I don’t usually comment on my blog about a football game, but the Tim Tebow craze has been running so wild that I thought I would at least post the transcript of the Bob Costas monologue he gave last night during the Sunday Night Football in America game (the Cowboys and Giants). It is fascinating to watch the sports commentators opine on the unexplainable qualities in Tebow. Those of us who are believers know exactly what the unexplainable qualities are derived from, but the sports world goes on in unbound fascination to who they deem a mediocre quarterback who brings players to perform at a level better than who they actually are. Tebow himself even goes as far to say (and rightly so) that God is not pulling for one particular team, it’s just football.
There are so many theological arguments one could pull out of the above, and almost countless ones in the transcript below, but I will just let the transcript speak for itself. One thing is for sure, Tebow has a huge platform, and he is showing the world what it looks like to follow Christ as best as a sinful man can do. But, he is still just a man. We are not to put our faith or trust in his abilities, but see Christ who is shinning through him.
Transcript of Bob Costas Essay on Tebow
Back at halftime. The Denver Broncos now lead the AFC West at eight and five, seven and one with Tim Tebow as their starting quarterback. Here is the list of quarterbacks with higher winning percentages this year than Tebow. Aaron Rogers, and nobody else. And truth is, there’s nobody else quite like Tebow. No fewer than five of the seven victories have featured late fourth-quarter comebacks, approaching, okay we’ll say it, the miraculous.
Again today, Tebow did next to nothing until the waning moments, and then, down ten nothing with two minutes left, he throws a touchdown pass, and the Broncos then tie it at the gun on a 59 yard field goal, and win again in overtime on a 51 yarder. The combination of Denver’s continuing late heroics and today, the Bear’s otherwise unexplainable errors is enough to have some at least suspect divine intervention, except that Tebow who’s sincere faith cannot be questioned and should be respected, also has the good sense and good grace to make it clear he does not believe God takes a hand in the outcome of games. Most of us are good with that, otherwise how to explain what happens when there’re equal numbers of Believers on either side, or why so many of those same believers came up empty facing Sandy Koufax, or hit deck against Mohamed Ali, or why the Almighty wouldn’t have better things to do.
Still there’s no doubt that Tim Tebow and his team benefit from his honest belief. How? Frank Bruni put it well in today’s New York Times. Whatever Tebow may lack in classic NFL quarterbacking traits he possesses other qualities in abundance, and in his case those qualities; confidence, equanimity, optimism, and a presence that can’t be explained, but can certainly be felt, the whole Tebow persona derives from how he sees the world and his place in it. Those qualities, no matter how one comes by them, are an asset. Perhaps especially in specially in sports. Good for Tebow, and those who share his beliefs, and those who don’t can still acknowledge and appreciate that who Tim Tebow is is not only genuine, but for the moment at least, it makes him and the Broncos the most fascinating, and whatever sent you interpreted it, uplifting stories and sports.
~Bob Costas, Sunday Night Football in America Halftime Monologue
If you would rather watch the essay as it was presented to the world, you can see that here on video. Note on the transcript. One was not made available by NBC so the transcript below is one that I personally put together. Update, I was finally able to find a transcript put out by NBC and you can see the transcript here.
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Well it was not that great of a game today but it was still great to be at the game at least. Another regular season has come and gone, can’t believe it. I decided today I would leave the camera at home and just go enjoy the game, but of course I didn’t leave home without my phone. I have always loved trying to do some actual photography with my cell phone over the years. It creates more of a challenge but also forces you to get creative.
All the shots in this post came from my iPhone, my favorite being the shot above when the sun was just about to go behind the west stands of the stadium. The clouds made it perfect, especially with the lights on and “Champions 2010″ reflecting off the windows. It was another unforgettable season (not for the same reasons as last year), now it’s time to wait and see where Auburn ends up going for a bowl game.
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The football game yesterday was the first night game of the year and I ended up leaving my camera in the car, so I was left with taking photos of the game using my iPhone. I can’t wait to see what kind of camera the iPhone 5 comes with (reportedly it will be a great 8mp sensor), because the more I use my cell phone for actual serious photographic purposes the more I have grown to like it. Sure my Nikon DSLR would have done a better job overall but I was thrilled to have my phone, and not have to lug around a heavy body and lens for once. It also still proves the old adage that the artist is in the person (or the photographer) not in the camera.
