pop culture Archives

Welcome to Denver, Tim Tebow!

As a football fan in general and a Denver Broncos fan in particular, I was elated to see our home team select Florida’s Tim Tebow with the number 25 overall pick in last night’s NFL draft. Dusting the snow off our local papers in our driveway this morning, I was greeted with the following headlines in my Denver Post and Colorado Springs Gazette:

“Professing Faith: McDaniels Makes His Tenure-Defining Choice in Florida QB”

“Mr. Eye Black A Black Eye?”

“McStunner: Tebow”

Sports coverage around the country is echoing a similar theme.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, events, pop culture April 23, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Tebow Chooses Principles Over Pocketbook

Tim Tebow will know in a couple of days where he’ll be playing professional football. Far more important, though, before he signs his first NFL contract, he already knows what his off-the-field priorities are: principles before pocketbook.

The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and former University of Florida standout made that abundantly clear this past weekend while speaking to a Christian college audience about the reaction in some quarters to his appearance in a commercial for Focus on the Family during this year’s Super Bowl.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, faith, pop culture April 20, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Secrets of the Mountain

When it comes to finding wholesome family entertainment on network television, there are so few family-friendly options that when one comes along, I’m eager to support it. Thanks to a joint effort between Wal-Mart and Proctor and Gamble, Secrets of the Mountain, a made for TV movie, will air on NBC tonight (8 PM EDT).

Taking a page out of Hallmark Hall of Fame and the days of the Wonderful World of Disney Sunday night films, executives with both corporations have committed to helping fund “family-friendly” entertainment.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, pop culture April 16, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Tiger Woods and Billy Payne

Yesterday marked the opening of the famed Masters golf tournament at Augusta National and, more precisely, the official return of Tiger Woods to the PGA Tour.

Augusta National is a beautiful slice of the American South, but for lovers of the game, it’s more than just a picturesque course. In fact, it’s been called golf’s Garden of Eden. “If there’s a golf course in heaven,” Gary Player once remarked, “I hope it’s like Augusta National.” But then he added dryly, “I just don’t want an early tee time.”

How four-time Masters champion Tiger Woods will ultimately fare against the competition is anyone’s guess.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, events, marriage, news, pop culture April 9, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Let’s Continue the Dialogue

I never cease to be amazed how God works.

By now it’s likely you know about our Super Bowl ad with Pam and Tim Tebow. But what you may not know is the genesis of the idea. In a way it snuck up on us in God’s perfect timing. I was completing some work in our video studio at Focus on the Family when one of our film team members, Mark Waters, tossed out an idea which he had been kicking around for a year.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: entertainment, events, pop culture, pro-life March 17, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Hooray for Hollywood

Looking for some good news out of Hollywood?

I was encouraged to read the other day about the actor Chris O’Donnell of NCIS: Los Angeles fame.The thirty-nine-year-old actor has been married to his college sweetheart, Caroline, for the last twelve years. They have five children, ranging in age from two through ten.

Chris recently said something that I can genuinely relate to. He told a reporter: “Family is my number one priority. I can’t handle being away that long .

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, family, pop culture March 16, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

NCAA Bans Focus Ad

The latest Focus on the Family ad featuring our “Celebrate Family. Celebrate Life” message was banned last week by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Here’s what happened. In short, our agreement with CBS Sports to run the Tim and Pam Tebow ad in the Super Bowl included the placement of banner ads on various Web sites which the network maintains. One of those outlets was a Web site for the NCAA basketball tournament.

I should point out the banner ad had nothing to do with the topic of abortion or sexuality or any other “hot button” issue.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, news, pop culture February 27, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Virgin Territory

During the SEC Media Day last summer, Tim Tebow was fielding questions from journalists when he said something that shocked the press. In between tackling questions about future aspirations, strategy, training, and using his platform to share his faith, Tebow was asked, “Are you saving yourself for marriage?”

Without missing a beat, Tebow answered, “Yes, I am.”

Silence. No follow up question.

Writing for the Washington Post, Sports Columnist Sally Jenkins said, “The room fell into a hush, followed by tittering: The best college football player in the country had just announced he was a virgin.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, pop culture February 9, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Was Brit Hume Right About Tiger Woods?

You’ll want to tune into tomorrow’s Focus on the Family broadcast featuring a conversation with former Fox anchorman, Brit Hume. I caught up with Brit during a recent trip to Washington, D.C. and discussed the suicide of his son, journalism as a profession, and his faith in Jesus.

Of special interest is what Brit told me regarding his “controversial” suggestion that Tiger Woods should embrace the forgiveness offered by Christianity.

Let me take you back to January 3, 2010 when Brit, as a guest commentator on Fox News Sunday, offered this analysis of Tiger Woods future in light of his adulterous relationships:

Tiger Woods will recover as a golfer.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, news, pop culture February 2, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Some Super Bowl Stimulus

As I recently shared with our team here at Focus on the Family, who could have imagined the amount of interest we’d receive over our Super Bowl ad with Tim and Pam Tebow?

I’ve watched in amazement as a simple expression of “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life” has turned some in the media world and a few special interest groups on their heads. It’s fascinating!

One thing that has been clear to us all along has been the guiding hand of the Lord—from the spark of the idea to the firestorm of reaction, His presence has been steady and strong.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: entertainment, family, news, pop culture February 2, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura