He’s become an upstanding hero to millions of young football fans, a fierce competitor on the field and a celebrated philanthropist off the field – just the kind of public figure analysts love to … hate?

New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow’s feats and foibles on the gridiron have been an endless source of debate for football fans since he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round three years ago – as has his public commitment to both Christianity and abstinence before marriage.

But the debates and the criticism reached new heights this week after reports leaked out that the man portrayed as a consummate teammate got into an argument with his coach over being passed over in the lineup for a third-string quarterback.

Tebow has spent most of his first season with the Jets on the bench, backing up starting QB Mark Sanchez, while seeing only a few plays per game in the team’s gimmick “Wildcat” package and – oddly enough – on the punt team. In interviews, Tebow has repeatedly said he’d do whatever the team needed to win.