Drafting a player significantly higher than his talent justifies makes sense from an economic perspective if the popular player generates fan excitement, and given that the Broncos have to stationary passing quarterbacks, in football terms Tebow might allow them to run popular Wildcat sets.
But the more interesting explanations for the pick have to do with Tebow's awe-inspiring Good Works. Tebow was selected above players with "character" issues because of his impeccable behavior.
But the question must be asked, what, exactly, has Tebow done that allows us to conclude he is a morally superior college football player? His charity works are certainly impressive, and by all accounts he participates in such activities for decidedly non-cynical reasons. I do not intend this post as a condemnation of Tim Tebow.
Jason Cole's Yahoo piece begins:
NFL teams seemed to take a strong hint just a day after Ben Roethlisberger was suspended without committing a crime. If there was a theme to the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night, it was that character was put on equal if not higher footing than talent.
Because of the controversy surrounding Ben Roethlisberger, NFL teams have placed a premium on good citizenship. The exemplar of this movement was the choice of Tim Tebow.
Tim Tebow is a good man because he uses his celebrity to aid charities. Ben Roethlisberger has a foundation that supports police dogs, and he gave generously to tsunami victims. Studying the public appearance schedule on his webpage reveals constant appearances at events that raise money for various charities.
Obviously one can donate to charities in a very earnest manner and still be so flawed that the NFL changes its drafting policy based on your behavior.
So, why the confidence that Tebow is the anti-Roethlisberger? What has he done to convince people of his purity?
I would guess, and I have no statistics to support this claim, that it has much to do with his public expressions of faith. There is still a presumption in our society that "religious" means "moral," despite endless examples to the contrary. Nevertheless, Tebow's squeaky clean image rests largely on the notion that he is incredibly religious.
The NBA's version of Tebow is Dwight Howard. So dedicated to Christianity is Howard that befor he was even drafted, Sports Illustrated wrote, "When Dwight Jr. looks at the NBA logo, he imagines a cross superimposed over the slaloming outline of Jerry West."
Howard certainly hasn't run afoul of the law, but this very devout man has hardly been the embodiment of proper morality. The mother of that child now appears on Basketball Wives. She is legally barred from discussing Howard and the show cannot even mention his name.
But the greatest irony brings us back to Mr. Roethlisberger. Both Tebow and Roethlisberger donate to charity, but Big Ben surely does that to improve his public image. It's a smoke screen hiding the deeply immoral truth about his character. We know Tebow is a good person because of his faith...
“I’ve told the Christian players that a Super Bowl ring won’t be worth what a testimony to Jesus in public will be this week,” longtime Steelers chaplain Jay Wilson said. “These players are excited to speak about their faith in Him if they get a chance.”
Several marquee players from both sides -- Shawn Alexander and Matt Hasselback from Seattle and Pittsburgh’s Antwaan Randle El and Ben Roethlisberger, with the famous PFJ (Play for Jesus) tape on his shoes -- should have ample chances to talk about their faith.
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Once again, this post is not meant to argue that Tebow will make the same poor choices that other high-profile Christian athletes have made. Rather, the intent is to question that reflexive assumption that "religious" means "moral." I sincerely hope that despite his obnoxious professions of faith, Tebow manages his career well. The more success he has, the more he will be able to give to those in need. Even if they have to listen to an incoherent sermon, a great many people will benefit.
But why do we think Tebow is different than, say, Dez Bryant, who has a weak-character reputation because he ran afoul of the NCAA's absurd rules?
If asked most sports fans would place Dwight Howard's character above Bryant's. Yet Howard has an illegitimate child with an exotic dancer and Dez Bryant merely violated an NCAA by-law by not being forthcoming about a conversation he had with Deion Sanders.
Perhaps Bryant could have avoided his trouble with a few well-placed Bible quotes on his equipment.
