NFL BLACKBALLING OF TIM TEBOW BORDERING ON RIDICULOUS

Look around at the current state of NFL quarterbacks. Please, go ahead. I dare you. Look at the depth charts in the NFL. OK, so you don’t want to take the time to do that. I can understand. Your life is busy. OK, here is a link for you to the rotoworld website:

http://www.rotoworld.com/teams/depth-charts/nfl.aspx

OK, so what I want you to look at is….”how many of these teams could benefit from having Tim Tebow on it?”

Now I know that many of you so-called “football experts” will say, “I would rather have a blind three headed monkey quarterback my football team than Tim Tebow. He is so awful, it’s indescribable.”

That’s your prerogative and your opinion to feel that way, but you are being unrealistic. You are also full of shit.

Let me remind you, and give you a history lesson of sorts. Tim Tebow took over a 1-4 Denver Broncos football team in 2011, and led them to an 8-8 record and a playoff berth. Then, he led his team to an upset of a ten point favored Pittsburgh Steelers team in the first round of the playoffs.

Has Thaddeus Lewis or Jeff Tuel done this? Hell no! What about Matt Simms or Brady Quinn? Hardly. Or Matt Moore or Pat Devlin? Moore has had a couple decent NFL games, but hasn’t done what Tebow did. And that’s just the AFC East.

In the AFC North, Tebow has a better NFL resume than Tyrod Taylor, Josh Johnson, Bruce Gradkowski and Landry Jones. In the AFC South, with Jake Locker injured, Ryan Fitzpatrick’s backup is someone named Rusty Smith. With Blaine Gabbart injured, Chad Henne’s backup is Ricky Stanzi. Ever heard of either of them? Me neither, yet their NFL GM’s feel they are more “ready for action” than Tim Tebow. Amazing!

What about the AFC West? Well, Terrelle Pryor is the Oakland starting quarterback. His career record as a starting QB is 2-4 (Tebow’s is 9-7). He is also a “running quarterback, like Tebow, yet the same experts who rip Tebow endlessly, say Pryor has a “high ceiling”. His backup is Matt McGloin, who at least one person thinks is better than Tebow–the Raiders GM. The Chargers have Charlie Whitehurst as their backup QB. He doesn’t have the resume of success that Tebow does, and Brad Sorenstam is their third QB. Ever hear of him before? Me neither, but Sorenstam has an NFL roster spot, while Tim Tebow is out of the league. Sound ridiculous enough yet? Let’s check the NFC.

In Big D, the guy Tebow took over for…who couldn’t win in Denver, before Tebow turned the Broncos fortunes around in 2011, Kyle Orton–well, he is Tony Romo’s top backup in Dallas. He’s still in the league. Tebow is not. In the Big Apple, Curtis Painter, who was utterly inept filling in for Peyton Manning in Indy two and three years ago, is Eli Manning’s top backup. Rookie Ryan Nassib is the third stringer and has an NFL roster spot. Tebow doesn’t.

In the NFC North, Josh McKown and Seneca Wallace have had more NFL chances than Ralph Nader has had Presidential runs, and have shown zero success stories. Their teams feel strong enough about them to have them be backup quarterbacks over Tim Tebow. In the twin cities, first round draft bust Christian Ponder has an NFL record of well under .500 as a starter, and they are ready to give up on him. Would they turn to Tebow? No, they would rather give a shot to two QB’s with losing records as a starter, Josh Freeman and Matt Cassel.

In the NFC South, Domenique Davis has no track record whatsoever, yet the Falcons would rather have him than Tim Tebow as Matt Ryan’s backup. In Carolina, Derek Anderson has had two shots at being an NFL starting QB in Cleveland and Arizona, but was run out of town each time for ineffectiveness. Still, the Panthers would rather have him than Tim Tebow, even in a ‘read/option offense. In the Big Easy, Luke McCown has been a clipboard holder in more cities than an aviation secretary. Finally, in Tampa, Mike Glennon’s new backup is the main starting QB for the NFL’s only 0-16 team in history, Dan Orlavsky. They can call themselves NFL quarterbacks. Tim Tebow is out of the league.

Last, but not least in my little exercise, the St. Louis Rams backup quarterback for Sam Bradford is perhaps the WORST NFL quarterback I have ever seen in my lifetime….Kellen Clemens. Clemens showed promise at one time, mainly as a rookie, but ever since then has looked worse than any quarterback I have ever seen try to play the position. Bernie Kosar may be a (much rumored) drunk, but he knows the quarterback position and said as much this pre-season.

The bottom line is that the NFL has obviously blackballed the “most polarizing quarterback in the history of the NFL”. It’s obvious to me, and after reading this, it should be obvious to you too.

The amazing thing is that so many of these teams recently could use Tebow, and still never looked his way. The Bills are running a read/option offense, based on a strong running game and a mobile quarterback. Despite this fact, they never called Tebow in for an interview or workout, and instead moved a guy on the practice squad with ONE NFL start up to start last week.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have not won a game all year. They play in the worst market in the NFL for drawing fans. Their young, “franchise” quarterback (Blaine Gabbart) has not shown any promise and keeps getting hurt. Their main current starter at the QB position, Chad Henne, has been less than stellar. Their backup is a guy NO ONE has ever heard of. They have fans flying banners from planes over the stadium during home games to sign Tim Tebow, who is from the area. They have nearly a hundred thousand fans who have signed a petition that if they sign Tebow, they would be willing to buy season tickets. All that, and they still refuse to even bring Tebow in for an interview. What more does anyone need to know that there is a “blackballing” in effect???

If that is the case, and I’m pretty sure I have demonstated that it is here, the question is “WHY???”

Tim Tebow stands for nothing but goodness. He is ultra-competitive, but in no way mean. He believes that a higher power helps him on the field. He believes in teamwork, working together and that hard work can overcome many odds. He has shown that he will do whatever it takes to win, whether it is throwing nearly 40 times in a comeback win, like he did against the Texans late in 2010, or running the ball 20 times and throwing it less than 10, like he did in a win for the Broncos in 2011. He is “old school”. He doesn’t care about stats. He only cares about winning.

The problem is, obviously none of that matters anymore in today’s NFL. Today’s NFL is all about 40 times, read and recognition drills, mechanics and arm strength. GM’s and player personnel directors are blinded by all the tapes, the stats, the physical numbers and so on, that they forget to care about the competitive nature, will, pride, leadership and intangibles of a guy like Tim Tebow. Meanwhile, players like Michael Vick, who killed dogs, and Ben Roethlisbeger, who faced allegations of rape, get second chances at stardom. What is that saying about the NFL? I’ll tell you. Badness is rewarded, while goodness becomes a pariah.

What should happen right now? I’ll give you one option. One idea that will end this talk forever. The Jacksonville Jaguars should call Tim Tebow’s agent tomorrow, if not sooner. They should get him to sign a contract for one year (this year) for the NFL minimum. He and the coaching staff should give Tebow two weeks to learn the offense, then Gus Bradley should tell the kid, “OK, it’s your team…do what you do”.

The Jaguars have not won a game without Tebow. If he starts at QB from week 8 until the end of the year and wins anywhere close to half his games, that should be proof enough. Imagine that, if Jacksonville went 0-8, then handed the reins to Tebow and he finishes at least 4-4 for a 4-12 season. What could the “experts” say then? Oh I’m sure they would find something, like they did before.

My money would be on Tebow. So would my faith.