I am fascinated by the incredible media attention which continues to be showered onto Tim Tebow’s fledgling baseball career. Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback of the two-time NCAA champion University of Florida Gators, decided to try baseball at the age of 29 during the past year after his NFL quarterback career dissolved a few years ago. After his NFL career ended, he has worked as a television analyst for the SEC Network.
Tebow was, by most accounts, a successful high school baseball player but decided to focus entirely on football during his time in Gainesville with the Gators. At some point in 2016, Tebow decided he would like to take one last chance at professional sports by becoming a pro baseball player.
Last September, Tim Tebow signed a rookie baseball contract with the New York Mets. He started the 2017 baseball season with the Columbia, SC Fireflies, a Class “A” affiliate of the Mets, and was hitting a mediocre .222 with three home runs and 23 RBI after 64 games as an outfielder with the team.
On Sunday, the media exploded with rage as Tim Tebow was (gasp!) promoted to a step higher level Class “A” team in St. Lucie, Florida. Tebow is about six years older than his average Class “A” teammates.
In a nutshell, Tebow gained millions of fans by his determination and on-field leadership skills while as a quarterback at Florida and, for one incredible season, for the NFL’s Denver Broncos as he led the team to an AFC West title and a home playoff win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Meanwhile, Tebow also has legions of detractors (especially among the media) for his outward displays of Christian witnessing and leadership while he was at the University of Florida. Tebow would routinely wear references to Bible verses painted under his eyes. Along the way to the Gators’ two national championships, Tim Tebow would take a knee on the sidelines after a touchdown (dubbed “Tebowing”) to give God the credit for his team’s performances.
Tebow has been mocked for his outward Christian displays in college, the NFL and, recently, by the Class(less) “A” Charleston, WV Riverdogs. For his part, though, Tebow seems to laugh it off and take the high road as he seems intent on setting a good example in his actions and his words.
It should not come as a surprise that Tim Tebow’s father and mother were both Baptist missionaries. And, despite his critics, Tim Tebow has never wavered nor has he apologized for being a Christian witness. To his fans, this has earned him as much respect as any of his on-field accomplishments.
Tim Tebow continues to draw incredible attention as Class “A” baseball fans line-up to buy tickets at every baseball stadium where he is playing. They know that he is unlikely to make it to the major leagues. Tebow’s fans don’t care. They simply want to say “Thank You” for being a prominent athlete who has been willing to stand-up for his Christian faith and share it with others along the way.
Up to this point in his life, Tim Tebow has become a real-life Johnny Appleseed story. Because the more the media bashes him, the more times the seeds of his Christian witness will be spread and retold.