Stop the Hype! Please!

So, Tim Tebow said, “Thank you Lord,” when the winning TD was scored, and before “Tebowing” on his knee to show the millions watching, including the Lord, that a Steeler victory just wasn’t in God’s plan. Doesn’t a deity, somewhere above, like the Steelers and Pittsburgh fans?

Still, dropping on one’s knee with head bowed is more refined than the jigs and jives that so many football players do after scoring a touchdown. Would theologians argue that playoff games like this are a welcome distraction for the Lord, who must be terribly disillusioned with so much suffering around the world?

Should not the odds-making gurus be seeking the advice of those with supernatural contacts, like TV evangelists, before informing the betting public how to risk its money?

And I realize now, sadly, why the teams I played with as a youth seldom won a championship. The guys on the others teams just outprayed us, and the Lord reacted accordingly

That's one such article I read today.

I agree.

I wake up to ESPN telling me about the Power of Tebow. I see his photo on the cover of every single newspaper that I pick up.

How many times have you seen him crouched in prayer? They are going to add Tebowing to the dictionary as dropping to one's knee in exaltation.

Enough! Stop! He is not "Baby Jesus" as I heard him referred to the other day!

And it's making me really not like what seems to be a honest, God-fearing guy. He might be a good role model. It sure as hell beats the guys who murder dogs, put their things in the hands of cocktail waitresses and beat the shit out of their wives.

I am not denying that, but I can't take anymore!

First off, he's by all accounts a below average player. He might be on the perfect team for him right now, but they aren't even a great team in the scheme of things. He will most likely be out of the playoffs on Monday, whipped by a true superstar quarterback.

If he's not, and they happen to win, on a miracle finish, please remember a few things.

1). God doesn't care! God is not helping the ball elude defenders hands so that his new prophet can be seen kneeling in supplication before the game against the Ravens the following week.

2). The Patriots loss wouldn't be a sign that God defeated Satan. As far as I know, there are also Christians on New England. We aren't quite sure of that because they don't make a grand show of it.

Do I have advice for Tebow?

Yeah, leave it in the locker room. Pray all you like, just don't tell me about it. I don't need to know that you said a Hail Mary as the defensive end was bearing down on you. I don't need you to bring a sick kid that you visited to the podium with you.

A few years ago a plane crashed here in Buffalo. The police received a check. I know one of the officers. It was sent from Derek Jeter, who put it in the mail after reading the story in his paper. He requested that it be spent without fanfare. He didn't want it in the media.

And I know, he's a Yankee and I'm a Yankee fan and I find that gracious, but it's not just Jeter. A lot of these guys give to charity nice and quietly.

We know you're a good guy, Tebow. We know what you believe and that you haven't even had sex yet, for God's sake. We watch you pray. We know your stand on abortion and Thank God for that religious commercial you bought and starred in last year. We realize that you have a message, but for God's sake, we're trying too, and you're being built up to be more than a man, and that just can't end well.

Look at what happened to Jesus.

They crucified him.

They got sick of the hype.

I wish Tebow all the luck in the world. But please don't try and tell me he's good either. I've seen enough pro football to know that he really isn't. Guys throw for 300 yards every week.

He did it once.

I'm not rooting against him.

Honestly, I'm not. I pray too.

But please, for the love of God...

...make it stop!

He's a 24-year old man who makes his living with a ball.

That's it, that's all.