Just Tebow It?

[LSN80]

I was considering putting this in the Sports Section, but ultimately decided it was more fitting as a CL thread. While it is an examination of a football player, and his actions on the field, it examines far more then statistics, scores, and standings. At the heart of the matter is the personal beliefs of one man, how his actions on the field reflect those beliefs, and the resulting backlash that has resulted. Ultimately, isn't news the exploration of the private life of a person that plays out within the public eye? I certainly think so. The following article by Jamele Smith of ESPN.com looks at what has become known as Tebowing It, and the backlash from the Lions/Broncos game on Sunday with regards to Tebow's faith.

http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/id/7177658/lions-players-disrespected-tim-tebow-faith

For those who aren't aware, "Tebowing It" is QB Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos way of expressing his gratitude to God following scoring plays by getting down on one knee as a form of prayer. Controversy around it arose during the Detroit Lions 45-10 pummelling of Tebow's Bronocs this past Sunday. At least two Lions- former teammate Tony Scheffler following a one yard TD catch and LB Steven Tulloch after sacking Tebow- openly mocked Tebow by assuming the same pose. When criticism around Tulloch's antics were directed to him via Twitter, Tulloch responded with the following:

"Football is a form of entertainment. Have a sense of humor. I wasn't mocking GOD!"

Hill, in the article above, said the following regarding Tulloch and Scheffler.

Tulloch and Scheffler probably didn't intend to disrespect Tebow's faith with their celebrations. But if Tebow were Muslim or Jewish, would Tulloch and Scheffler have been so quick to execute a prayer parody?Would columnists encourage those who were offended by Tulloch's and Scheffler's Tebowing to just lighten up?

Im assuming that the significance of what Hill is describing here is the fact that Christianity is "America's religion", with 76% of Americans claiming themself to be Christian. Since Judaism and Islam are minority religions here, I'm sure arguments of discrimination are being what's taken into consideration by Hill. Looking at the converse, what I gather from her opinion is that the mocking of Tebow's expression of faith could simply be viewed as from "one Christian to another", if one is to buy the 76% argument(although the "actively practicing" is about 34%) Simply put, Christianity is a far more accepted religion then others within the US, which undoubtably in my mind has lead many a sports journalist to label criticism towards Scheffler and Tullock an overreaction. Hill acknowledges as much:

Yes, from the beginning, Tebow has willingly used his platform as a high-profile athlete to promote Christianity. In college, he wore eye-black with Bible verses on them and revealed to the media he was a virgin. During last year's Super Bowl, he appeared in a pro-life commercial that was sponsored by Focus on Family, a global, conservative Christian ministry. And Tebow's autobiography -- which espouses many of his principles regarding faith -- debuted at No. 6 on the New York Times bestseller list in June.

Certainly, Tebow falls into the category of the 34% who actively practice Christianity. To me, it's a refreshing change from the Antonie Cromartie's who've fathered 10 children with 8 women, the Brandon Marshall's who get into knife fights with their spouse, and even my hometown QB Ben Roethlisberger who has escaped two allegations of rape. Certainly, noone truly knows what Tebow does in his private life, but there's yet to be a hint of impropriety raised. About this, Hill says the following:

Even though people often complain about how they wish more athletes had a wholesome image, there's a sizable faction who find the media coverage of Tebow's success and his commitment to his faith nauseating.

And now that he's floundering professionally, they aren't afraid to use Tebow's religion as a punch line.

It's really a double-edged source here, in my mind. Tebow is proud of his faith and not ashamed to stand up for what he believes in, at all times, it seems. And what's not commendable about that? Someone who feels so strongly about how they believe that they're willing to open themselves up to extra scrutiny, which generally occurs when someone is so vocal about their belief in their faith. And Tebow, to his credit, has passed every test. Good play and bad, win or loss, Tebow's demonstration of his faith and his lifestyle remain wholesome.

As we all know, however, someone who puts themselves into the spotlight, for good reasons or bad, leave themselves open to scrutiny, and yes, even find themselves the butt of jokes. With the good, there's often an undercutting of jealousy that comes with it. For those who are professional sports fans, there are a littany of players who are drafted later then their talent suggests because of character concerns. Tebow is the only example of a player I can recall who is considered by many to have been drafted high because of his positive character. Tebow was selected in the late first round of the NFL draft 2 years ago by Denver, far higher then he had been projected or his talent suggests. And even though Tebow denies it bothers him or thaat he's affected by it in any way, how easy would it be to be on the receiving end of numerous jokes about your faith with regards to your play? One such example was tweeted from comedian Dennis Miller Monday:

Jesus must be thinking even Judas had a better release than this guy.

