Gregg Doyel's column on Tim Tebow has been getting some press. I watched it debated on 1st and 10 whether or not his column was fair or foul. Here is the Tebow quote Doyel criticizes:
Doyel drew that quote from this Woody Paige column. Doyel is quoting the whole quote that Paige got. The reason I went to the Paige column is that I don't think I can really asses what Tebow meant when he said he is "relying...on my faith". Does that mean he is relying on his faith in order to deal with the people who are saying he won't be a good player? Or does he mean, as Doyel suggests, that he will start because its god's plan for him to start and be a good player?
Here is another quote from Tebow that Doyel uses to come to the conclusion that Tebow thinks he will start because of god's plan:
I agree with Doyel that this stuff is a little weird. As Doyel says, who really knows what god's plan is. Maybe his plan for Tebow is to be a backup. But I'm not sure we can assume that Tebow really feels this way, at least according to the first quote or even the one I just used. He could just as likely be relying on his faith to help himself and his family get through the criticisms. Even that is kind of weird to me. But its less weird than thinking god's plan for you is to be a starting Qb.
But I can see why that last quote would suggest Tebow might think that. He says he trusts god for all things. If he really believes that then it follows that he thinks it would apply to his football career. But I don't think you can automatically connect those two quotes to definitively say Tebow thinks it. So while I largely agree with the weirdness of Tebow's qutoe, I think someone should ask Tebow if that is really what he meant. I wouldn't be surprised if he does. And in that case Doyel would be 100% right. But until then I don't feel comfortable drawing those types of conclusions.
Plus its possible that if you asked Tebow and really pushed him on it he would say he doesn't believe god has a direct hand in him being a staring Qb. I think a lot of christians or religious people in general would concede that that kind of belief is a bit much. Though considering the things Tebow has said and done in his past, my money would be on him believing it. If he confirmed that I would love to ask him why he thinks that and really press him on the logic.
Why was he chosen to be a starting Qb in the NFL? Why not me? Why not you? What kind of a higher being would devise plans that give millions of people really crappy lives while millions of others have pretty darn good ones? I don't see much logic in that kind of thinking. Lucky for Tebow the only kind of logic he needs to understand is that of opposing defenses. If he puts his faith in that he might become a starting Qb.
"Others who say I won't make it are wrong," Tebow told the Denver Post on Thursday. "They don't know what I'm capable of and what's inside me. My family and my friends have been bothered by what's gone on, and I tell them to pay no attention to it. I'm relying as always on my faith."
Doyel drew that quote from this Woody Paige column. Doyel is quoting the whole quote that Paige got. The reason I went to the Paige column is that I don't think I can really asses what Tebow meant when he said he is "relying...on my faith". Does that mean he is relying on his faith in order to deal with the people who are saying he won't be a good player? Or does he mean, as Doyel suggests, that he will start because its god's plan for him to start and be a good player?
Here is another quote from Tebow that Doyel uses to come to the conclusion that Tebow thinks he will start because of god's plan:
"Faith is like a muscle," Tebow wrote in Through My Eyes. "You trust God for the small things and when He comes through, your muscle grows. This enables you to trust God for the bigger things, in fact, all things."
I agree with Doyel that this stuff is a little weird. As Doyel says, who really knows what god's plan is. Maybe his plan for Tebow is to be a backup. But I'm not sure we can assume that Tebow really feels this way, at least according to the first quote or even the one I just used. He could just as likely be relying on his faith to help himself and his family get through the criticisms. Even that is kind of weird to me. But its less weird than thinking god's plan for you is to be a starting Qb.
But I can see why that last quote would suggest Tebow might think that. He says he trusts god for all things. If he really believes that then it follows that he thinks it would apply to his football career. But I don't think you can automatically connect those two quotes to definitively say Tebow thinks it. So while I largely agree with the weirdness of Tebow's qutoe, I think someone should ask Tebow if that is really what he meant. I wouldn't be surprised if he does. And in that case Doyel would be 100% right. But until then I don't feel comfortable drawing those types of conclusions.
Plus its possible that if you asked Tebow and really pushed him on it he would say he doesn't believe god has a direct hand in him being a staring Qb. I think a lot of christians or religious people in general would concede that that kind of belief is a bit much. Though considering the things Tebow has said and done in his past, my money would be on him believing it. If he confirmed that I would love to ask him why he thinks that and really press him on the logic.
Why was he chosen to be a starting Qb in the NFL? Why not me? Why not you? What kind of a higher being would devise plans that give millions of people really crappy lives while millions of others have pretty darn good ones? I don't see much logic in that kind of thinking. Lucky for Tebow the only kind of logic he needs to understand is that of opposing defenses. If he puts his faith in that he might become a starting Qb.
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