Tebow Time in the media

"On the fields of Megiddo, the armies of good and evil meet."
Photo from NBCsports.com by Jack Dempsey/AP

The media and blogs have been on Tebow overload recently. I've done my part.

My initial reaction, from over a month ago, was that Christians needed to learn to separate criticism of Tim Tebow the football player and Tim Tebow the Christian. The two are not always the same.

I also wrote how I believed being a Christian did make Tebow a better quarterback, but it had nothing to do with angels guiding his passes safely through a defense. He doesn't win because he has "God on his side," but he may win because he has God on the inside.

Earlier this week, I said that Jesus doesn't win Tebow's football games. While not denying God's sovereignty, I believe there are too many other factors involved and complications raised to argue that God is directly causing Tebow to win his games. Having this belief begs the question: "Where is God when Tebow loses?"

Then, yesterday, I tried to take a more humorous approach. Tebow apparently does not pray for his team to win, but fictional NASCAR legend Ricky Bobby does. What kind of prayers would Tebow pray leading up to his game against New England, if he prayed like Ricky Bobby did to "Lord Baby Jesus."

But there have been so many things written on Tebow all over the media leading up to the game today that it is hard to manage all of them. I've tried to collect some of the most interesting articles I read yesterday and summarize them for you. After reading the summary, if you want to read more, click on the title and finish the story ... just make sure you finish before kickoff.

USA Today - Tim Tebow: the man behind the mania
Tebow has what most of society would call a nonexistent social life. Instead, he spends most of his extra time giving to others. At every game, home or away, he brings in special guests who are dealing with serious injuries or illnesses and treats them to a day full of fun. The highlight for most of the guests is Tebow spending at least an hour with them personally after the game. He doesn't do it for the attention or the cameras. He does it because he genuinely cares.

CBS - Tim Tebow: God doesn't love athletes more
The NFL Today host James Brown interviewed Tebow and found him eager to win, but recognizing that his inherent worth bears no relation to his wins or loses as a football player. Brown also said that Tebow is entirely genuine, without a hint of phoniness.

Baptist Press - Tebow's 316 yards leads to internet salvations
After Tebow threw for 316 yards against the Steelers on Sunday, John 3:16 became the top search on Google. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association bought on ad on Google for that search, which lead searchers to a Gospel presentation. According to the BGEA, 150 people reported making a decision to follow Christ as a result of clicking on their John 3:16 Google ad and reading through the presentation.

Christian Science Monitor - Poll: God helps Tim Tebow win football games. Does Tim Tebow agree?
A recent poll indicated that 43% of Americans believed God was directly helping Tebow win football games. When Tebow was recently mic'd by the NFL, however, his prayers didn't seem to line up with that thinking. He prayed for protection for he and his teammates, the ability to glorify God in everything and the strength to honor Jesus win or lose.

Hot Air - Poll: 43% think God is helping Tebow win
The above story gives the impression that people believe God is directly involved in helping Tebow win. The actual poll question is "Do you believe that any of Tim Tebow's success can be attributed to divine intervention?" That's a much different question. The article also gives a partisan divide for the poll numbers and looks at Tebow's favorable rating in SC, home of the next GOP primary. Tebow 2024?

Michael Medved, Wall Street Journal - The Secrets of Tebow Hatred
Why would so many hate a quarterback who seems to do everything the right way? The answer is in the question. He seems to do everything the right way. There doesn't seem to be any obvious chinks in the armor. It becomes unnerving to see someone so put together. It reminds us of our own failures.

Hans Fiene - Does God want Tim Tebow to win?
We cannot say that God does not care who wins a football game. It is not as if He can only handle so much and He is spending His time with the big important things. He is concerned about us and every detail of our lives. We see God intervening on behalf of seemingly insignificant people throughout Scripture. Because the Bible is silent on God's concern for sports, we can never know about that, but it does teach us that God is concerned about us.

Owen Strachan, The Atlantic - Does God care whether Tim Tebow wins on Saturday?
Strachan, a Southern Baptist theologian at Boyce College, delves into the question seemingly on the minds of most Americans. His answer? Yes and no. God cares about each of us and the details of our lives, but no one can say if God is directly involved in delivering the passes, say like He was in the virgin birth. The important thing is that God is in control, whether Tebow wins or loses. God can bring glory and honor to Himself through blessings or sufferings.

Alvin Reid - Tebow vs Brady is not David vs Goliath
Christians make a mistake by placing too much spiritual importance on Tim Tebow's football wins and passing numbers that line up with Bible verses. Instead, we should be praying for him and thanking God for the opportunity he has, win or lose, to represent Jesus.

Rick Reilly, ESPN - I believe in Tim Tebow
The famed sports columnist finds Tebow, the man apart from the quarterback, to be the type of man we want to be, but so often are not. Reilly said he looked everywhere to find something, anything, fake about Tebow. He couldn't find it. All he could find were people whose lives had been touched by Tebow's generosity and selfless attitude.

The most touching part of this article comes when Reilly writes Bailey Knaub, a 16-year-old girl with a rare disease that was Tebow's guest at the historic playoff victory last week. Tebow, after playing the game of his life, spent an hour with this girl and her family, asking all about her. It so touched her that she emailed Reilly for his story and described that day as the "greatest gift." Reilly shared the email with Tebow. He was floored. "Why me? Why should I inspire her," Tebow said. "I just don't feel, I don't know, adequate. Really, hearing her story inspires me."