Hill said the following about the above in her article:

Several of ESPN's NFL analysts have been quick to point out the other successful college quarterbacks with Tebow's limitations who never received an NFL start and certainly weren't drafted in the first round.

Tebow is a juicy target because he receives so much media coverage and he's often depicted as a Goody Two-Shoes. It's not Tebow's fault, but it makes it that much easier for his critics to revel in his failures and give extra motivation to his opponents.

Maybe this is apples and oranges, but isn't it partly on Tebow? I find no fault in his actions, make no mistake, but aren't his actions are what open him up to the way in which he's depicted? As Kim Kardashian is an easy target for making millions off her 72 day wedding, isn't Tebow an easy target for very publicly relishing in being a virgin and showing his faith in unique ways? Ones personal faith and their proud displays of it in comparison to a very public marriage and rediculously short end to it are far different things, but haven't both benefitted from it? Should he be open to the same criticism for his faith because of his benefit(such as shoe deals and nutrition supplement commercials) from it that Kim is for the money she made because of her marriage and the quick end to it?

Hill concludes her article with the following:

Imitating someone's prayer pose after a sack isn't the same as Clay Matthews flexing his biceps following a big play. It's not the same as Shawne Merriman doing his "Lights Out" dance after demolishing a quarterback.

Prayer is a sacred component of any religion. Making fun of someone else's spiritual connection is on par with ridiculing them about their family. You don't have to be a Christian to get that, just someone who understands the concept of respect.

I respect Tim Tebow in the same way I respect someone who makes a stand for something they believe in a noticeable way. As long as said person does so in a fashion that doesn't harm others, I commend them for standing up for how they believe, and I personally have a hard time making fun of them in any way. Personally, I agree with Hill, for the most part, but I understand the varying opinions. Tebow is, deservedly or not, an open target for critics because of his openness and very public displays of faith. But I do see the opposite side of the devout nature of faith for him, and Hill's point about respecting it is a valid one. I'm sure there are a variety of opinions here, and I don't believe there's a singular right answer either.

Should Tebows faith be off-limits to mocking/jokes because of how seriously he takes it?

Were the Detroit Lions players disrespectul for "Tebowing It" in the celebratory nature in which they did?

Any other thoughts or discussion on this topic are more then welcome.

 

[Big Sexy]

Tim Tebow himself said he wasn't offended so why should anyone else be? The NFL has gotten the NoFunLeague label the last few years because of the league's rules against celebrations and now people are getting upset with a celebration that the league is fine with.

Take Christianity out of the equation completely because that's not what this is about. The "Tebowing" as it has been called became Tebow's signature and a big internet craze. It's not his fault that it did but that's the nature of the world we live in. Tulloch and Scheffler were mocking Tebow and the signature move just like guys in the past have mocked the Aaron Rodgers belt move and the Shawne Merriman lights out move. This has to be one of the most overblown stories in quite a while. People need to lighten up and stop trying to find controversies where there aren't any.

 

[Larry]

I have to agree in part with Big Sexy above, but I think the moral of the story is a bit more complex than that. It's not completely about simply striking the pose, it's about mocking this guy for his beliefs as well, which has become increasingly acceptable as it pertains to Christians and Christianity in America. If Tebow were a Muslim and bowed down to Mecca after plays, then someone else mocked it, we would be talking about a much more serious situation. But, because "it's just Christianity, and a devout Christian" everyone should just be okay with it, it's not a big deal in that case. I think that's what they are essentially getting at here, that he is mocked for being as they put it a "goody-two-shoes" Christian. His kneeling down isn't a celebration like Aaron Rogers belt signal, or the "Lights Out", it's a testament of faith and being humble before God by an individual who is very in touch with his religion. It would be off limits if he were anything else but a Christian and I think that's pretty safe to say. I think it's kind of ridiculous that the whole thing has been blown out of proportion, but there is still more to it than some would let on. I do think it was disrespectful of the Lions players who have caught heat in recent weeks for more foul behavior than just this, and I think this is just another display that shows a lack of class and decency within that establishment. You've got defenders taking cheap shots, verbally attacking people on the field and trying to intentionally injure them, and now to top off the cake they are mocking the faith of one of the most respectable players in the league, above all else showing a lack of sportsmanship both in winning and losing situations.

