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 Tim Tebow will now be "Tebowing" for the New York Jets.
March 21st, 2012
02:28 PM ET
Denver Christians mourn Tebow’s departure, say they’ll root from afarBy Dan Merica, CNN (CNN) – When star quarterback Peyton Manning signed with the Denver Broncos this week, Denver pastor Jim Mackey signed at the thought that Tim Tebow probably wouldn’t be wearing Broncos blue and orange next season. The Broncos don’t need two star quarterbacks and the New York Jets announced Wednesday that Tebow is now theirs. “It was a topic of conversation last night,” Mackey said in a phone interview Wednesday, describing Tuesday night services at his Next Level Church. “It is an emotional thing and a bit more emotional for people who have connected with Tebow’s expression of faith,” Mackey said. “Rather than just a QB controversy, which is not unique in the NFL, this does seem to have hit more of a personal nerve for those in the Christian community.” Mackey’s church meets Tuesday nights, not Sunday mornings, because Mackey believes Sunday is a day for people to do Colorado things – skiing, hiking and Broncos games. Tebow, who helped turn the bottom-dwelling Broncos into a playoff team last year, transcended sports with his overt professions of faith and his late game heroics, which led some to believe that God was on the young quarterback’s side. CNN's Belief Blog – all the faith angles to the day's top stories Throughout the season, Tebow’s jersey was flying off the racks and “Tebowing” – the act of getting down on one knee and praying while everyone around you does something else – became to be an internet meme and widely recognized symbol. Tebow quickly became the public face of FRS Company and Jockey; for months, it was hard to click on ESPN without hearing his name. “Tim Tebow seems to have won the hearts of not only football fans in Denver but the people here at large,” said Rob Brendle, pastor at the evangelical Denver United Church. “One of the most exciting aspects of last season was that casual sports fans and those who aren’t even interested in football, like my wife, became captivated by the influence of Tim Tebow.” “Around the water cooler and in church, there is sadness at the likelihood of his departure,” Brendle said, a few hours before the Jets announcement. Though Tebow cashed in with endorsements, he also lent his face and celebrity to causes he believed in, many in the Denver area. Like many players, Tebow invited individual fans to his games. In his last game with the Broncos, a playoff face-off with quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, Tebow hugged Kelly Faughnan, a 22-yard old female who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and whom the Tebow Foundation had invited to the game. Brendle said that Tebow showed that you can be both good at sports and good at giving back. “It is hard not to cheer for the Christian kid,” Brendle said. Jim Daly, president of the Colorado Springs-based evangelical group Focus on the Family, teamed up with Tebow for antiabortion Super Bowl ad last year. The spot illustrated how comfortable Tebow is trumpeting his Christian beliefs, even on a polarizing issue. “I think there is going to be this period of mourning for Tim Tebow’s departure,” Daly said. “I think that that affection that people have for Tebow goes well beyond Denver and his ability to play football.” Daly says Focus still hopes to work with Tebow in the future. “Regardless of where he is, he is a national celebrity and it would be great to work with him again – even if he is in New York,” Daly said. Matthew Ware, Executive and Worship Pastor at Victory Church in Denver, said Tebow fans were hoping for the quarterback to stay local even after the Manning announcement. “I think most people were hoping for a "both/and" instead of an "either/or" situation,” Ware said. “We love the idea that perhaps Manning could ‘disciple’ Tebow into greatness in the next few years.” Many believers in Denver will now have to balance being a Broncos fan with rooting for a New York-based Tebow. “Tebowmania has a magnetism and loyalty that's undeniable,” Ware said. “While most people will ultimately support their home team, once in a while a player comes along that wins your heart. Tebow is that kind of player. He'll have Denver fans no matter where he plays.” soundoff (1,423 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Rob: Regarding 'those who aren’t even interested in football, like my wife, became captivated by the influence of Tim Tebow', I think you better spend more quality time with your wife. If Tebow had a throwing arm, then everyone would've been fighting for him. The Jets are a strange fit for him. Obviously, Elway wasn't too impressed with his arm. His literal Hail Mary in the last game, was a fluke. He threw a lot of lousy passes too.
Now the Jets Jets Jets have two quarterbacks that couldn't hit the broadside of a barn....
I'm thinking the same thing Sean. The jets is a strange team fit for him. He is a somewhat decent quarterback, and a fair amount of his passes were pretty lucky. I see some potential in him though, he could get a lot better given the time and the chance, that's really the extent I have to say on his playing.
