That's right, it's time to talk TEBOW. I realize I may be a little late on this subject, but over the past couple weeks I've felt a burning desire to add my two cents. The goal of this post is not to express my opinion on whether or not I think Tebow will end up working out as an NFL QB, or to analyze his play thus far, but rather I want to discuss why I believe the Tim Tebow question is a microcosm for the division in America today.
Here's my general description of the Tim Tebow question at hand: Can a football player who has all of the leadership skills desired in an elite NFL quarterback, but few of the physical skills desired in an elite NFL quarterback, succeed at the most important position in sports?
This is a question that has divided sports fans across America over the past month, and the division it has caused looks very similar to the division created by other questions facing the country today. These other questions center around whether liberalism or conservatism both socially and economically is the better path for the country going forward, or how much stock should we put in faith/religion vs. science/fact?
Of course these questions have been facing our country and many others for ages, so I find it interesting how the debate over how one football player will ultimately succeed in his career can bring out the same kind of emotions as the larger questions facing our country that we have been debating for years.
From what I have observed (and keep in mind these are very general observations, meaning there are of course going to be some exceptions) those who consider themselves conservative either socially or economically, and those who are very religious, tend to root for Tebow and believe he will become an elite starting quarterback in the NFL, while those who consider themselves liberal either socially or economically, and those who say science has the answer to everything, tend to root against Tebow because they believe his less than stellar mechanics will eventually lead to his downfall.
Again, I'm not saying there will never be an inconsistency with the statement above, but I do believe it to be generally true, because it focuses on the most basic question of whether pure work ethic and faith can get one to the top, or whether there must be a certain level of skill present in order to achieve true greatness. Most people have an opinion on this very issue, and that opinion dictates how one thinks about other questions of life.
Going forward the Tebow question likely won't be answered for a few years (unless he leads the Broncos to a Super Bowl title this season, which is very unlikely but still possible), so it will be interesting to see if the emotions surrounding the question remain as strong as they are today. I believe people will remain just as fervent in the years to come whenever Tim Tebow's name is brought up, because of the basic nature of the origin of the Tebow question. Conservatism vs. Liberalism, Faith vs. Fact, Religion vs. Science, Desire vs. Skill, Elite NFL QB vs. Bust.... Answer: TBD.
