LAWRENCE, Kansas – Today’s “Little Scottie” comic strip touches on University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, the recent lightning rod for all kinds of criticism surrounding his “advocacy ad” on Sunday’s Super Bowl. So far, Tebow hasn’t looked impressive according to many who’ve covered the Senior Bowl and who’ve turned the NFL Draft into a science. But that’s not why I picked on him.

I just don’t like the kid. I can’t really put my finger on any one reason, but I don’t know him so why should I need to? People who know me are likely to have better reasons for whether they do or don’t like me than people who don’t. Maybe Tim Tebow’s a great guy. I’m certainly not ruling out the possibility.

I also don’t object to his beliefs. He, like anyone else, is entitled to his beliefs. I’m entitled to agree or disagree. That’s one of the things I like about this country.

A person should also be entitled to live as themselves. That’s something we’re still working on. But that’s not Tim Tebow’s fault.

Personally, I still get a little squeamish when religion finds its way into sports. Sports are more universal than that. As with the Olympics, it’s a time to suspend ourselves from the complications of international politics. That having been said, I feel that people should feel free to express themselves as long as they don’t force me to listen to a laundry list of their belief system. I don’t care if you pray to Jesus or to your dishwasher. That’s your call. The key part is that I don’t care.

Some people would be better served to keep their beliefs to themselves. Inevitably, it seems that the people who take a hard line against something have, in fact, done something to contradict that stance. It happens because everyone is different, and there’s simply no hard fast rule that can apply to every situation regardless of circumstances.

Bear in mind this all started with a comic strip. So, the objective – at least for me – is to try to find humor in something.

Tim Tebow makes himself an easy target because he projects an uncommonly wholesome image. Because no one’s perfect, it’s easy to become irritated by people who are branded as being nearly there. And Tebow doesn’t keep his beliefs to himself. Again, he doesn’t have to hide it, but he also doesn’t have to broadcast it. Which, by the way, he does constantly. Bear in mind, he doesn’t have verses referenced somewhere on the inside of his helmet, he literally wears them on his face facing away for others to see.

I looked at three things I know about Tim Tebow: he’s religious, he was homeschooled and he’s a virgin.

I’ve covered my thoughts on religious beliefs, but I could care less about homeschooling except for the fact that he was the starting quarterback at Nease High School in Florida. Having spent a lot of time around high school football, I know about the usual high school “stuff” – for lack of a non-profane word – that goes along with being on the team. And that’s when you are in classes with your teammates. I can’t imagine people were thrilled that a homeschooled kid was able to come in and start at QB, particularly the second-string quarterback and his parents.

As for the whole virgin thing, he claims he’s waiting until marriage. I believe him. Why not? But this is what really got me thinking. How many big name athletes are virgins? And how many do you honestly think had their first time after making a dent in the sports world?

I’m all for breaking new ground and breaking down barriers in sports, but few sports seem to embrace the idea of romance and love – especially those played by males. They’re all about testosterone and machismo.

Generally, all the racing sports incorporate the same concept. The theme of NASCAR is who’s got the fastest car. And if that’s not manly enough, what’s the reward for the guy with the fastest qualifying time? That’s right, the pole.

In thoroughbred racing, aside from all the obvious clues, tiny jockeys race to show off who’s got the best horse between his legs. But the track conditions can make a big difference. It is a fast track? A slow track? Sometimes it might even be a sloppy track. Either way, just remember, it’s not the size of the jockey that matters.

Football is a violent display of guys colliding, tackling and pounding the ball. Like the coaches back home always told players, “Smack ‘em in the mouth.” Players run around in tight pants and loose shirts. A tight end dictates which is the strong side and which is the weak side. The quarterback gets intimately close to his center. On offense, it’s important to find a hole or sometimes just make one. On defense, linemen want to shoot the gap.

Golf is the quintessential pissing contest with metaphorical tools to exaggerate the result. Watch how much farther mine can go! It’s desirable to have a good up and down game. When you need to drive the ball long, you probably want to have your wood in hand. And, naturally, the objective is to get it in the hole, whether you encounter the rough or a hazard.

Baseball is so closely tied to sex that it’s become the metaphor for sexual activity. Did you get you first? If you hit a home run, you’ve had a good outing. It’s not an official game unless you make it to five innings, regulation is through nine and after that the game gets progressively more tedious. It’s not even limited to sexual orientation. Who’s pitching? Who’s catching? Is someone a switch hitter? Depending on how adventurous you are, it might be good to know who’s on deck.

Of course, there are even more examples. If you watch enough sports, you’ll hear plenty of phrases that’ll make you do a double take. But it’s no wonder that so many athletes have reputations for aggression and promiscuity. It’s woven into the fabric of each game. So, imagine a guy who’s a virgin.

Not that I think his virginity should determine when he’s drafted, but if it were my call, I think guys have enough distractions as it is. Rather than turning it into a circus and a huge distraction for the team, I’d probably want the guy who’s had sex a few times. But that’s me.

Filed under: Opinion/Editorial