Everybody needs to just back off Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow will go down as one of the greatest college football players in history (as hard as that is for some Georgia fans to stomach).
It also possible he will go down with other great college players, including Heisman Trophy winners, who weren’t good enough to play in the NFL. Archie Griffin, Johnny Rogers, Andre Ware, Danny Wuerffel, almost every other quarterback who played at Florida and even your David Greene all come to mind.
But for some reason, Tebow is being treated differently right now.
I’ve never seen a college athlete so ridiculously dissected and debated daily. I’ve never seen a college athlete – who by the way exemplified everything we want a college athlete to be – seemingly have so many people (mostly rival SEC fans) pulling against him. Is there some motivation to root against a player’s desire to make a living?
Look, I get the whole 24/7 media feeding frenzy thing. I’m part of it. But what this guy is being subjected to right now doesn’t seem quite right. And folks, I don’t have a dog in this hunt. Didn’t go to school anywhere around here.
I suppose Tebow set himself up for this. He didn’t have to go to the Senior Bowl. He could’ve done private, low-key workouts for teams back in Gainesville and not been subjected to all of this public criticism. But doesn’t that say something that he knew this might be coming and he didn’t care?
Tebow was torched by the media and draft scouts after his first day of Senior Bowl workouts. It was so bad that his agent, Jimmy Sexton, must have felt compelled to protect his client’s interests and come up with an excuse. He said Tebow had been “hospitalized” with strep throat and had a “103 temperature.” But that didn’t seem to be bothering the player in interviews.
I don’t know if Tebow will make it in the NFL. Even with the intangibles, his skill set might not translate. But what’s the motivation in rooting against him?
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466 comments Add your comment
Blue
January 27th, 2010
5:12 pm
UF 93: Patton was LAST in his graduating class of the United States Military Academy. John McCains grandfather and McCain himself were in the bottom 5% at the Naval Academy. They seemed to have accomplished some pretty significant things in life. I have met MANY people who have had low SAT scores and/or have done poorly in school…but were still great people. And believe it or not…being a 22 year old virgin does not make one a bad person either. You still haven’t said anything about his CHARACTER that reflects any truth that he won’t be a success in the future…or that he is not a great person. You are just a brain-dead redneck who probably never really went to FL anyway. Yeah, who would want their son to be a successful, moral, winning leader who graduates from college (no matter the major and GPA) and will likely have his choice of any great woman he cares for? Ummmm…me. You would probably prefer your daughter to marry Mike Vick or someone.
Front Row Seats
January 27th, 2010
5:13 pm
I’m amazed it took 34 post to get a Vick mention…Played in the NFL, it’s a business! Big business! I don’t care how great a guy TT is, and he appears to be all the right things. If his QB skills don’t translate to the league he is done. Play TE, LB whatever, wish you luck, but I have a starnge feeling this kid won’t change positions. Oh well, the clip board holders make great $$. I should know….
Preston
January 27th, 2010
5:13 pm
Tebow is a nice guy but he won’t pan out in the NFL. The scouts usually know what they’re talking about and they don’t expect him to do very well. He played in a college scheme that was built around him. That scheme will not work at the pro level. He would get destroyed. Period. I don’t hate Tebow, I’m simply telling you like it is. He will get drafted, make some signing bonus money, play a year or two, get dropped, and then go on missions to spread his faith. Book it.
grateful too
January 27th, 2010
5:13 pm
I agree, Brett. But talking to these morons won’t convince them of anything. Like grateful7, for example. Doesn’t know the difference between knowing and believing. They whine about being asked to keep it to themselves; what if some kid printed “Jesus Sux” on his eye smudges ? They’d sure as hell cry about THAT ! Believe me, it would no longer be a First Amendment thing. BTW, you sucked the other night.
dawggirl
January 27th, 2010
5:18 pm
“isn’t this (Tim Tebow) the kind of man that you would want your daughter to date or marry?”
Definitely not. I’d want my daughter to know she has the ability to think for herself.
big g dawg
January 27th, 2010
5:20 pm
UF ‘93
how often do you get your ass beat? you poor, pathetic moron. So what if you scored high on your sat’s, who cares? I’d rather my son be an sat 890 scoring, home ec majoring, 22 year old virgin, heisman trophy winning Christian than a 39 year old, high sat scoring, star trek convention attending virgin such as yourself!
big g dawg
January 27th, 2010
5:22 pm
Brett Favre,
rather your daughter marry someone like Tiger? Let’s be honest, I doubt your daughter can think for herself anyway.
