Why Tim Tebow's Come-from-Behind Victories Are Important, Telling of the Times

The lore and significance we attach to great comebacks tells you a lot about the country, and how the ‘hope mechanism’ is working in a given year. It may also be true that our fondest memories of comebacks are the ones in hard times.

Take the "Sea of Hands”. 1974. Oakland and Miami, time running out, Stabler rolling to his left, going down in the boa wrap of Vern Den Herder and Stabler puts it out there—in that clip we’ve seen a trillion times—the epitome of the last ditch effort, a stranded man’s wish in a spheroid-shaped leather bottle, with the line inside,’ here’s everything, universe, and if this isn’t enough, screw you.’

And sure enough there’s Clarence Davis inside a Dolphin pod and he comes up with it. Should not have been. Little boy dreams come true.  Homeless man wins the lottery.  

Meanwhile, outside the stadium, the Dow had lost 45 percent of its value in two years, it was a bear market for the ages. GDP growth had gone from 7.2 percent to minus-2.1 percent; inflation was going the other way, from 3.4 percent to 12.3 percent. If you were thinking of the DOW as predictive, the country seemed lost.

The hero in the “Sea of Hands” was the guy forever looking over Madden’s shoulder thinking, "Isn't this exciting, John? Just look at those fans." It was a blue-collar, hope-on-a-shoestring view of the world, as though to say, and just the right advice for the times, ‘don’t get carried away with the future. Do what you need to do right now and things will come out all right. Or they won’t, but don’t worry, just keep going. Eventually, you’ll make it.’ 

2002 Wild card game. 49ers v Giants. “Crispy Creams” Garcia from Gilroy and testy-T Owens from “Alex City”, ‘Bama. One is to the other as guts is to talent. In this game Guts throws to Talent and wins. 

Meanwhile, the economic struggle at the time was compared to a heavyweight boxing match and the champion was so battered he could hardly stand. Yet the worst seemed behind the country in January 2002, but by May recovery had given way to a double-dip recession. It was a stinger. Not to mention the first Gulf war, which ended leaving Sadaam Hussein still in power.  

The wild card game itself was like that. Up and down, up and down. Unresolved right to the end. Finally, the 49ers come back and the win is all but assured—a bad snap for a Giants’ field goal; the kicker's impromptu pass goes up for grabs.  Ball falls uncaught at the goal line. Joy to the world.

But uh oh, look again.  Eligible receiver was held bright as day.

And the next day the league agreed.

How do you feel about that, Coach Mariucci, asked the press. You lucked out, you won a game you shouldn’t have.

 “Bummer”, he replied and left the podium.

A Giant fan might remember that game as a symbol of everything that went wrong in that bummer era. But if you’re a 49er fan, which I am, you see it as one of those wins you’ll take, and okay the call was bad, but what can you say?

There was no great hero that day; it was luck—and guts—and some days that’s all you have to go on. 

We remember the most famous NFC Championship Game of all because of one play and because that game marked the start of a dynasty. But while Clark was going up over Walls to get that ball, Rockford, Illinois, to pick a place, had 25 percent unemployment. Michigan lead the nation with about 14.5 percent. Alabama was second with 14.3 percent. The net worth of the S&L industry had fallen close to zero. And so on.  

It was not unlike now and who was the hero? Sports pundits could not figure Montana out. He was a “shrinking violet”. He was a reluctant hero. What he did was “almost like poetry”. He was a surgeon. He was a mix and a mystery.  

This is the Q who played perhaps the best fourth quarter In football history, coming from behind to beat the Eagles in 1989, and took such a beating in the first half that the offensive line coach apologized to him during half time. 

I see Montana, and Bill Walsh, for that matter, as the first football techies. Cool, effective, creative. Relentless. But understated.  And successful because they built the expectation of success. The drive that led to “the catch’, and the drive that led to their first Super Bowl win were proof of mettle.

If together they had a business corollary it’s Steve Jobs The hope they offered was born on competency and risk, which are the just the qualities you need when you’re unemployed and you need to make your break.

And then there’s Tim Tebow’s last minute victory over the Jets last week. What else to say. Just this: it was not a great victory but inspiring in its weird way and interesting in what it says about the times.

Stabler, Montana, even Garcia were all clear heroes and their heroics were unanimously accepted. The Mannings, Reich I suppose although that may have been a special case, but Brady certainly, Elway of course, we revere all these people because they rose from the dead again and again, they rallied when all seemed lost, and that’s such an American dream, you defy the odds, you save the day. You win the girl, the gold watch.  Everything.  You win our hearts. And we say about those people, “They should knight that guy”. 

All these players share a common quality. They don’t have personalities or circumstance that overshadow their play on the field. There’s not a Jimmy Piersall among them. Jim McMahon might be the closest to a hero in the NFL whose image was cut with his personality.

Tebow of course is different, even as he can charm Jimmy Kimmel, and very much a reflection of the moment. He’s the convoluted, uncertain hero, worshipped by some, marginalized by others. He’s a symbol of a divided republic, and what better example of division than today when a bipartisan group of 12 members of Congress, an All-Star team if you will, cannot come up with an agreement because they’re locked in the righteous mud of ideology.

Even Tebow’s god, who can outwit prevent defenses, is not likely to save them. So where is the hope in that? What can you take from Tebow's heroics and his kneel?  It's a mixed message, difficult to understand, hard to accept.