Where's Tebow's Fair Assessment?

I consistently hear media professionals talk about Tim Tebow as a main topic in the daily news, and frankly I am tired of hearing these people try to negatively affect Tim’s reputation with every breath.  We all know that many athletes are very different people behind closed doors. Tiger Woods, one of the most popular athletes in the world, was a sex addict and committed adultery with many, many women. Michael Vick was a part of a dog fighting network that included and affected many people in the state of Georgia. And these are just two examples, yet, both of these high profile figures, were accepted back to the sport, at least by the majority, because of what they could possibly offer to the sport. Tiger has not been the same since the events that came out in the news, and his debacle could have very well been the one event in Tiger’s life that he can’t come back from. Michael Vick served jail time for the illegal actions he took part in, and was given a second chance, which included a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles that exceeded 100 million dollars. That made him the first professional football player to sign two, 100+ million dollar contracts in his career. This was for an athlete who was literally hated a mere three years earlier, by just about everyone, for his disregard and cruelty to animals.

But, Tebow gets treated very harshly by the media and he has never done the “wrong” that many other high-profile athletes have. In my opinion, many of the media representatives never gave Tim a “first chance”, much less a second chance. The question begs…why not? Tebow’s personality and character appear to have him in a class all on his own in the world of the “role model professional athlete”. He had one of the most impressive, if not the most impressive, college careers in the history of college football. It would appear, through interviews and reports that everyone who meets him gravitates towards him because of his positive energy, willingness to go out of his way to help others, and his enthusiasm for life. He is a phenomenal athlete, a tremendous leader, and has an unmatchable determination and passion for the sport. And, above all these qualities, one should stand out more than the rest…He is not afraid to “live”, and to “BE”, who he claims to be, both on and off the field, and his willingness to share his personal life with the outside world is, in my opinion, totally undervalued, courageous, and thoroughly impressive.

Yet the media consistently uses his faith, and his willingness to pull the veil back and let the world see who he is, as a negative. So why does he choose to do this?...Because he believes in the great news of salvation through Jesus Christ and he wants to share that news with everyone in hopes that they too can find God. Of course, he knows that this servitude does not come without ridicule and persecution, and he has had more than his fair share of that. Yet the most puzzling thing to me is why the media refuses to present him as what he is…a true role model and an exceptional football player. He exemplifies everything an athlete in his position should be. His place in the sports world, and the person he is, allows him remarkable opportunities to meet people and gain relationships, to make a positive impact on society, and all-the-while, he remains true to himself, his beliefs, and his character. But instead of boasting about what a remarkable person, leader, and influence he is, the media wants to tear him down piece by piece because he openly lives his beliefs, and because he doesn’t deliver his passes like Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees. 

During the Superbowl last year, Tebow and his Mother aired a commercial against abortion, and the media went crazy. They said that Tebow is too “in your face” with his beliefs, that he shouldn’t have done the commercial. But I ask you, if you are pro life, why should you not use your position, whatever it is, to promote life to others? In the United States alone, there are 4,000 abortions every day! That is 1,460,000 aborted children per year, or 14,600,000 over the last ten years. I think Tim had an opportunity to make a serious statement about what he believes about abortion in this country, and he took advantage of the platform given to him by us and the media. And I am sure, because of that commercial, at least one child’s life was saved from abortion. If this is true, in my mind, as I am sure Tim would agree, the commercial was well worth it. The media never took the stance that the message was positive, the follow through was courageous, and the intentions were as noble as any. The media just insists that Tebow is too pushy because he “wears his religion on his sleeve”. Would the media call Joe Gibbs a pushy, religious, negative influence because he prays before every race with his team, and believes in God openly (he even wrote a book called “The Gameplan for Life” which was all about living with the Bible as your “playbook for life”).