P.S. Nice INT with 10 yards of running room!
S.T.
January 27th, 2010
5:24 pm
He irrates me because I believe a true christian shouldn’t try to bring attention to himself. Ever see him walk up and down the sidelines when he is winning pumping his arms up and down to the fans? Any other player would be called for unsportmanlike conduct. He acts like a pharisee and I don’t believe he is genuine, much less humble. I agree with most of his views but I don’t agree with the way he wears them on his sleve saying look at me and not what I stand for.
UF '93
January 27th, 2010
5:31 pm
So we’ve established that big g dawg would rather have his son become a stupid athlete than an honors student. Are you sure that you’re not Emilio Estevez’ father in Breakfast Club. Gotta git dat boy his ’ship there Pops.
And no, I’ve never been to a Star Trek convention. I have, however, been to Columbia Law School and am a partner in a major Chicago firm, so not only am I smarter than Timmuh, but I’ll most likely have far greater lifetime earnings than him. After all, other than two seasons of 4th round money, Timmuh’s going to have to rely on his speaking fees on the Christian chitlin’ circuit and doing tv commercials for car dealers back in Gainesville.
BatmanPritchard
January 27th, 2010
5:36 pm
I hope Tebow makes it but I dont think he will. Danny Wierfel and Ryan Leaf didnt make it and they were great college standouts at qb. Tebow wont make it either because of his unorthodox style.
Darwin
January 27th, 2010
5:39 pm
There is no God, Tebow evolved….
Ted Striker
January 27th, 2010
5:40 pm
I could give less than half of a tinker’s damn what Tebow does in the NFL. He seems like a good guy, but there are plenty of good guys who don’t make it. Bon Fon Goola.
Ted Haggard
January 27th, 2010
5:43 pm
Lay off Tim Tebow. I am very impressed with Tim Tebow. I look at him and see a younger version of myself but with better pecs.
AJC
January 27th, 2010
5:49 pm
I suspect most of you, especially the negative Tebowers, have not been to church in quite some time and don’t recognize a true faithful person when you see one. I’ll bet if Tebow was of another faith you would not waste the time to bash him. Kids can’t have prayer in school because it offends one person in a crowd.
Tebow is just a good kid trying to make a difference–what are each of you doing to make the world better? He’s a good role model.
He’s just a good kid trying to make his way in this world so let him be.
Mark Richt seems to be a good person–he is just associated with a thugh football team. He should not be personally condemned for that.
All UGA fans are not rednecks but all rednecks are UGA fans. You reap what you sow.
FU 93
January 27th, 2010
5:49 pm
Dear Timmy, thanks for stayin’ a virgin that makes two of us who couldn’t get it done surrounded by all that gator tail…
Brett Favre
January 27th, 2010
5:54 pm
Tebow is a phony. That whole speech on the plaque was basically plagiarized from the movie Friday Night Lights.
I mean he basically stole the speech word for word.
Lewis Cypher
January 27th, 2010
5:56 pm
confession: I really don’t like lawyers or Ivy League types, but UF ‘93 knows the score. I don’t know that it’s Tebow’s fault universities have become surrogate NFL minor league franchises, but Tim Tebow is an athlete-athlete, not a student-athlete (is UF in session right now?). I had a relative who were true Christians, who walked away from professional sports to do (their) god’s work (as missionary in Central America). how about the Oakland A’s prospect who has eshewed a major league career for the priesthood? I wouldn’t make that choice, but I have more respect for someone who walks the walk. Any of you “Teboners” ever meet Dale Murphy? As devout and faith-driven athlete as you’ll ever meet (OFF THE FIELD). AND even “off the field” he wouldn’t discuss his beliefs unless asked. Tebow’s a wannabe jock in Christian clothing.
Brett Favre
January 27th, 2010
5:57 pm
Also Focus on the Family who are basically using this kid are a bunch of nut jobs.
John
January 27th, 2010
5:57 pm
Schultz,
By and large, you guys in the sports media are the reason why Tebow has been (and remains) such a lightning rod for attention. Clearly, he continues to generate fan reaction that runs the gamut from sappily worshipful to downright hateful. I wonder why?
Hell, it’s because you guy won’t stop writing about him. If he breaks wind standing in line for Avatar, you nimrods repot it above the fold.
