Tebow's Wednesday Presser

Tebow talks his new battle wound (non-called face mask), 

setting a new NFL QB rushing record, Percy Harvin, and
what "iron sharpens iron" means to him. 

Click the photo for the video.

Confounding the Wise

The more we listen to commentators the more we hear "Tebow magic"  and "divine intervention" when describing his success and style of play.  This is what we are going to refer to as "confounding the wise."

Yesterday, Michael Irvin even quoted 1 Corinthians 1:27 when trying to describe if Tebow will ever be able to silence his critics and if the critics will ever "believe."  (Video here.)

I read in the Bible, "He will use the foolish things to confound the wise...This is 'foolishness' we are watching, we are being 'confounded'...he is confounding us so called 'wise men.'"  

Then on ESPN's First Take yesterday, Doug Stewart claimed that Tebow is benefiting from the help of  "a higher power."  (At the 4:40 mark)




Even as Christians we don't really buy the "higher power" or "divine intervention" line. So how is Tebow winning? "Tebow's success is due to production and protection, not magic."

Kerry J. Byrne, of Cold Hard Football Facts, broke down the numbers and has what he calls a "Real QB Rating" and not just a "passer rating" to evaluate the success of a QB.

There's no doubt that Tebow's passing accuracy has been spotty at times. At the end of the day, though, he has consistently outplayed the other team's quarterbacks. The problem is that most analysts are limited in their ability to analyze and compare quarterbacks with anything more concrete than the old eye test. Or they look at stats that simply do not matter at the end of the day, such as passing yards, and can't figure out how Tebow is winning games.

Smarter analysts might know to look at critical measures of passing success, such as yards per attempt or passer rating -- indicators that traditionally have a very high correlation to victory. But even those indicators fail to tell the whole story of Tim Tebow.

Enter Cold, Hard Football Facts.com's Real Quarterback Rating, which we introduced over the summer and which has quickly proven itself the most important indicator in football outside of final score.

[...]

Tebow's Quietly Historic Production

There are two underlying reasons why Tebow is so effective, two reasons that explain his impressive Real Quarterback Rating week after week.

1. He gets the ball in the end zone more often than any QB in football today
2. He protects the football better than any QB in football today

The Broncos clearly have not scored a lot of points with Tebow at quarterback. In fact, Denver has averaged just 19.3 points per game in Tebow's six starts and has scored 18 points or fewer in five of those games. And clearly, the defense has improved dramatically in recent weeks, either purely as coincidence or as a by-product of the fact that Tebow has helped the team improve in all areas by protecting the football.

But Tebow himself has been deadly with the ball in his hands. He produces touchdowns at an amazing clip, better than any quarterback in football in his brief career.

Click here for the full explanation, but also how other QBs measure up to Tebow's overall production as a QB and not just as a passer.

Bizarro Tebow Returns

And apparently Bizzaro Tebow is singing to none other than Merril Hoge.

Hat tip: @Angel_XV

"Dollar Day" Fundraiser

Please help the Tim Tebow Foundation and CURE build a hospital.  All they are asking is that you donate a dollar.  Small things become great things when we all join together.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 29, 2011 – Calling all Tim Tebow fans! The Tim Tebow Foundation is launching a fundraiser for the recently announced Tebow CURE Hospital in the Philippines. The total expense of building the hospital is $3.1 million, and with only $700,000 left towards that goal, the foundation is asking Tim Tebow fans to consider joining them in this effort.
The fundraiser, entitled “Dollar Day,” kicks off at 9 am EST Tuesday, November 29, 2011.

Every Tim Tebow fan is encouraged to donate $1 each to help the foundation realize this goal. Donations can be made online at www.timtebowfoundation.org, and all donors will get receipts for their donations. All proceeds will go directly toward the Tebow CURE Hospital, a combined effort between the Tim Tebow Foundation and CURE International.

“I am so thankful for my fans and the support they’ve always shown me,” said Tebow. “I am excited for this opportunity for my fans to join me in a project that is so close to my heart.”

You can donate directly here.

To Boldly Go...

Today's hot Tebow topic is that Kurt Warner has suggested publicly that Tim Tebow tone down his public professions of faith.

"You can't help but cheer for a guy like that," former NFL star Kurt Warner said. "But I'd tell him, 'Put down the boldness in regards to the words, and keep living the way you're living. Let your teammates do the talking for you. Let them cheer on your testimony.'

"I know what he's going through, and I know what he wants to accomplish, but I don't want anybody to become calloused toward Tim because they don't understand him, or are not fully aware of who he is. And you're starting to see that a little bit."

Interestingly, Warner works for NFL Network along with Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin, and both spoke in "religious" terms regarding Tim Tebow yesterday as well.  Michael Irvin talked about "hope dictating effort"  but also quoting the Bible to describe the unconventional play at the QB position that we are seeing from Tebow now.

I read in the Bible, "He will use the foolish things to confound the wise...This is 'foolishness' we are watching, we are being 'confounded'...he is confounding us so called 'wise men.'"  (Click here for the video.  2:30 mark)

When was the last time you heard football, not faith, but football being described in Biblical terms?  Or put another way, when was the last time that the Bible was the only way to describe what you are seeing on the football field?

We get what Kurt Warner is saying, but Mr. Warner doesn't seem to grasp the day and age in which we live.  There is no Billy Graham in this generation.  Long gone is the prime time television broadcast of a Christian crusade explaining the gospel message and inviting the public en masse to accept its good news.  In that vacuum we now have 200+ cable channels that give us a steady stream of anything but good news.

Tim Tebow is a QB in the NFL who is garnering unprecedented attention because he and his teammates scrape out an improbable win week after week.  Analysts are so befuddled by what they are seeing that they have no other choice but take Tim Tebow at his word, and by his faith, to describe his near "miraculous" success. 

Kurt Warner's advice to Tebow is "'Put down the boldness in regards to the words, and keep living the way you're living." But why should Tebow be anything other than "bold" right now? If he isn't who will be? Because our understanding of the Bible is that "faith comes by hearing" and not by seeing, and we are looking for someone in the public sphere to simply state their belief in Jesus.  The most watched television program in American history to date is the Super Bowl.  Why silence the one player willing to say, time and time again, "I'd like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and my teammates." Is that so bold?

Romans 10:14-15

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

And what about the Apostle Paul?  What if he had refused to speak boldly? What if he had softened his approach because some became "calloused" or even "obstinate" to his message?

Acts 19:8-10

Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

Mr. Warner, we know you don't like watching how Tim plays the position, you said so yourself, and it seems you don't like watching how he professes his faith either.  But in the same way that he has won you over on the field, let Tebow be Tebow off the field too.


UPDATE: Kurt Warner's reply

The Broncos winning the "Tim Tebow Way"

From all the horses' mouths.

Jews for Tebow

As we've said before, even though we are Christians, we come from an interfaith family,  Christian and Jewish.

So we're glad to see "Jews for Tebow."









Jews for Tebow Facebook group here.

And click the photo to get a Jews for Tebow shirt.

(Shirts no longer available at Cafe Press.  If you know where to get
them, please email us and we'll repost a link.)

"As Iron Sharpens Iron"

Jeff Darlington, from NFL Network, was in the Broncos locker room before the Chargers game. 

On Saturday, Denver quarterback Tim Tebow stood in front of his teammates, both offense and defense, to deliver a message that resonated deep into Sunday evening, long after the Broncos battled it out with the Chargers in overtime for a fifth consecutive win.


It was another quote from the Bible, another expression of his religion that many of his critics seem to believe borders on overly pious devotion.

"As iron sharpens iron, men sharpen men," Tebow told the group, loosely quoting Proverbs 27:17.

Do Tebow's constant references to his Christianity still bother you? Maybe they do. And that's your prerogative. For what it's worth, linebacker Von Miller, the havoc-wreaking rookie with 10.5 sacks who is among the biggest reasons for Tebow's recent success, was inspired by that quote.

"What he said really stuck with me," said Miller as he walked toward the team bus. "Just having that guy around, it makes us better men. I think he plays for us, and he makes us want to play for him."

But this ongoing debate isn't just about the things Tebow says. It is about the way Tebow plays.

Click the photo for Darlington's post game interview with Tebow. And "Iron sharpens iron" is featured prominently at the D1 facility that Tebow co-owns with Herschel Walker.

More Photos of the Day

 

Tim Tebow is so good...he can make balls levitate.

John Fox congratulating Tebow.  Elway below.

 Please don't forget, Tim Tebow isn't the only player to pray.

Please remember our challenge to make Tebow one of the many, not one of the few.

