Let’s just get the official statement out of the way before any commentary is given. Here’s the Tweet as it read from LeBron James concerning Tim Tebow: “Tim Tebow will succeed in the NFL. He’s a hard worker, a student of the game, a natural born leader and most of all a WINNER! It takes time and he’ll be nice.”
In case you missed it, King James decided to give his support to Tebow on Twitter late last night with the above statement. Twitter now gives athletes the chance to talk about what they want when they want, and it places a microphone of sorts in front of our favorite athletes at all times. So it’s not difficult to find talking points from athletes of all kinds at all hours of the day. It’s the nature of things.
But this is one connection that didn’t need to be made. Perhaps it’s not a big deal and the attention given to this will die down soon enough — but that’s what Tebow is fighting in the first place. Attention. He can’t get rid of it. Every Broncos’ move is made with commentary concerning Tebow. How will losing Josh McDaniels affect Tebow? How will the hiring of John Fox affect Tebow? How will the Kyle Orton trade scenario affect Tebow? It’s a constant circus of overanalysis for a guy who’s been a proven winner until now and has to make the necessary adjustments to the pro level.
The entire affair started with Merril Hoge giving ridiculous blanket statements that Tim Tebow will never compete at the NFL level. Specifically he said, “It’s embarrassing to think the Broncos could win with Tebow.” Why is it embarrassing? Hoge is one man with a contract to say stuff that brings in viewers. Of course you’re going to say things like that — whether you really believe them to that degree or not. This is the nature of 24/7 analysis.
But for James to also come in as the defender only makes things worse — worse being the amount of attention being given to the situation. How can Tebow continue to progress under such a microscope where everything is blown out of proportion? How can Fox lead a complete change of atmosphere with the ongoing circus of Tebow versus Orton and the calls for one or the other? Certainly the players have to be sick of the spotlight and the same questions again and again.
James just lived through this — with an entire team living under the spotlight of The Decision. Certainly he realizes the frustration this brings to everyone involved, so why add to that for Tebow’s sake? If you like the guy, then shut up about him. Because everything you say matters, whether or not it should, to the greater public. And suddenly the circus of one athlete meets the circus of the other, and Tebow is further entrenched in a spotlight he can’t get out of.