You journalists are the ones who keep poking a sharp stick in the eye of the mad dog; and then you have the nerve to curse all the lingering negativity you just provoked.
You guys have been gushing over Tebow’s exemplary charachter and preparing his spot in the College Hall of Fame for four years. And now you sir, are disengenuous enough to feign bewilderement and frustration at all the anti-Tebowism that still exists in the world.
It seems to me that what spawned anti-Tebowism in the first place was a widely-held perception that two institutions that oughta know better completely lost their objectivity. Sports journalists couldn’t say enough wonderful things about Tim; and SEC officials protected him from contact and ignored his on-field infractions.
Those like me who find merit in either of these propositions can only speculate as to the reasons why. Speaking personally, I don’t give a rip why.
At the very least, there’s a perception that Tebow has received preferential treatment relative to his peers. Even if untrue, this perception has been masquerading as reality long enough to pis off plenty of folks.
Is it Tebow’s fault? Hardly seems possible, but sometimes some of us mistake the message from the messenger.
I’ve exhausted my cache of cliches.
How about some more girls-in-bikinis pictures dude?
Chris
January 27th, 2010
6:01 pm
AJC wrote, “I suspect most of you, especially the negative Tebowers, have not been to church in quite some time and don’t recognize a true faithful person when you see one.”
I recognize a snake-oil salesman when I see one.
KB
January 27th, 2010
6:01 pm
The problem here is the media. The media has overblown this young man up to the point that they made Tebow like his God’s perfect football player. People are tried of media and the image they put on people. People like Nancy Grace have made a living humuliting people. This 24 hour media cycle has left many college fans sick to their stomach. I am one of them.
Look, Tebow is a nice guy who just tried to play a sport and have fun with it. Did he win all the games he was in BY HIMSELF? NOOO! Was he surrounded by great talent? YES! Did he make a great difference for his team? Yes!!! Did he make some mistakes? Yes!!! Has his college coach lost it? Oh yeah…… (No one should put their careers over their own health, family, and sanity.) Has he matured to the fullest extent that he is going to be? NOOOOOO!
Look, let the NFL judge him, not the haters. If he fails (which I think he is going have to move to a different position anyway) then he fails by the NFL standards. If he makes it, then he makes it. But the media itself needs to JUST BE QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys made this mess (people making all of this crap about the young man.) The media are the blame for this sewerage.
Whistle Dick
January 27th, 2010
6:07 pm
@ UF 93………I did not know Satan had children. Whats it like to have to call Lucifer “Daddy”? You say UF…I say F.U. moron!
CharlieAlphaBravo
January 27th, 2010
6:07 pm
It’s really not this complicated… He’s a Gator. I hate Gators. Therefore, I hate Tebow.
Wow, that was even simpler than I thought it was going to be…
Bill
January 27th, 2010
6:11 pm
Thanks Blue, I agree with you blog.
If Tebow was like Vick and had 2 are 4 kids and etc everyone would be on his side ,Right? Thank God he’s man enough to stand up for what he believes. They put Jesus on the cross for doing nothing wrong. So be it. Thanks Tim for being a good man great player. Good Luck.
AltamahaDawg
January 27th, 2010
6:14 pm
Lets see, a few dozen idiots in a forum, (where poo slinging meets tire ad)..vs..millions of well wisher. Hmmmmmm
Don’t flatter yourself, Jeff.
Dr. Phil
January 27th, 2010
6:14 pm
Good article, Jeff.
Mr. Cox
January 27th, 2010
6:17 pm
Hey Mr. Tebow is being used, Who cares what you think. You must be a queer or a baby killer.
.
January 27th, 2010
6:17 pm
Whats wrong with Focus on the Family…? They don’t like Gays ,etc ?
ATLFan4Life!
January 27th, 2010
6:21 pm
“I suppose Tebow set himself up for this. He didn’t have to go to the Senior Bowl. He could’ve done private, low-key workouts for teams back in Gainesville and not been subjected to all of this public criticism. But doesn’t that say something that he knew this might be coming and he didn’t care?”
That’s the whole point J. Schultz!!!!!! This guy is an attention and media hound, a virtual college version of Brett Favre, and I DO NOT mean that as a compliment.
Yes, I want him to fail, and probably for all the wrong reasons….. But I still do and I’m not ashamed of feeling that way.
LOL
January 27th, 2010
6:22 pm
“Because he beat the LIVING HELL out of those pathetic ‘dawwwwwgs all those years and made them cry in their beer(s).
