Tebow is simply not that good. The reason I hate him is simple: it isn't the Denver Broncos anymore, it is the Denver Tebows. When Prater kicks a 55+ yard field goal for the win, they don't say "what an amazing kick," they say "what an amazing effort by Tim Tebow to get Denver into field goal range." They don't say "the defense stepped up and shut down the Steelers," they say "Tebow WILLED his team to win this game! He is just a winner." Fucking. Stop. Tebow is a mediocre QB. I can think of at least 20 starting NFL QBs I'd rather have than Tebow, and there are a few that would be a toss up (i.e. Mark Sanchez). Yet somehow, this guy is hoisted up as being on the same level as the elite QBs, and the reason is simple: he has an incredibly rabid fan base. The kind of fan base that will absolutely lose their minds if you so much as dare to insinuate that their boy Tebow is anything less than the single greatest human being to ever walk the Earth. The vast majority of these fans are fans because of Tebow's religion. It is the same reason Notre Dame has such a huge following. It has zero to do with the football team, and everything to do with religion. And at the end of the day, Tebow, ESPN, and especially the Broncos know: Religion will sell tickets. This is why Tebow will never be benched. The Broncos will be selling out Mile High for as long as Tebow is the starting QB. In the eyes of his fan base, he can do no wrong, to the point where the Broncos could go 2-14 next year and sell out every single game, and still show up on national games on Sunday and Monday night. Why? Because Tebow is religious, and that sells. Any shortcomings on Tebow's part will be chalked up to bad coaching or a bad defense or a bad offensive line: it will never be Tebow's fault. People who love Tebow will tune in to watch him. People who hate Tebow will tune on to watch him lose. You're going to see a LOT more of those religious ads during Bronco games. Now, how is this Tebow's fault? He plays it up. He plays into it as much as he possibly can. During time outs, they're not showing a huddle or people talking, they're shooting Tebow praying. He knows there is a camera on him, so he plays it up. When a big kick is being kicked, they're not focusing on the formation or the field, there will be a shot of Tebow praying. Again, he KNOWS they're filming him. He isn't pointing to the field and saying "hey, the important guys are out there, how about shooting them." He is playing it up. Tebow knows the reason his fan base is so huge, and the reason he is a starter in the NFL, is because of his religion. If it weren't for Tebow's rabid fan base, mostly of religious people who know nothing about football, Kyle Orton would've still been starting. We all know Elway really, really didn't want to start Tebow, but his hand was forced by Tebow's rabid fan base. At the end of the day, Tebow knows what he is doing. He knows that his religion is the reason he is an NFL starter, his religion is why his fan base is so huge, and his religion is going to keep him firmly in the driver's seat in Denver for the foreseeable future. He is playing the hand that was dealt to him. That doesn't mean the rest of us NFL fans have to like it. None of this is an indictment of religion. I don't care what religion a player is: that is the point. I don't care, I don't want to care, I don't want to know, I just want to watch some fucking football without having a player crammed down my throat.
It's more that the option offense is a gimmick offense and like all gimmick offenses it works until teams adjust to it (see: The Wildcat). Once other teams adjusted the Broncos got crushed by a great team twice (the Patriots) and two really poor teams once each (Bills and Chiefs). They beat the Steelers mainly because Dick LeBeau's ego is as big as Roethlisberger's erection after hearing the word "no." The Steelers treated Tebow like an amputee, which is just enough disrespect to get burned by his whopping 10 completions. There's a reason that the Eagles don't run the option with Vick, or any other team with a mobile quarterback. The ability to run the option isn't a strength, it's a fallback for a QB who can't hack it as a passer. Is it possible for Tebow to improve? Yes of course. But the comparison to Manning isn't a fair one. The disparity in attempts and yardage and huge, for the simple reason that it indicates that teams were defending against the pass. The rest of his numbers have to be viewed in the context of him throwing against defenses that were defending against him, while Tebow throws against defenses that are defending against McGahee.
Yes, I'm sure Tebow does know that his "religion is the reason he is an NFL starter," but I don't think he "knows" it in the same sense you are suggesting he "knows" it.
This sentiment actually applies to both quarterbacks in the Steelers-Broncos game, but for very different reasons.
True. It is also the reason I grew to hate Brett Favre. I got fucking sick of him being crammed down my throat, and just like Tebow, Favre played into it because he loved the attention. Now it is Tebow's turn.
