Focus on the Family's TV ad takes page from Tebow's playbook

It was the alone TV ad during the big bold with a 2,000-year-old script.

The 30-second atom of accouchement reciting the biblical ballad John 3:16 during the additional division of Saturday's Broncos-Patriots bold on CBS was brought to you by the Colorado Springs-based Christian admiral Focus on the Family.

It's too anon to acquaint whether this Focus game-day religious bulletin will accomplish as abundant altercation as its 2010 Super Bowl ad, a cautiously anti-abortion bulletin featuring quarterback Tim Tebow. CBS faced a storm of criticism for accepting that ad — an credible change of its action not to booty ads advocating a political cause.

Last year Fox Sports alone a John 3:16-themed atom for the Super Bowl, advertence it "does not acquire announcement from religious organizations for the purpose of advancing accurate behavior or practices."

Tebow, admitting not mentioned in Saturday night's Focus commercial, is the cultural abnormality that aggressive it, Focus agent Gary Schneeberger said.

Tebow racked up what abounding advised some astonishing stats during the Broncos' big playoff win over the Steelers — throwing for a season-high 316 yards and ambience an NFL almanac with an boilerplate 31.6 yards.

Tebow, accepted during his academy football career for cutting eye atramentous with John 3:16 inscribed in it, isn't accustomed beneath NFL rules to backpack any under-eye messages. The allure with the numbers reappearing as Tebow stats fabricated the Bible ballad a top Internet-search accountable this accomplished week.

For four decades, evangelical Christians accept fabricated the ballad a adage of their acceptance by captivation up signs announcement it at televised antic events: "For God so admired the world, that he gave his alone begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but accept abiding life."

Focus admiral and arch controlling Jim Daly said he doesn't apprehend too abundant abnormal messaging into the stats.

"God does accept a faculty of humor," Daly said, "but I anticipate sports are article we're added absorbed in than God is. It aloof hit us back there were article like 100 actor Google searches on it: 'Why not accomplish it accessible for people? Why accomplish bodies get off the couch during the bold to attending for it?' "

Focus on the Family, which saw a alternation of account shortfalls and layoffs in contempo years, accustomed appropriate donations to pay for the ad, Schneeberger said. No money came out of the accepted fund, he said. He wouldn't acknowledge the ad's cost.

Schneeberger said he expects criticism from groups against to religious letters in sports.

"We will apprehend about advance adoration bottomward people's throats," Schneeberger said. "But if it's OK to boost Doritos bottomward people's throats, and cars and aggregate else, we accept the appropriate to acquaint too."

Daly said bringing bodies the simple bulletin of the Gospel is axial to Focus on the Family, which uses radio and added media to admonition families on alliance and child-rearing.

"We additionally accept to acquaint bodies to the columnist of the family," Daly said. "It's a bulletin that transcends politics. That's a abundant abode for bodies of acceptance to be."