“2010 is our year.. I really really really think!”
Fleischman, you continue to show what a moronic Bama fan you are. We happened to beat Tebow just as many times as your precious Tide did.
ECentrist
January 27th, 2010
6:23 pm
Georgia, bama, ut fans, etc. hate everything about florida, including Tebow. Instead, they’ll idolize the thugs that come out of their program as heroes!!!! Congrats!!!!
CHOKE THE JOKE
January 27th, 2010
6:25 pm
Thanks Choke for showing what a piece of trash you are. We are talking about a class act and wonderful human being and all you can talk about is your dogkilling role model.
Can you PLEASE try to go at least one blog without mentioning your dogkilling boyfriend???????????????????????
Karl
January 27th, 2010
6:26 pm
You ort not say them things about the boy. Somebody fix me some biscuits and I want to get baptized. Um huh.
Ted Haggard
January 27th, 2010
6:36 pm
Tim is one of the most inspirational young men that I have ever seen. Why I often, in the quiet of my den, put in a copy of his inspirational speech and bask in his manly glory. God truly worked wonders in sculpting this noble young Christian warrior. There are times when watching him play, speak or pose topless for Sports Illustrated that I just feel the need to explode in Christian fellowship.
Don’t let the haters get you down, Tim. Be true to yourself.Tim and stay secure in the closet of your Godliness. Call me and perhaps we can explode in Christian fellowship together some time.
Yours in Christ,
Ted Haggard
Plain Truth
January 27th, 2010
6:38 pm
Freedom of Speech,,,you have no rights except those given by God through the Founding Fathers of our country! These Founding Fathers were Christians and without their faith …you would have no rights or opinions to express! Teebow has the courage to express his beliefs on the Word of God! You have the same freedom to do as you wish or think; but if not for God’s Grace…your words would not be spoken! Teebow is just a great kid and one wonders if you just hate Teebow or is your heart just full of Hate!
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
January 27th, 2010
6:48 pm
Tebow- great player, certainly a role model for the younger kids, and will be a college icon for years to come. HOWEVER, i don’t care if your tebow, michael jordan, derek jeter, etc etc…i dont care what your stance is on decisive subjects nor do i want to hear you a commercial about it either. if thats the way you roll, fine, more power to you, but don’t you try to shove your values and beliefs down the nation’s throat. let people decide there own fate. in summary, i’m against tebow’s commercial, go tell the honduras natives, not the USA
WHAT??????
January 27th, 2010
6:49 pm
What’s all this stuff about a ‘kid’? Heck, he’s 22 and you nimrods refer to him as a kid? Perhaps you’d like to take Timmy for a ride in your minivan after tucking him snugly into his car seat. Guys a LOT younger than Timmy are getting killed over in diaper-head land and you call him a kid???? What a joke!!!!
pb
January 27th, 2010
6:50 pm
Enter your comments here
truthdisturbs
January 27th, 2010
6:51 pm
Good job BLUE. Lot of people that are young and foolish and full of themselves out there. We r all terminal and its coming a lot faster than we think. Mostly, young ,brash mouths that don’t know about humility or deference, or The Bible’s Gospel message for that matter. As if someones SAT score is the measure of a man or woman. But that is the way this America has been raised…in a Godless public arena by a lot of folks(not all) that have never held a ditchdigging job- I am out there in work that only gives me pay IF we work- that pontificate their academic musings over lattes and find waiting til marriage, (vs defrauding our daughters), for intimacy. Our country is who we’ve educated them to be and we are reaping all that we have sown. GOD is a perfect gentleman and has stepped back and left us to our selfish/ GODless path. If not for the private and religious educational system our plight would be much worse. Most do not get it yet it is all around them-dems or republicans ,it doesn’t matter -wrong/bad is always wrong and bad. “they did whAT WAS right in their own eyes and their end was death”…finally,Tebows ad should play and i say there are more women who (see Concerned Women of America)r for it than against it.thanks again blue.
meg mclaughlin
January 27th, 2010
6:51 pm
Tiim Tebow is one of the greatest college players and most inspirational people I’ve ever encountered. Why people insist on tearing him down is beyond me. But he, himself, says he knows who he is with God, and does not let the criticism bother him. I wish i could be so generous. Anybody who even goes to an intense practice after having a 103-degree temperature the night before is amazing. i’d like ot see many people even go into work the next day after being so sick. In the end, these negative comments will go into the trashbin—and Tim Tebow will go down in history.
