By Christopher L. Gasper, Globe columnist
There is a segment of the football-following public who would like to see Tim Tebow brought to his knees for a reason other than his faith.
The Patriots don't usually have a lot of fans outside of New Englanders and members of the Boston sports diaspora, but you can bet this Sunday, when they take on Tebow and the Denver Broncos, they'll be some NFL fans rooting fervently for them to end Tebow's turn as a Cinderella signal-caller.
Regardless of whether you believe in Him, err, Tim or not, it's hard to deny there is something special happening with the Broncos, be it divine intervention or simply a fortunate football team bonding behind a new quarterback, a la the 2001 Patriots. The Broncos, who started 1-4, have become born-again winners since inserting Tebow into the lineup, winning seven of eight, six straight, and authoring five fourth-quarter comebacks to seize the top spot in the AFC West.
Tebow has become a polarizing player, and the constant caveats detractors attach to his success are not solely because of his throwing motion or his reliance on running the ball. There is just as much intolerance of Tebow's pious nature as there is of his unorthodox style of play.
How else do you explain the scathing criticism that Tebow has endured even though he keeps winning? Yes, there are not many successful NFL quarterbacks who complete 48.5 percent of their passes, and throw a football like Johnny Damon's long-lost cousin. But there have been other NFL QBs with elongated or unusual throwing motions -- Byron Leftwich comes to mind -- who weren't subjected to the same derogatory and derisive comments that Tebow has inspired.
The problem isn't how Tebow plays. It's how he prays. Tebow repeatedly thanks the Lord and mentions God in his post-game interviews, and is open about promoting his religious values and virtues.
Even though the NFL plays on Sunday, a holy day, and the phrase Hail Mary is a part of the football lexicon, it is a secular enterprise. Many fans demand the separation of church and snap. There are some fans and analysts who seem to simply resent the fact that Tebow has injected religion into their Sunday ritual.
Full disclosure, I'm not particularly religious, but I have no problem with Tebow conveying his piety each Sunday. It's no worse than a NASCAR driver shouting out his sponsor after winning a race, or Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wearing a TB12 cap to the podium some times.
Instead of a shoe company or a clothing brand, Tebow has an endorsement deal with God.
He's not pitching a brand of sneakers or a car. He's pitching Christianity, and as long as he does it without denigrating any one else's religious beliefs or lifestyle choices it shouldn't be an issue.