Lets face it here, The Denver Bronco fans that live in Denver anyway, are very rabid, annoying, & in want of what Elway did with back to back Super Bowls. They got rid of Plummer who had got them into the Play Offs at least once to a rookie Q.B.- Jay Cutler. They want another Elway who is Mr. Denver to all the Denverites. The fans dissed Orton & showed who they are by booing him at the games. This rattled him so severley they HAD to bring in Tebow who seems to thrive & do his best under pressure & started winning by playing some really unconventional football. He changed the N.F.L. for crying out loud! He seems to be just what Denver wanted. For someone who has played his first "real" year as a Quarterback he did great! AND I believe he will continue to get better in the this coming off-season. He also does stir alot of controversy for the way he seems to live his life. He seems to be a very good human being with all the little things he does for his fans & for kids who have health problems. Seems like a good dude to me- I give him a pass.
At what point does a "gimmick" offense become a revolutionary one? Once upon a time, the West Coast offense was considered unorthodox, but it quickly became the norm. The spread has been lampooned as something that will never work in the NFL, but it has also caught on quickly in recent years. I'm not saying definitively that the option will become a viable option anytime soon, but like I said earlier, people dismiss it as something that can't work, simply because it doesn't fit with conventional NFL play. Until recently, tight ends haven't been very well regarded as skill players. If this article (written FOUR years ago, I should point out) is correct, then players like Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez will soon become standard. It's worth noting that Tiki Barber had a career year in 2005, to the tune of 1,860 rushing yards and 530 receiving. It's not like defense were completely disregarding that part of NY's offense.
When it works for more than a handful of tight games that relied as heavily on defense and special teams as they did offense. It's not like the option is a brand new system that no one's ever heard of, it has existed in football for decades. A gimmick offense is an offense that works when it takes opponents by surprise, but quickly gets figured out and crushed, which is exactly what happened. The Patriots, Bills and Chiefs are not exactly defensive powerhouses, and the Broncos did progressively worse against each. Show me an option team that can rattle off a few 10-14 win seasons with a moderate to high scoring offense and I'll believe anything about it is revolutionary.
Just speaking as a fan who loves the X's and O's of the game, the spread option will never consistently work in the pros because the players are way too big and fast. The spread option worked for Tebow in college because he's got the size and speed of a top flight NFL tight end and was playing with superior talent against inferior talent. He was literally a man among boys. I shudder to think what would happen if someone fixes his wonky mechanics.
People have been doing that forever when it comes to QBs. Quarterbacks and head coaches get too much of the praise when the team wins, and too much of the blame when their team loses. I do remember the announcers praising Prater after the Chicago game. Of course they threw Tebow in there, but they would've done the same thing if it had been Brees and Kasay. Really? I've yet to hear anyone in the NFL community even begin to compare his skills to those of elite NFL QBs. Even his backers admit his deficiencies, chief among them his throwing motion. I will say that it seems, to me at least, that he has gotten a bit more adept at reading defenses. Maybe they call him a "winner" in the mold of elite QB's, but that's a very nebulous argument. ND hasn't been relevant for some years now (NBC notwithstanding). Maybe in the Midwest, but hey they're local and have a long tradition so of course they will still have a following. People here in South Florida still love the Canes, and they haven't been players in the national championship stage for some years either. It has nothing to do with religion. It has to do with winning. Do you honestly believe that if Tebow had gone 0-8 that this "Tebowmania" would be going on? You seem to be stuck on Tebow's religion. People weren't clamoring for him because he's a christian, they were clamoring because the most popular QB on a losing team is the backup QB. Especially with a former first round pick riding the pine. People here in Miami were calling for Matt Moore long before Henne got injured. Heck, they were calling for Kyle Orton before the season started. Or how about when people were wondering if Vince Young should be the starter after the game against the Giants? Or in Minny when McNabb stunk up the place at the beginning of the season? I honestly don't know what to say to this, except that you come off as incredibly miserable and cynical. Really? You know what's in his head? Earlier today on yahoo there was an article about him which (obviously) had him kneeling. Now, he could've been thinking, or resting, or anything else, but let's pretend he was praying. Do you really think he was thinking to himself "Oh man, there are some photographers, better kneel down and look pious!" Are you serious? Also, I've seen shots before many important kicks where they show the sideline, and players holding hands or crouching with clasped hands. Does that apply to them too? Granted, I haven't seen every Bronco game, but I saw both games against the Pats, the Steelers game, and the comeback against Miami. I don't remember being overwhelmed with sideline shots of him praying. I did see him fired up a lot, on the phone with his OC, or firing up his teammates. You know, stuff QBs are usually doing on the sidelines. Your post would say different, but hey, you know what you meant. Honestly, some of you people constantly bitching about Tebow crack me up. Is the media completely overhyping him? Yes, just like they do any story (see the Pats in 07). But he's being forced down your throat? Are you being forced to watch coverage of him? Does your TV lock up and refuse to change channels when they go on about Tebow? He might be the feature story on a lot of sites, but I just don't click on the link and scan for something that interests me. You might be thinking "hey, but he shouldn't be on TV so much, and I dislike him". And you may be right. But the networks aren't there to pander to you. I can see some of you sitting on your couch just watching Sportscenter when they show highlights of a Tebow game and going on and on about how you can't stand him. It's like when a person has a cold sore on the inside of their mouth, and they just sit there and poke at it with their tongue, not letting it heal, and then complain about how much it hurts and how it's not going away.
