Fran Tarkenton on Tebow

[Goblinmonger]

I grew up being a Tarkenton fan (I was born in '66 and lived on the ND/MN border--did I have a choice?). There is still a special place in my heart for him (I own every single Tarkenton football card made), but I realize he is a conservative d-bag. Anyhoo, here is his take on Tebow. I was with him until the last two paragraphs (which I include in the excerpt below):

...
As a player, though, I never understood why God would care who won a game between my team and another. It seemed like there were many far more important things going on in the world. There were religious guys on both teams. If God gets credit for the win, does he also take blame for defeat?

For what it's worth, my forays into hoping for divine intervention didn't work out. I prayed fervently before each of the three Super Bowls we Minnesota Vikings played in. We played against the Dolphins, the Steelers and the Raiders. I don't know about the first two games, but I was sure God would be on our side for the game against the Raiders! After all, they were the villains of the league, and it was hard to believe they had more Christians on their team than on our saintly Vikings. We lost.

...

Although faith has been a part of football so long, a player like Mr. Tebow can still be extremely controversial among fans and pundits. But seriously, isn't it refreshing that the chatter around the NFL is about a great athlete with great character who says and does all the right things and is a relentless leader for his team—and not about more arrests and bad behavior from our presumptive "heroes"?

Tim Tebow is the story of this football season, and a great story it is.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204124204577154601852713394.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLE_Video_Top#articleTabs=article

[Scuba]

1. First, being a Viking fan is curable....

.... it takes a little therapy, and exposure to a concept called "winning NFL championships", but it can be done.


As a Packer fan, I had a love/hate relationship with Tark. I liked his overcoming the "too short" stigma, and relentless scrambling. He played at a time the Packers sucked big time and getting beat by him was painful.


FWIW, Bud Grant is the most under-rated coach in NFL history.

[Goblinmonger]

2. Now realize that I currently live 45 miles south of Lambeau

and know the hell of my existence.

The only time I have even considered not being a Vikings' fan was when the rumors of Limbaugh buying the team were going around.

I tell all my Packer fan friends to relish every moment of their team winning a Super Bowl because they clearly have NO idea what it is like on my side of that equation.

[Scuba]

4. No, not even the Packer teams of the 70's and 80's, miserable as they were....

... can engender the despair and hopelessness that is synonymous with being a Vikes fan. But remember, healing is just 45 miles away!

[joeybee12]

3. Shilling for a hate group is not my idea of a "great character" Fran

[thelordofhell]

5. Hey Fran.......Vikings worshipped the Norse Gods

You prayed to the wrong God.......you should have prayed to Odin

[RagAss]

6. Hey Tarkenton ....Shows us your rings, Assclown !

[marmar]

7. I haven't felt this awful since that Ronald Reagan film.....