Tebow 1
Manning 0
perhaps you should say Tebow 1, Billy Graham 0.
He is God's own advertising department....
Superbowl wins
Manning 1
Tebow 0
If only he would have asked God to make him a better quarterback.
I'm sure he has asked that, but you know how effective prayer is right?
Wow man... I'm trying to be objective reading these posts and see this story from all angles... but honestly all I'm seeing is varying degrees of Tebow-hate. And it's a shame; because NONE of you even know the kid.
To me all he's done is professed that he's a evangelical Christian. But he seems to be heavily involved in things that make people's lives better. Heavily involved in charity of all types. I don't understand the uproar against the man. What did he do to you?
Since he said he's Christian, now everyone dissects his motives; and anything he does is regarded as "shoving his faith down your throat" when, in fact, a lot of people who don't claim to be Christian are involved in the same things he does. No one bashes those guys for it.
What has he done wrong? Start charities? Been a upstanding citizen? Help others? He has NOT done all the things you say religious fanatics do, so I'm lost as to why there's all this hatred.
You guys just really seem to hate Christians (which is ironic because the reason you seem to hate them is their 'intolerance' and 'hatred' for other people groups). But if this guy represents what Christians are supposed to be like, I see no reason to hate them.
Maybe your hate is aimed at some people who say they're Christians and really aren't.
He came out in support of orgnaizations that want to abolish a woman's right to choose. He supports organizations that want to push their morals on me. THAT's why I dislike him.
Let me put things in perspective for you....
What if there was a not-so-good NFL player, whose religious fans tout as being the best player to ever don a uniform and step on the field, wearing religious slogans in his eyepaint, doing commercials to advertise his religious beliefs like a used car salesman, and trying to piggyback his religious beliefs on everything he does in the public eye.....
Now make that player....a SCIENTOLOGIST.....
I bet you all would get annoyed with all his propaganda in very short order.
Fact of the matter is, none of us likes it when PETA gets in our faces and overdoes it with their advertising. None of us, whether we be in support of gay rights or not, likes it when gay people get too vocal and pushing their agenda when we don't want to hear about it. We don't like hearing all the political advertisements during election season, with various politicians trying to shove "their message" down our throats.
So it stands to reason, we don't want to hear about Tim Tebow everytime we open the sporting news or turn on the TV. if he is a religious fanatic, fine– we just don't want to hear about it all the time, anymore than we want to hear constant Scientology, Taoist, Green Peace, political, Buddhist, Muslim propaganda.
CNN is a left winger hangout, their job in life is to hate ideologies that aren't in lockstep with their groupthink agenda. Tebow makes them feel bad about themselves because every human knows deep down that they have a higher version of themself that they can evolve into, the person inside that is not self centered adolescent but a more mature self that has aquired wisdom and sees that life is really about helping others, and most CNN readers fall far short of this measure. Liberals give less to charity than Republicans, Libertarians or Independents, hence the hate.
gee Brad you mean a woman's right to have her baby suctioned out of her womb? This is why the left hates Tebow, because his mother was given the recommendation to abort him and chose not to, and he's a real life billboard to show the world that the Democratic party will even plant it's flag on the bodies of a million dead babies as long as the campaign kickbacks keep coming in.
Sorry, Shane. But looking at the actions of religious people throughout history, I think the "groupthink" going on in churches every Sunday has a lot more hatred of other ideologies than any "liberal hangout". Last I checked, Christians are the ones trying to block gay people from getting married, a measure that has NO EFFECT on their personal lives whatsoever.
That speaks volumes about this "higher version of yourself" you were babbling on about....
Why do pro-lifers always use Tebow as an argument, but conveniently ommit the more numerous examples in favor of choice... like all the MANY Casey Anthony's and Melissa Huckaby's out there?
@Fr33th1nk3r
I still see no reason to hate the man...
He's done so much good for others. Isn't that what it's all about? I mean, I haven't seen people more up in arms against players who don't do anything charitable and in turn, they actually do some pretty bad stuff. And what commercial has he done to advertise his religion? I haven't seen one. And the eye-paint... really? We're mad because he put religious verses on his eye-black? Come on...
