Here at The Revolting Man we strive to be revolutionary. While others are looking left, we look right and vice versa. It is here that we hope you find that perspective, that bit of commentary, that story that you don’t get anywhere else.
For instance, this week the whole of the country was talking about one of two things;Tim Tebow or the 2012 presidential primary. So of course one would assume The Revolting Man, in a never ending quest to be revolutionary, would not discuss either. And you would be correct, because today we will be discussing Tim Tebow AND the 2012 presidential primary, so as to be both revolutionary and relevant. Of course The Revolting Man would never just state his opinion on Tim Tebow (wonderfully inspiring and humbling) and the 2012 presidential primary (vaguely disturbing and worrisome). It must needs be accompanied by some obscure analogy and to illuminate some obvious but overlooked truth of the world of men, and that dear reader is no mean feat. Especially as there is almost nothing The Revolting Man can add to a purely technical discussion of football or related topics. As an avowed baseball man he finds football a little too straightforward to offer much diversion. It seems the bigger, faster team will invariably win and that most contests of the kind can reasonably be predicted at the outset. There are times though when the storyline can add drama and interest to an otherwise two dimensional sport. In the case of the 2012 presidential primary that would have been the now politically departed and greatly lamented Herman Cain who unfortunately will not be mentioned in this column again, even the parts that are about the 2012 presidential primary. In the NFL it is the marvelous Tim Tebow who is bringing the depth and heart which is largely lacking in politics. Tebow, as most readers will already know, was a legendary college quarterback. He led his Florida Gators to two national championships while winning a Heisman Trophy and breaking multiple records, but his move to the NFL was not as seamless as his college career would suggest. For many reasons he was not predicted to perform well at the next level and was dismissed and some would say disrespected by some NFL-ers and the sports press. Nevertheless, Tebow has proven to be a resilient winner while maintaining an air of professionalism, maturity and for lack of a better word, groundedness. It’s been a very impressive display of character, judgment and discretion for a young man. The naysayers included well respected figures in his field and on his team. Despite that he maintained not only his dignity and humanity but his drive and confidence. The Revolting Man aspires to do as well in similar circumstances. In fact, Tebow represents everything that is good about sports. He is showing us who we could be, that strong character can and should accompany professional excellence. He is rejuvenating the once ubiquitous but now discredited concept of an American masculine ideal. Now here is where the 2012 presidential primary comes in. The Revolting Man realizes that in the midst of a truncated football season, immediately after the holidays and right before tax time, that most men are looking for some innocent escapism. We want to focus on Tim Tebow and his revival of the best that’s in all of us. We do not want to focus on 7 guys talking about the taxes we’re trying to ignore, national decline, foreign policy or forestalling the worst in all of us. And that is exactly what politics is all about. It is boring and dry and largely negative. We don’t think we can change anything and no matter which side we choose half the country will end up hating us. Meanwhile, Tebow requires nothing of us. You can love him or you hate him but either way it’s inconsequential. It doesn’t matter if Tebow wins or loses. It won’t affect your job or your kids. It won’t anger or mollify your wife. You won’t have to be embarrassed or worried at all. You can either revel in the fact that you were right or ruefully pontificate about why you were mistaken but there are no bad consequences. This is of course refreshing. Most men love to be able to focus our inner lives on the inconsequential; it’s a wonderful escape from the rest of our world. We can love or hate Tebow for whatever reason we want and never have another thought about it. Not so the 2012 presidential primary. It has huge import for our future and its players were not all likeable. The choices are not clear cut and the decision is going to have to be lived with. This is not appealing to men. It requires much of us. We must stick our necks out, make decisions and take stands. That can be a very uncomfortable place sometimes, at least when the decisions we stand on have very real consequences. As men we love making decisions and taking stands, when they don’t matter. That’s why sports and video games are so seductive; they fulfill that drive to feel purposeful and resolute without requiring us to purpose or resolve anything. So here’s the challenge men, get involved for real. We all love Tebow and there is definitely a place for mental rest and relaxation, but after the work is done. The work to be done right now is to pick a candidate, make your choice known and try to sway others to your point of view. You see the revolting man is one who sees that while Tebow is a man of action, his exploits are to be enjoyed by men at leisure. If you are to be a man of action, you have to keep leisure in its place, take the risks, get out of your comfort zone and accomplish something, live a high stakes life of consequence. Then go enjoy Tebow. He’s a hell of a guy.
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AuthorThe Revolting Man lives at the end of a dirt road at the bottom of a hill at the top of a valley in the foothills of the Appalachians. Archives
December 2016
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