Walking the walk

Recommended reading: Antonya English’s piece in the St. Petersburg Times on Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, whose Gators are playing Thursday night in the BCS title game.

Tebow, the son of missionaries, talks the spiritual talk, but also walks the walk, making prison visits, helping his parents in the Philippines, doing other volunteer work.

The message written on eye black has become a big thing for football players, and Tebow is no different. But, then again, maybe he is, as his message is a biblical reference.

In an increasingly secular and diverse society, that might offend some. But I contrast it with the message I saw on a player’s eye black just the other day in one of the many meaningless bowl games that plague our TV screens in December and January. The message written under the player’s eyes — the lamps of the soul — was, “Fear me.”

Like Tebow's profession of faith or dislike it, it apparently is not done for show.

"A lot of people take their heart out, rip it out of their chest and lay it on the table,” Florida coach Urban Meyer says. “I'm not willing to do that, and certainly not my family. But Bob (his father) is that way, and Pam (his mother) and their whole family. They have such a strong faith. In this world of hypocrisy, there's none (with them)."

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/article956080.ece