See, I've heard that argument, but nobody has really tried until now. People have always talked about how defenses are too fast and strong, but it's not like offenses haven't increased in size and skill as well. Some of the athleticism shown by pulling linemen is amazing, as well as when they're running to make blocks downfield. Another argument people make is that you have to tailor your whole offense to the option, and get the proper players to run it, but that's pretty true of just about any offense. A West Coast offense is going to need players willing to go over the middle and an accurate qb.
They barely mentioned Prater, except to say that it was an incredible kick. They were talking about the "Tebow Magic" of bringing the Broncos back. They didn't focus on how the Bears shot themselves in the foot (or, more specifically, Marion Barber shot the Bears in the foot). It was all about Tebow. Tebow did it. Marion Barber stupidly runs out of bounds, giving the Broncos more time? Tebow has more time! That was the theme. You are so wrong here it is almost comical. Just because you don't see the national attention for ND doesn't mean it doesn't exist. ND has a national deal with NBC, and is still considered an 'elite football college' despite its recent lack of success. There are ND fans all over, and many of them never attended the university. They're fans because ND is a Catholic school, and they're Catholic. Very simply. If you truly think ND is irrelevant, you clearly haven't watched any college football coverage in the last couple of years. There is always talk of ND. Who will coach ND? Will ND return to their previous glory? Honestly, no. I don't think they'd have benched Tebow if he went 0-8. I think his fans would've been calling for the head of John Fox, claiming the coach wasn't "coaching" Tebow well enough. I think Tebow fans would be screaming that the Offensive Line wasn't good enough, or he didn't have the wide receivers to be successful. I think Tebow's incredibly rabid fan base would've continued to flood the stadium and cheer for their boy, and I think if he was eventually pulled, there would've been another billboard calling for Tebow to get his job back. His fans are that Rabid. He can do no wrong. He starts all of his press conferences by thanking God. He stops to "Tebow" consistently. There are a lot of religious players, but they're not all 'in your face' about it. Some point to the sky after a TD. Okay, no biggie. Tebow is "praying" five or six times a game, maybe more. How do I know? Because every time he takes a knee, there is a camera on him. One of the most vivid images I recall was before the Steelers game. Tebow, on one knee, in the middle of a circle of cameras filming him and taking pictures. You going to tell me he wasn't incredibly aware of what was going on? He could've prayed in the locker room before the game. Instead, he chose to go to the field and pray in the middle of a media circle jerk. He is savvy. To claim that he DOESN'T know what he is doing is just silly. He knows where his bread is buttered, so to speak, and he'll play up to that fan base. To claim he doesn't know what he is doing is to basically be claiming he is an idiot. I honestly and truly don't care what his religion is. I don't. I don't even really know what his exact religion is, except Christian. Look, this equation is simple: Tebow is popular because he is so religious. The especially rabid portion of his fan base is made up primarily of Christians who view him as a great, humble, pious face for their religion. You can't talk about Tebow's popularity without mentioning his religion, because the two are so intertwined. Just like you can't talk about Mike Vick and not talk about him killing dogs. It is why most people know him. How is he being forced on us? Watch how many prime time games the Broncos get next year. I guarantee they're in at least three or four, and they'll be on top of the league in terms of nationally televised games, which means if I want to watch football on Sunday and I don't want to watch Tebow, too fucking bad. If I want to watch Sports Center, I have to wade through 20 minutes of Tebow bullshit. If I want to read up on the NFL playoffs right now, I have to wade through a pile of stories about how Tebow is guaranteed to be the starter next year, and blah blah blah. It is unavoidable, unless you go on a complete media blackout. That is the very definition of being shoved down our throat. He is unavoidable. Right now, Tebow is synonymous with football, and the 'haters' are sick of it. Fuck, look at what we're talking about right now. There was one of the all time greatest NFL playoff games in New Orleans/San Francisco, and most people are talking about a boring game that was a complete fucking blowout. Go ahead and compare the media coverage of Saints/49ers to Pats/Broncos. One game deserves to have WAY more coverage, given how great it was, but the scale is tipped significantly in the other direction. Why? Tebow, that's why. He is casting a shadow over his own team, and over the entirety of the NFL, and it is insane.
