Second Fiddle - Tim Tebow and the New York Jets

What do you do when you're called to play second fiddle? It's one thing to be the 'go-to guy,' the one who is given the ball in crunch time. It's entirely another to be asked to hold the clipboard for that guy.

In a few days Tim Tebow has moved from being 'the man' in Denver to a backup in Denver to a backup in New York. The journey from here on will be an interesting one.

Unless you're living under a rock you will have heard that the Denver Broncos signed quarterback Peyton Manning to a seven year contract worth $95 million this week. That immediately kickstarted the discussions on where Tebow would wind up. Tim lead the Broncos to 6 straight victories to save Denver's season last year and won a playoff game. However, his unconventional style and inconsistent passing game had many questioning his ability over the long haul.

Would he be kept as backup to Peyton Manning, learning from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time? Or would he be traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, back home where he became a college legend, leading his Florida Gators to the national championship? Instead, he ended up with the New York Jets, who only recently signed their starting quarterback, Mark Sanchez, to a contract extension.

Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum was quick to point out that "Mark Sanchez is, has been and will be our starting quarterback." You don't have to be a genius to see that this puts Tebow in a challenging position.

There are a lot of Tebow fans out there, and there are also a lot of detractors. Many are critical of his arm, his throwing style and his very public faith. Fans, on the other hand, point out that everywhere Tebow has gone he has won and his teammates love him. How will he respond to what many players would perceive to be a very public demotion?

As you would expect from Tim Tebow, he has thus far responded with grace. He has nothing but good things to say about not only the New York Jets organization, but the Broncos as well. Here are his comments after the deal was finalized: “My goal is to push (Sanchez) to get better, and to push myself to get better every day,” Tebow said. “But I think we’ll have a great working relationship. We’ll have a great relationship off the field, and we’ve had that the last few years. He’s such a classy guy and handles himself so well, and I’ll be very honored to call him my teammate.”

This is part of the reason I like this kid so much, he recognizes that life is more than football, and regardless of what life throws you, we're still responsible to do the right thing. It's a good lesson for all of us to remember. There are some things in life that you can't control, for him, right now, this is one of them. Another thing he can't control is what others say about him.

None other than all-time great Joe Namath has come out slamming the deal. “I’m just sorry that I can’t agree with this situation. I think it’s just a publicity stunt. I can’t go with it. I think it’s wrong,” Namath told 1050 ESPN Radio on Wednesday. “I don’t think they know what they’re doing over there.” Jay Leno included in his monologue last night some relatively lighthearted digs at Tebow's faith. It will be interesting to see how he's received by New York fans.

There are lessons in this for all of us. First of all, there's the lesson of perspective. As Tebow has often said, he gets to play a game for a living, and is paid well for it, whether in Denver, New York or elsewhere.

Secondly, there's the lesson of Lordship. Tebow learned a long time ago that God is ultimately in charge. He works hard, does his best, and prays and asks for God's will to be done. Sometimes the outcome is not what we expect, but that's okay. Along with this lesson comes the ability to trust. If God is in charge, I don't have to be. I can rest in the fact that He wants the best for me, so can anyone who trusts in Him.

This week's events may not have been expected, but it will be interesting to see where they lead. I, for one, wish both Tim and Peyton well. I also hope that Tim can continue to keep his heart in the right place, my guess is that he'll be just fine.

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Is Jeremy Lin the next Tim Tebow?

It hasn't been long since Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos took the sports world by storm, becoming the most popular athlete in the world with a series of clutch performances and his public expressions of faith. Now, on the hardwood, we have Jeremy Lin, newly of the New York Knicks, rocking the NBA. 

Jeremy is a second year player out of Harvard University. He wasn't considered good enough to get a scholarship, but still became the first player in Ivy League history to record 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals. He went undrafted but stunned scouts with his play in the summer league after being invited to play with the Dallas Mavericks summer squad. Lin was signed to a two-year contract with the Golden State Warriors before the 2010-11 season, but played sparingly, being sent to the development league three times. The day after the lockout ended he was waived by Golden State and available to everyone in the league.

