Shawn Akers | Charisma News

The media often has chastised Tim Tebow for boldly expressing his Christianity in public. Recently, Tebow surprisingly got a vote of support from a brash individual of another sort—KISS frontman Gene Simmons.

Simmons, who along with bandmate Paul Stanley is co-owner of the LA KISS—a new Arena Football League team—told Radio.com that Tebow has only been picked on because of his Christian beliefs and that it would be a different story if he were of another religion.

“He’s got religious passion, as well he should. We’re in America,” Simmons told Radio.com. “He’s proud to be a Christian. What’s wrong with that? And yet, with sports media and pop culture media, they make fun of his religion. Really? In America?

“If he was wearing a burqa [an outer garment worn by women in some Islamic countries to cover their bodies when in public], they wouldn’t dare saying anything. The guy’s got family values. I never saw the media picking on Michael Vick for torturing dogs. Or this other football player [Aaron Hernandez], who’s alleged to have killed, committed murder. That’s ‘cool.’ But a guy who’s religious and has got family values isn’t cool? He’s cool to me.”

The LA KISS will begin playing in the Arena Football League in 2014. Simmons and Stanley recently made a public offer to Tebow to come and play quarterback for them next year. The New England Patriots released Tebow, the former Heisman Trophy-winner and two-time national championship quarterback at the University of Florida, prior to the start of the NFL season.

Simmons says he hasn’t heard from Tebow following the offer but that he knows Tebow has been in Los Angeles and may be mulling over the possibility.

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Nicki Gostin | Fox News

Legendary KISS founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have collaborated on the memoir ‘Nothin’ To Lose,’ an oral history of their rock band’s genesis. “It’s an overview of the band,” explained Stanley. “How it came about from its inception, almost from the time the sperm fertilized the egg really.” Indeed. FOX411 spoke to both Stanley and Simmons about the book, their football plans, and what went wrong with original KISS members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.

FOX411: Ace Frehley and Peter Criss both have memoirs out that paint pretty harsh portraits of both of you. Was that upsetting?

Simmons: Ace took me to lunch before his book came out and he read me a chapter about how he almost drowned in a pool and I saved him by diving in and pulling him out. He asked if it was accurate. I said, ’95 percent of it was accurate, except it wasn’t you; it was Peter Criss who was drowning. You’ve been a f**king drug addict all of your life. Both Peter and Ace were at one point pure, innocent, believed all for one, one for all, and then they succumbed to the clichés of rock. So neither Ace nor Peter were fully conscious when any of those things happened. It’s up to you if you want to believe them. We wish them the best, but those books, to my estimation, they’re closer to fiction.

Stanley: The fact remains from what I’ve seen of those books, they clearly still see themselves as victims, and when you can’t take responsibility for your situation, you blame others. The proof is what they have done outside of the band and it amounts to a big zero. I would say nothing if they had not said something first. I certainly wish them well and you can’t help but believe that they’re incredibly envious of the success we’ve had without them, which was part of the problem in the first place. If somebody thinks they’re irreplaceable they’re either completely deluded, stupid, or intoxicated. In their case they abused their position in the band under the assumption that they were then only people who could do what they do, and here we are 40 years later playing arenas and venturing into areas most other bands would find impossible, like having an AFL football team, the first new football team in L.A. in decades, LAKISS, which will play in Anaheim.

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NJKISSexpo.com

UD Replicas, the leader in high-end movie replicas, has moved into the world of Rock and Roll with their new line of high-end KISS motorcycle jackets and clothing. The unveiling will take place at the 2013 New Jersey KISS Expo at the Raritan Center in Edison NJ next Saturday, September 28.

Samples will be available for viewing and inspection. You will also be able to pre-order the items directly at the KISS Expo. We are unbelievably lucky to have UD Replicas as part of our solid day of non-stop KISS mayhem this year. They promise to have an incredible display booth not to be missed!

Tickets to the KISS Expo are only $10 – buy them online today HERE!