Despite Naysayers, It's Tim Tebow Time
Never mind that Tim Tebow was voted “Most Overrated Player” in a Sporting News mid-season poll taken by 111 NFL players. The evangelist QB is taking both accolades and jabs in stride, asking fellow Christians in the NBA to join the Denver Broncos via Twitter.
The cross-sports fellowship began when NBA hoop star Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic (also an outspoken Christian) sent a tweet to Tebow.
“@TimTebow keep up the good work. Despite all the haters u work hard u got heart and u got Jesus. U can't lose.” Howard tweeted.
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As players in the NBA are still in negotiations with owners and not playing, it was only natural for Tebow to tweet: "And btw @DwightHoward if the lockout continues, you & @KingJames need to come get fitted for your Broncos uni's!"
Despite his bravado, Tebow continues to roll with uncertainty coming from the Broncos’ brass. The team’s executive vice president of football operations, John Elway, says that Tebow’s starting quarterback assignment is on a week-to-week basis.
In the Sporting News poll, Tebow received 22 votes to capture the “overrated” title. Tony Romo placed a close second with 21 votes from the NFL players who are asked to remain anonymous when casting their votes.
Comments from the players were also accepted by Sporting News pollsters.
“Tim Tebow. I think it’s more media-driven. I think based on what people say about him, he should be doing some unbelievable things,” an NFC defensive player commented.
Tebow continues to be a favorite among sports analysts, hungry to dissect each move the player makes both on and off the field.
“Tebow’s play can be atrocious at times, but he has managed to win two of his three starts this season. The critics and Tebow Bashers need to realize that Tebow only has six starts under his belt in the NFL. That is less than a half a season, so Tebow is still a rookie based on experience,” Bleacher Report contributor Kyle Banks wrote Tuesday.
After much speculation about the Broncos’ current and future quarterback situation, Banks concludes that, “Until then the Broncos need to set their watches to Tim Tebow Time.”
Sports reporter Greg Bishop recently wrote in The New York Times: “At the intersection of faith and football, the fervor that surrounds both Tebow’s beliefs and his struggles in his second season for the Denver Broncos has escalated into a full-blown national debate over religion and its place in sports.”
Tebow unknowingly started a “Tebowing” craze during the game against the Miami Dolphins two games ago when he bowed on one knee on the sidelines during a field goal attempt.
According to Tebowing.com, the word means to “to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.” The website has been inundated with photos of people praying in various locations.
Now, both complimentary and mocking tributes to the pose appear everywhere, including by opposing players during games.
Former coach and NFL sports analyst Tony Dungy recently praised Tebow during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
“As a coach, I always like winners,” said Dungy as reported by NBC Sports. “Tim Tebow doesn’t have the classic throwing motion, he doesn’t have the accuracy, maybe, right now that some people are looking for, but I think when he gets into a pro system that really stresses throwing the ball accurately, the big thing is he makes the people around him better. And he’s won. … I think he’s going to be a great player in the NFL.”