Why does the mainstream media try so hard to paint Tebow in a negative light? The media doesn’t show how Tebow is the first one at work, or the last one to leave. It doesn’t focus on his outreach to people or how he is involved in the community. The media doesn’t focus on how selfless, humble, and real Tebow is, but instead, the media says he “pushes” his religious beliefs on people, but these media personnel are the very people who go out and follow Tim around, broadcasting everything, and this has created a love-hate image for Tebow across the nation…people either love him, or they hate him. In fact, this week, the Broncos will start Tebow in Miami against the 0-5 Dolphins, and when the announcement was made, the Dolphins sold 20,000 more tickets to the game. I have never, not one time, heard anyone say, “I didn’t like meeting Tim…He was just too pushy with the whole religion thing”. I have heard the media spin the Tebow discussion negatively into a racial topic, a religious topic, a film study of “bad mechanics”, and some have even called him fake or a phony. Listen, just because you might not have the guts to be who you want to be in front of people doesn’t mean that he should be ridiculed for his courage. And above all else, all the guy does is push his team to be the best they can be and give 130% every time his feet touch the field, he lives to serve others and God, and tries hard to be the very thing we all say we “want” our role models to be. If he were cursing and nasty, and treated people poorly, we would complain that he is a role model who should “act right”, yet he is doing this very thing and taking flack for it.

Maybe people don’t want to see Tim succeed because they are scared of what his success will mean to the sports world. Maybe they don’t like him because they have some spirituality issues of their own that need to be dealt with. Maybe they just don’t like to see running college quarterbacks succeed in the NFL because they don’t want it to become the standard, although, I would argue that Tebow is hardly comparable to any other running QB in college football history. There are plenty of other NFL athletes that live Christian lives, and share the Gospels of the New Testament openly, but they don’t present the hype that Tebow does, or get the attention that the media gives to Tebow, so they are not shown as being “religious” in the public forum. Rob Parker, who always seems to make every argument about race, said, on ESPN’s First Take, that it is not fair that Tebow “gets a shot”, when a lot of other black, running quarterbacks never got their shot. I ask this to Mr. Parker… did those guys win a National Championship, a Heisman Trophy, the hearts of the state they live in and millions of people around the world, and the respect of anyone who is honest with themselves? I sincerely doubt it. I say Tebow has earned the right to play on Sunday because he has accomplished the highest achievements at every stage so far, he has great leadership abilities, and his attitude and work ethic make everyone around him better. 

Instead of putting Tim where he belongs, on a pedestal before the nation as an example of the type of role model our children should be looking up to, he is labeled as an over-the-top, pushy Christian who is “over rated” because his mechanics don’t follow suit. But, there have been many quarterbacks to play this game at a high level that didn’t have the “proto-typical form”… Phillip Rivers, Steve Young, and Rich Gannon are just a few that come to mind, yet for Tebow, it appears that it is impossible for a QB in the current NFL to have a non-traditional form, and still have a chance to win. And no one seems to emphasizes the fact that the “it factor” matters. This game is not about throwing the ball perfectly every time, or shaving .04 seconds off your delivery time. This league is about keeping the play alive, and getting first downs, and Tebow can definitely provide opportunities during the game to give his team a chance to move down the field and possibly score. The media argues that football is the ultimate team sport, yet Tebow gets all the pressures placed solely on his shoulders because some people just want him to fail. Denver even traded away their best wide receiver and are looking to trade their second receiver away, so what does Tim have to work with…it doesn’t really matter…he will do his best and probably succeed in the process regardless of who tries to put a roadblock in his path.

The bottom line is this – Tebow is a great human being who earned his way to a starting job in the NFL, who can play hard, get first downs, encourage and ignite his teammates (and every fan in the stadium, home or away), and who can win games if given the opportunity (and a few decent players around him). I say Tebow “wearing his beliefs on his sleeve” is a positive, not a negative. I say Tebow letting us see who he is off the field is a positive, not a negative. Personally, I pray for Tebow to succeed. I have the highest hopes for him and his NFL career, and I would like to see other NFL athletes, who believe in the Lord, step up and take a stand for Tim’s openness, and for God, and stop being so afraid of being judged by people whose opinions really don’t matter at the end of the day anyway.  

Think about it this way…someone believed in Tebow so much, that that person went out of their way, through a series of negotiations, to make it possible to draft this guy before anyone else could get him in the FIRST round. Josh McDaniel, who is basically a quarterback coach and offense guru, saw something amazing in him, and he did what he had to do to make sure that Tim was a Bronco at the end of the day. This was not by chance, or luck, it was because Tebow had earned it. And I say that until Tebow fails consistently, even when talent does show up in Denver to help his cause, people will continue to negate the credit due to him, degrade him and persecute him with hopes of his failure, and then if he does fail, they will ultimately all say how bad they feel for him because he is such a great person. Maybe if the media would speak positively about him, help to build his image positively for all those children out there with Tebow posters on their wall and the number 15 on their jerseys, and focus on what he has done and is doing, then he might have a fair shot at an honest assessment by the people. He is not perfect by any means, as I am sure he would tell you, but his effort to live according to the Good Book, his willingness to help and love for others, his desire to be a positive force in a negative world, and his passion and dedication to the sport should be praised at the highest level.

