Faith and Tebow

I am a huge fan of the Denver Broncos. I have followed them since Craig Morton and Steve DeBerg were the quarterbacks. I felt the rush and held my breath through the Elway he's-sacked no! he's-thrown-a-touchdown years. I suffered through the Brian Griese lack of leadership years, the Jake Plummer beard, and the Jay Cutler he is/he isn't our future. I've supported all of our quarterbacks with the exception of Kyle Orton. I've never been a fan of his, and I couldn't wait to see Tim Tebow hit the field.

Now Tebow is our starting quarterback going into his sixth start. His play has been nothing short of atrocious, easily the worst display of NFL quarterbacking I have ever witnessed. Merill Hodge, and others, are right to criticize his play on the field. But any conversation about Tebow also includes a discussion about Tim Tebow the man and his faith. Why? Reggie White shared similar beliefs, but his story never polarized the public. What is the difference? Reggie had a hall of fame career that provided him with an opportunity to highlight his faith. In effect, he proved he belonged in the NFL, thus he earned the opportunity to share his story. Tim Tebow, if you actually listen to the man vs. what you hear in the media, is attempting to do the same thing. He is focused on his job as an NFL quarterback. He only mentions his faith when a reporter asks, or after a game when he thanks Jesus Christ - like hundreds of other athletes. His future in the league has yet to be determined, and he knows he has a lot of work to do, but he has yet to turn this into a faith thing. I wish other people, both supporter and critic, would follow his example.