Is there room for religion in sports? It's a question that many of us don't consciously think about until we see it exhibited on the field. Even then, it often seems to slip our minds. When a baseball player points to the sky after hitting a home-run or when a football player crosses himself after scoring an incredible touchdown. Simple acts like these often go unnoticed or at least uncared about. The questions seem to arise when players express their devotion more profoundly or speak out about it more publicly. .
Fans, and especially the media tend to react much differently and at times with more hostilely to these types of actions. Religion seems to be slipping from our society and acceptance seems to be vanishing all together. Should players be criticized and reprimanded for celebrating their religion and their passion hand in hand? If Tim Tebow were asked this question, it is easy to assume that his answer would be a resounding no.
The picture that I have created depicts that statistics and success in a sport tend to be shadowed and even overlooked by a person's religious expression; in this case, Tim Tebow. Tebow entered into the National Football League in 2010 as the twenty-fifth draft pick, selected by the Denver Broncos. He spent the majority of his first season on the bench and began his second season as the back up quarterback. After less than satisfactory performances from starting quarterback Kyle Orton, Tebow was given a chance but this chance was cut short. .
He was traded from the Broncos to the New York Jets in 2012 but released after his first season. In 2013 he was picked up by the New England Patriots but midseason, was released again. Despite taking the Broncos to the playoffs in 2011 and putting up comparable statistics to the average rookie quarterback, he received an immense amount of bashing from the media for every missed pass, interception thrown, and loss that the team was dealt.