My opinion…the world better get their forks ready…the crow is almost cooked and ready for eatin’

College Football Will Crumble

In recent news, an FBS (previously Div-1A) college football program has made headlines because of allegations of numerous violations against NCAA rules. According to sources at Yahoo! Sports (Charles Robinson), mega-booster Nevin Shapiro, now serving 20 years in federal prison, claims he treated players to sex parties (including purchasing prostitutes for up to 39 players and/or recruits), nightclub outings, cars, use of yachts, and many other gifts. Shapiro told Yahoo! Sports ,  in over 100 hours of video interview footage over the last 11 months, that he provided improper benefits to 72 football players and other athletes at Miami from 2002 to 2010,  and that up to seven former coaches and organization heads all the way up the chain, were aware of these gifts, and may have received gifts themselves. This is yet another example that college sports is spiraling out of control. The TRUTH, that no one seems to want to admit, is that the system is failing because the human element of greed is tearing the system down piece by piece.

There are many people who are of the opinion that the college athlete should get some sort of compensation for the games, since they actually play the games that generate so much of the revenue for the school. Some athletes feel that since they are generating millions for the schools, they are due some of the revenues. While I agree that a small compensation, be it cost of attendance (which would vary from a couple of thousand per athlete to five thousand plus at larger schools) or something similar, is deserved to the athlete to allow them to do what most other 18-22 year old students do, it needs to be regulated across the board to be evenly distributed to avoid influencing recruit's decisions on which school they will attend.  This solution would benefit all athletes evenly, and for most, would definitely improve the overall experience of their college years in general. But, these players should not be able to take kickbacks and incentives which are not regulated across the board, if you want the sport's integrity to remain in tact. The irony is that the players who are getting these "gifts" are usually the players in "high demand", and these "high demand" players are usually the very players that go on to the NFL. So, in essence, they get incentives to go to a specific school, they get a scholarship which pays for their school because of their natural athletic ability (along with the "gifts"), and then they get paid big money after school to continue to play the game that they love. But when the program gets caught and penalized for  the few that cheat, the entire program suffers. In other words, the majority pays a high penalty for the choices of few. Can these players, who feel that they deserve the "superstar status" not wait four years until the NFL? Must they risk their program's future, their teammates future, and the integrity of the game they supposedly love?

The paying of players by outside sources, or in an unregulated manner, will totally diminish the very game that we love so much. The schools who have the most financial backing from powerful boosters would ultimately recruit all the best players, and in the end, this would crumble the college football system to the ground. A few select schools would control all the best players, would consistently appear in the championship games, and would earn more money from those appearances for their school, while the smaller football programs (the "Cinderella stories" we all love so much), would be no more. This is not the way to improve the college football game or fix this terrible problem of cheating.The question which still remains, that needs to be asked is this - do we really think that paying a student athlete, who is one of the "rule breakers", a 100-300 dollar-a-week incentive is going to stop those players from choosing to accept cars, boats, mortgage payments for their family, trips, etc? In my opinion, the kids who choose to break rules for personal benefit will not be satisfied with a few extra dollars, especially when the alternative is so appealing, and as long as their chance of getting caught is minimal and the reward outweighs the consequence, they will continue to break the rules.


So, how much do the players actually deserve? I ask you to consider this - There are roughly 120 NCAA Div 1 FBS schools (formerly Div-1A). Each team gives out 85 scholarships to student athletes in the football program alone. That is 10,200 players who are playing football and attending a major University with a full ride. That means their room and board, their meals, their books, and many other school costs are all taken care of for them. While I agree that  the students should definitely not be at a monetary disadvantage in comparison to other students, because they are regulated by the NCAA and are not allowed employment to earn for themselves, football is not their full-time job, and they cannot be treated as professional athletes.

There are 32 teams in the NFL, and the draft consists of 7 rounds. So there are 224 players from this 10,200 pool of college football players, that will be taken by a team in the NFL during the draft. Not all the players that are drafted will make it at the professional level, and will ultimately be cut by the team before opening day. Roughly 150-160 players will make the cut, and will remain in the NFL for the season, earning a salary and the benefits of  the player's union. That means that there are roughly 10,000 players (which is a conservative estimate that 200 players will end up in the NFL) will never make a career out of football. That means that less than .02 percent of the college football athletes will make a career out of football. I would love to know how much of this .02  percent that makes it to the NFL actually received incentives and kickbacks in college. Is it not enough that these players get an education from a well known University, which most would not have been admitted to without the scholarship, for basically free. We must not undervalue this fact. This is an amazing opportunity! These players should not be paid as professionals, or be able to take kickbacks and incentives which are not regulated across the board, if you want the sport's integrity to remain in tact. This is not the way to improve the college football game or fix this terrible problem.

The ridiculous amount of money that the sport generates creates big revenue for the schools, but it does not mean they should not follow the rules established by the NCAA to regulate the league. The NCAA needs to streamline their rules to consist of the rules that, when broken, change the landscape of the college game. It needs to have strict penalties for anyone who breaks these rules, and it needs to place accountability on the adults AND the players. But as it stands, the slap on the wrist for breaking rules consistently does little to change the efforts by those who regulate and monitor these athletes, and they continue to ignore what is apparent to many of those people close to the programs. It is far from a perfect system, and it would seem that there is absolutely no accountability by anyone, but it appears that the focus has shifted and the most important point is being missed...these "student-athletes" need to be students first, and athletes second. They need to realize that they are a part of something special, and will reap benefits from their time in college for many years to come. The Coaches, Presidents, and all the powers that be need to assume some responsibility for educating these kids, and stop worrying more about their pockets and less about the integrity of the education program, which ultimately creates the very boosters that will back their system in the future.

Many people feel that the athletes themselves are to blame, while others blame the adults/coaches that run these programs. I believe that all parties involved, the players, the coaches, the presidents, the boosters, and everyone in between who had knowledge of what was happening or even suspected this was happening, is to blame. Coaches turn the other cheek because they want the best players money can buy, ultimately giving a strong impression that they care more about the win-loss record, which will further their career, and the presidents ignore as much as they can get away with because they want to win games which ultimately will bring in more money for their conference and their school. The Coach who looks the other way is just as at fault as the poverty-raised inner city kid, who willingly chooses to break the rules. And when these Coaches fail to regulate, monitor, and invest a serious interest in the guidelines and integrity by which their program is run, the NCAA must act swiftly and firmly in dealing with them. There must be fines, suspended, and even banned form the game to make a statement to all the others in the league...If they don't assume responsibility for the education of these kids, they should not be allowed to be in the position to run the programs in the future.But no matter where the blame lies in your opinion, the obvious point here is that there is blame resulting from a serious problem.

The greed exhibited by these many programs is terrible, and totally corrupts the game we all love, and is heading to an end that will turn the college game into the NFL, where everyone plays for their next dollar, and not for the love of the game. College Athletes need to play because they love the game, for the pride that comes with the win, for their love of the school, and they need to appreciate the scholarship and the chance at a quality education for what it is...a magnificent opportunity that their athletic gifts have provided for them. Coaches need to recruit people who will help them win within the regulations set by the NCAA, and someone needs to be held accountable when outside sources are allowed to get involved and manipulate that recruiting process to benefit their interest.

If this problem of corruption and rule breaking is not addressed with a firm disciplinary hand, and in a manner with the utmost importance, the system will fail and the thousands of kids who are able to get these scholarships and attend quality Universities will dwindle away. As long as there is greed, there will be people who succumb to it, and the kids are ultimately the ones who suffer. Coaches who break rules and assist this madness, even those who get fined, fired, or prosecuted, usually move on to different programs, and eventually the public forgets about the lack of responsibility and the terrible decision making that the coaches exhibit during their tenure. When will we stop allowing these types of people to head up our children's programs? When will their integrity be more valuable than their win-loss record? We have a serious problem on our hands, and if it is not addressed with the utmost importance, more and more of these tragedies will surface and have to be dealt with.

