Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad in O'Reilly Factor spotlight: "Are you offended that Tim Tebow's alive?"

Yesterday, we shared Focus on the Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger's defense of the organization's forthcoming Super Bowl ad, starring Florida QB Tim Tebow and his mom, against protests by a variety of women's organizations. Since then, critics have been out in force, with Women's Media Center president Jehmu Greene even...

By Michael Roberts

January 27, 2010

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Yesterday, we shared Focus on the Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger's defense of the organization's forthcoming Super Bowl ad, starring Florida QB Tim Tebow and his mom, against protests by a variety of women's organizations. Since then, critics have been out in force, with Women's Media Center president Jehmu Greene even stopping by The O'Reilly Factor.

Unsurprisingly, as you'll see in the clip above, host Bill O'Reilly was on FOTF's side from the get-go. When Greene notes Focus's anti-abortion stance (the Tebow ad is widely assumed to echo this philosophy), O'Reilly declares, "Now you're attacking the group and not the ad" -- even though, as he acknowledges, neither he nor Greene nor pretty much anyone other than personnel with Focus and CBS, the network airing this year's Super Bowl, have actually seen the spot. The coup de grâce? When O'Reilly asks, "Are you offended that Tim Tebow's alive?"

Florida State fans might struggle with that question...

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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