Much has been said about the meteoric rise of the Denver Broncos’ potential savior quarterback Tim Tebow. A polarizing force, he is both showered with jubilant praise and vehement scorn by writers, fans and even his NFL colleagues. It has been written several times over: You hate him or you love him.
Those who hold a middle ground on Tebow, however, might be seeing the bigger picture.
The excitement surrounding the former Florida Gators’ star is undeniable. He’s helped turn around an abysmal season for the Broncos, who never got off the ground with Kyle Orton at the helm. The Broncos are suddenly viable again, right in the thick of the intense AFC playoff picture.
Being one of the most celebrated players in collegiate football history, Tebow enjoyed an inherent fan base and anticipatory hype while standing on the sidelines, even last season.
Most importantly, the sports media always needs a story, and Tebow’s certainly is a curious one. Some believe the Bronco’s faithful had as much to do with Tebow getting on the field as anyone on the Bronco’s staff.
But this fascination– this fixation on Tebow, both negative and positive, can be attributed to the same reasons: He’s a scramble-first quarterback–a white scramble-first quarterback at that– who unabashedly praises God after every triumph. Football purist mock his unconventional playing style and wind-up delivery just as often as Christians in the Mile-High-City praise his moral values, unassuming attitude and admirable character.
What’s more, nearly all of these triumphs have come via improbable 4th quarter surges. Tebow has struggled mightily until the moment of truth, when he has seemingly willed his team to a series of unlikely victories.
Given these reoccurring, arguably fluk-ish circumstances, it’s easy for detractors to abhor the media fervor over Tebow and write off fan optimism as baseless.
But this isn’t blind faith. Denver is winning, and the praise and fascination will continue to be heaped on Tebow unabated until they’re not.
In that case, Tebow could conceivably be ousted if he doesn’t impress John Elway or the Broncos falter in the last stage of the season. Lest we forget, this is a week-to-week league. Winning is all that matters. No one will be praised if their team is failing. But for now, Broncos’ fans have hope, and that’s all any NFL fan can ask. They’ll take it.
Rather than putting emphasis on love or hatred for Tebow, football fans and media alike should be embracing the abounding excitement he has produced for the NFL. This shouldn’t be about arguments concerning conventional quarterbacking or religious debate. Tune in, relax and enjoy the ride.
That’s what Tebow will be doing.