Tebow Time

A young Denver Broncos quarterback and Florida Gators legend has found an interesting place among the NFL’s top stories this season. In a year graced with an undefeated defending champion, a tight end destroying records in New England and four quarterbacks on pace to break Marino’s single-season passing record (Brees, Brady, Rodgers, E. Manning), Tim Tebow has somehow worked his way into more top stories on ESPN than anyone else. This demonstrates how the only figure more potent in the media than a great player is a polarizing player. Between his unconventional playing style and his off-field persona, Tebow is either hated or loved by both fans and analysts. While coming up with a verdict on Tebow as a player is hard enough, today we will face the even tougher challenge of establishing a middle ground.

The Tim Tebow haters have used valid fundamental logic to create excessive and eventually mindless criticism. First let’s acknowledge a few points you will often hear from Tebow’s opposition. He is obviously not as good a passer as the elite NFL quarterbacks, however I have trouble finding what is so terrible about someone who is less accurate than Tom Brady because it describes an alarming majority of the league. It may also be true that even the second tier guys can out-throw Tebow. Despite his lack of glamour or style points, Tebow is simply more effective than most players when it comes to a few crucial elements of football. Two areas where the game is either won or lost are the turnover ratio and fourth quarter play. If you are not going to be the most prolific passer, you better hang on to the ball. Tebow has scored 14 times this year (11 passing, 3 rushing), as opposed to only two turnovers this season. If you are on the offensively challenged side of New York fans, you are used to a quarterback who not only fails to be prolific, but also is accustomed to costly turnovers that sometimes decide games. Tebow is also the NFL’s highest rated passer after the seven minute mark in the fourth quarter. He may begin the game with high school level passing, but after the third quarter he will rise again. I would bet that Dallas fans, despite their offensive production, would love to have a guy like that to prevent so many late game collapses.

I may defend Tebow in debate against those who simply hate him just to hate him, or because someone like him as a person is just too good to be true, but at the same time anyone talking him up too much and hash tagging Tebow Time makes me sick. Excessively praising Tebow is like occupying Wall Street, there’s a halfway decent point to be made there but you need to stop because you’re making the reasonable fans of your idea look stupid. Superman does not wear Tebow pajamas and yes, Chuck Norris would mess with him if he wanted to. Tebow’s success this year deserves more of a pie chart of credit. Sports writers are so eager to distribute blame for tough losses, but the same should be done for acclaim after a great win. Tebow does play an essential role, but so does running back Willis McGahee or a rapidly improving defense. Against elite competition, Denver will not have the chance to pull off some late game heroics. Sadly, it will take a full four quarters of Tebow Time to defeat Tom Brady and the Patriots this Sunday. Granted, if Tebow beats New England in overtime at Mile High, I might have to make a status myself to sing his praises, but it is important to not overreact to what has been a pleasantly surprising player.

Tebow’s intangibles and religious stance make him that girl in high school that many girls hated, but they didn’t know why. Some people are fortunate enough to have their biggest flaw be that they have no apparent flaws. He is simply a great human being who brings his determination to the football field and ultimately achieves greatness in one way or another. Ironically enough, the only guy in the Broncos organization who actually wanted him there was soon after fired for his “poor decisions”. Josh McDaniels may not have been a great coach, but we have to say he made the right call on that one. If Jack Del Rio made that same call in Jacksonville, he might still have his job. If I had to sum up my opinion on Tim Tebow, it would be an NFL spin on an independent party. I simply see him as a good player who has a great deal of NFL potential. In five years or so, he may even be the sport’s greatest game manager. I actually feel pretty safe in predicting that future, because his mistake free and clutch style of play are exactly what he needs to never lose the game for his team and win quite a few in the process. He is currently among the NFL’s best in only one significant category, and that is winning percentage. Now if I had the opportunity to speak to Tim Tebow myself, I am willing to bet that he would not want it any other way.