Pretty much this. A spread offense has seen some success in the nfl because it's purely about beating defenders in space. It's much harder to make open field tackles than to break them so when you have receivers like Welker and Moss (07 patriots) you can abuse the field horizontally and then use your big receivers to establish the deep ball. Still, this system suffers from major pass protection issues. The spread option magnifies these blocking issues as it has skills positions players attempting to make blocks in mismatches. Spread options can also be hard to throw out of because you're often sweeping to one side of the field. Aside from the athleticism issues that make the option different at the NFL level, players are also more mature and understand the game better. They don't bite on reads and fakes the way college athletes do. Keep in mind too that every time you see someone beat a system it gets that much easier to figure out. The steelers lost because they had a bad game plan. If the broncos keep the option as a staple we're going to see less and less of that (plus throwing 316 yards on ten completions is ridiculously lucky). I don't see why people insist on comparing Tebow to other quarterbacks who had rough starts. Almost every does. Brees had a shaky start, but does Tebow play like Brees? At all? Or like Eli Manning? Those players had skill sets that history had shown were essential to being a successful NFL quarterback. Let's take a look a Tebow. Well, his mechanics to start with are bad, and improving at a glacial pace. His accuracy is poor for a couple of reasons. First, he's just not accurate. Secondly, he plays way too cautious and is so concerned about putting the ball where only his receiver can get it, you see them diving all over the field on what should be easy completions. Of course he doesn't throw interceptions. Do you think Stafford would get picked that often if he was playing safe enough to keep his completion percentage down in the 40s? Tebow's awareness is horrible. Not bad, it's horrible. He runs when receivers are open, tucks the ball when he should be looking downfield, looks downfield when he's about to get blind sided, etc etc. Yeah, I don't see him making it. Average at best, and that's pushing it.
Remember Kurt Warner? If I recall, there was some backlash at him shortly after he landed on football's front page due to his strong religious views, however whether out of coincidence, or early realization, he never wore it on his sleeve which is I think is the problem with Tebow. I'd argue most people out there find a guy who wears his convictions on his sleeve annoying. I also agree that while he's certainly not a bad athlete, he has a long way to go before anyone would consider him a top level quarterback; which through no fault of his own is how the media portrays him.
I don't understand all the hate for Tim Tebow, quite frankly it's baffling to me. Here is someone who for every game this year, home or road, has flown a sick person and his family to wherever they were playing that week, paid for the hotel and car, got tickets and sideline passes for them to the game and makes an effort to spend time with them and their family before and after the game, often introducing them to other players and coaches, for one reason, to give them hope. To show them a good day knowing they've had shitty ones for most of their life, just to give them a glimmer, even if it only lasts a day. http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/7455943/believing-tim-tebow Seriously, why would you want to hate on someone who does this? Is it a belief in God, would it make you happier if he did the funky chicken and praised the Hamburglar to begin each press conference? What is wrong with this world when a person who is so selfless and good gets shit on just because of a particular deity he worships when there are accused rapists, convicted dog-killers, idiots who never learned proper gun safety, and convicted DUI murderers playing in the same league.
I currently live outside the US. This make is incredibly easy for me to avoid all the media hype on Tebow. I catch 2-3 games a week and just watch the games and no pre-game. I guess that makes it incredibly easy for me to be agnostic* on this one. Ultimately the above is it for me. In a league represented by some pretty awful human beings, it makes it hard for me to hate on someone who means well. *no pun intended.