Focus on the Family May Run Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad Featuring Tim Tebow's Mom

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- When football fans watch the Super Bowl next year, they may see a pro-life ad from Focus on the Family focusing on the mother of potential future NFL star Tim Tebow. Tebow is the Heisman Trophy winner and University of Florida star quarterback whose mother decided not to abort him in a crisis pregnancy.

The Super Bowl ad would be costly -- as a spot during the game and three 30-second commercials before it would reportedly run about $4 million -- but provides a unique exposure to a large national and international audience.

The ad, according to multiple sources, reportedly features the story of Tebow's birth.

Pam Tebow and her husband were Christian missionaries in the Philippines in 1985 and they prayed for "Timmy" before she became pregnant.

Unfortunately, Pam entered into a coma after she contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in a contaminated food or drink. The treatment for the medical condition would require strong medications that doctors told Pam had caused irreversible damage to Tim -- so they advised her to have an abortion.

Tebow refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted. She ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and, eventually, gave birth to a health baby boy in August 1987.

Tim Tebow would win the Heisman in 2007 and then lead the Florida Gators football team to the national championship a year later and he is likely a top draft pick for 2010.

Focus is not sharing any details about the potential ad.

Contacted by the Colorado Independent newspaper, a liberal rag, Focus media relations director Gary Schneeberger said: "I decline comment. Let's just say that. I have nothing to say."

He then added, "If there is a Super Bowl commercial from Focus on the Family, I guess you'll just have to wait and see it during the Super Bowl. I can say Tim Tebow does not appear in any Focus on the Family ad," though he did not mention his mother.

The newspaper also indicated the new head of Focus, Jim Daly, spoke at an evangelical conference months ago and spoke about the ad and sought funding for it.

Whether CBS will allow the potential Focus pro-life ad to air is another question.

This year, NBC rejected a television commercial the pro-life Catholic group Fidelis and its CatholicVote web site hoped to run.

The ad showed a beautiful picture of an unborn child during an ultrasound and asks what would happen if President Barack Obama had been a victim of abortion.

After several days of negotiations, an NBC representative in Chicago told the group that NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving "political advocacy or issues."

If they think it’s money well spent, well, that’s their opinion and their money.

I don’t think it will do very much for people who are only concerned in watching the big game. I mean who is tuning in to devote time to really think about abortion during the superbowl. It will last as long as the ad, if they aren’t going to the bathroom or in the kitchem, and it will last all of that 30 seconds, and then everyone will forget it and be back on the game.

I think personally they could do a lot better and longer lasting ad campaign with that money than a 30 second spot. I will pray it goes better than I expect but I believe it isn’t the best choice for them to make.

“the first reason is that the NFL does not want their political issues “

But they’ll push other political causes.

“Second, if they were to air the Tebow Pro Life ad, the price for the ad spots just prior to and after the Tebow ad would drop in value.”

How? The before would not be impacted as nobody knows whats coming next.

The after would benefit from all the discussion and attention this one gets.

But you’re right, the NFL won’t allow a conservative cause like this to buy an add. Let alone the Christian message thats attached.

While they may push some political causes of inclusion that would benefit the NFL's profit margin, they do not sell ad time to any political cause, liberal or conservative.

The common thread that runs through all Super Bowl ads is that they are unique, funny and always upbeat and positive. And the abortion issue for many people, no matter what their stand, is always a downer.

Therefore, if were buying time for Monster.com, Budweiser or UPS, I would not want my four million dollars anywhere near the abortion ad.

Nonetheless, while I doubt Focus on the Family has the four million to burn on the Super Bowl ad time, they will do some good by producing the ad, knowing it would be rejected and then having that rejection play out as a news story without having to shell out the four million dollars.

NFL does not want their political issues as part of their broadcast

* * * * * * * *

I agree. Super Bowl Day is about mindless entertainment. Football games are the last place people do serious thinking about hotly charged, highly divisive political issues. There’s a reason why Tebow’s mother would do it and not Tebow himself.

Also the networks may be considering the feelings of millions of post-abortive women watching the show, who also want to have fun and enjoyment, not have this ad come on and remind them they’re a “murderer.”

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