Gator QB Tim Tebow has been described by his own brother as “more of a legend than a person,” and the New York Times’ Pete Thamel is all too happy to add to said legend, one that includes Tebow’s duet with Kenny Chesney and letting male inmates touch him.

The honeymoon of the legend of Tim Tebow will officially end on Saturday, when the Gators open the defense of their national title against Western Kentucky. That is when Tebow will complete the move from the most popular position on campus ” backup quarterback ” to the most scrutinized.

it is Tebow™s off-field exploits that have perpetuated his legend throughout the state. Born in the Philippines as the son of a missionary, Tebow returns there nearly every year to preach. He plans to go back during spring break, a trip that would include spending time at the orphanage his father™s ministry set up.

œWe go into medical clinics, hospitals, prisons, marketplaces and schools, Tebow said. œYou preach and help out. I love going every year and I can™t wait until I go back.

Tebow particularly enjoyed speaking at two prisons in Florida this off-season. His message stuck, as more than 195 of the prisoners œcame forward and said they accepted Jesus Christ in their lives. Tebow ignored the suggestions of the prison security and hugged the inmates and held their hands as they came forward.

œThe inmates really liked it, said Joe Shuler, the assistant warden at the Reception Medical Center, a prison that ranges from minimum security to close custody, in Lake Butler, Fla. œHe was out there in the thick of them.

Tebow’s numbers today against Western Kentucky are fairly Christ-like : 13-16 passing for 299 yards and 3 TD’s passes, 1 rushing touchdown, as the Gators lead, 35-3, with a quarter remaining.

Dunno about you loyal readers, but I cannot get enough of ESPN’s harping on the “healing process” for Virginia Tech (currently ahead of East Carolina, 17-7, in the 3rd quarter). Lee Corso has insisted there’s something truly unique about the manner in which Blacksburg came together in the aftermath of the April 16 slaughter, and given that we’ve not seen a mass murder handled quite the same way on a college campus in recent memory, how can I argue with him?

While there’s every possibility that some of the families and friends of the 33 persons killed by Seung-Hui Cho won’t be affected in the least by a fucking college football game, I prefer, like Corso, to look on the bright side of things. For instance, were it not for Cho’s shooting spree, can you imagine how often today’s broadcast team would have to mention the pending federal dog fighting conviction of a prominent Hoakie alumnus?