 

[GI Cake]

When I played in High School football I have had several moments where I was in Tebow's situation and the Detroit Lions position. There was a Junior that played Line backer for our rival school. He was considered a top College prospect and had his plan set up to go to the UM where he was going to play Safety. Off the field teachers and peers had nothing bad to say about him, however when he was wearing his shoulder pads he was always penalized for smack talk and intentionally went out and hurt people. A couple years back he was climbing up from a dog pile and dug his cleats into my friends hand before walking up to do his little pose he did whenever he got a tackle for a loss. So at my last game as a Junior I lined up at Fullback and ran directly at the Linebacker. I drove my body right into the crown of his head and went in for the touchdown. In the heat of the moment I took a little time and did the same pose the kid has done for years. But sadly the kid ended up getting a concussion and costed him quite a lot of time away from sports, and as a result, gave up his free ride to UM.

From then on I have just felt countless guilt for what I've done. I couldn't blame myself for what I did to the kid, injuries are all part of the game. But when I taunted him without seeing if he was alright I just rubbed it in to the faces of his friends and family. Now obviously the NFL is much higher pace, more dangerous than it is in High School. Some of these defensive players are walking around with to much strut in their step when they're on the field and taunting after sacking Tebow was pretty low in my opinion. What if Tebow were to have twisted his knee and ended up causing a tear in the ligaments in his knee? From that point on you would be known as the guy who went out and ruined the NFL career of an honest man and then mocked him openly.

Their is a line between making the NFL a no fun league and making it a professional sport. As a professional they need to conduct themselves with at least some sort of poise when we go out and pay to see them. Having a little fun here and there is alright if it is celebrating a touchdown with your teammates or stopping a 4th quarter comeback. But just flat out insulting a man for his beliefs and doing so after potentially harming is just plain childish.

 

[Big Sexy]

Once again I don't see why this is going back to the religion thing. All the players did was go down to one knee and pose like Tebow did at the end of the Denver/Miami game. Scheffler didn't even go all the way down to one down and did the pose for maybe a second. It is a celebration that players have used for many years. With Tebow it became some huge deal for absolutely no reason so the players mocked the fact that he seemed to get this pose, that has been around for years in the NFL, named after him. Tebow has done jack shit in the NFL to get all of the attention he does and they were just simply showing him up. Even when they did the pose to mock Tebow they only did it for a brief second.

The best example of how ridiculous this story is would be this. Back in the late 90's/early 00's the Broncos had a running back named Terrell Davis. Every time he would score he'd salute the fans and it became known as the "Mile High Salute." Saluting as we all know is a big military thing and some Bronco players still do it to this day. I guarantee that players back in Davis's prime would mock the salute and even last Sunday Scheffler, a former Bronco, mocked both the Tebow kneel and mile high salute.

With that said I don't see one person saying Scheffler was disrespecting the military by mocking the salute. Terrell Davis did the salute in honor of his father who served in the military yet when opposing players would mock it there was no one saying how disrespectful it was to the military and to the Davis family. You want to know why? Because at the end of the day it is nothing more then a celebration mocking the opposing team or a specific player. No one is mocking religion or the military or anything. Lighten the fuck up.

 

[Mustang Sally]

As we all know, however, someone who puts themselves into the spotlight, for good reasons or bad, leave themselves open to scrutiny, and yes, even find themselves the butt of jokes.

That's the key. If players from the other team were mocking personal qualities of Tebow's other than his religious beliefs, people wouldn't have much problem with it. Once you bring God into the equation, though, there's no way to have a useful discussion about it, because those on the "side" of religion will start yelling that Scheffler and Tulloch are mocking God.

Of course, they weren't......they were mocking Tebow..... but once God becomes the topic, no one wants to be seen as "dissing" Him, and all rational discussion goes out the window.

I can understand objecting to interference with the personal, private beliefs of a person, but in this case, if Tebow's show of expression allows him to display his personal religious beliefs in front of 80,000 people in the stadium and tens of millions watching on a TV screen, why should he be the only one allowed a say? If he's holding himself as a spectacle and forcing us to watch him kneel, why shouldn't other players be allowed to express their own opinion of it?

