Class Act

I know many many many people don't like Tim Tebow, I can't figure out why but there it is. I mean to me he seems like the kind of guy I would LOVE for one of my daughters to bring home. Intelligent, goodlooking, athletic and what looks to be a really just good guy. But for all that he is vilified on a regular basis. More so than even those that commit atrocious crimes. I won't mention the obvious ones that have remained in the press but think about Donte Stallworth, killed a person while he was drunk and driving and he gets 30 days and is currently playing for the New England Patriots.. This man, broke the law and committed DUI manslaughter why is it no one has ever said anything about that? And Tim gets reamed why? Oh yeah because he is a man of faith.. Don't tell me that's not why he is getting all the "bad" press.. 

And yet time and time again he steps up to the plate and responds with class.. I read an article by Jay Hart over at Yahoo Sports and really liked his response to the Tebow bashing... here are a few:

"On the field and off, Tebow's most scandalous act has been – wait for it – being himself.

He's not a prototypical quarterback, doesn't have the strongest arm or the best accuracy, and for that he's been castigated for the egregious act of trying. 

What a jerk! 

When a teammate anonymously called him a "terrible" quarterback, Tebow responded by saying, "It's not always fun having people saying negative things about you, but you try to be stronger from it." 

Clearly he has anger management issues. 

When the Denver Broncos kicked him to the curb after rallying a 1-4 team to the playoffs, replacing him with a future, albeit injured Hall of Famer, Tebow lashed back at his former team by saying, "First and foremost, I just want to thank the Denver Broncos for my time there." And then, "I understand what they were going through. You don't get many opportunities to have a chance to sign Peyton Manning. What a great quarterback he is."

What a bitter man Tebow is. 

And when the Jets relegated him to the roll of promotional pawn, parking him on the bench until they decided to utilize him in the wildcat formation in the worst of ways, Tebow agreed to play the upback on the Jets' punt team. 

What a prima donna. 

With nothing but role-model tales to go on, the vultures have taken to bashing Tebow under the guise of critiquing his quarterback ability. But even that's proven to be transparent. 

"Here's what happened in New York: They didn't realize how bad Tim Tebow was," Hoge said in his continued rant. "Once he comes in there and they got to see the sampling, they're like, 'Oh my gosh.' Not only can he not play quarterback, he's not really a good football player." 

What other player gets that kind of "critique," especially one who's coming off a season in which he finished 8-5 as a starter (including a victory in the playoffs)?

Maybe Tebow isn't good enough to be an NFL quarterback, but the "experts" who proclaim to know unequivocally that he isn't don't really know. In fact, the only evidence there is says otherwise. He has won in the NFL. He's done it more times than not, and he's done it despite being set up to fail. Heck, he was the best player on a pair of national championship teams that, last I checked, played in a conference that produces an awful lot of NFL players. 

Truth is, when it comes to hating Tebow, it's never about hating him, because really what is there to hate? He's a nice guy who gives of himself and doesn't have anything bad to say about anybody. Seriously, he's been criticized more than LeBron James' "Decision." "

And with all this the thing that upsets Tim the most? The slander on his character not his football playing.. here is his response

""You work your whole life to build a reputation," Tebow said Wednesday. "Then people try to bring you down when they don't understand even what happened. It's disappointing. You just want to express your side of the story. … You want people to look at what really happened, not what one person said." 

Oh, but this won't stop the vultures. They'll keep swirling, keep their eyes peeled for the next slip up, because, you know, the world just can't stand to have any more Tim Tebows running around. "

Nope they want Donte Stallworth and Michael Vick and... I mean who among us wants our children to grow up to be articulate young men with convictions and morals? 

I have to wonder why the news needs to vilify this young man just doing his best? I have a theory and it isn't a pretty one. It's because he insists upon living up to his faith and proclaiming it! He is an inspiration to those who believe in Christ.. but because we have become a nation that is determined to bash Christians, we can't accept that he is just who and what he says he is. Just days after we celebrated the birth of Jesus it is a shame that we insist upon mocking those who chose to walk in His footsteps..