As we’ve discussed in the past, you can’t have much of a conversation about recent New York Jets acquisition Tim Tebow without religion being mentioned. Whether it’s our juvenile jokes or the fiery rages of cable news debate, Tebow’s No. 1 claim to fame isn’t that he’s a former Heisman Trophy winner and BCS champion quarterback, but that he really loves God.
So it goes without saying that certain religious figures would list Tebow as their favorite athlete, and that seems to be the case with televangelist Pat Robertson, who took time out from spreading the gospel to complain about the Denver Broncos giving up on Tebow for that washed up bum, Peyton Manning.
“I think the Denver Broncos treated him shabbily. He won seven games. He brought them into the playoffs, for heaven sakes. I mean, they were a nothing team. He rallied them together with spectacular last-minute passes and, you know, when they beat Buffalo — I mean, Pittsburgh — it was a tremendous victory.”
Buffalo in the playoffs? Now I know that you’re just a senile old coot.
“And you just ask yourself, OK, Peyton Manning was a tremendous MVP quarterback, but he’s been injured. If that injury comes back, Denver will find itself without a quarterback — and in my opinion, it would serve them right.”
I don’t think there’s anything necessarily wrong with what Robertson said, really, because it actually seems like common sense commentary – “If Manning gets injured, the Broncos have nothing.” Unfortunately, common sense doesn’t make good headlines. In fact, it’s a lot more fun if you take what Robertson said – that if Manning gets injured, maybe Denver deserves to be screwed – and make it much more scandalous.
The USA Today, Fox Sports, PFT and other news outlets have all used bits of innuendo and incendiary language like “Karma” and “Wishes injury” as if Robertson is sitting in a chair at Sunny Acres with a Manning voodoo doll. But my “Out of Context Headline of the Day” goes to The Raw Story for this gem:
“Pat Robertson: Manning deserves to get hurt after Tebow trade“
Oh Internet “journalism” don’t ever change. I think it’s also important to mention that Robertson’s latest cause is legalizing marijuana, so nobody should act too concerned about this guy having crazy ideas.