He did a commbercial for FRS that aired during the Superbowl. I'd say that's a big deal
OMG the audacity of that man to do a commercial about something he believes in! Wasn't even religious... just his view on an issue he thought was important. I'm kinda laughing at your first response on this post because of this: don't you think it's kinda weird that we spout off at the mouth the term 'women's rights' when it comes to issues like abortion; when it really regards the child? And by your handle, I'm guessing you're a man, so this in NO WAY affects you; why then have you chosen the side of the woman over the unborn? (I could be making assumptions, and if I am, I apologize) I'm no religion nut, and I'm no conservative, but that just doesn't seem right to me
I couldn't care less. If football had anything to do with God, then they would all be in church on Sunday. All that praying must have fell on deaf ears. Otherwise he wouldn't have been traded. Judging by recent events, God wants the Bronco's to win the Super Bowl, and is punishing the Jets.
Regardless, Tebow isn't a very good QB. He's not even a mediocre QB. There are plenty of other players that are much more religious: deacons, pastors, ordained ministers, etc. but they don't get any recognition.
I have to laugh at those who replied to my earlier posting. You're right, I did get my stats wrong when listing his win ratio – what I laugh about is that nobody gave me s#@t about the smack I was saying about you Christians – so I guess I was right about that. May your god bless you for loving that mediocre quarterback.
The Jets will put a stop to his Tebowing right off the bat. New York City doesn't stand for that sort of display.
I think Tebow will make an excellent QB for the Jets. GO TEBOW!!!
Well, I was going to say he can't be any worse than "Sanchize", then I actually looked at Tebow's career stats...and realized that is wrong. A 47.3% completion percentage for a NFL QB, and he "just wins, baby"?.....wow. If I were only right 47.3% of the time as an engineer, I would be looking for a new job inside a week.... The Broncos won (by "win", I mean finished 8-8) inspite of him, not because of him.
The Broncos won games because their defensive line. You can start attributing wins to Tebow when if he ever throws the ball to a receiver.
I guess he knew praying would make him more of a celeb than his football powerss, he sure wasn't a good player. But isn't it a shame that they false Christians are now trying to take over football. A lot of real Americans aren't gonna like that.
REAL Christians are in CHURCH on Sundays. Not drinking beer, smoking, and betting on sports. Then consider Jesus saying: a camel has a better chance of passing through the eye of a needle than a rich man passing through the gates of Heaven. Unless Tebow donates all his money to feed and clothe the poor, he's not making it in. At least his afterlife will be warmer than the time he spent in Denver.
It's always funny to see condescending asses like you eman.
"Dave" and "Derp"
I've noticed you are always on conversations concerning religion/beliefs. You are very passionate about how you believe others are wrong for believing in a God. Guess what, I respect that. I don't think you should change your mind based off my meaningless comments today and I definitely don't expect it to. Shocking, right? Mutual respect would be great but I worry I'm asking too much. (Again, I don't expect you to think my beliefs are valid. I just ask you to respect them).
Beth, If I told you
...... I believed that 500 years ago aliens from the planet Zimblog came across the galaxy and created earth in 15 minutes by shaking a magic bag of Santa Claus dust over a ball of unicorn hair and that bigfoot sent his only son Harry Potter to save us from ourselves because Laverne and Shirley ate the forbidden klondike bar and we are all now doomed to spend eternity in a frozen tundra getting slapped around by morpheus......
Would you have "mutual respect" for my beliefs?
Or would you think I was crazy and poke fun at me?
That is what your belief sounds like to those of us who were never indoctrinated into it.
Sorry, I just don't have ton of respect for beliefs that are based an ancient mythical work of fiction.
Here's a great cartoon caption (by Robert Mankoff), on p. 4 of the 3/26/12 New Yorker magazine:
An angel is trying to get God's attention while God is watching a TV. God waves him away, and says: "I can't deal with any famines, massacres, or epidemics right now – I've got to help some guy sink a foul shot."
I think that this caption puts the relationship between religion and sports in proper perspective.
Here is an easy way for Peyton to win over all the dopey christians.
Give all the plays in the playbook new names. Name them all after bible quotes. That way when he gets to the line of scrimmage he can audible by yelling, John 3:16, John 3:16, hut hut hut.
The christians will be lovingly blowing him after the very first game.
He has to paint Bible verses in his eye-paint as well.
Peyton Manning is a Christian...genius
I was thinking he could also tape bibles to his feet. Then he could stand on his head and run in place like an upside down bible shoe windmill before every game. That would be way cooler than Tebowing.
"Peyton Manning is a Christian...genius'
true, but he has not done good enough job of shoving it in everyones faces to make them know that he's christian.
I am merely offering up some ways for him to show Denver that he is christianny enough for them.
Maybe a live crucifixion after a loss. That would show the fans that he not only is a as christian as Tebow, but he is really really sorry about the loss.