Someday I hope that all athletes that participate in a college sport will get compensated in some form for their time at the school, whether it be from cost of attendance, a career in the NFL or other professional sport, or any other great job that their education and participation in their alumni gets them, but allowing the schools to regulate who gets paid and how much is a terrible idea. This is a solution that would need to be regulated by an organization that has no vested interest in "who goes where". When will we wake up and realize that the whole system is terribly flawed. More and more in the recent years, we are seeing just how much goes on behind the scenes, yet we keep on allowing the very people who look the other way to hold our children's futures in their hands. There are a lot of schools who are breaking the rules to benefit themselves, and ultimately it costs the players, the schools, and the integrity. When will enough be enough? What will it take for us to realize that there needs to be a change by ALL parties in the system?

Are You Sure, or Are You Certain

Do you believe that if you died today, that you would go to Heaven? What about Hell?.......Why do you believe that?

It seems that a lot of people who answer, “go to heaven”, have no real answer as to why they think so. Ask yourself this question then, “How did you hear about Heaven or Hell?” When was the first time you heard of it, and have you investigated that source to see what else it can tell you about these places. If you truly believe that you will make it in the wonderful kingdom of God, the most magnificent place in creation, why do you believe so? Isn’t it worth investigating?

                I often have conversations with people who don’t have a particular belief in God. They say, “I believe in God, but I don’t follow a religion per say”, and that’s pretty much where they leave it. They try to live more “right” than the next, always judging themselves against the world’s standards, and thinking they have enough of it figured out. They ask me how anyone can believe in something that cannot be seen, and I tell them, “I can see Him perfectly”. They ask me how I know, and I tell them, “Because He showed me”. If you think you want more out of life, then I say, “Find God”. 

Don’t take my word for it. There is no way that I can lead you to believe in God, but I will tell you to try this…read up on all the world religions, the major ones anyway, in alphabetical order sorted by name. See which one strikes a nerve with you. Maybe you can relate to most of them, because they have a hope of the afterlife. But why do humans hope for the afterlife so dearly, I mean, if you truly just die and are gone…if your soul just evaporates into thin air, then why does that particular idea seem so wrong? You may be able to relate to many of the world’s religions, but which one sounds like truth? An absolute truth that sounds like nothing else you’ve ever heard? Not something that makes you want to “live right”, but something that you can say, “I am absolutely certain…without doubt, that there is”. What religions, the said pathways to God, make you feel this way inside?

                You see, there are many false Gods of many believers of different cultures, but there is only one true God. I mean, there has to be one that made all things...right? One who rules and created all others. Ask yourself this question…Which God is a living God, and which one’s are dead…in other words, who beat death and lives today...Who has the keys to the afterlife? I think this is a reasonably important topic in the life of a person seeking the afterlife and eternity. And, because life is so short in comparison to eternity, it should be of uttermost importance that we find this truth sooner than later. We never know when we are going to pass along. Do you believe if you died today you would just be gone, or to rephrase the question, does that idea sound right to you? What do you truly believe and why?

I can tell you first hand that I have heard the Truth…an absolute that cannot be described by me, only shown by Him. I can tell you that I have experienced, physically, mentally, and emotionally, the Creator, and He has changed me. I have been reborn in a very real and physical way, only because I sought the answers and God was waiting on me, waiting to show me the truth. I can hear his voice, and see Him in my life, and He has shown me miracles and wonders that I never thought possible. There is no doubt in me, because I have experienced Him. He has made life have real value, and I no longer have to carry the burden of my failures alone. He carries them with me, and He accepts me anyway. His is a true love, which we cannot understand, and that is the reason He sent us grace, in the form of Jesus Christ, the Savior.

             I know Jesus, I know His voice, and for anyone to tell me that He does not exists, is both hard-hearted and foolish. It would be wiser for them to look into my eyes when I speak of Him, and to hear the truth in my voice. They have failed to see the importance of the relationship I have entered into. For the truth I know is verifiable by anyone who truly seeks God first. It is not my duty to reveal truth, but to witness my life to them to promote their search. 

             May the light in my eye shine brightly. May I have many an opportunity to share, with passion, what I have experienced with God. May my efforts be directed toward the kingdom of God always and forever. I sincerely pray that everyone would search their hearts, and then push forward without fear towards the answer, for this is knowledge, and it will truly set you free. 

             He is waiting on you to open the door, and He will do the rest...