SUDDEATH: Cover your kid’s ears, it’s Tim Tebow

By DANIEL SUDDEATH

Pushing sex and alcohol apparently doesn’t raise too many eyebrows when it comes to Super Bowl advertisements.

But let a Heisman trophy-winning, national championship ring-bearing, poster boy for everything great about football star in a commercial about abortion and the gloves apparently come off quickly.

Former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow will be featured in a Super Bowl commercial themed “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life.”

According to an Associated Press report, the ad will center on the choice made by Tebow’s parents to proceed with his birth despite an illness that threatened his mother.

It’s paid for, according to the report, by a conservative Christian group named Focus on the Family.

Since it was announced that CBS will allow the commercial during the game, opponents from pro-choice groups to Tebow’s peers at Florida have protested the ad calling for the network to reconsider permitting it.

Really?

“An ad that uses sports to divide rather than unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year — an event designed to bring Americans together,” Women’s Media Center President Jehmu Greene was quoted by the AP as saying.

Tebow still represents Florida and it’s unfair to use the university as a catalyst for pushing his own political agenda, alumni and students at Florida have stated in other AP stories.

First of all, Tebow won two national championships while staying four years at Florida. In return, he received a scholarship — hardly compensation for the millions of dollars he made for the university from television contracts, jersey sales and ticket revenue.

Tebow has completed his football obligation to the school, so if he wants to talk about how he feels, he doesn’t owe the university an explanation. If Florida wants him as a public relations tool, give him a contract.

Next, the Super Bowl doesn’t exactly “bring Americans together.” The basic premise of the game is two sides, two teams battling against each other. Is that not division?

Shouldn’t women’s advocacy groups also be objecting to companies flaunting females in front of the camera during the telecast, or is the rubber stamp by networks of classless ads from the likes of GoDaddy.com excusable?

It’s an athletic event, not a political debate, I get that. But in the midst of this premier football clash, you have one of the most decorated college football players of the past 50 years willing to risk offending his fans to talk about his genuine feelings.

If you know anything about Tebow, you know he’s not the type of guy that’s going to loosely pitch around his endorsement like Brett Favre throws a fourth quarter pass.

As a University of Kentucky fan, I loathed Tebow on the field, but away from the game he’s unbelievable. Tebow volunteers for oodles of worthy causes and does his own missionary work, which includes visiting inmates in Florida prisons.

Sounds like a pretty controversial character, huh?

Don’t we want athletes and celebrities to tell us how they really feel? We don’t want the dumbed-down and politically correct public relations gab. We want the truth, but apparently our society can’t handle it.

Tiger Woods was chastised for never taking a stance on anything. In retrospect, we realize that’s because he was too busy thinking about the tour. Not the PGA tour, the, well you know what tour I mean.

We get a star in Tebow willing to discuss an issue that’s very controversial and bam, the most predictable reactions surface.

Basically, our society is all about free speech, as long as you don’t say anything that ticks people off. Also, discussing religion is apparently taboo, though you won’t find one sentence in the Constitution that says “separation of church and state.”

If you know anything about Christianity, you understand there’s never a time its members don’t feel compelled to discuss their faith. Some perceive this as a threat, some just find it annoying.

But when you’re talking about something as polarizing as abortion, when is a good time to have the discussion? It’s going to make people mad regardless of setting because Americans have such strong opinions on the issue.

I know, Tebow is a man and men shouldn’t be talking about abortion. That’s the message many pro-choice abortion groups take. But I also know with my vaunted UK education that it’s pretty rare for a woman to get pregnant without a man.

Still, it comes down to free speech. If Focus on the Family wants to spend $2.5 million on an anti-abortion commercial, that’s their call as long as the ad doesn’t violate CBS standards.

Tebow is the one that will take the heat for this — it should be his choice since this whole abortion debate centers around choice. Abortion is legal, and last time I checked, it’s still legal to be against it. If you might be offended by the ad, turn the channel. It’s that simple.

I get outraged by TV ads and shows all the time — mainly “American Karaoke,” er, “Idol” and University of Louisville basketball games — and I’ve found I have a choice, too.

It’s called a remote control.

— Daniel Suddeath is a staff writer with the New Albany Tribune, and his work regularly appears in The Evening News. He can be reached via e-mail at daniel.suddeath@newsandtribune.com

Bill Protecting Political

Free Speech Passes Senate

Legislation balances rights of residents, homeowners associations regarding yard signs

Lawmakers voted 48-1 this week to approve legislation that would protect a homeowner's right to display political signs on their property.

Sen. Mike Delph authored Senate Bill 64 after Sherm Johnson, a constituent, approached him at a town hall meeting and inquired about current restrictions set in place by homeowners associations.

Under the proposed bill, associations could regulate but no longer ban the display of political signs during election seasons.

"Hoosiers should have freedom to express their political views on their own private property," Delph said. "This legislation establishes a balance for homeowners and neighborhood associations without restricting an individual's right to free speech. I thank Mr. Johnson for bringing this to my attention."

Delph said SB 64 would prohibit a homeowners association from adopting or enforcing certain restrictive covenants or rules that outright prohibit the display of political signs within 30 days of an election. Neighborhood associations would still be allowed to adopt and enforce rules that restrict the size, number and location of political signs.

"This is an important piece of legislation that promotes free speech and the right to express one's personal political views," Johnson said. "Homeowners associations should not have the ability to completely silence those rights. I thank Sen. Delph for working with me and his efforts to get this bill passed."

SB 64 now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.