And, the best for last.  (LA Times - good article too)

The Photo of the Day

The LA Times gets the photo of the day.  Is there really anything else you need to know?

Photos of the Day, Chargers game

It is somehow comforting to know that Tim Tebow can't watch the field goal attempts for either a win or a loss.  Couldn't in college, and still can't.  And in truth, we're with you Tim.

Nice to see Mr. Elway and Mr. Xanders celebrating a Broncos win on the sidelines with a fist pump.

More tomorrow.

Tebow Post Chargers Presser

Yes, Tebow was praying that the Chargers' kicker would miss or that the kick would be blocked.  Still find it very funny that Tebow can't stand to watch field goals and prays on the sidelines.

He also talks the Urban Meyer to OSU rumors.

And the cut on his face is from the uncalled face mask by a Charger's defender.

Click the photo for the video.

Tebow Time, once again!

This time 16-13 in over time.  The skeptics are speechless, again.

CBS can't believe it (Seriously?), but NFL.com knows it. 

Broncos vs. Chargers - Game Day Verse

Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Shannon Sharpe's interview with Tim Tebow and John Fox

A very good interview.  Favorite line:

Sharpe: You are a quarterback, you signed up to throw the football.

Tebow: I think you sign up to win games.

Tebow and FSU in Pictures

2009

2008

And they said he couldn't do it in the NFL. 
Tell Darrelle Revis that now.

Thibault Time

There's another "Tebow" in town, it's just that this one spells it "Thibault".

Tebow's Post Practice Presser

Tebow talks Kyle Orton (hears he's a Chief mid-interview), Urban Meyer and Thanksgiving.

Click the photo for video.

Happy Thanksgiving

Psalm 100

1Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

2Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

3Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

5For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Eye Black Challenger: Sgt. Matt Berube

Please pray for Sgt. Matt Berube and his wife Lori.  And if you know a soldier, veteran, or any member of our armed services, please show them your gratitude this Thanksgiving. 

Lori posting: Yes, this is me :) I wanted to jump on here and share with you all... something exciting that happened to us this evening [Nov. 20]. Tonight, we received a phone call from a very special person, Tim Tebow!!!!!!! Someone asked if I cried. Honestly? I did. I waited until after we were done talking, though. Lol!

Words cannot even express the gratitude we feel right now, having heard from ...him. It means so much to us that he took time out of his busy schedule, just to call. It amazes me how much Tim really appreciates and supports our troops. My husband was so excited once he hung up the phone, and in complete shock that he heard from his favorite athlete. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you, Tebow! God bless you!

Update on Matt: After 13 grueling surgeries, he will be having his left leg amputated from mid-calf down. His foot just cannot be saved to where he will be able enjoy life comfortably. It wasn't an easy decision, but it's one that is necessary. His quality of life will be much better, and he will be able to do things he did before in due time. It's still going to be a long road, but one that's well worth it. He feels pretty good about it, and anxious to get it done and over with. Time to move forward, and recover! This Marine has shown true courage, and I couldn't be more proud of him. The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday morning. Please, continue to keep him in your prayers. This isn't going to be easy by any means. It will be a huge adjustment for us all, but we will get through it. We want to thank everyone who has been extremely supportive and loving towards us during this stressful and difficult time. -Lori ♥

Support Sgt. Matt Berube, USMC, Combat Wounded Facebook Page here.

Tebow: 'Christ comes first in my life'

"If you're married, and you have a wife, and you really love your wife, is it good enough to only say to your wife I love her the day you get married? Or should you tell her every single day when you wake up and every opportunity?," Tebow said. "That's how I feel about my relationship with Jesus Christ."

I Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"

Thanks for living it Tim.  May God continue to richly bless you.

Tebow, Jake Plumer, and Jesus

CBS goes the snarky route, but it's what's on everybody's mind.  Is God actually helping Tim Tebow?

You can read the full quotes here, but the synopsis says it all.  Like it or not, Tebow's winning has earned him the right to pronounce his faith publicly. 

Put differently: Plummer may like Tebow the football player, but could do without the constant reminders of his faith. And Tebow has no plans to do anything but pronounce his love for Jesus every chance he gets.

Whatever you think of Tebow, there's no denying that divine intervention has a lot to do with his success. Because there's no way a guy completing 44.8 percent of his throws, and who completed just two passes against the Chiefs in Week 10 would be on an NFL roster, much less a starting quarterback with a 4-1 record.

So, yeah, he has good reason to be thankful.

Video of Tebow's response here.

And the caption to the picture above:  "Despite appearances, Plummer isn't Tebowing. We think. (US PRESSWIRE/Getty Images)"

Orton Waived by Broncos

Kyle Orton has been waived by the Denver Broncos.

Can anyone remember a season this dramatic?

More on the story here.

Tebow is a Warrior

Over the past few years, a number of players, coaches, and commentators have all called Tebow a "warrior." The most recent is Zeke Bratkowski, QB Coach.  Below is a sample of "Tebow is a warrior quotes."  Not bad for a QB.

"Tim Tebow is a warrior. He is a winner. He will be a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback." Zeke Bratkowski, QB Coach


"He has a warrior's mentality" Brian Dawkins, Denver Bronco


"Tim Tebow: Cultural Warrior" Tom Kratenmaker, Religious Commentator
 
“The most effective ambassador-warrior for his faith I’ve come across in 25 years at SI.” Austin Murphy, SI


"Tebow is a warrior." Brandon Spikes, 

#WhenSkipMeetsTebow Video

#WhenSkipMeetsTebow Reactions

Want a glimpse into the Tebow divide?  Just look at the diversity of reactions to the same interview from sports fans and commentators.

Responses to Tebow's answer to Jake Plummer's criticism that he mentions Jesus too much:

And Tebow not responding directly to Elway's comment yesterday that he is not yet the Broncos' QB of the future.

Finally, a selection on Tebow's comments regarding his role as a QB.

We'll post video and/or transcript later today.

#WhenSkipmeetsTebow

TMZ Tebowing

TMZ wants some Tebow love, i.e. webclicks.  Let's hope he said a prayer while kneeling. 

"I am a Tebowist"

More and more the critics are having to admit that winning > losing.  This time ESPN's DJ Gallo.

Another ugly performance by Tim Tebow, another victory. Many of us were laughing when he opened the season as Denver's third-string quarterback, but I can't do it anymore. He's won me over. I am now an unabashed Tebowist. And this is what I believe:

I believe there is nothing wrong with having more points than completions. I am a Tebowist.
I enjoy rooting for someone who was drafted in the final round of my fantasy league as a joke. I am a Tebowist.

I like watching someone whose every success is deemed a one-time fluke by the experts, and I like how this happens week after week after week. I am a Tebowist.

I am intrigued listening to a guy whose postgame comments sound scripted and clichéd, yet sincere and impassioned at the same time. I am a Tebowist.

I believe that sometimes the best way to choose a quarterback is not by making an informed decision based on weeks of performance in practice, but by heeding the advice of a billboard alongside Interstate 25. I am a Tebowist.

I enjoy believing in the goodness of someone simply because so many others believe he is too good to be true. I am a Tebowist.

I am fascinated by the idea that "intangibles" and "heart" might actually be real things and not just clichés that desperate announcers resort to using when they're out of things to say. I am a Tebowist.

I think it's great that someone who has success off the field by doing everything right also has success on the field by doing everything wrong. I am a Tebowist.

I think it's a waste of time to assume Tim Tebow is a hypocrite with skeletons in his closet until he does something to suggest that he is a hypocrite with skeletons in his closet. I am a Tebowist.

I believe in the power of things unseen, but I believe even more in the power of things I can see. Like the scoreboard. I am a Tebowist.

I know that even if Tim Tebow never wins another game in the NFL, he's still won four more than many observers thought he could. I am a Tebowist.

I am confident that Tim Tebow will never look like a good quarterback. And that it might not matter. I am a Tebowist.

I believe that Tim Tebow > memes. I am a Tebowist.

I believe Tim Tebow has whatever "it" is, and that the definition of "it" is "what Tim Tebow has." I am a Tebowist.

Full story here.


Photo: Denver Post

The New Yorker Defends Tebow

It's nothing you haven't already read a dozen times before, but the point is Tebow transcends sports.  Because of his relentless competitive spirit, combined with his style of play and undeniable success, Tim Tebow has been able to bring his personal beliefs into the public arena with him off of the playing field.  

Dislike him if you will, but there’s one overriding reason to like Tim Tebow: it’s fun to watch him play football. Tebow is a loose cannon, capable of greatness and futility in equal measure, and in quick succession. You never know what you’re going to get, especially now that Denver has ditched any attempt to play along with the N.F.L.’s cohort of precise passing machines, becoming something wholly unique in the ecosystem of N.F.L. offenses. Above all, Tebow—like many, but not all, professional athletes—seems to care. Set aside Tebow’s twenty-yard touchdown scamper and look at a nine-yard run earlier in the drive. Tebow evaded a rusher, cut through a hole on the right side and sprinted toward the sideline. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, who said earlier in the week that “the biggest thing for the secondary is for us not to fall asleep,” was in pursuit. Smart quarterbacks get out of bounds here. Tebow faked to the sideline then plowed through Revis, who gave only his forearms to the tackling effort. The Broncos were on their way.

Wins for quarterbacks are an overrated statistic. There are ten other players on Tebow’s side of the ball, eleven more on defense, and don’t forget the punter and kicker. Tebow scored the winning points, but he needed a good block from his tight end to clear the onrushing defenders, a fact he emphasized after the game. Sincere or not, it’s hard to hate a star for insistent expressions of humility. Cue the chorus: “He’s got it.”

 Full story here.

Shannon Sharpe "drinks the cool-aid"

If  "love covers over all wrongs" what does winning do?  Apparently changed the mind of one very outspoken Tebow critic, former Bronco and Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe.

Listen to Shannon Sharpe on the Shannon Sharpe Show with Vic and Gary on Thursday morning, Nov. 17

(Part 2 - Says he wouldn't wear a Tebow jersey).  Terrelle Davis joined the show to debate Sharpe on whether Tebow makes those around him better or not. Sharpe didn't think so.

Well, Mr. Sharpe has changed his mind after drinking the "Tim Tebow cool-aid."

Sharpe will be interviewing Tebow Monday at 4pm MT.

Update: Sharpe's interview with Tebow will air Sunday morning,  Nov. 27.

Brian Dawkins talks Tebow and Von Miller

Brian Dawkins talks, Tebow, Von Miller and their faith as individuals and belief in each other as a team.
Click the photo for the video.

Sunday Challenge: Make Tebow just one of the guys

Wednesday we wrote about Tebow's "unconventional life" and issued the challenge below.  Let's start a movement that isn't a fad, but a way of life that will make our lives and all those around us better.  Don't be a follower this time, be a leader. 

To all the Christians who read this blog, we'd like to issue you this challenge.  Lets make Tebow irrelevant.  Imagine that so many Christians actually lived a strong Christian life that someone like Tebow was so typical, so commonplace that it wouldn't warrant discussing, much less dissecting.

How about bringing the same passion, commitment, determination, hard work and excellence to our everyday lives that others are forced to consider our faith and our God as a result of our everyday actions?

How about taking the hits from the skeptics in our sphere of influence with the same polite, level headed and gracious approach that we see Tebow do, week after week, year after year?

Instead of "tebowing", i.e. taking a picture of yourself pretending to pray, how about really praying for those around you who are in need?

Instead of wearing a 15 jersey with "Jesus" emblazoned on the back, how about feeding the sick, supporting orphans, visiting prisoners, and providing health care to those less fortunate.  How about acting like a follower of the real Jesus, instead of just wearing his name?

And instead of "believing" Tebow can get it done on the field, how about we all join him off the field and make being a real Christian the standard and not the exception? 

Let Tebow silence his critics on the field, and let us as fans join forces and silence the critics off the field by making the man Tebow is just one of the many instead of one of the few.

Hugh Douglas is going to church

Update:

Tebow and Darrelle Revis

“He shocked me,” Revis said, “probably shocked a lot of people.”- Jets star cornerback Darrelle Revis

Shock and Awe

Here's a few headlines for you.

Elway on Tebow: "I've never seen anything like him."

Tim Tebow's magic doesn't make sense

How does Tebow do it?

The legend of Tim Tebow grows

Tebow defies NFL conventional wisdom

Somebody stop him!

Tebowmania takes control of the NFL

Tim Tebow and the Miracles

 “He shocked me,” Revis said, “probably shocked a lot of people.”

- Jets star cornerback Darrelle Revis

Quote of the Day

Straight from the horse's mouth, Pat Bowlen.

He's a quarterback, and believe me he's going to learn," Bowlen said. "I believe he'll be a great one. Better keep him around."