Tim Tebow Tells Playboy “No”

This obviously has nothing to do with UNO or even Omaha.  That said, I loved the story so I decided to share it and comment on it.  First of all the story can be found at http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/BREAKINGNEWS/80721029/1002/SPORTS.

Now to the story… “Tim Tebow in Playboy? Not happening.

The Florida quarterback became the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman last December, so it’s only natural that he would be everybody’s preseason All-America quarterback. Right? But when Playboy asked for nominations for its annual All-America team back in the spring, Florida assistant sports information director Zack Higbee elected not to even put Tebow’s name on the list.

Tebow, who will attend photo shoots today for magazine covers in Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News before attending the SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala., on
Wednesday, is vocal about his deep religious convictions. His father, Bob, is a missionary. Tebow feels it could also be his calling in life, after his football career is over.”

–First of all I had no idea Tebow is a professing believer, so now I’m motivated to root for him next year .  If he is a Christian it would be awesome to see him pursue that after football.

“Gary Cole, senior vice president and photographer director of Playboy, e-mailed and talked with Higbee on the phone about the decision not to nominate the Gator star… “I don’t hate it when someone has all the facts, understands what our weekend and our history is and then chooses not to attend,” Cole told Florida Today. “I do hate it when someone bases their choice on false or incomplete information. . . . The weekend (in Phoenix) is completely wholesome. I have always brought my children whether they were one or 16 years old. It’s a really special few days when these fellows get the opportunity to meet each other and spend a little time together. Friendships are formed at these weekends that last a lifetime.””

— I like how he trys to paint this as a wholesome time. I’m sure the weekend isn’t totally wholesome (there’s got to be playboy models around.. right?), but I’ll take his word that it probably is fairly tame. The problem for me isn’t the weekend… it’s the magazine! Tebow would be featured in a magazine with photos of naked women… not wholesome at all. He made the right decision to not even be associated with it. Would it be wrong of him to allow his name and picture to be in there? Maybe, maybe not. But he definitely made the right choice in not even associating himself or letting his name be tarnished at all.

“Florida’s Danny Wuerffel, also raised in a deeply-religious family, elected not to have his name on Playboy’s preseason list in 1996, the year he also won the Heisman.”

—Didn’t know this about Wuerffel either.. cool.

“Higbee, who works closely with Tebow on his media obligations, didn’t even bother to discuss the matter with the Tebow, who recently won an ESPY Award for top college male athlete, until months later. He figured Tebow’s religious beliefs would cause him to decline, anyway. Higbee said it came up in a conversation recently, and Tebow was fine with the decision.”

—I LOVE THIS! Tebow wasn’t even asked. This means he has a REPUTATION for this on campus. This guy KNOWS about Tebow’s faith and KNEW that he would not be okay with this. That speaks volumes to me.

“”To be honest, Pat White was my choice from very early on . . . actually the end of last season,” Cole said. “I love the way he plays the game. I love what he has accomplished in his career at West Virginia. He’s a senior. Tebow will probably be around for a couple of more years. So we still have the chance to have him on the team whether or not he chooses to attend (the Playboy function honoring him).””

—Then a load of lies from Cole in my opinion… to try and swing this as well you know what Pat White probably would have been the choice.. rediculous.  They wanted Tebow just like everyone does and he said no, but they want to make it seem like they didn’t want him!

I read some more online and found out Tebow was homeschooled but allowed to play high school football in Florida due to state rules… very cool!

———————————————————————–

UNO’s Men’s Basketball Summer League team and the UNO Men’s Grad Summer League team both start the playoffs tomorrow.  The current guys finished the season 3-2 and as the 8 seed will play Bellevue University in the first round.  The game is at 5:30 at Omaha South.  The Grads finished 4-1 and have the 7 seed.  They will play Porter, Tauke, and Ebke – BJ Valentine, Lorenzo Wilson, Brandon McGruder, Nick Krenk, Ben Nelson, Dusty Sitsmann, Ben Thorn, Klaye Rowe and will play at 7:30 at Omaha South.  Both teams will be expected to win as they defeated their opponents in the regular season.

Why Don’t We Trust God?

I was listening to a sermon today by CJ Maheney, from the New Attitude Conference a couple weekends ago.  You can listen to it here, I highly recommend it. http://sgm.edgeboss.net/download/sgm/na/2008/na08-session8.mp3

He tells a story about Russell Moore, the Senior Vice President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Moore went to Russia with his wife to adopt two orphans. They had to go, get all the paperwork approved, and then could return to Russia to get the children. The two boys they were to get were in an orphanage that nearly made them vomit when they walked it.  It was a terrible place for children to be living.  The children were very sad when they had to go the first time, and it was a tough parting.  When they returned, they took the children and left.  The Children had never been outside the orphanage before. They were scared of the sun, scared of the car, scared of everything new. In their fear, they clang to the one thing they knew, the orphanage. They looked back in desperation, now wishing to return.  Moore would whisper to them in English (which they didn’t know of course) that the new place would be so much better, that they had no idea what they were missing out.  They had no idea how much better it would be.  Even if he could have communicated in Russian, I don’t think it would have effected them.  They were scared of the unknown, scared of giving up what they had, for fear that what they were getting might be worse and bad for them.

Now if you’re a Christian, you’ve been adopted by God.  We are no longer enemies of God, but are now sons and daughters of God, adopted into His family.  This adoption CJ points out, is much like the one Moore experienced.  We are scared of the unknown, scared that giving up what we know, and cling to (our sin) is going to be bad for us.  Yet God is a great God, a loving God, who only wills good for us.  He knows us better than we can ever know ourselves, and knows the best for us.

So the application that came to my mind immediately was my response to Ephesians 5:1-4.

1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;

2and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

3But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;

4and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

In particular, verses 3 and 4. I usually read those, go yep… that’s what we’re to do, but don’t really change my way of living. I still want to go see those movies that I know are not going to be God honoring at all.  I still want to watch that TV show I know is going to be full of sexual jokes. I want to see that movie, even though I know God’s name will be dragged through the mud, along with my mind (from all the sexual jokes, etc.).  Why do I want to see that movie?  I’m clinging to my sin. I’m not trusting God’s word, as a good idea.  I’m saying, “God, I know you say I shouldn’t watch these things, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea.  I need to be entertained, and everyone else is.  So I should too.  I mean, they didn’t have movies back then, so Paul probably didn’t know what he was missing out on.  I mean, Superbad is REALLY funny I hear… I’m sure it won’t be THAT bad for me.” What am I doing? I’m not trusting his Word. He tells us these things because it is better for us. He knows that our lives will be better by missing out on these movies and shows, that we won’t be saddened by missing them, that it will be better for our Spiritual Growth.  We need to trust God, trust his promises and trust his Word.  This means obeying it, and knowing that it will be better for us!

It’s time to stop clinging to the sin that we grew up loving, and realize that as sons and daughters of God, it’s time to cling to Him.  He’s adopted us from sin into new everlasting life, given us a new love for Him!  May we trust in God, and let go of the sin we still cling to!