Tim Tebow: Fraud?

[Dick Whitman]

Or merely human for refusing to run the Wildcat yesterday, in reaction to not getting the starting nod?

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/8776088/tim-tebow-new-york-jets-asked-left-wildcat-sources-say

I think in the effort to canonize Tebow as the nicest man to ever wear shoulder pads, people sometimes forget what a raging competitor he is. And I admire that, even though I think he's ill-equipped to be an every-down NFL quarterback.

In this case, though, I think it manifested itself in a pretty childish way. Hard to stand up for his action here, no?

 

[The Big Ragu]

You can't technically say he "refused," because the coaching staff is going along with the proposition that they wanted to get Jeremy Kerley sometime. Even if he did likely go to them and say he'd rather not put his body on the line for a team that has no commitment to him.

You can argue it two ways.

The guy is earning a little more than $2 million for the year and you should do whatever they ask on a football field when someone is paying you that much money.

The flip side is he has been royally dicked around by the Jets, and football is a brutal game. Why should he go out there and subject himself to a beating as a situational player for a team that has already announced its intention to be rid of him next year?

You get such a limited lifespan in football. Why should he risk injury right now for a nowhere team, that has jerked him around and has already announced that he is gone next year? Can you really blame him for not wanting to risk an injury in those circumstances?

That is why the coaches went along with it, rather than calling him petulant. They know they have jerked him around, and they know it would be unreasonable after the way they have treated him, to expect him to line up in the wildcat for a few meaningless plays in a meaningless season given the pounding that gets you.

That is why in this case, I am thinking it's more fair to say it was a mutual decision to just finish the season up and let him get out of town unscathed, rather than him "refusing" to play.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I agree with Ragu. I think the Jets and Tebow came to a mutual settlement sometime in the week after the Jets game, when it was apparent Ryan would never use him no matter how badly Sanchez sucked. Woody Johnson's donations to Romney look like a wonderful investment by contrast to this fiasco.
PS: If Tebow goes to Jacksonville, he might actually improve them a bit. If Jones-Drew can't come back, he'd be their best running back.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I agree with Ragu. I think the Jets and Tebow came to a mutual settlement sometime in the week after the Jets game, when it was apparent Ryan would never use him no matter how badly Sanchez sucked. Woody Johnson's donations to Romney look like a wonderful investment by contrast to this fiasco.
PS: If Tebow goes to Jacksonville, he might actually improve them a bit. If Jones-Drew can't come back, he'd be their best running back.

I don't blame Tebow for a second. He was forced on the coaching staff and they never had any intention of using him, even as a backup. They would rather lose with Sanchez or McElroy than risk winning two meaningless games with Tebow.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

As Ragu stated, the Jets have royally dicked over Tebow. The owner made a move to try to get publicity and it worked, but the coaching staff never had any intention of letting him backup Sanchez, because if they did, he would have at least gotten a chance a long time ago. There was no way Ryan was going to risk using him in two very winnable games because they were meaningless and if they had won them, there would have been more people clamoring for him to be the starter next season.

I don't have a problem with anyone saying that Tebow isn't equipped to be a NFL quarterback, but when a team gives you every indication that you will be used 20 plays a game and be a legitimate backup and then they don't follow through with that, I have no problem whatsover with him refusing to line up in the wildcat in two meaningless games...

 

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

Two things to point out:

1. Rex Ryan needs to win next week in order to just equal Herm Edwards 4-year record with the Jets

2. Tim Tebow will be in the NFL next season while Rex Ryan will not.

I also predict that Ryan will never get another head coaching job. I think given the distractor factor he brings with him - a head coach would also have to have him forced upon him as a defensive coordinator. Rex Ryan's future employment will most likely be in the broadcast booth.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Two things to point out:

1. Rex Ryan needs to win next week in order to just equal Herm Edwards 4-year record with the Jets

2. Tim Tebow will be in the NFL next season while Rex Ryan will not.

I also predict that Ryan will never get another head coaching job. I think given the distractor factor he brings with him - a head coach would also have to have him forced upon him as a defensive coordinator. Rex Ryan's future employment will most likely be in the broadcast booth.

