Tebow Hype a Bust

In a reverse this year, the big game was actually more interesting than the commercials.  New Orleans pulled off a win!  As I watched the Super Bowl commercials, I caught Focus on the Family’s paid ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mother.  There was no mention of “abortion”, “the doctors told me”, or even “God.”  If you missed the commercial here it is:

Though I do not always agree with Focus on the Family’s approach or James Dobson’s sentiments, I do believe this Super Bowl ad was the right approach for their message.  If you want to pay 2.5 million dollars you have the right to proclaim a message, sell a product, or make a statement.  It was a personal story of joy about a mother and son and their life together.

Rowland Martin, CNN political analyst, made some good points when he wrote:

There is no rule anywhere in existence that says that the Super Bowl should be free of politics and social causes. None. So what’s the big deal over Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mother starring in a pro-life ad?This is one of those stupid debates we see too often these days. And frankly, the folks who make a big stink about this bring far more attention to the issue than it deserves.

Tebow has always been a fervently religious guy. As a Christian, he takes seriously the admonition of Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19 to “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The criticism isn’t unique. For many folks, they would rather Christians treat their faith like a buffet: Take a little bit of this, a little bit of that, ignore this and that, and go on your merry way.

But Tebow chooses to live his life differently and that should be just fine.

Lastly, for those folks who assert that Tebow is hurting his potential NFL career by taking a social stand, please stop. I’m sick of athletes today who care more about the paycheck than using the platform God gave them for good.

We regard Muhammad Ali as not only The Greatest in the ring, but also as a major humanitarian. What he did as a man in standing up for his faith and convictions still resonates today.

Tebow and his mother were willing to start the conversation about pro-life issues in smart way.  The ad was not preachy, didn’t call anyone out, and did not accuse. Too much was made of the ad. People became angry over the idea that an organization would pay millions to share a 30 second commercial to share a personal story about life.

What was the hype about?  A religious organization making a religious statement?  If a Muslim based organization wanted to promote, say the Koran, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.  Not because I agree with the Koran, but because Muslims have the freedom to produce and pay for a commercial.  And, I have the freedom to watch it, walk away, or change the channel.

Was the ad too political?  Author Chuck Colson doesn’t think so:

Others are calling the ad too political. I disagree. While the political always involves morality, not all morality is political. It’s not political for Christians to affirm things that matter to them.

In the end, people were quick to criticize CBS, Tim Tebow, his mother, and Focus on the Family even before the commercial was shown.  Please, let’s stop.  Pause, and think before we speak.  Let’s get all the facts before we agree or disagree with a topic.  Let’s not default to fear and ignorance when we don’t have all the information.

Don’t believe the hype.