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Tim Tebow Makes Slam Dunk Speech At The World Series Of Resurrections
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 8, 2012
Modified Apr 8, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 8, 2012
Modified Apr 8, 2012
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Everyone's favorite Jets backup quarterback/meme generator/holy light Tim Tebow made his hotly anticipated appearance in Texas at the Evangelical "Super Bowl" today. According to AP, the event had "the feeling of a rock concert," with hundreds of school buses bringing people to Celebration Church in Georgetown, Texas—even Elmo was spotted there Tebowing! "In Christianity, it's the Pope and Tebow right now," pastor Joe Champion said. "We didn't have enough room to handle the Pope."
According to ESPN, about 15,000 people ended up attending the event: "I only got about four hours sleep, I was so excited," said Amanda O'Hara, who drove 100 miles to get to the megachurch by 4:30 a.m. "He doesn't hide who he is. Parents should see him as a role model."
Tebow's dealt just with that topic during his 20-minute interview with Champion, encouraging athletes to embrace being role models to kids. He also spoke about the need for evangelicals to be more outspoken about their faith, and about the need for a cultural change in the country: "First and foremost is what this country was based on: one nation under God. The more that we can get back to that."
The church had a very strict control over media—photographers were not allowed inside during the speech, and TV cameras were only allowed to record part of it. Nevertheless, you can gaze upon Tebow in this illicit Twitter photo, if you dare.
But if you want a taste of that Tebow verbal magic, look no further than the video below of him speaking to prison inmates. The Daily News spoke with several prisoners who had been touched by Tebow, including Willie James Ashley, a 55-year-old former Air Force man (and father of nine by three women) who had a long career in the cocaine business, and who felt a kinship with Tebow.
Reginald Spivey, in jail for aggravated assault, praised Tebow, saying: "He could've been at any club or party and has the whole world in his lap. Instead he came to a prison to talk to us. That says a lot about his character." And Tyron Thomas, second cousin of Clarence Thomas, had the money quote: "You meet a lot of people who pick up the Bible and when they put it down you can never tell they read it. There was just something about Tebow, and how he truly believes in the word of God. It's kind of freaky, actually. It's not something you see too often.'"
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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