Or Adam Sandler movies.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Two things to point out:

1. Rex Ryan needs to win next week in order to just equal Herm Edwards 4-year record with the Jets

2. Tim Tebow will be in the NFL next season while Rex Ryan will not.

I also predict that Ryan will never get another head coaching job. I think given the distractor factor he brings with him - a head coach would also have to have him forced upon him as a defensive coordinator. Rex Ryan's future employment will most likely include softcore porn, toe fetish videos.

 

[TigerVols]

As a Vol fanboi, it pains me to say this, but Tim Tebow is a winner. He proved that in spades at Florida, and he proved it last year in Denver.

There is noting about the Jets organization -- from the players, to the coaches, to the management -- that says they are winners.

I'll side with Tebow on this one.

 

[Pancamo]

Why was he screwed over? He was brought in to be the wildcat situational QB and the punt protector and was horrible in both this year and this week he agent feeds Mort the virtual certainty to Jacksonville is typical Tebow passive aggressive BS. The ultimate teammate creating a distraction that is all about him and how do they know it is a certainty? Was there illegal contact between Jaguars and Tebow? I love the Tebow apologists saying he stood up for himself. Really, is he the only players in the league that felt he was wronged? The guy guy refused to play which means he quit on his team when things didn't go his way. He differs from other malcontents he has very good pr people who carefully cultivated his image and keep his name in the spotlight.

I love the Tebow is a winner crap. Mark Sanchez and the Jets went to two AFC Championship games and nobody is calling either a winner.


Fraud!

 

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

"Rex Ryan Sexual Dynamo" would make a good name for a fantasy football team.

 

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

"Rex Ryan Sexual Dynamo" would make a good name for a fantasy football team.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I think Ryan is a decent coach. I don't think he'll have any trouble finding another head coaching job if he gets fired after this season. I tend to think he's OK, but it wouldn't stun me if he was fired.

I would probably even give Sanchez another shot next season when he doesn't have to answer Tebow questions all year long. There's no question that through no fault of Tebow's, his presence was a huge distraction this season. That's on the people who signed off on the trade...

I wonder a bit about the validity of Mort's report about Tebow definitely going to Jacksonville. Of course, maybe Khan is going to fire the coach, hire Josh McDaniels and bring Tebow in.

I don't like when people are set up to fail, and Tebow was set up to fail with the Jets.

 

[RickStain]

Can I make this racial and imagine the response if a young black QB had reportedly refused to do his job because he wasn't happy about PT decisions?

 

[SoCalScribe]

Sources, sources, sources. I don't believe anything Jets-related if it isn't a named source. Too much untrue BS has been passed through "sources" on that beat for years.

 

[Pancamo]

Rex should start Tebow and run the normal sorry plays Sanchez ran and let him implode.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Sources, sources, sources. I don't believe anything Jets-related if it isn't a named source. Too much untrue BS has been passed through "sources" on that beat for years.

As Herm Edwards famously said, "PUT YOUR NAME ON IT!!!"

 

[poindexter]

Can I make this racial and imagine the response if a young black QB had reportedly refused to do his job because he wasn't happy about PT decisions?

I hate the THATS RAYCESS attitude about most everything on this board, but I am surprised most people on this board are giving Tebow a pass on this (whether racial or not).

Dude is getting paid $2 million dollars this year to play football. Since when do players get a pass for opting out of a package he doesn't like? My guess is he's cashing his check this week.

 

[amraeder]

Can I make this racial and imagine the response if a young black QB had reportedly refused to do his job because he wasn't happy about PT decisions?

I hate the THATS RAYCESS attitude about most everything on this board, but I am surprised most people on this board are giving Tebow a pass on this (whether racial or not).

Dude is getting paid $2 million dollars this year to play football. Since when do players get a pass for opting out of a package he doesn't like? My guess is he's cashing his check this week.

Randall Cobb reportedly asked not to return kicks any more and I don't have an issue with that, either.

 

[LongTimeListener]

I think you get one of these in a career. Was Kobe a fraud for not shooting against the Suns when they were going to lose? Was Carson Palmer a fraud for sitting until the Bengals traded him? Is every athlete who holds out a fraud?

The Jets obviously did not want to give Tebow a chance to play football. And finally, in a game that doesn't even matter, they still wouldn't give him a chance. It's frustrating for him and more than a little embarrassing -- and also based on what happened it would be difficult to argue he would have done worse.

As I said, one in a career. Two and you can start looking like a diva.