Tebowing…the phrase that is apparently all the rage at the moment in the NFL. It references Tim Tebow, the rookie quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Tim Tebow is a Christian. His parents were missionaries overseas. It is a part of who he is and what he believes. Tebowing refers to the kneeling and praying that he has been known to do during football games, both in his college and, now, his NFL career.
What is so interesting to me about this is that he is far from the only Christian in the NFL, so why all the fuss about his beliefs and actions during football games? Having been a football fan for most of my life, watching NFL games, and attending a few NFL games in my life, I have seen countless numbers of expressions of faith in the NFL. After almost every game, players from both teams gather at midfield to pray together. Quarterbacks, receivers, and other players will point to the sky or cross themselves after a particular play, especially a scoring play. My two all-time favorite players of the Washington Redskins, Darrell Green and Art Monk, are Christians and it is a part of who they are. They never hid this while playing and actually were quite vocal about where their abilities and talents came from. When they were both inducted into the Hall of Fame several years ago, I invited some people over to our house to watch the induction ceremony, people that were not necessarily football or Redskins fans. I invited them so they could understand why I LOVE these two players so much. They live their faith. While their speeches did talk about their successes in football, they focused on their faith and always thanked God for the talents and abilities He had given them and the successes they had been able to achieve. Joe Gibbs, former coach of the Redskins and NASCAR team owner, is a very vocal Christian and has prayed before many NASCAR races. Reggie White, former defensive player for the Eagles and Packers, was known as the “Minister of Defense.” He was an amazing defensive football player and an ordained minister that pastored an inner city church in Philadelphia. If there is an injured player on the field, you will see other players from both teams, praying for the injured player.
So why the crazy focus on Tim Tebow’s Christianity? I don’t get it…
I’m glad you mentioned this, as I’ve been baffled by it as well.
Unlike you, I’m not much of a sports fan, and not a football fan at all. I’m more of a baseball fan, to the extent that I’m a team sport fan. Perhaps in a way that no only puts me outside the mainstream on sports reporting, but maybe it means my outside observation isn’t impacted by frequent viewing, which may be of some use here.
At any rate, it seems to me that what Tim Tebow is doing isn’t unique at all. I’ve seen similar examples of this routinely. Indeed, I’ve been really surprised that Tebow has been getting this attention, as I couldn’t see that this was unique. Perhaps its a good thing that he’s receiving it, as its admirable, but it is neither new or novel. And it isn’t limited to football. Baseball players crossing themselves is fairly routine. Boxers do it fairly frequently as well. While it may surprise those who do not follow it, individual displays of Christian faith are very common in professional rodeo, and I’ve heard more than one professional rodeo participant thank God for a good performance on their part.
So who knows what is up, unless that main stream culture has no strayed so far from public declarations of Faith that it is suddenly surprised to find it going on, in its midst.
Clearly I am a football nut, especially when it comes to the Redskins. Part of the reason I enjoy watching football is not just for the game, though that is fun for me, but is actually for the stories of the players. Knowing the background of the different players on the team, their successes and the struggles they have had to overcome, helps to put it all in perspective, for me.
Expressions of faith are common in all sports. As you mentioned, baseball players routinely cross themselves or point to the sky, too. Agreed that boxers and rodeo athletes also express their faith in similar ways (though not my choices of sports to watch).
I wonder what other Christian athletes have to say about all this focus on Tim Tebow and his faith.
When intensity rises in times like this, i like to stop and separate out the consistent variables from what is new. I find it is easy to get fixated on the why question with the wrong things. If Tebow is consistent to what takes place in sports all the time, perhaps “why Tebow?” is the wrong question. The two factors that appear to be left are 1) Culture and 2) Spiritual. So the the question might be: Is there a new shift in cultural perspective? and/or Is there a new level of spiritual attack? or perhaps: Is there a new movement of God?
I guess what I don’t understand in all the media coverage is that, for me, this seems to be nothing new. But, maybe that’s because I like to learn the stories behind the players rather than just purely focusing on the statistics that they rack up on the field. As you have said recently, your going to sporting events is not about the actual sporting event, but more about the players. So, knowing the stories behind many of my favorite players, is exactly why they are my favorite players. Knowing the Brett Favre played at University of Southern Mississippi, where my dad and cousin went, and that he grew up in the town just down the road from where my dad and his family are from, is more reason for me to support him in addition to his successes on the football field. Knowing that Aaron Maybin attended the middle school that I teach at (though I did not actually teach him) and knowing the tragedies that he has dealt with in his life and how he has been able to overcome them gives me reason to desire to see him succeed. So, I guess I’m just weird in wanting to know more about the players than just their on the field successes. But, then, I guess we already knew that I am weird, huh?
Have you noticed a sort of backlash against Tebow set in recently?
Again, I don’t really follow football, so that I would notice one presumably means that it must be fairly pronounced. But, for whatever reason, I’ve read at least a couple of columnist who have been critical of him. One, Reg Henry, is usually cheerful and genial and even he chose to go after him. The nastiest one I saw was a political cartoon.
Sad state of affairs really.