Poll Finds 43 Percent Believe God Helps Tebow Win

There are certainly a lot of ignorant Americans. A recent poll found that 43 percent believe God helps Tim Tebow win football games.

I wonder how they explain the games in which Tebow doesn’t win. Did Tebow (or his fans) do something wrong to cause God to make him lose, or does God lack the power to control everything in a football game?

Even more importantly, if they believe that God is interested in football to the point of intervening, why doesn’t God intervene in more important areas which might reduce human suffering. Do they really believe that intervening to determine who wins a football game is more important to God than intervening to prevent the Holocaust?

Tim Tebow And The Fall Of Western Civilization

The New York Jewish Week finds both religious and political significance in this week’s game between Denver and New England:

Next Sunday, the Broncos host the New England Patriots in a game coveted so much by the networks that NBC and CBS sparred in unprecedented fashion over who would get to broadcast it.   And why not?  While the Patriots are adored by their fans (myself included), to many nationwide they are regarded as the Sons of Darkness, with their perfectly coiffed Hollywood quarterback and their brilliant – one might say diabolical – hoodie-clad coach.  And, oh yes, the most identifiably Jewish owner in sports.  Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Bob Kraft are all upstanding citizens, moral exemplars in their home communities, but in this Oberammergau of the Rockies, they are playing the role of Pilate.

People are always looking for signs of God’s beneficence, and a victory by the Orange Crush over the blue-clad Patriots, from the bluest of blue states, will give fodder to a Christian revivalism that has already turned the Republican presidential race into a pander-thon to social conservatives, rekindling memories of those cultural icons of the ‘80s, the Moral Majority and “Hee Haw.”  The culture wars are alive and well, and, if the current climate in Washington is any indicator, the motors are being revved up for what will undoubtedly be the most cantankerous Presidential campaign ever.  When supposedly well-educated candidates publicly question overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change and evolution and then gain electoral traction by fabricating conspiracies about a war on Christmas, these are not rational times.

Into the middle of it all rides Tebow.  Absolutely confident that God is on his side, he comes across as a humbler version of the biblical Joseph, who, in this week’s Torah portion, audaciously lays claim to being the Chosen One, and then goes out and proves it.  Tebow’s sanctimonious God-talk has led even pious peers like Kurt Warner to suggest that he cool it. Joseph could have used the same coaching.

If Tebow wins the Super Bowl, against all odds, it will buoy his faithful, and emboldened faithful can do insane things, like burning mosques, bashing gays and indiscriminately banishing immigrants.  While America has become more inclusive since Jerry Falwell’s first political forays, a Tebow triumph could set those efforts back considerably. 

This all makes it sound like a win by Tebow will be a win for the religious right, meaning bad news for the civilized world. Personally I think it is just a game and Tebow’s religious beliefs are not very important. There is a culture war, but it will not be fought on the football field. I’ll be rooting for Tom Brady and New England but not for any religious reasons. I’m rooting for Tom Brady because he is a Michigan man. Go Blue!

Housekeeping Notes

I’m heading out to the Liberal Values summer office for a long weekend (ie returning to Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island) so posting will probably be lighter. Hopefully the recent problems with moderation picking up far more than it should have been fixed so comments should continue to provide weekend entertainment. As long as the WiFi is working ok I should be posting intermittently.

I can’t resist a note on the June traffic numbers. Last year there was a huge increase in traffice as the primary campaign heated up. This calmed down by May when it appeared that Obama was going to win (plus blog  traffic always tends to decrease as the weather gets warmer). Traffic picked up again September through January for the general election campaign and inauguration. (Interest at the end of football season in posts with pictures of girls rumored to be dating Tim Tebow also picked up traffic.) While down from the election, traffic began to pick up again later in the spring. June turned out to be the fourth heaviest month ever (and wasn’t very far behind November 2008). June traffice was also up 35% from last year.

Traffic Remains Heavy–Cache Might Limit Viewing of New Material

Liberal Values continues to receive unusually heavy traffic from people who are interested in pictures of girls either rumored to be the girl friend of University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow or who are built similar to the girl rumored to be his girl friend. As a consequence, it is necessary to increase use of the cache to prevent excessive demand on the server. (For those familiar with WordPress and Super Cache, the lock down mode is in use.)

The cache can limit the ability to view changes in the blog, such as recent comments and new posts. Under normal circumstances clicking on the comments for a post will refresh the cache, but with current settings for increased traffic this will not work as usual.

Those who want to be certain of seeing new posts as they are posted and who use a RSS reader might consider subscribing to the RSS feed as opposed to trying to read the posts on the site while increased use of the cache is in effect.

Tim Tebow Big Winner

tebow-and-girlfriend

Congratulations to Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators on winning the BCS National Championship, beating Oklaoma 24-14.

As the game began I noted how a post which included a a picture of a girl rumored to be Tim Tebow’s girl friend (reposted above) has been bringing in record numbers of hits whenever Tebow has been involved in a major game. There have been reports that she never really was his girl friend, along with pictures of other potential candidates. Here are a couple of additional pictures floating around the web:

tebow-girlfriend-2

tebow-girlfriend-3

All this, the  Heisman last year, and two National Championships in three years!

Posted in Sports and Games. Tags: . 3 Comments »

National Championship Game Under Way

tebow-girl-friend

I can tell that the BCS National Championship Game between Florida and Oklahoma is underway. I know this by looking at the site meter. Lately whenever Tim Tebow is in a big game the number of hits jumps tremendously on this post from last year about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow winning the Heisman Trophy.

Most of the hits come from searches due to Tim Tebow being pictured with a girl then rumored to be his girl friend. As there is so much interest in her among college football fans, I have posted a new picture of her above. (Or at least a girl which people have claimed is the same girl. Some have actually looked at their faces and and argue that instead of being the same girl it is actually model Lucy Pinder.)

Go Gators! I have no stake in this game, other than perhaps bragging that before Michigan collapsed they did beat Florida in the Capital One Bowl last year. Therefore I might as well root for Florida as a good game by Tebow will result in increased traffic to the blog.

Update: Florida wins 24-14.

Tim Tebow Wins Heisman

Congratulations to Tim Tebow (pictured above with someone rumored to be his girl friend). The Florida Quarterback is the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Even before winning the Heisman, life on campus was obviously very good for the starting quarterback of the National Championship winning team.

Update: The National Championship game is underway, and it is honored with a new picture of the girl above.

Update II: Florida wins second National Championship in three years, and two more girls rumored to be Tim Tebow’s girl friend.

Posted in Sports and Games. Tags: . 22 Comments »