Houston picked him up off waivers on Dec. 12 and then waived him on Dec. 24 to clear cap space for Samuel Dalembert. This led to him finally being picked up by the New York Knicks on December 27. He was sent down to the D-league in January, recalled after posting a triple double (double figures in points, assists and rebounds). He was recalled three days later. I don't think he'll be leaving anytime soon. Here's what he's done since getting regular minutes.

• February 4th vs. New Jersey: 35 Minutes - 7 Assists - 25 Points
• February 6th vs. Utah: 45 Minutes - 8 Assists - 28 Points
• February 8th vs. Washington: 35 Minutes - 10 Assists - 23 Points
• February 10th vs. Los Angeles Lakers: 38 Minutes - 7 Assists - 38 Points

One of NBA.com's announcers stated that "This is not just the story of the year, this is one of the greatest stories of the last ten years!" So what's the big deal?

Lin is playing at the most challenging position on the court - point guard. He is a rookie, having played only a handful of minutes over the past couple of years. He's also stepped into a Knick's lineup that is without stars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire and has led them to four straight wins, putting them back into playoff contention when it looked as though the season was lost. His points totals in four straight games have rarely been done in the history of the NBA, remarkable particularly for  a player with his lack of experience.

With all of that being said, perhaps the most interesting story line is the faith of Jeremy Lin. He has stated that Tim Tebow is an inspiration for him. His candid statements are refreshing. He said about Tebow, “I actually want to be able to do some of the things that he does in terms of the amount of charity work and the non-profit work, and the way he impacts people off the field. I think that is what is most inspiring to me about him.”

He's been receiving media attention on a smaller scale for a while because of his heritage. His parents emigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan. Here's what he said about those earlier challenges. “When the media attention was starting to grow around me, I felt as though I had to play well just to please everyone else. It was a great burden, and it took the joy out of the game for me. See, the truth is that I can’t even play for myself. The right way to play is not for others and not for myself, but for God.”


“I still don't fully understand what that means; I struggle with these things every game, every day. I'm still learning to be selfless and submit myself to God and give the game up to Him. It's a challenge, but thankfully I'm learning more and more.”
 
His attitude is very similar to Tebow, which is a very refreshing change from the ego-centric prima donnas of the NBA. It will be intersting to see how he continues to handle the media circus now swirling like a tornado around him. Can he hold to his values? “Society focuses so much on individual stats and wins and losses. To a certain extent, you can control those things. But to play for God means to leave the records and the statistics up to Him and give your best effort and allow God to figure out whether you win or lose, whether you play or shoot the ball well that game. So I just try to make sure that I work hard and in a godly way. I prepare myself as well as I can, and at every point during the game I try to submit myself to God and let Him use me, and if we really understand the gospel, we will be humble. We should be humble, and understand that everything that is good comes from God.”
 
I, for one, am cheering for this kid (he's 23). It would be great to have a role model on the basketball court as good as Tebow has become on the football field. Here's a question: what does it say about what the public wants that the two most popular athletes in the world today are both devout Christians? Perhaps the world is looking (hoping) for good role models too.
 
Here are some of his highlights from the Feb. 10th Laker game.
 
 
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Top 5 Super Bowl Ads of All Time

Tomorrow's the Super Bowl. New England and New York will be facing off again for all the marbles. But more importantly for some, advertisers will try to put their best foot forward to win some brand recognition on the biggest stage in the world. They'll spend millions to try to keep you in your seat rather than running to the bathroom. Some of these companies have been legendary in their success in this area. That's what we're looking at today.

Thanks for the public and private responses to my informal poll. Here are the results for the top 5 Super Bowl ads of all time.

5. Coming in at Number 5 is the iconic Coca Cola Ad from 1980 featuring Mean Joe Greene. Personally I think this would have gone higher but for the fact that a lot of you readers weren't even around then! It was successful in showing that one of the toughest players of all time for the Pittsburgh Steelers was really just a big softy.



4. This hilarious ad is from 2010 and was created by Doritos. Everybody immediately fell in love with Jalen, who took no time whatsoever in laying down the law to his mother's new boyfriend.



