I hate football. I know that’s not a popular opinion to have, especially when about 70% of my visitors are Americans, but considering the average 3 hour game only has a total of about 11 minutes of actual play time, I find it both incredibly dull and utterly pointless. I can’t, however, deny there is something about the way it’s put together. They’ve even managed to make showing commercials something people look forward to (which in an average game accounts for 60 minutes of ads; no wonder it’s “America’s sport”), although CBS’s recent decision to air an anti-abortion commercial starring Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother Pam may change that.

Focus on the Family, the nutjob institution that thinks gays are trying to ruin “traditional marriage”, is going to air the pair in a 30 second advert. You see, back in 1987, Pam Tebow became pregnant, but severe complications threatened both her life and that of the baby, so doctors recommended she terminate the pregnancy. She refused, and later fell into a coma for a while; the pregnancy was so hard she was completely bedridden almost the entire time. She decided to take a huge risk and keep the child, and that baby was Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Now, you can imagine how they want to spin this fucking yarn.

Of course, the fact both Pam and Tim survived and are both healthy is a bit of a rarity, and it definitely sends the wrong message concerning the real risks some women face during difficult pregnancies. The fact that they are both alive is a testament to the power of medical science, not God. I doubt very much that the ad will put much focus on just how serious her medical problems were in the 30 seconds they have to play with. Besides, it’s like trying to prove smoking isn’t harmful by finding a 90 year old who smokes three packs a day. Yes, We EXPECT there will always be a few exceptions out there, but flaunting them is both dishonest and dangerous (read a great summary of the arguments here).

CBS used to have a policy of neutrality when it came to advertising during the Super Bowl, but inexplicably they’ve decided to break this rule. Are they going to leave out the fact Pam had the OPTION not to terminate her pregnancy? I don’t know what the ad will say, but people should be aware Focus on the Family’s real agenda is to make ALL abortions illegal, regardless of the consequences to the mother. When is America finally going to stand by the idea of freedom of choice when it comes to abortion? The fact this is still an issue is an embarrassment to a country that prides itself on being free.