Dan Wetzel, writing for Yahoo! Sports, admits that Tim Tebow is undoubtedly one of the best college football players of all time.But he's inexplicably bothered by Tebow's public witness as an exemplary Christian.
Wetzel writes, "Tebow’s heart gets a lot of hype – too much for some. The television announcers are often over the top in their praise and the stories of Tebow’s off-field heroics as a devout Christian can be fatiguing. It’s a strange phenomenon of the modern media. Fans can find themselves rooting against a good guy just because they keep being reminded of how good he is. A little fallibility can go a long way... He’s a hero to Christians and an often too-good-to-be-true role model."
Hmm. Do you get the feeling that Wetzel prefers the athletes who snort coke, shoot guns in strip clubs, and punch out women? No, that's probably going too far. But one is forced to wonder just what "fatigues" him so much about Tebow.
My guess is that Wetzel (like so many others) doesn't feel comfortable with guys who actually strive to live up to their ideals. Those kind we would rather ignore (perhaps even disparage or mock) rather than face the contrast between their character, integrity, religious faith and leadership abilities and our lack of the same.
Maybe we've tried and failed too many times. Maybe we're just too lazy or cynical or faithless to make the attempt in the first place. In any case, we dismiss for ourselves the inspiration that heroes create for others.
I'm pleased that Dan Wetzel acknowledges the athletic greatness of Tim Tebow. But then that's awfully hard to ignore. What would please me even more is for him to get the cynical chip off his shoulder and consider how a role model like Tim Tebow might not be "too-good-to-be-true" after all. Tebow doesn't claim perfection. But neither does he see fallibility as a good thing, something to aim at, something to deliberately engage in so that the Dan Wetzels of the world feel comfortable around them.
No, Tim Tebow knows the grace of God that forgives "fallibilty." And he knows the power of God that can make a humble, obedient servant into a genuine hero and a healthy role model.
Even to skeptical sportswriters like Mr. Wetzel -- if they'd just take a serious look.
