Sorry, I just pulled a ridiculous "gotcha" on you, dear reader. But I made you look, didn't I?

 

Tim Tebow is played up as the agent of Christ's second coming, of the grand revival of faith in America, and of the introduction of Denver Broncos football into a rapturous experience of wonder and exultation around the world. If you listen to these guys (or frankly, anyone else outside of actual football evaluators), you'd think that starting quarterback Kyle Orton had signed up to be the second lieutenant of all that's evil in the world.

 

Sure, we know Tebow won at the University of Florida, that his mother opted to have him even when her doctor suggested abortion, that he spends his summers speaking in prisons and Third World countries about his faith, and that for all intents and purposes, he is the kind of Christian that Christians want to be, sharing their faith through word and deed.  

 

What we know about Orton is significantly less, given that his popularity hasn't spawned an autobiography at twenty-nine, and his personality doesn't magnetize crowds of older evangelicals and babies.

 

But why is the evangelical right pushing for Tebow to start for the Broncos? Shouldn't Christians do their best in all things, and if Tebow wins the starting job, then he's the best option? Or is there a conspiracy theory where the Broncos are really in league with evil, and they're holding "the Christian quarterback" down? C'mon...

 

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What sport has ever had a lockout that magnified the appetite of its fans? No sport other than the NFL could pull that off. Post-lockout, professional baseball, hockey, and basketball leagues all struggled to get back into their fans' good graces. The NFL misses one game (the preseason Hall of Fame game) and fans are knocking down the doors to find out more info on their teams, gather fantasy sports teams, and swarm to watch the games.

 

But all of that is behind us, and it's down to business. Who will win? Who will start their campaign to gain the Andrew Luck (Stanford's quarterback) lottery pick?  

 

Last year, it was all about redemption. Could Michael Vick prove that he was more than a dog fighting fiend? (Yes.) Could Brett Favre go out with a bang instead of a whimper? (No.) Could Ben Roethlisberger prove he was more than an abusive, motorcycle driving adolescent? (Yes.)

Stories like this still capture the front page of the NFL year in 2011. Redemptive times in New England for Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth could spell trouble for the rest of the NFL if these two play like they did a few years ago. Plaxico Burress wants to do more than show he shouldn't have shot himself in the leg for Rex Ryan's Super Bowl-bound Jets (so he says), while Vince Young, Kenny Britt, Hines Ward, Donovan McNabb, Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, and quite a few head coaches have plenty to prove given last season and/or their offseason. 

Post lockout, defenses should run rampant while offensive teams try to get on the same page...

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