What's Not To Like?

It wasn't a great weekend to be a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Just when it looked like "Tebow Time" had finally run out - after three straight losses to close the regular season, it appeared that the sun had finally set on the Denver Broncos' miracle run, originally sparked when Tim Tebow was named the team's starting quarterback midseason - the Mile High Messiah propelled his team to victory over the heavily-favored Steel Curtain.  Had it been any other quarterback leading the upset, the notoriously passionate Steelers faithful would have been furious, vowing revenge against the perpetrator and cursing his name for all eternity.  That's why I was surprised to see the following posted on the Facebook wall of a die-hard Steelers fan: "Still proud to be a Steelers fan. Give Tebow all the credit in the world. He played great."

That's the thing that's so fascinating about Tim Tebow.  The fact that he's extremely polarizing as an athletic talent isn't all that interesting, as there are tons of players whose skills are admired by some and criticized by others (quarterbacks like Cam Newton and Mark Sanchez come to mind).  It's also not the fact that Tebow's transformation of the Broncos is so unprecedented; it wasn't that long ago that Vince Young led the Titans to a second-half resurgence, though the hoopla surrounding Young's run paled in comparison to the media circus following Tebow on an hourly basis.  Instead, I think the most note worthy thing about Tim Tebow is that, assuming you are a somewhat rational sports fan, hating him makes absolutely no sense.

I'm not normally one to gush over athletes, but I don't see what's not to like about Tim Tebow.  For one, all the guy has heard since he was drafted by Denver is that he wouldn't cut it in the NFL, and here he is winning a playoff game in his second season.  One of the first blog posts I ever wrote was dedicated to hard-working NBA reserve forward Lou Amundson who, as I wrote back in April of 2010, is "overlooked by every player [he] matches-up against, but would constantly frustrate them with [his] refusal to lower [his] energy level" and is known as "a good teammate and the type of 'glue guy' that keeps teams calm and collected during tough times and entertains everyone when things are going well."  Doesn't that sound like Tebow?  Aren't these the types of guys we're supposed to love?  Almost every cheesy sports movie is built around stories like Tebow's, and who doesn't love a good, predictable underdog-wins-in-the-end sports movie?

As fans, we spend so much time analyzing player personalities, and on the scale of NFL players I'll argue that Tebow seems like a great kid.  He's modest, self-aware and respectful.  You might take issue with his level of "religiousness," but you'd be hard pressed to argue that his attachment to Christianity is driven by anything other than true faith and a conservative, religious upbringing.  Considering how many professional athletes "praise God" after even the most mundane of athletic accomplishments, I find Tebow's relatively subtle and reserved on-field references to God to be sincere and appropriate.  You may not agree with Tebow's views of the world, but I think he deserves credit for being true to his beliefs and sticking to his guns despite a ton of institutional pressure driving him to appeal to a more secular, mainstream audience.

Compared to the other provocative things NFL players say and do, I find "Tebowing" to be unoffensive.

I have no idea if Tim Tebow will have longevity as a starting NFL quarterback, but I hope he does both for his sake and for the good of the league.  As an athlete, Tebow brings something unique to the table - his presence as the league's only true option quarterback adds an element of the college ranks to the pro game and once again shatters the constantly-evolving mold in which NFL quarterbacks are built, and he's an inspiration for all sorts of athletes who have been told that their unique styles don't translate to the next level (like Tyler Hansbrough and his lack of athleticism or Tim Lincecum and his small stature).  More importantly, though, Tebow's willingness to be himself is his most admirable quality.  Rather than try to conform to what an NFL player is "supposed to be," Tebow has so far managed to be himself both on and off the field.  How can you possibly hate on that?