[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3kr99KcoSA]

I’m always wary of people who like to name drop Jesus when winning an award. When I heard Tim Tebow thanking the Lord twice in his Heisman acceptance speech, I decided to do some research into his background and from what I found, I was really impressed.  He seems to be the real deal.

Tebow grew up in a Christian family, led by missionary parents Bob and Pam Tebow. The Tebows are members of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville. He began his walk with Christ as a 6-year-old and has regularly traveled with his family during summers to the Philippines, where he was born, to lead evangelistic crusades and minister in orphanages.

Although his college commitments prevented him from going to the Philippines this summer, Tebow told the Witness the experiences of ministering there remain with him — and is something he will pursue in the future because “it is a valuable part of my life.”

Reflecting on the people he has ministered to, Tebow said, “Meeting all of those different people who have nothing and are poor gave me an appreciation for what me and my family have and provided me with the perspective of taking nothing for granted. It also allowed me to see the effect that I could have on those people. For some, the belief in Christ is all that they have and is much more important than money or material possessions.”

[BP Sports]

Wow and I thought that nothing good could come from the University of Florida (or South Carolina or Alabama or Tennessee).

I read in the Atlanta paper yesterday that ESPN ran a story about Adam LaRoche the Braves 1st basemen. LaRoche has ADD and his disorder has come into play a few times this season. You’d see him completely blow a play or pull a bonehead move and wonder what the heck is going on. Adam had tried to go without medication and would just lapse or blank during games. He was early on criticized for not taking medication.

Now after he’s been on medication (Mr. Cruise, I don’t want to hear the Ritalin rant - that’s a whole other argument) his game has improved. He’s concentrating and hitting and fielding really well.

ESPN is now claiming that he’s using performance enhancing drugs because of his improvement in the field. This poor guy can’t win. He’s criticized for not using the medicine and he’s criticized for using them.

Just let him play ball!

This reminds me of a quote from Teddy Roosevelt:  

“It’s not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worth cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

For more read here