THE CURSE OF BRETT FAVRE LIVES IN ATL
January 27th, 2010
6:51 pm
THE MUTT HATERS ARE MAD THAT TEBOW OWNED THEM! TEBOW WILL BE A NICE NFL QB!
pb
January 27th, 2010
6:54 pm
Maybe people don’t like him because he does do that “Christian” thing. And he might be getting used by that group, Focus on the Family.They are pretty right wing. He probably is a good guy, though, seems nicer than a lot of guys that age with that much attention and “glory”. I hope he does make it in NFL, and I am a Georgia grad- saw him whip our butt every year.
WHAT??????
January 27th, 2010
7:00 pm
meg mclaughlin, that’s funny. Let’s look at the smiling/jeering Tebow along with his smiling/jeering coach on the sidelines calling time-outs when they already had UGA on the ropes a couple of years ago. Was Timmy and his cocky coach with God then?
dan
January 27th, 2010
7:03 pm
A couple things.
1. Plain Truth: we don’t and have never had rights in this country, we have privileges. A list of temporary privileges! Contrary to what you might think, most of the freedoms that we are afforded in this country can be taken away, and there not rights if they can be taken away.As for the faith of our “Founding Fathers”, just wikipedia Salem Massachusetts and you’ll see for yourself how well a religious oligarchy has worked in our country’s history.
As for Tim Tebow, I have no problem with him and his many accomplishments. I do have a problem with him being the poster boy for the religious right as they throw their money around in order to cram their narrow minded agenda down millions of peoples throats on Super Bowl Sunday.
If Tim Tebow and his religious following are really serious about advocating for alternatives to abortion, then they can start by putting their money where their mouth is by improving adoption agencies and foster care homes in this country. I’d say that’s a little more economical than spending 1-2 million on a self righteous ” family values” Super Bowl commercial.I respect the guy’s opinion even if I don’t completely agree with it. And I appreciate that he’s trying to use his celebrity for good. But creating awareness on an issue in a public forum isn’t the same thing as pro-actively looking for solutions. You can’t advocate alternatives for abortion until the alternatives are improved.
BegToDiffer
January 27th, 2010
7:05 pm
Tebow was a pretty good qb at uf. Not pro material at all. Maybe a wr, te or hb. Bama exposed him for what he truly is and could not even light a candle to HW. HW earned his yards the hard way and only played 3 seasons. No contest.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
January 27th, 2010
7:07 pm
exactly dan- well played
tolduso
January 27th, 2010
7:10 pm
knoisemaker- if u don’t care then let freedom of speech speak even if it isn’t politically popular w/ the libs and losers. what a stance you folks take- kill the unborn when it interrupts your life, don’t allow anothers’ stance be aired- let Focus on Family aire their ad w/ Tebow- its capitalism(til 1972 we all knew it was wrong to abort the lil babies) ,support a socialistic regime ,support unnatural lifestyles/ and “worship” the environment…Romans1:18-32. Its not me its HIM. Make jokes about the good and Godly but laugh at the junk on tv and support the “mics” whatever they say. Dogs and whales over babies and morality-we all know right fr wrong-don’t play. Be responsible and let the Truth be told nationally.And to think our servicemen and women are dying for this crap.
heartofdarkness
January 27th, 2010
7:14 pm
Jeff, I thought after reading this column, that you had written the most non-controversial, innocuous piece you could… maybe so you could go back to your Super Bowl research… maybe just to fish for some “attaboys” from the readership: “College kid plays football, stays off the No-Fly list and out of jail. Give him some space while he prepares to play in an all-star game.” Seems moderate and reasonable enough.
Sadly, once again, I see I have miscalculated the extent to which logic has absented itself from the public discourse. And while there were a few early kudos, and a brilliant jibe at the sports agent industry and political action committees, describing them as “munipulators” (doesn’t get more hilarious than that), the messenger eventually became the pinata long after the message had been forgotten. Might I recommend changing your brand of deodorant?
WhenIwasjung
January 27th, 2010
7:17 pm
I too, had these Tebow feelings. But I grew out of them. Nuff said.
PHIL
January 27th, 2010
7:22 pm
Tebow was a great college QB and an even more outstanding young man. I say big deal if he can’t play pro QB. He is probably a good enough athlete to play another position.