Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has been practially beatified by the sports media because, in addition to being a fantastic quarterback, he's extremely visible about his religiosity. CBS Sports columnist Gregg Doyel makes a gutsy, incisive point you will almost never see a sports pundit make:
But there's a quote from [Florida coach Urban] Meyer celebrating Tebow's return to college for his senior season that turns my stomach. Here it comes:
"There's the functional football player part of it, but we all know it's much deeper than that," he said. "He is so good for college football. He is unbelievable. When my daughter texts me in the morning the Bible verse he has under his eyes it's good for college football, it's good for young people, it's good for everything."
Sorry. Wrong. If Tebow were a Muslim or a Mormon, and Meyer's daughter texted him with Tebow's chosen verse from the Koran or from the Book of Mormon, would that be "good for college football, good for young people, good for everything?"
Of course not.
Tebow's religion is seen as good because it is the religion of the majority. But it's not the religion of everybody. It's exclusionary, and just because you share Tebow's faith, that doesn't mean you're right. I don't expect you, or Meyer, or Tebow, or your pastor, to agree with me.
It's all the more impressive an insight given that Doyel is a Florida graduate and practicing Christian.
--Jonathan Chait