Top 5 Blog Posts of 2012 - #2

Tim Tebow Mania was the second most popular blog post of 2012, having been written on January 14th. You have to feel a little bit of compassion for Tim as he was signed by the New York Jets with great fanfare, only to sit on the bench for the entire season.

Even with that, he has been the subject of criticism as, somehow, some believe that he's responsible for the problems with the Jets. If he had been given an opportunity to play, perhaps that criticism would be warranted, but he wasn't, and it wasn't. 

The article from January looked at the Tebow craze that was happening around the NFL last year at this time, both the positive and negative aspects. It also looked at his pro-life stance which has drawn a lot of criticism. You can read the article by clicking here.

AshleyMadison vs. Tim Tebow

I guess that I shouldn't be surprised when I encounter cynics, but I still am. I came across a link yesterday to a Huffington Post article on Tim Tebow. For those of you living on the moon, Tebow is a quarterback with the New York Jets, newly acquired from Denver. But he is probably even more well known for his evangelical Christian faith.

Tebow has unashamedly stated that he is a virgin and intends to wait until marriage to have sex. This just doesn't play well in today's sex-saturated culture. He's been the butt of jokes from stand up comics and even the object of ridicule from other athletes. He seems to have taken all of this in stride.

However, the recent antics of the dating service AshleyMadison have revealed a depth of cynicism that reveals how low some in our society will sink. They have actually offered a $1 million reward to anyone who can offer evidence that Tim Tebow is not, in fact, a virgin. What that evidence might be is not made clear, but the motivation seems crystal clear.

This dating service, which calls itself "the most recognized name in infidelity" simply can't imagine that someone as popular as Tebow would not give in to temptation - and they also can't imagine why he wouldn't. I find this very revealing. While many would react with shock at what AshleyMadison is doing, I believe that they are largely a reflection of a culture that has given up on the concept of sexual purity.

Even though repeated studies have shown that cohabiting before marriage leads to higher rates of divorce and less satisfaction in marriage, the overwhelming majority seem to think that it's not only a good idea, but is expected. Sexually transmitted diseases have reached "epidemic proportions" in some parts of North America, yet we continue to promote sex without restraint among our youth, extending to younger and younger ages.

At some point I think the question must be asked - why? Do we really think that it's a good thing that stores are selling provocative clothing for 8 year old girls? Or that people are held up to ridicule among their peers for choosing to keep their sexuality for marriage? Or that mainstream music and Hollywood seems fixated on more and more graphic content?

As someone who does pre-marital work with couples, I've found that those who choose to wait are much happier and have much healthier marriages. They don't have to worry about STD's or the emotional baggage of broken intimate relationships. As one who has had to help pick up the broken pieces, I will continue to recommend the lifestyle that Tebow has chosen.

I, for one, hope that he will continue to have the courage of his convictions. Our youth need some healthy role models. I'd rather have them look up to him than to look to AshleyMadison for direction - an organization that specializes in assisting in affairs for over 7 million anonymous adulterers. I've seen too many broken hearts, homes and children. Give your head a shake.

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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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