3. Number 3 on the list, from 2011, has a Canadian twist to it - the beaver, after all, is a national symbol and graces our nickel. This Bridgestone ad keys around a driver managing to save a beaver's life and, later, the beaver returning the favor. Back to nature in vulcanized rubber!



2. This 2008 Budweiser "Clydesdale Team" ad made it all the way to #2. Everyone loves it when the animals play feature roles. In this ad, a dalmatian plays the role of trainer Mick to Hank the Clydesdale's Rocky. You have to cheer for the underdog!



1. Coming in at #1 with the most votes was last year's hit commercial from VW - "The Force." Volkswagen knocked it out of the park by piggybacking on the popular Star Wars theme and the interaction between a father and son.



As a bonus, let's take a sneak peak at one of the much-hyped ads that will be debuting at this year's Superbowl. This hilarious Acura ad features Jerry Seinfeld and a surprise ending with Jay Leno. Enjoy!



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All Time Greatest Super Bowl Ads - Vote!

All right everybody, next Sunday is Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. Many are looking forward to the game, but many are also looking forward to the commercials. Every year companies spend millions to make the commercial that will capture the minds of the mega-audience, not to mention the cost of $3.5 million for a 30-second ad.

There have been some great commercials dubuted during the Super Bowl. I've picked out 14 nominees for best all-time and I want you to help me decide. Write-ins are allowed. Leave your vote in the comment section below. The top five vote-getters will be announced next Saturday. Here are my selections - in no particular order.

(Careerbuilder "Parking Lot" - 2011)


(Snickers "Betty White" - 2010)


(Doritos "House Rules" - 2010)


(Bridgestone "Karma" - 2011)


("Clydesdale Team" - 2008)


("Castaway" - Fed-Ex, 2003)


(Pepsi - 1995)


(Old Spice - 2010)


(Budweiser frogs - 1995)


(Where's The Beef? - 1984)


(The Force - 2011)


(9/11 Tribute)


(Mean Joe Green - 1980)


(1984 Apple Macintosh Ad)


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Tim Tebow Mania

I wanted to write a note about Tim Tebow before his playoff game today against the New England Patriots. He is now the favorite athlete in the world, and probably the most hated one as well. Everyone has an opinion about him and his evangelical Christian beliefs. I thought it might be a good idea, as a Christian myself, to try to interpret some of his actions for some of my non-Christian friends.

Let's start with what first brought a lot of negative attention to Tim - a 30-second pro-life commercial for "Focus on the Family" shown during the Super Bowl. Here it is:



Seems harmless enough, doesn't it? Yet it was the subject of angry op-ed columns and bloggers for weeks, months even. How dare Tim speak out in favour of a mother keeping her child, rather than choosing abortion. The truth is that Tim's mother chose to have him, in spite of advice from doctors to abort. Tim and his mother wanted women to know that choosing life is a great option.

The fact that the pro-life movement is politically incorrect no doubt accounted for much of the negativity, as a lot of the criticism was levelled even before the commercial aired. One obvious thing about Tim Tebow is that he's not afraid to say what he thinks or live out his convictions.

The second, and main thing, I wanted to touch on is "Tebowing," Tim's propensity to take the time to pray before, during and after games. Many secular people take this as Tim's attempt to coerce God into helping him win. Believe it or not, that's not what Tim is doing, or what genuine Christ-followers do. The goal is not for God to intervene on the field to bring the Denver Broncos victory. Tim prays that, regardless of the outcome, he would conduct himself in such a way that he brings honour to his God. Tim wants to win like everyone else does, but, if you listen to his prayers, they are prayers of thanksgiving, and prayers that he and his teammates - and the opposition - would be injury free and that he would perform to the best of his ability.

If Tim was a selfish, egotistical, prima dona the criticism would be warranted. But he's not, and it's not. He's a good guy who is a good teammate and a quarterback who performs well under pressure. He also has shown that he has a great deal of compassion for those who are less fortunate than he is, spending a great deal of time and effort to make a difference in their lives. I thought this commentary by Charles Adler expressed it well, so I've included the video below. I hope you like it and, win or lose, I wish Tebow all the best. He's certainly not the worst role model out there.



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