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Can Tim Tebow Make Evangelical Christianity Popular In NYC?
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 22, 2012
Modified Mar 22, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 22, 2012
Modified Mar 22, 2012
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Twenty-four year old virgin and meme generator Tim Tebow has been part of the NY Jets for less than a day, but his presence has already divided the entire nation. Despite initial reports that he was less than enthusiastic about representing our fair Gomorrah in the holy game of brain concussion ball, Tebow said yesterday that he thinks NYC is "a great market; a great city." Sure, it might be a great city that hates his guts—but that doesn't mean that Tebow can't win us all over one Jesus-propelled football throw at a time. “Tim Tebow can be the king,” marketing expert Ronn Torossian, the CEO and president of 5W Public Relations, told the Daily News. “There is no bigger place to shine than in New York City and I think the Tebow brand is one that transcends sports. I think the guy can get unlimited sponsorships in New York City.”
As the Times points out, there are a lot of people who really think Tebow could be good for the Jets—especially eternal optimist Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel, who writes: "A change-of-pace offensive package, and a 6-4, 240-pound bull to run it, shakes up the Jets offense and makes it easier for Sanchez to operate. It also should help put points on the board." But it's the small-but-vocal evangelical community that seems most excited about Tebow's arrival: "I think there’s going to be a lot of kids in public school Tebowing, I think Tebow-mania will probably sweep New York City. I think it will make Evangelical Christianity more popular among the young people—unless the guy bombs out," Brooklyn-based Pastor Joseph Mattera told Buzzfeed.
State Senator Ruben Diaz, who has campaigned heavily against same-sex marriage, echoed his sentiment: "Praise the Lord that he’s coming to New York...He will be someone we should imitate." Patton Dodd, author of the ebook, "The Tebow Mystique" and executive editor of a website on religion and spirituality, said he was shocked Tebow landed in NY, but could imagine good things on the horizon:
I can't imagine a more unlikely fit for Tim Tebow than the New York Jets, just given what we know about the culture of that team. It seems to me, and a lot of outside observers, a team that has a pretty broken culture—at least a messy culture. [But] in some ways, it's sort of ideal for him. Even though it doesn't seem like a likely fit, if he's serious about what he believes, this is the kind of place that he ought to, to use Christian language, feel called to.
But it'll be hard to be a culturally transformative figure if he isn't getting any playing time: "So while the price was low for the Jets, it's hard to see how Tebow really improves things in New York. His limited role in the offense will likely prevent him from having a bigger part to play in fostering the culture in the locker room," wrote Grantland.
Then again, who could have imagined that a D-Leaguer from Harvard would turn the Knicks into a real basketball team once again? Jeremy Lin, who shares Tebow's religious beliefs—if not his need to talk about it all the time—had some words of advice for his buddy: “Make sure not to read the papers, that’s what they told me,” Lin joked, adding: “It’s awesome. I’m just excited for him to see how he does.”
Tagged
football
jeremy lin
jets
nfl
sports
tebowmania
tim tebow
timsanity
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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