Too Much Tebow

Americans love their football, but the worship of a mere mortal as the "Mile High Messiah" makes me want to dump chicken wings and beer all over those who genuflect at the altar of the pigskin.

It hit a new low when I saw the article speculating about the numbers Denver quarterback Tim Tebow posted in Sunday's wild card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.   Tebow passed for 316 yards.
He set a playoff record with an average of 31.6 yards completed.  And the TV rating for CBS at the time of the amazing one-play, one-80-yard TD pass: 31.6.   These numbers apparently set the wacky wheels in motion:  3:16... as in John 3:16, a favorite of football fans bent on holding proselytizing posters for the TV cameras at football games.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to the end that all shall not perish, but have everlasting life."   That's your John 3:16.   It occurs in a heady exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus.  And they were not talking about an American football game!

I am beyond fed up with the hype around Tebow and his one-knee-to-the-ground-head-on-curled-fist showmanship of prayer.  I am also annoyed that if one criticizes this public display of prayer some will accuse you of being "anti-Christian."   On the contrary, I am Christian.  I believe in the Trinitarian God.  I also like pro football and I believe in sports as a fun activity, and a break from the every day to cheer on a bunch of grown men who like to run around with an oblong piece of leather and get paid to tackle each other.  I do not believe that Jesus is the reason for the football season, and the Almighty doesn't favor one player or team over another.  So all the religious symbolism being attached to Tim Tebow is ridiculous.  And looking for signs in statistics?  Oh, puh-leeze!

I am a New England Patriots fan.  Our team got off to a slow start against the Denver Broncos last month in their regular season match up.   Hopefully, they won't need to wait so long to bring Tim Tebow back to earth and remind him that there is one Son of God... and it's not him.

NOTE: Tom Brady and the Patriots took care of football business by handily defeating the Broncos in a game that seemed like a scrimmage.  As Boston Globe sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy described the 45-10 game, "It was a beating of--dare we say-- biblical proportions."  Yes, it was.