Certainly, noone truly knows what Tebow does in his private life, but there's yet to be a hint of impropriety raised.

That's true, but the line reminded me of people like Jimmy Swaggart and Steve Garvey, men who were held (by themselves and others) as paragons of virtue, only to be later exposed as pious frauds, as immoral as the people they railed against for years.

Is Tim Tebow as virtuous as his public display of faith indicates him to be?......Sure hope so, but we don't really know, do we?

 

[klunderbunker]

First of all a quick note: Tebow didn't exactly flaunt that he was a virgin. He was asked about it and he answered that he was.

I agree that Tebow comes off as a target in this. I can remember dozens of players that hit the endzone and score and instantly drop to a quick knee in prayer. Nobody laughs at that or makes fun of it, but with Tebow it's getting columns on ESPN.com. Tebow hasn't asked for any of this. He's a practicing Christian and he has every right to do that. It isn't interfering with anything and it's not his fault cameras are always on him. When other athletes are interviewed or shown on camera, they'll often mention their sponsors or someone that has helped them like a coach or mentor. I don't see how it's any different than dropping to a knee to thank God for what just happened. Tebow was on his knee for about 3 seconds. It's not like he was there for an hour.

As for the players that did it, I can see both sides of it. Mocking someone's faith is probably too far, but at the end of the day Tebow, the guy this is all centered around, said that it wasn't a big deal and brushed it off. The 24/7 media though has decided Tebow should be offended because a college educated adult can't think for himself anymore according to them. I didn't like what the Lions players did, but it's not something worth making a federal case out of. It was disrespectful but it happened, it wasn't a huge deal and we should move on.

 

[justinsayne]

People need to seriously lighten the fuck up, nobody was mocking his religious beliefs they were mocking his signature celebration, & it was all in good fun. Any other QB in the league and nobody would be making nearly as big of deal over this, but because it's the almighty Tim fucking Tebow, everyone throws the arms up in the air and makes a big deal out of it. The guy is a sub-par NFL QB, who is getting treated like the second coming of Christ, I really don't think it would matter what he did for a celebration or what beliefs he chooses to follow the mans gonna get mocked by opposing teams when hew gets sacked, or someone from the opposing team scores on his team, why is this any different than guys getting up and mocking Rodgers title belt celebration after they sack or score on him? This is just a bunch of delusional Teboners getting mad cause their precious Timmy Tebow was exposed for the overrated QB that he is, shit like this is what makes me dislike this guy so much.

 

[Mustang Sally]

It isn't interfering with anything and it's not his fault cameras are always on him.

Well, sure, but doesn't it lead to some interesting speculation as to whether he does his "tebowing" at times other than when he reaches the end zone?

Does he? Isn't it God who's giving him strength to perform his mighty deeds, even when the result ain't so hot? Is the Tim-ster pausing to reflect during those moments the camera isn't on him? Exactly what is Tim saying to himself within the bounds of his singular huddle when things go wrong?

Thank you, Lord, for permitting me to not see the free safety cutting in on my receiver's deep pattern during the last drive. Blessed be the

defensive secondaryman, for he hath intercepted a crucial pass in the 4th quarter, thus depriving me of the 4th quarter comeback I crave mightily.

Oh, heavenly Father, forgive my well-meaning offensive guard who failed to pick up the blitzing linebacker on my blind side that

sacketh me for a 19 yard loss in the first half.

Blessed be my butter-fingered tight end. Though my aim be true, he droppeth my straight-as-an-arrow pass that would

have resulted in a key first down, yea, verily.

Provide allowance in thy heart for the failings of Coach John Fox, for he is but a defensive coordinator in head coach's clothing. He

knows not of what he speaks regarding matters on offense.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Nobody's faith should be mocked. You might not agree with them but it is still what they believe in. For many people their religious beliefs are very personal and important to them. It depends on how serious the person themselves take it. I am open to listening to other beliefs and am pretty firm in my own faith. I would never mock another's beliefs unless it was a blasphemous mockery of a legit set of beliefs. Pastafarianism for example, deserves to be mocked. It's not a real religion but a joke ripoff of Christianity. If someone takes their faith very seriously then it would be cruel to mock them because that is truly what they believe.

 

[justinsayne]

1- They aren't mocking his faith though, they're mocking what his little celebratory move that he does after a big play. There is NOTHING wrong with this, nothing at all. If you don't want your shit mocked then don't share it with the entire fucking world.