Yes, Peyton Manning IS a Christian, Shane, as well as 99% of the other players in the NFL. But Peyton Manning does not have a congregation because he is comfortable to practice his faith in private instead of making a spectacle of himself. You are really on a roll here today, aren't you, buddy? We should just nickname you "STRAWMAN" or "RED HERRING"...
They already use the Hail Mary play.
TEBOW SUX DONKEY BALLZ. HE CANT THROW WORTH SH!T. I SAY GOOD RIDDANCE.
END OF DISCUSSION
There is no Quarterback controversey– he finished the season with a 47.3% completion percentage and despite his defense holding opponents to a remarkable 13 points per game, little Timmy could only muster up an 8-8 season as the leader of that squad. he went for 3 quarters of play once without a single pass completion. A great Christian he may be, but an NFL-caliber QB, he is NOT.
when you win 8 games in the NFL let us know..in the mean time try not to sit in your chair too long, your huge butt is making an indentation
hahaha. you win
I have not won 8 games in the NFL, but also, I am not being touted as the best thing to happen to the QB position since the foward pass. That was a truly insightful response, Shane. Eat any good books of late?
To Shane I bet he can't type 200 words a minute or paint a masterpiece. Or how about researching a cancer cure. What one person can do doesn't make him superior to what others can do better than he. What's throwing a football to getting that cure for cancer.
the most interesting thing about Tebow is how he elicits such a powerful hate filled response from the "tolerant" left. He doesn't wear his religion on his sleeve, he kneels down like that frequently, and it's not always for prayer. The fact is he's living the life that most of you slugs can only dream of, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and financially.
Funny you say, that– he did NOT wear his religion on his sleeve– he wore it in his eye-black....
And this slug is living a perfectly fine life without having to be a used car salesman for God....
Yeah I know, the hilarious part is you can't even understand how sickening, immoral and moronic your statement was.
"The fact is he's living the life that most of you slugs can only dream of, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and financially."
Spoken like a true idiot, excuse me while I get my vomit bag.
You know, I have to say that I agree with you. I am an athiest but it seems that Tebow lives pretty well. He doesn't actively seek out a ton of attention (though it is given to him by the sports media since his story sells. I.e. "Another fourth quarter comback engineered by Tebow? Or was it God?" or "Tebow divine in another fourth quarter win". The guy himself seems pretty down to earth. He has different views than I do, Who GAF? I think that the vitriol directed toward him is mainly due to Tebow fatigue (he isn't that great at his position, but gets a lot of attention), but when you are fatigued his religious beliefs are an easy handle to grab onto in order to rip him.
I have no problem with anyone's spiritual beliefs. But ***PLEASE*** keep them to yourselves. "Christians" (note quotes) mourn Tebow's departure? So what? Other fans don't? I don't get the connection between "Christian" and football. I don't care if Tebow worships bushes and dances naked on the equinox. That has nothing whatsoever with his job as a football player.
thank you. this could have easily been my post. secularism is public. spirituality should be private. if someone isn't talking about spirituality, no one is offended. when people do spout it out publicly, some people are offended. i guess these people aren't as selfless and curteous as they think they are.
If I were a Denver Broncos Fan I would be mourning Tebow's departure, too. Not because I am a Christian, but because he was capable of doing something the Bronc's hadn't seen in a while – WIN GAMES. Now they have a QB who spent all of last season recovering from surgery. We have no idea if Payton still has the arm, the eye and the speed needed to be THE starting QB for a team in desperate need of a good one.
Tim – good luck with the Jets. As a long time Giants fan, I know they are gonna need it.
Joe from CT, with Tebow– you had a team that could win games INSPITE of the QB..... Peyton Manning is perhaps the best passer of all time, you will forget all about Tebow Christ by week 2 of the regular season. You must have forgotten how it feels to cheer for a QB that can actually complete more than 47.3% of his pass attempts....
I don't necessarily agree with you, but I am curious: Do you say the same when David Silverman appears on Bill O'Reilly, the daily show, et al.?
It is bad enough we have to listen to politicians each trying to say God more times than the other guy does. Now professional sports!!!! What happened to faith being a PRIVATE / PERSONAL thing between you and whatever "God" you believe in?????
The guy cannot throw. Enough said.
Denver Broncos sacrificed a virgin to win the Super Bowl.
as has likely been said, now will this god favor the Jets? I always found the antics of tebow to be amusign, especially in light of how Christ said not to show off how good a Christian you are. But as always Christians pick and choose what they want to believe in and decide for themselves what their god "really" meant.
