*****DISCLAIMER: There is a very real chance that someone will be offended by the following joke and post.   Actually, there is a very real chance that everything I write could be offensive to someone…so… nevermind.*****

Tom Brady, after living a full life, died. When he got to heaven, God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a faded Patriots flag in the window. “This house is yours for eternity Tom, said God. “This is very special; not everyone gets a house up here.” Tom felt special, indeed, and walked up to his house. On his way up the porch, he noticed another house ………just around the corner. It was a huge 3-story mansion with Orange and Blue sidewalks and drive ways, a 50 foot tall flagpole with an enormous Broncos logo flag waving, a swimming pool in shape of a horse, a Broncos logo in every window, and a Tim Tebow jersey on the front door. Tom looked at God and said “God, I’m not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question. I was an all-pro QB, I won 3 Super Bowls, and I even went to the Hall of Fame.” God said “So what’s your point Tom?” “Well, why does Tim Tebow get a better house than me?” God chuckled, and said “Tom, that’s not Tim’s house, it’s mine.”

Everyone wants God to be on their side. If you laughed at this joke, it’s because you have been following the feverish insanity surrounding Tim Tebow and the “miraculous” wins of the Denver Broncos. Maybe God does have something to do with the last-second wins. That would be something worth believing, right?

I am luke warm about my feelings for Tim Tebow, but I am in the minority.  People either LOVE or HATE the man, and it is not just because of who he is.  You love Tim Tebow if he is the reason you cheer at a football game.  If you are on the losing end of Tebow Time, you cannot stand him. If you identify with the message that presents itself in his post-game interviews or as the Bible verse under his eyes, then you love him.  If you are not Christian, or you have a bad taste in your mouth about religion, you hate that Tim Tebow has any success at all. If you have been a Tim Tebow fan for a while, and you can see that he is at it again, you feel like you are part of his successes. The Broncos fans who voiced their desire to have Tim Tebow play are thrilled…to the point of fanaticism…that what they thought would happen, is happening. I’m not sure enough people consider that…

Tim Tebow is not unlike so many other celebrities in this country. The most divisive aspect of his persona is his belief in God, but that is truly not a new stance. People have believed in God for…well…ever and Jesus for over 2000 years. This is not new.

What is new is the way that superstars are created, molded and eventually digested by a media-hungry society.

I live in Minnesota, so my access to Broncos news is likely the national coverage.  I don’t think Colorado fans realize how media is forming the Tebow haters and creating a culture of such great opposition.

Last week I saw the highlights of the Broncos win, and it looked like this. Picture of Tim Tebow…yada yada talk about the score…kicker scores tying kick (on a LONG kick BTW). Picture of Tebow…signs of Tebow fans…overtime kick highlight…flash back to Tebow’s face.  If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that Tebow was a kicker!

There was no coverage of Tebow’s post-game concession that the defense and the kicker won that game, so from a national perspective it looks like Broncos fans are completely fanatical about Tebow and they’ve forgotten to give credit to the other members of the team. I know for the majority of Broncos fans, they know better.

This got me to thinking…because it is so much more comfortable to be surrounded by like-minded people, we are constantly aligning ourselves with people who think like we do. Media only helps to magnetically pull people to those respective sides. Then there are problems if the people in your group aren’t pleased with what you say.  Just ask Tim Tebow:  Tim Tebow screws up Maybe it’s better to not be on a side at all!

If you’ve read any of my writing you know that I constantly try to straddle that line and to see things from both sides.  This leaves me without a camp and it can be somewhat polarizing.  So here are my fence-stradling declarations.

I am a Christian

I think it is blasphemy to put Jesus on a jersey

I believe positive leadership inspires teams to win

Sometimes that person is named Tebow, and sometimes not

I love the information that 24-7 media can provide…both lovers and haters

I am disheartened that people are comfortable and don’t want to see the big picture

I have friends on both sides of the fence

Want to dangle your feet  with me?

Happiness

Live, Hope, Love

Learn more about Meagan at www.meaganfrank.com

Copyright 2011 Meagan Frank                                                                                              Choosing to Grow