2- Who the hell are you to decide which religious beliefs deserved to be mocked & which ones shouldn't be mocked.

 

[ABMorales787]

Austin 3:16 was mocking someone's religion. No one gave a shit. Even though Stone Cold belittled Jake Roberts' beliefs. The players got on their knees like Tebow. They just played to the crowd. While vague and easy to interpret in various ways, it's still harmless and if it were mocking anything, it's Tebow's tendency, not his beliefs in God. Tebow is a genuine good guy who simply got taunted. Us wrestling fan's here see no harm in it at all as it's standard stuff to us. But the media takes anything and spins it for all it's worth. I wouldn't compare him to Kardashian though. There isn't an implied scam to make 50k+ dollars in 2 months here.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I'm a christian, and I fucking hate tebow, mostly because I hate the christian extremists who love him. Like that asshole who thought hurricanes were God's way of killing gays? Well, what's his explanation for Tebow playing like shit?

I'm GLAD Tebow gets mocked. You can do whatever you want in the privacy of your own home, but you go out in public and do it, you expressed your opinions, other people can express their opinion that they think you're ridiculous. If you can't handle it, then stop doing it. I'd mock him too. Shit if I were the opposing team's commentators, I'd say shit like "AND TEBOW THROWS UP A PRAYER......O LOL incomplete, I guess no one was listening".

While I agree that no one's faith should be mocked, if you are so boastful about it that you do it in public like he does, and not in a religious setting, that's an instance where it SHOULD be mocked by people who disagree. He wants to show he's a christian, well other players want to show the fuckin sucks as an NFL qb and God can't save his ass.

 

[Trill Co$by]

Wow, I can't believe people actually think it's fun to mock someone for praying. Whether it's for Christianity or any religion, if you're mocking them in any way then it's completely distasteful. So what if he put it out there to the world, he's doing nothing more than showing that he has great faith in his religion. And for someone to mock, and others who are equally as proud, is really disrespectful.

In my opinion, NFL could use more God loving players like Tebow. But then again, that's just my opinion.

Also Tim Tebow may only do it after big plays, but people seem to forget that it's after those big plays that he has the most time to do his prayers. After a sack or an incomplete pass, the teams are usually trying their best to huddle back to the line so that they can try for another down. I'm pretty sure that after his drives are over he also goes back to his seat and prays... There's nothing wrong with that either.

I'm GLAD Tebow gets mocked. You can do whatever you want in the privacy of your own home, but you go out in public and do it, you expressed your opinions, other people can express their opinion that they think you're ridiculous. If you can't handle it, then stop doing it. I'd mock him too. Shit if I were the opposing team's commentators, I'd say shit like "AND TEBOW THROWS UP A PRAYER......O LOL incomplete, I guess no one was listening".

Okay let's take this out of religion and put this in a relationship situation (which is actually how religion works because you have a relationship with God [or whom you believe is the higher power])

You're walking outside with your significant other (for this instance, I'll assume girlfriend... if I'm wrong please feel free to correct me), the two of you are holding hands and being as cute as you can be... because you both love each other that much. Someone that you don't know, or even someone you might know, comes up and starts disrespecting you and your girlfriend's expression of love for each other. Would you NOT want to stick up for your girlfriend or most importantly, your beliefs on how you can express your love?

Just because someone likes to proudly express their religion out in public doesn't mean that people have the right to mock and ridicule you. Can they come up to you and talk about how much they think it's moronic? There's nothing wrong with respectfully being honest. But when you go around mocking people just to get some publicity of your own, that's low.

Austin 3:16 was mocking someone's religion. No one gave a shit. Even though Stone Cold belittled Jake Roberts' beliefs.

Since I found the attitude era to be boring, I feel that I have right to say that Austin 3:16 was in fact frowned upon by a lot of religious people. In fact, my entire family despised Austin for the longest time when he started doing the 3:16 mockery and honestly we had a right to do so.

 

[ScruffDog]

Ok when this story can out I didn't understand it. How did Tebow trademark the kneeling down and pray. Players have been doing that for years.

