Tim Tebow is the most polarizing figure in sports since Barry Bonds, Tiger Woods and Hulk Hogan. You either love or hate the man, but it's rare to find someone who's never heard his name. Surprisingly, even people who don't even like football have some sort of opinion about Tebow. He's one of the few athletes who has developed a fan (and enemy) base with no logical territorial boundaries. Though he played college football for the University of Florida Gators and currently plays in the NFL for the Denver Broncos, millions from around the nation are glued to the TV whenever he takes the field.
Simply put, the 24-year-old Tebow has turned into a sports legend. Regardless of whether you love or hate him, you can't deny the fact that he was the most captivating sports figure of 2011. Every time he steps on the field, there's an undeniable buzz that surrounds him.
Part of Tebow's notoriety stems from his religious beliefs. Dating back to his days at the University of Florida, Tebow has been a vocal advocate of Christianity. In college, Tebow turned many media opportunities into ways to tell the world about his faith. Because of his constant references to God in press conferences and his pro-life Superbowl ad, Tebow was a well-known Christian advocate before he took his first NFL snap.
Many use Tebow's Christian beliefs to mount a campaign of criticism that has nothing to do with his talents on the football field. Although everyone is entitled to their own opinion, hating Tebow because of his religious background is both ignorant and backwards.
Although I don't consider myself part of "Tebow Nation," I feel compelled to defend the athlete. Instead of supporting Tebow with my own religious preferences, I choose to defend Tebow because of this country's founding principles. This country was founded on the principles of free speech and freedom of religion, and our forefathers intended that the every citizen could practice their own religion in whatever manner they please. Tebow is a modest and caring individual who plays a game he loves and uses his celebrity status to help people around the world. Do your research before you criticize Tebow's not a bad guy.
I think it's out of bounds to criticize Tebow for his religious beliefs, but it's completely fair to criticize him for his unorthodox quarterback abilities. His passer rating of 72.9 in the 2011 regular season was 28th among NFL QBs and he ranked 27th with 12 touchdown passes. His abysmal 124 passing yards per game ranked last among all QBs who attempted at least 200 passes. If you're not an NFL stat geek, I'll summarize these findings for you. Tebow was one of the worst passing quarterbacks in the NFL.
If passing stats alone determined the legitimacy of an NFL quarterback, Tebow would have been cut faster than Shaquille O'Neal at a national gymnastics team tryout. The ability to win games the most important stat is what keeps Tebow in the league. In high school, Tebow catapulted into the national spotlight when he single-handedly won a game despite suffering a broken fibula in the first half. The following year, Tebow won the Florida Class 4A State High School Championship. In college, Tebow won two national championships and a Heisman trophy. This man has a history of winning games.
Despite being a horrible passer, Tebow continued to win games in the NFL. He lost his starting position during training camp but ended up regaining the spot in the middle of the season and finished an impressive 8-5 as a starting QB. Tebow is a great runner, is tougher than the main character of any Sylvester Stallone movie and has the composure of a veteran quarterback in intense situations. He manages to take over games in the fourth quarter, aka "Tebow Time," and lead his team to victory in close games.
Although Tebow wins football games, he owes much of his success to the strength of the Bronco's defense. In Tebow's 13 starts, the Broncos were only able to score more than 20 points in four games. Of those four games, half were against two of the worst defenses in the NFL.
As much as I love to root for Tebow, his current tenure as an NFL quarterback is unsustainable unless he can lead his team to at least three TDs every game. His recent loss to the New England Patriots proves that you can't beat a great team with a faltering offense. Tebow is a great athlete with great character, but character alone won't keep your job. Unless Tebow improves his game over the offseason, don't expect to see him as a starter for too much longer.
