The Three T’s of Early December-Tebow, Tiger and Trump

The Three T’s of Early December-Tebow, Tiger and Trump

By: David Van Rossum

I became a Denver Bronco fan when I was a kid living at The Air Force Academy.  My dad was stationed there and my love for sports blossomed in those fabulous years between ages 5 and 9. Through the four subsequent moves that my family would make until settling in New England, I remained a Bronco fan. Thirty five years later I still am. So, yes I screamed for Tim Tebow to get a chance. He couldn’t make things worse than they had been in the past two years. I have watched every game he has started, all but one an emotional ride that have resulted in exciting, sometimes improbable wins. He is sure getting a lot of media attention. Some doubt his abilities, some don’t like that he wears his religious beliefs on his sleeve, and some think that he is getting too much credit for Bronco victories. Others believe he has “it”, that elusive intangible quality that lifts his performance level beyond explainable human feats. Whatever he is, he is an entertainment story that sells. I’m ok with that; it’s not a big deal to me. I just like the wins. If the Broncos win with him at the QB position then he is my guy. If they begin to lose and his poor performance is a big part of that slide, well then he can be added to the junk pile strewn with all the pretenders since John Elway retired. It’s all about results.

                Tiger Woods was a great golfer. He was a huge media story before he became what he was supposed to be. Woods handled it all well. He would win or play well, yet he would still talk about having to continue to work hard at his game. Then he would work hard at his game. He was amazing. He was exactly what his dad wanted him to be. Unlike the sad story of Todd Marinovich, he embraced it and achieved. Tiger had some injuries and then the stories of his infidelities became public. He was reviled. He didn’t play well when he entered tournaments and he didn’t enter many. He won a tournament this past weekend. The golf public seems to be happy with that. Whatever he is, he is an entertainment story that sells. I’m ok with that; it’s not a big deal to me. He may return to his earlier phenomenal success. Good for him. Not because he deserves a second chance after his disgusting behavior as a husband, but because he continues to work hard at his public sport, and he just got the ultimate result- a win. It’s all about results.

                Donald Trump is and has been a successful businessman. Just ask him. He kinda started a presidential campaign and kinda stopped it. He has lots of news and commentary shows vying for his on-air time. He has a very public life and a lot of buildings and enterprises that bear his name. Whatever he is, he is an entertainment story that sells. I’m ok with that. I am not ok with his undeserved media pulpit from which he is perceived as a political guru. He is a ratings getter. That is why he is on everywhere. He has not subjected himself to the scrutiny that those who are running endure. I wonder if he would survive such vetting. He does not deserve status as a political oracle and we should not be foolish enough to give his opinion too much weight as we move through our draining political selection process. It’s all about results, and I believe it would be a shame if Trump is granted too much influence toward the results of the 2012 elections.

                Trump is obviously good at creating wealth and fame for himself. I do not believe that is a qualification to command the amount of time he gets to spout his political opinions. A lot of his views may be spot on. He is big on telling us all that he saw everything coming years ago. He would be tough to China. Good, then run. If not, then go back and fire people on TV. I believe we should all be able to express our opinions, especially regarding the government of our country. I don’t think, however, that because Oprah or Bono or Trump thinks something, that their fans should be unduly influenced. I think too many of us are.  I have no problem with the republican candidates visiting with The Donald to hear his thoughts on trade. I think that is good. I do not like the fact that Trump is acting like and being portrayed as a Kingmaker. You need the evangelicals, you need the independents and you need The Donald. Sadly, he may very well be a kingmaker.

 I wish more of us would seriously consider the issues of today and the future. We should ask ourselves if we think we are taxed fairly. We should consider, thoughtfully, the arguments of both sides regarding increasing the tax rates of the “rich”. We should question how wisely the government spends our money. We should hear clearly both sides of the energy vs. environment debate as it relates to increased drilling. Most of us don’t. We hear the arguments and rebuttals from one point of view. If we are liberal then we seek commentary from the left. If we are conservative then we seek commentary from the right. If you don’t think media has an agenda then ask yourself how Newt Gingrich (whose politics I admire) is getting a free pass from all major media outlets regarding his past personal baggage. The right likes his policies and doesn’t want to stifle the primary debate, and the left would love for Newt to be Obama’s opponent next November. If Mr. Gingrich garners the republican nomination, the left leaning media will surely bombard us with stories that could be run now. Maybe I am just a cynic, but I believe we get and absorb political information the same way Congress operates- from one side. We as a nation need to do a better job of seeking both sides of the political debate, weighing them equally and then deciding issue by issue how decisions affect us, our families and our community. I know some do, but I don’t think enough of us try to obtain enough information to make an informed choice. I believe voters in 1800 did a better job of forming their opinions with much less and a much slower flow of information. They read the pamphlets that were printed from both sides. Sure, those were nasty elections too and partisanship wasn’t invented in the twenty first century, but folks could take the time to read and absorb.

                So, the three T’s of early December are all over the television and the internet. I hope Tebow takes my Broncos to the Promised Land. I hope our interpretation of Tiger’s redemption is confined to his future success on the golf course. Most of all, I hope we can all dismiss Trump as a serious political figure and we see and hear less of him as we mull our political choices. It really is all about results.