Here's an example

and another

and another

I could keep going. Can someone explain to me how praying became "Tebowing it"

And for the topic at hand. The Loins players were just making fun of Tebow, not religion. They may have been doing it because they also don't understand how he trademarked praying.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Wow, I can't believe people actually think it's fun to mock someone for praying. Whether it's for Christianity or any religion, if you're mocking them in any way then it's completely distasteful. So what if he put it out there to the world, he's doing nothing more than showing that he has great faith in his religion. And for someone to mock, and others who are equally as proud, is really disrespectful.

In my opinion, NFL could use more God loving players like Tebow. But then again, that's just my opinion.

Also Tim Tebow may only do it after big plays, but people seem to forget that it's after those big plays that he has the most time to do his prayers. After a sack or an incomplete pass, the teams are usually trying their best to huddle back to the line so that they can try for another down. I'm pretty sure that after his drives are over he also goes back to his seat and prays... There's nothing wrong with that either.





Okay let's take this out of religion and put this in a relationship situation (which is actually how religion works because you have a relationship with God [or whom you believe is the higher power])

You're walking outside with your significant other (for this instance, I'll assume girlfriend... if I'm wrong please feel free to correct me), the two of you are holding hands and being as cute as you can be... because you both love each other that much. Someone that you don't know, or even someone you might know, comes up and starts disrespecting you and your girlfriend's expression of love for each other. Would you NOT want to stick up for your girlfriend or most importantly, your beliefs on how you can express your love?

Just because someone likes to proudly express their religion out in public doesn't mean that people have the right to mock and ridicule you. Can they come up to you and talk about how much they think it's moronic? There's nothing wrong with respectfully being honest. But when you go around mocking people just to get some publicity of your own, that's low.




Since I found the attitude era to be boring, I feel that I have right to say that Austin 3:16 was in fact frowned upon by a lot of religious people. In fact, my entire family despised Austin for the longest time when he started doing the 3:16 mockery and honestly we had a right to do so.

Me and my girlfriend simply holding hands isn't out of the social norm. We aren't doing anything millions of other people don't do. We aren't shouting and drawing attention to ourselves. We aren't making a point to draw attention to what we're doing. THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. Tebow is doing this when everyone can see him, drawing attention to it. If me and my girlfriend were making out and dry humping in public, then I HOPE someone comes up and starts dry humping a post and making sex noises to mock us.

When you do something that is openly drawing attention to yourself for whatever expression you have, people SHOULD mock you. They have the right and it's no different than the original expression.

How do you guys not know this? Tebow doing this is like Ochocinco doing a dance. It's a loud expression and if it gets mocked, it should be because it's so "loud". It's not the same thing as holding hands, which is a social norm and a quiet expression.

It's okay to be a christian or an athiest or whatever. But as soon as you put yourself out there, you can be mocked and I don't feel sorry for you. If you are Glenn Beck and Jon steward makes fun of you, you deserved it. You put yourself out there and expressed something to the world in a very loud statement. Not different than the Tebow stuff. He's very open and very public and very loud about his religion. He can express it as loudly as he wants, they can express how ridiculous they think he is as loud as they want. It's not about religion, it's simply about being "loud". Tebow knows what the consequences are.

Also, you can pray without getting on your knees. It's possible. You can say little prayers in your head. Getting on your knees is showing other people your belief. Saying it in your head is between you and God. Tebow does it for publicity also. It's no different. I don't care if he's praising God or slaughtering puppies, whatever gesture he's doing, due to how loud it is, deserves to be mocked if someone wants to mock it.

If he were doing an Albert Pujols-esque point to the sky and cross your heart, that's one thing. That's fast and simple and really not as loud. Tebow makes a big deal out of it, it's a "loud" expression, thus, he's mocked for it. No different than anything else.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Tebow doing this is like Ochocinco doing a dance. It's a loud expression and if it gets mocked, it should be because it's so "loud".

Makes sense. Ochocinco does his dance because he knows the camera is on the guy who just scored the touchdown, no? I've never seen him doing his dance on the sidelines, have you? Similarly, Tebow is choosing to display his freedom of expression at a moment everyone is watching him, presumably not during the TV break that follows. (If he's kneeling in prayer during the commercial, then I stand corrected).

During these "Look at me!" moments, people watching have the right to cheer or jeer. I doubt you'll hear many folks complaining that it's unfair to boo Ochocinco when he's dancing; you figure people have that privilege, right?

Well, just because someone's praying, I don't see how it's any different. If you want to put yourself out there and force other people to watch, you get what you get.