BECAUSE HE WEARS HIS RELIGION ON HIS SLEEVE TO SHOW HE'S SOOO GOOD........just another phoney christian.....look at me kneeling....he makes me sick
AMEN to that. Exactly my thoughts!!!!!!!
Do you even know how many players in the NFL kneel on the sideline?
A bunch...
What makes him phoney? His charity? His donations? His upstanding reputation as a citizen? The people he takes time out to help?
He never told you to be a Christian; he never asked to be on TV kneeling.
It's pretty weak to me that a guy that does so much good for the community can make you sick just because he kneels, or "wears his religion on his sleeve."
I'll tell you what makes him phony, the fact that he's praying over a football game. Has it ever occurred to you how ridiculous and moronic that is? People pray when they're in life-changing situations like war. He's praying on the sidelines of a football game not because his life is in danger but because the game is in danger along with his contracts and sponsorships. That's not phony to you?
At least act like you give a damn about the value of his worthless religion. When you have people praying for a red gumball from the gumball machine, praying to get laid on the first date, praying that the teacher is absent, praying for a snow day, praying for Tebow's football game, that associated religion is worth as much as a sack of door knobs.
@IfOnly
So you discount all that other very real stuff I mentioned because you don't think he should pray about football... People should only pray when their lives are in danger... that's ridiculous man.
First off, football is his job; people pray about their jobs all the time. Secondly, I'm pretty sure he said himself that he doesn't believe God wins football games, and that he's not praying to win the game, but to have the strength to finish strong and honor God.
And actually, according to his faith, it would be phony not to pray about his job because the bible says that Christians should pray about everything. Seems like him praying just ticks you off; but he's not doing anything out of the character he says he tries to portray..
@Ryan
You bring good points, yes in the Christian doctrine all things should be prayed on. Jobs, daily life, etc. etc. The one...well it's not really an issue....the one observation that I make with Tim Tebow is that his prayers do not need to be done on the field. He could go down on one knee before the game, during halftime, or he doesn't even need to be on one knee at all. Being on one knee is not a requirement in order to pray correctly. In fact as far as I remember there is no physical pose required for prayer to be "correct", it is the intent of the persons heart that is important. At least that's what I was told when I went to a religious school.
Listen Ryan, you can try to justify his asinine behavior all you want. It doesn't change the fact that if he prays for a football game he's arrogant. Have you grapsed the breadth of his actions? By getting on a knee he's implying that he honestly believes that the creator of the universe can intervene or at the minimum, care about his football game. If that's what his God does, his God has an awful lot of time on his hands. Maybe he can squeeze in Tebow's football game between helping Sally ace the math final and helping Rick get over his cold in time for his Saturday night date. He only has enough time for Tebow but the millions suffering around the world? Maybe later.
Praying over the loss of a job is valid, that's a serious thing. But don't even think about making an association between a Detroit autoworker losing his job and Tebow losing the ability to add extra millions on top of the massive wealth he sleeps on every night.
@HawaiiGuest
Who are you/we to tell him where he should pray and what position he should be in? I repeat: "Do you even know how many players in the NFL kneel on the sideline? A bunch..." It's only an issue because this man is more outspoken than a lot of other guys in the NFL who do the same thing.
@IfOnly
You're not being fair to my comment or to Tebow's; he said he DOES NOT BELIEVE GOD WINS FOOTBALL GAMES. Did you even read that? And think about what you're saying: praying for a (insert non-life-threatening issue here) is arrogant... isn't prayer asking for help? When have you seen someone arrogant ask for help? When has asking for help ever been viewed as arrogance? Do you feel arrogant when you ask someone else for help, or do you feel humbled that you need it?
@Ryan
When did I say that I'm telling him how to pray correctly? I'm an atheist I don't even believe in prayer anymore. I was only saying that personally I don't see why it needs to be so outspoken? I used to be religious. I used to go to church, all that kinda stuff, and what he does is not supposed to make his parayer anymore meaningful. In fact, according to the bible, public displays of faith are generally derided. I was trying to make a personal statement of what I was seeing, so don't put words in my mouth by saying that I'm telling Tebow where to pray.
@Hawaii
"....the one observation that I make with Tim Tebow is that his prayers do not need to be done on the field."
I don't have to put words in your mouth; you said that.
And I'm pretty sure that the bible is talking about false public displays of faith by hypocrites; it's not saying that no one should profess his/her faith publicly... and it doesn't seem that Tebow's a hypocrite; he seems to actually practice what he believes, so you can't condemn him with that part of the bible.