DAVID SHUSTER: Tim Tebow is a very accomplished football player. In college he won two national championships, as well as the Heisman Trophy. He has carried that success into the NFL, culminating this past Sunday with an unexpected victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tim Tebow is also a highly devoted Christian.
Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos celebrates after a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game on January 8, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo credit: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
In our number-one story — apparently, the American people see a cause-and-effect relationship between his faith and his football success, with a plurality of respondents believing that God himself intervenes to help Tim Tebow succeeded.
When asked if Tim Tebow’s success was due in part to “divine intervention,” over 43 percent of respondents answered yes, including 54 percent of Republicans and 81 percent of Hispanics. Not to sound cynical, but really, America?
The most well-known Christian player before Tebow was the late Reggie White, nicknamed the “Minister of Defense.” When the Hall of Fame defensive end won two Super bowls as a member of the Packers, no one claimed it was God carrying the team to victory.
So, to claim Tebow’s success is due to divine intervention is ludicrous. Or is it? The signs are seemingly undeniable.
First, there is the halo that appeared over Mile High Stadium Sunday as the game was going on. Against the Steelers, Tebow threw for 316 yards, averaging 31.6 yards per completion. Tebow’s favorite biblical verse? You guessed it — John 3-16. Hang on, it gets weirder.
Demaryius Thomas, the second-year receiver who caught the game-winning touchdown, was born on Christmas Day 1987. For the game, he had 204 yards receiving. In the book of John, Chapter 20, Verse 4: “Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.”
So, a receiver born on Christmas catches the amount of yards that corresponds to a Bible verse about running? Clearly, a sign of divine intervention.
Or — maybe it had to do with Tim Tebow passing for a career high, combined with the 4th-best defense in the league and the 5th-best rushing attack in the league.
Let’s bring in comedian and co-host of Citizen Radio, Jamie Kilstein. Jamie, thanks for your time tonight.
JAMIE KILSTEIN: Thanks for having me back.
SHUSTER: In your mind, is there divine intervention helping Tim Tebow to win football games?
KILSTEIN: You know, this may shock a lot of people, because it’s a progressive show, but I do have faith, I do believe there is divine intervention. Mainly because — if you look around the world, at all of the disease and poverty and you watch videos of soldiers pissing on the corpses of dead people who were murdered in just another senseless war — the only possible explanation is that God has been too busy watching TV, helping a stupid football player win a stupid game so millionaire coaches can make more money.
SHUSTER: How do you explain — I mean, maybe you just have — all the signs: the halo, the Bible verses, the player born on Christmas Day, Tebow wining a game in the NFL?
KILSTEIN: I mean, the way people look for signs, it’s like, “Oh my God, a dude was born on the same day as another dude and a possibly fictional other dude.”
Like, I don’t understand why Republicans, like — they refuse to look at science, but they’ll look at signs all day long. They won’t look at the facts that global warming is man-made, but Jesus shows up in a grilled-cheese sandwich, and I guess the Broncos are going to the Super Bowl.
SHUSTER: Fifty-four percent of Republicans believe that Tebow is receiving help from the divine. Are these the same people that believed George W. Bush when he said God told him to invade Iraq.
KILSTEIN: They have to be. Here is what cracks me up, though — for a political party that is all about pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, these guys lean on God for a lot of handouts.
Like, these are the same people — they tell the single mother who was just laid off, “You can’t get unemployment or food stamps. What am I going to do? Talk to my friend in the sky to help me.” That is cheating and Ronald Regan would be ashamed of you.
SHUSTER: In a poll of 1,500 people done by ESPN, Tim Tebow was named the most popular athlete with a whopping three percent. Should we be impressed by that? I mean, that’s 45 people saying they like Tebow, and — all of a sudden — he is labeled “the most popular athlete in America.”
KILSTEIN: The way they phrase it is totally ridiculous. That’s not popular. That’s as popular as Michael Bay movies, John Huntsman and spam. I’m pretty sure you can find three percent of Republicans that like Evo Morales, and you’re not going to start saying that Evo Morales is the most popular Republican politician ever. “God must have put him there!”
SHUSTER: I know Tebow has knocked down any idea of him running for office, but if Tebow was receiving divine intervention, and with Rick Santorum’s sweater vest giving him power, could anyone defeat a Tebow/Santorum ticket?
KILSTEIN: Dude, I think my cats, Desmond and Penny, could defeat Santorum. You know, if you’re going to use God like Santorum does, or — or you’re going to talk about Jesus all the time — why don’t you actually do what Jesus supposedly did in the Bible? Which is help the poor, go after the bankers, instead of making your platform, you know, using God’s name to drive gay kids to suicide or force women to give birth, like Digby says, or throw a ball real good, I guess.
SHUSTER: Is there enough divine intervention possible for Tebow to win this weekend over the New England Patriots or at least cover the spread?
KILSTEIN: I don’t care, I’m boycotting the Bible and the game because of him. I’ll be with a bunch of my journalist friends watching UFC from Brazil. Brazil has crazy, religious athletes as well, but at least gay marriage is legal there. Go Jose Aldo!
SHUSTER: Jamie Kilstein. God has certainly blessed you, Jamie. Thanks, as always, for joining us tonight. We appreciate it.
KILSTEIN: Thank you, David.
