The programmers over at EA games have to be going crazy. You know they’re already hard at work on the next Madden Football game. How are they going to program Tim Tebow for the next game?
I’m not talking about the fact that he’ll be a New York Jet either.
Is he going to be the Tim Tebow we were introduced to last year? You remember Tim. He came in when the team needed a spark—and to prevent rioting amongst the fans—and took the Broncos to the Divisional playoffs. He was as likely to run as throw, and thus was a nightmare for defenses. Essentially, he was the perfect video game quarterback. Whatever surprise you want to spring on the person sitting next to you on the couch, Tebow was your man.
With the signing of Peyton Manning in Denver, instantly Tebow is the worst quarterback ever. He seems to be under attack from every direction. Most of the pundits were warning against taking him. Jet Antonio Cromartie tweeted that he didn’t want Tim on his team. (Hopefully their lockers aren’t next to each other. Talk about awkward.)
Joe Namath called his trade a publicity stunt. Do I need to make the standard reference about the pot and the kettle or is it that obvious?
Warren Sapp got on his case, which is what Warren does, so there’s not too much of a burn there. Yester day he accused Jeremey Shockey of being the “snitch” that exposed the Saint’s Bounty program. (And don’t even get me started on the “Old, Slow, and Done” Steelers that made it to the playoffs again this year—only to be beaten by a Tebow Touchdown.)
Hipsters are saying they were down on Tebow even when he was winning—and a lot of them probably were. The big question in Denver for most of the season was “Has Tebow proven himself?” After a win against my beloved Steelers in the playoffs, most people put that question to bed. Yes he got crushed against the Patriots the next weekend, but getting crushed against the Patriots is about as normal as eggs for breakfast. It happens. Ask Peyton Manning how easy they are to beat. (The Patriots, not the eggs—eggs aren’t too hard to beat.)
And of course from every direction there is criticism of his faith in God. The New York Post ran a headline today that read “PRAY BALL,” while others wondered if the move to NY would corrupt him. There’s no question his morals will be tested by playing for the Jets. Ask Brett Favre and Mark Sanchez about the scandals that can befall a Jet quarterback. Sure Tebow being sent to NY might seem like Jonah being sent to Nineveh, but would they have questioned Peyton Manning the same way if he was wearing the Jets jersey?
Reportedly the coaching staff wants him to live near the practice facility in NJ so he doesn’t get tempted to go clubbing. Considering the trouble Homes and Burress got into in clubs, this is not bad advice. But shouldn’t it be directed to a player who has shown a propensity for clubbing? You mean to say that Denver has no night life, and Tebow was never on the road where there
was a club available?
Tebow is demonstrative of his faith, and that irks people across the board. I had a friend say recently that “He’s just pretending he’s not a dirt bag to get attention.” That’s a possibility, and religious pride is a particularly heinous form of pride. But none of us are in a position to know what is in his heart.
In the meantime, the wail of religious criticism hurts far more people than Tebow. Every religious slam against him quietly strikes every person of faith in some way or another. All are being mocked. Some will become afraid to share their faith. Others will push back with abuse. Some will have their faith weakened; others will only gain strength from the persecution. All will resent those who disseminate such hate speech. Increasingly, any criticism of Tebow will be classed as religious persecution, as people become oversensitive.
It’s nothing new. It’s just sad to see it in this day and age. We’re supposed to be more sophisticated than this, aren’t we?
Thankfully, the programmers at EA games don’t have to worry about the strength or veracity of Tebow’s faith, or the value of religion in society. They just have to decide whether he should be awesome in the next Madden or totally weak.
I say go with awesome. No one enjoys playing a game with a weak character—especially if they’re fans of the real article.
I just hope they don’t put him on the cover. He’s got enough to deal with as it is.
Saturday, 19 May 2012 22:06 | 
Written by The Black Knight | 
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