Anyway, it ended up being one of the more enjoyable games we have been to this year. We didn’t get sunburned, die from the heat, or stress over the game (though we really don’t do that anyway). We did however get to see several friends around the tailgate areas, like Courtney (see her blog here) seen below with Deborah, and we ended up leaving early enough to get to see the end of the game from home. Normally we would stay but since I had to be at three services and a mission meeting early today, we opted for watching the end at home. By the time the next home game gets here against Florida I will have been to Uganda and back. The Florida game is actually the very next day after I get back from 36 hours of travel from the other side of the world, hopefully I will just be able to stay awake for the game. In the mean time enjoy some iPhoneography below.
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The game this week was another crazy ending that ended with a win by a last play stop that literally came within an inch or two of a Mississippi State score. For those of us who sit in the blasting sun hopefully this will be the last day game until it gets a little cooler.
Next week Auburn goes on the road and so do we. We will be watching Auburn play Clemson from Denver where we will be celebrating the birth of our second grandson. Until then, hope you enjoy some of the photos from the game today. It was a hot day to haul the camera around Jordan-Hare Stadium but I love some of the images from today. I’m always amazed that there is anything original left to produce at a football game but each game is always different. War Eagle.
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This was a crazy crazy game, that almost ended with Auburn getting beat by Utah State. Auburn seems to always make the games exciting and this was certainly no exception. Of course as with every game this time of year it was blasting hot but with a nice breeze from Tropical Storm Lee down in the gulf. It’s really hard to believe that the football season is back in full swing but it is. Time goes by so incredibly fast… it seems like last week we were watching them play Oregon in the national championship game. But, 6-8 months have gone by and the summer is almost over. At least in the end Auburn ended up winning the game, even if it wasn’t pretty. Next week will be a tough game for them.
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It’s the Friday night before the first Auburn football game and it’s become sort of a tradition with Deborah and I to walk around downtown and eat dinner while we watch all the “out of towners” stroll in. Last year it was Hamilton’s on Magnolia, this year it ended up being a very crowded Mellow Mushroom. It’s always interesting to see our quiet southern town turn into a crazy madhouse, but that’s fall, and that’s what makes Auburn such a unique town. It also makes for some great photographic opportunities. At this point I’m not sure how many times I have shot Jordan-Hare Stadium (one of my favorites came right off my iPhone), but it always seems to have another look, another angle, or different colors that I haven’t found or seen before. What’s even better are the countless shots of Jordan-Hare on Flickr and other places that seems to find even more looks to this great stadium.
If you are in Auburn take a walk down to the stadium and see the new black and white banners that went up in the off season, they look great and once again they changed the face of Jordan-Hare. So here is hoping Gene Chizik and the Auburn Tigers have another fantastic season down here on the the plains.
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Well I know we all know down here in the south that the 2011 football season is only a few days away, but after seeing so much posted on the internet about Auburn’s upcoming season I had to go back and look at the last 5 years or so and revisit what I shot through all those games. Every football season is so completely different from the year before, and last year for Auburn was the dream season for those of us who have followed Auburn football for 40 years (like me).
This season will actually be the start of the 40th year of my involvement in Auburn football as a fan. I don’t even know why that is significant in the scheme of things but it just occurred to me as I started looking through all the years of Auburn football images I have now compiled as a photographer and a fan. I was born the day after the Auburn vs Alabama football game in 1970, the last game of the season. Auburn won that game 33-28 at Legion Field in Birmingham. Apparently the only photographer at the game that day was Tod Papageorge, this was about the only image I could find from 1970 but if I can find one of my family from that game I’ll post it tomorrow for Throwback Thursday. Over the next 15 YEARS Auburn would go on to lose the Iron Bowl 12 times going into the mid-80′s when Bo Jackson would then step on the scene. The one historical event coming in 1972 with the “Punt Bama Punt” game where Auburn won 17-16.
Below are outtakes from the last five years. One shot from each season, starting with Gene Chizik going through Tiger Walk from 2010 down to 2006 when we were on the field for pre-game warmup. These are shots that never made it to my blog or use anywhere else, just a few random shots I found from the last five years. Can’t wait for the start of the 2011 season, it’s always a fun time of year down in the south.
