Ben Roethlisberger (himself an almost convicted felon who
has now confessed his errors and mended his ways), but Tebow
outplayed him. Roethlisberger did lead his team to an overtime
Sunday. That worried me for I had already sat through hours of play
and one of my complaints with the NFL is that the games are the
closest thing we can experience on earth to eternity. Yet the
Broncos won the flip of the coin. They elected to receive. And on
the first play from scrimmage Tebow threw a pass to Demaryius
Thomas (note the noble Roman name) and Demaryius outran the
desperate Steeler secondary for eighty yards and a touchdown. Good
show, fellows! The whole play took 11 seconds, the briefest
overtime in NFL history.
Then came the grounds for controversy. Tebow after
congratulating his Roman receiver knelt on one knee and thanked
God. His recollections convey the essential Tebow. “When I saw him
scoring,” recalled the victorious quarterback, “first of all, I
just thought, ‘Thank you, Lord.’ Then, I was running pretty fast,
chasing him—like I can catch up to D.T! Then I just jumped into the
stands. First time I’ve done that. That was fun. Then, got on a
knee and thanked the Lord again and tried to celebrate with my
teammates and the fans.” Tebow is very pious, very humble (“like I
can catch up to D.T.”), and a lot of fun (“that was fun”). How can
anyone dislike him?
He runs charities in the offseason. He invites sick
children to games. He does all manner of good deeds. He is the son
of missionaries and he takes his religion seriously. This appears
to be a problem for some players in the NFL and other concerned
Americanos. Some have uttered insults at him over his religion and
in fact over his general good-guy deportment. Why should this be?
One can strut and perform the most lurid dances on the field. One
can demonstrate on behalf of various controversial causes. Nary an
eye is batted. Yet, a show of piety to one’s creator is deemed an
offense. By the way, Tebow was not the only person on the field
expressing a prayer. I saw a fellow from the Steelers make the Sign
of the Cross repeatedly, and after an exceptionally good pass I
dare say Roethlisberger raised his hands to the heavens. So what is
so outrageous about a pause for a prayer of
thanksgiving?
I predict that Tebow is in for some serious controversy in
the weeks and years ahead. Some say he does not deserve his fame.
That he is an unorthodox passer and a terrible ball handler. I do
not know what they think they know. He is as strong as a bull and
his running and passing wins games. Yet his real problem is the
religious angle. Many Americans do not like it. They prefer their
own gestures of false piety. They need our prayers.
