What does Tim Tebow's being dumped by the NY Jets say about devout Christians in sports, if anything?
This isn’t a sports question. More of a societal question. Does being vocally and overtly religious work against you, especially if you are in the public eye?
Tim Tebow was waived (dumped, fired) from the NY Jets football team this morning. He had been with them for a little over a year. He is one of the most (if not the most) overtly Christian players in recent football history, writing references to bible verses on his eye paint, praying during and after football games, usually on camera, etc.
I don’t doubt his sincerity or devoutness at all. But has it worked against him as a professional football player? Did people overlook his lack of professional level talent because of his religious fervency? Was too much expected of him?
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I would say the prayers aren’t helping him keep his job…
Seems pretty clear that it had to do with his performance rather than his religious affiliation.
(I’ll be happy when an openly atheist candidate can run for high office in this country – the supposed and completely erroneous correlation between religion and morality makes me nuts.)
I definately think it can work against you and in Tim’s case, I think it was a bit overdone, and I’m a Christian! lol To me, it seemed almost comical, like he was making fun of it, but I truly don’t think he was. Using a public persona to promote a religion is equivalent to me, with celebs endorsing a political party or candidate, but sports is notoriously male-oriented and slightly skeezy from what I hear. Maybe they think he’s a tool like most people do.
What I have noticed is that people don’t mind what religion you are as long as you are quiet about it, because it’s usually a private belief system and a personal relationship with your God. The louder you are about it, people seem to take offense, but I’m not sure if it’s because they disagree or feel guilty or if it’s just too controversial.
I think he was not dumped or not dumped because of his religious views.
I don’t think it says anything. If he was a valuable player I am sure they would have kept him. Personally, the whole wearing religion on nes sleeve is pretty annoying to me, buy I could care less what religion a ball player is. He/she can go to mass every day and be part time clergy for all I care.
I don’t know if the Jets tend to have people from the northeast on their team or if football tends to recruit from all over the country, but I guess there is a slight chance of team troubles, meaning rapport and comfort level among team members. A place I worked hired a woman as a manager who started doing morning prayer with staff members and she wound up fired. I don’t know technically what she was fired for, but employees definitely complained about all her prayer and Christianity she was trying to spread. She simply was to overt in her religious practices during work hours.
@marinelife – that’s not what I was suggesting.
My thinking is that he ended up calling too much attention to himself – wearing religion on his sleeve, and he gave the impression that he was “the great religious savior” in America.
So he raised expectations too high – either accidentally or purposefully – and then fell hard to the ground.
Nothing. It only says that he sucks.
Pfffft. The owners of the team do not give a crap about how vocal he is about his religion. They care only whether he is helping the team to win games.
It’s all about who can deliver, and at what price in professional sports. His religious displays had no part in the decision. His ability to be a successful starting quarterback for the team versus how much he cost them spelled his fate. No team can afford many expensive bench warmers. With the salary cap in place, it cuts into what other talent they can afford while not helping them win games.
I suppose if prayer actually worked to shape reality, Tebow could have prayed to be a better starting quarterback than Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr, Eli Manning or Tom Brady; and for team management to know he was. But prayer doesn’t change reality. We may not be able to scientifically test for God, but we can test for the power of prayer to contravene cause and effect. Where any correlation has been found, it was a negative correlation.
I’m sure he is going to make even more money on the speaking circuit.
Sports is all about ability. If a good player gets busted for rape, they’re upset because he got busted, not because he raped someone.
Outsie of sports, I think extreme anything will be a negative.
Nothing. He just isn’t good enough to consistently win games.
He’s a good athlete, just not NFL QB good.
But Tebow’s problem wasn’t his religiosity, it was cause he wasn’t good enough.
Though you’d think for all his self-righteousness he’d know Matthew 6:1:
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”
@sinscriven Good quote, although we can’t know if he’s sincerely giving thanks in a public format or showing off.
Never heard of the fella, but it sounds like he was godawful :-)
@KNOWITALL – I thought all Christians were sincere, by definition
@elbandarito Wouldn’t that be ideal? Christians are susceptible to all the same sins as anyone else alas. Me included.
“I’m not a sinner! Never sinned! I got a friend in Jesus!”
@Dutchess_III when you die I hope you go to the place that’s the best.
Even as a kid that song floored me. The Bible SAYS everyone has sinned, and those guys are saying they never have? I don’t THANK so! Bad bad Rock and Roll guys. (Plus, Rock and Roll in and of itself is a sin, you know. Damn long haired hippie-type pinko fags.)
@KNOWITALL : Very true, but I’d imagine if you do it enough that you get a reputation for it, you’re probably using it in vain since it’s clearly currying favor with others.
Iono, but I’m biased. My interpretation of that verse says to me that actual actions of good will and mercy show more devotion and glorifying God than making gestures.
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