Man Crush

I have a confession to make.  It isn't easy; in fact it's quite humbling to admit this, if not embarrassing.  I hope your opinion of me after reading this post isn't changed too much after reading it.

Okay, here goes.

I have a man crush.  On Tim Tebow.

Whew.  Glad I got that off my chest.

I'm sure I'm not the first guy who's had to admit a man crush on anyone, and certainly not on Tim Tebow.  He's one of the most polarizing public figures in recent memory, mostly due to his religious beliefs and political opinions.  I happen to agree with him in both those areas, but that's got very little to do with my man crush on him.

First of all, just look at him.  He's a good looking guy.  I'm not afraid or uncomfortable to say that.  I'd be pretty shocked if most guys weren't at some level jealous of him for his looks.  He's the type of guy who the NFL could easily target as its next marketing ploy now that both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are nearing the ends of their careers.  But he isn't some prima donna like Alex Rodriguez who's obsessed with his looks.  He's a humble man, and he doesn't let his celebrity get to his head.

Second, he's got a strong work ethic.  The man is ripped.  There have been plenty of young quarterbacks coming out of college who don't put in extra hours to watch film or hit the gym (Michael Vick has been open about his lack of such a work ethic when he was in Atlanta).  Tebow isn't one of those guys.  I read recently online that his trainer told him to stop adding weight to lift when he got to 400 pounds.  FOUR. HUNDRED. POUNDS.  That's about 1 1/2 of me.  He could benchpress me and probably not break a sweat.  And he could probably benchpress a whole lot more than just 400 pounds too.

Third, he's a leader.  During his days at Florida, Tebow got all his teammates to follow him, and he won a national championship to show for it.  He's taken over reigns for the Broncos, and has a 4-1 record as a starter this season so far, which has won over his teammates after having been an outsider during training camp.  He obviously knows how to motivate people around him, and that kind of mentality is very easy to latch on to.

Then there are his aforementioned religious and political beliefs.  I fit a bit of a stereotype in bringing this subject up, but I think it's great that a guy who's well known in the public eye is completely open about his beliefs, even though they're not "popular" among people of similar ages.  There's a bit of a stigma about wearing religious beliefs on one's sleeve, and Tebow doesn't care about any stigma.  He simply lives his life and openly professes his faith, and I think that's awesome.  I share his beliefs, but I can't say I'm as open about talking about them very often (which is ironic considering I'm indirectly talking about them here).  My close friends know what I believe, and if they don't agree with them I don't keep bringing up the subject.  I may be an ordained minister, but I'm not a Bible thumper.  I wouldn't classify Tebow as a Bible thumper either, but he also makes no secret about his Christian faith.  I respect him for that.

What saddens me are the people who dislike Tebow because of his religious beliefs.  They say he has no business kneeling down on the field and praying on the sidelines.  They say he lacks the skills necessary to succeed as a quarterback in the NFL.  They say he's a momma's boy.  I don't disagree that his throwing skills and accuracy need a lot of work, but on that specific note, I humby submit Michael Vick for your consideration.  In Vick's first few seasons with Atlanta, he was an awful passer as well.  He was completely unpredictable in the pocket though, which was why he was a threat.  He could take off and run 50 yards, blowing right past defenses.  The flaw there was that he opened himself up to injury from plays like that.  Tebow is like a Mack truck compared to Vick's Porsche.  Tebow's only flaw is his accuracy, and that can be fixed over time (again, see Vick, Michael). 

Those who dislike Tebow because of his religious beliefs are certainly entitled to their opinions as well.  I get why they disagree with him, and that's their business.  Tebow isn't the type of person who, if he eventually does become a more accurate passer in the league, would snub his nose in his critics' collective faces.  He just takes the field and does his thing.  I'd be willing to wager that if the day ever came where he did have a solid accuracy as a passer, he'd still keep his mouth shut about showing his critics up.  He might still say he has other techniques to work on anyways, and he'd focus on that. 

I've mentioned Michael Vick a couple times throughout this post, and I think he's the closest player to compare Tebow to thus far.  They're both left-handed, unorthodox quarterbacks. Beyond that superficial likeness, Vick really took the negative path in life for several years, and probably was the embodiment of the complete flipside of Tebow.  I'm no Vick hater; he did his time after committing his crimes, and he's made amends.  Vick now understands the demands of his position as a quarterback, and if he had learned those lessons when he was Tebow's age, he might have won a Super Bowl already.  I'm not implying Tebow will eventually win a Super Bowl, but I know I'll be thrilled if and when he does.