It’s no secret that I’m a big football fan. And when I see someone who plays outstanding ball and lives a life that honors Christ, I cannot resist cheering for his success.

Last night, as I was watching the highlights of yet another improbable Tim Tebow victory, I was struck by a feeling of having seen this story play out before. All of a sudden it hit me. Tim Tebow’s amazing football story is surprisingly akin to that of Secretariat, arguably the greatest racehorse of all time.

Now, I am going to stop short of calling Tebow the greatest quarterback of all time….he has a long way to go before he even gets named among the all-time greats. However, I have to chuckle at how similar he is to Secretariat.

Tim Tebow, like Secretariat, is theoretically too big to be so fast.
If you have seen the movie Secretariat, or done any research on his history, you will know that Secretariat’s nickname was Big Red and he was just raced under the name of Secretariat. It is not easy to see why the colt was given this name. He weighed 1,175 pounds and stood 16.2 hands. You can compare that to Seabiscuit or War Admiral, two other notable horses, who were barely over 15 hands.

Now, if you have ever seen Tebow, you know he is a big guy. So big in fact, that it is hard to imagine he is a quarterback, let alone as fast as he really is on the field. Tebow routinely scrambles for touchdowns and has a more successful running game than many of his NFL counterparts. Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears, another big fellow, summed it up perfectly yesterday when he said that Tebow was “a good running back. He runs the ball well.”

Often in sports, the bigger you are, the slower you are, but that hardly applies to Tim.

Secretariat, like Tim Tebow, was a notoriously slow starter.
Secretariat normally started a race looking like he was half asleep. Getting off to a good start was a foreign concept to the horse. Usually, he would wallow in the back field and let the other horses get ahead of him, only to sprint to a magnificent first place finish.

I have to chuckle when I think about how this compares to Tim Tebow. After so many last minute finishes for the Broncos over the last two months, it is easy to see that Tim comes up with his best football right as the clock winds down. He is a down-to-the-wire guy and although this has to be killing the nerves of Broncos fans around the country, he keeps delivering right when it matters the most.

Tim Tebow isn’t winning football games all by himself, just like Secretariat never ran a race alone.
Yes, Secretariat was a magnificent superhorse, but he would have been just like every other colt in the world if he did not have a wise and skilled jockey leading him. A horse will never win a race without a jockey guiding him, and I venture Tim Tebow would say the same for his football wins.

Tim Tebow’s victories have been a team effort, but it has not just been Tim + the Broncos. It has been Tim + Broncos + God. Tim can hardly take the credit for his speed, his agility, and his natural, God-given talent. It is a gift, which he is using for the honor of His Lord.

And because of this, God is fulfilling His promise and continuing to bless him: “For those who honor Me I will honor.” 1 Samuel 2:30.

Will Tim Tebow win the Triple Crown of football and take his team to the Super Bowl trophy? Your guess is as good as mine, but as long as he keeps honoring God after wins and losses, I plan to keep on cheering.

Photo by Kevin Dooley

It used to be that athletes were some of the best examples around for young kids to look up to as role models. Hard work, diligence, and good sportsmanship were par for the course in the sports world.

Not anymore.

In today’s society the word “sports” has become synonymous with drugs, steroids, and fast living. Your child hangs a picture of his favorite athlete on his bedroom wall, only to leave you explaining a year later why so-so is a cheat and not a great person for little Johnny to follow.

But in the midst of the corruption, every now and then we see glimmers of what sport is really about. A reminder of a world we once thought was gone forever, lost to the gods of money, power, and fame.

My business is tennis, so I confess that I don’t spend as much time with other sports as I would like. Every Olympiad I love to follow my favorite events including figure skating, swimming, gymnastics, curling, and yes, tennis, but when it comes to the everyday baseball, football, or basketball seasons, I couldn’t even tell you where the Houston Astros, Texans, or Rockets were on the standings.

Yet, every now and then a story catches my eye, one that reminds me why I write about sports in the first place.

Ever heard of Central Washington University’s women’s softball team? Before a few weeks ago, neither had I.

CWU was up against Western Oregon University in a conference doubleheader last month when Oregon’s Sara Tucholsky stepped up to the plate. Tucholsky, who had never hit a home run in her years of playing high school or college softball, smashed a hit deep over the center field fence. As Sara’s teammates rounded the bases for the supposed three run homer, Sara herself bounded down the line to complete her pass around the diamond. However, just after she approached the first base, the unthinkable happened as she collapsed with an injured knee.

Lying on the ground in pain, Sara managed to crawl back to the overshot first base, while the rest of her team and the umpire attempted to figure out her predicament. The rules stated that she must touch all three bases and home plate to get credit for a home run, yet given the state of her injury that appeared to be impossible. Her teammates, at a loss for a solution, offered to help her make the rounds with their support, only to be informed that too would be against the rules.

It was at this moment that a player on the opposing team stepped up with an idea. Mallory Holtman, the first baseman for Central Washington, happened to know the rules as well, and although Sara’s teammates could not help her, there was nothing in the book restricting the opposing team from helping out. Shortly after getting the umpire’s permission, Mallory and her teammate Liz Wallace lifted Sara Tucholsky and carried her around the bases, stopping briefly at each bag so Sara could be credited for the three runs.

Incidentally, Mallory and Liz’ team went on to lose the ball game (and their shot at the playoffs), but they walked off the field winners that day in Ellensburg, Washington.

So often we think winning is everything, but it’s really not. People forget scoreboards. Not many people will remember who won the World Series in 1987 or who won the French Open in 2004. No offense to the Minnesota Twins or Anastasia Myskina, but that’s going to be forgotten.

It is the acts of heroism, courage, and good sportsmanship that will ultimately stay with us forever.