Dear America, enough about Tebow already
Swinging for the Fences
Matt Watson
Issue date: 1/12/09 Section: Sports
Even after Florida's 24-14 victory over Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship game, there were coaches and talking heads still pushing for teams like Texas, Utah and USC to get a part of the national title. Since the college football champion is determined by a complicated combination of biased voters and computers, fans could only be certain of one thing after the OU-Florida matchup: Tim Tebow is the greatest football player/human being ever.
Don't take my word for it, it's right here, taken word-for-word straight out from the mouths of those who get paid to watch the game and tell us what's going on. And as usual, I didn't make any of this up.
"The passion, the fire of Tim Tebow, who is the unquestioned greatest leader in college football today."
-Fox announcer Thom Brennaman in the BCS National Championship Game
Let's give Tebow a little credit. He has played on two national championship teams in three years and is a former Heisman winner. But it's not like he led a ragtag group from worst to first or overcame great adversity to get to the title game. He finished third in the Heisman voting in 2008, finished 38th in the country in passing yards, averaged 3.8 yards per carry for the season and threw as many interceptions as touchdowns in the biggest game of his career.
It's not like he led his team to an undefeated season or anything. (That's Brian Johnson of Utah, who had more passing yards and completions in 2008 than Tebow, and against a common opponent [Alabama], Johnson threw for more touchdowns and yards too, with a less-talented supporting cast.) But don't ever question Tebow's superiority.
"In just a cynical, sarcastic society…if you're fortunate enough to spend five minutes or 20 minutes around Tim Tebow, your life is better for it."
"I just don't think you can talk enough…all the things you hear about him from so many people, and none of them do him justice."
"He's an amazing kid. Twenty-one years old, to think what most of us are doing at 21, the places he's been, the things he's done. Extraordinary."
Don't take my word for it, it's right here, taken word-for-word straight out from the mouths of those who get paid to watch the game and tell us what's going on. And as usual, I didn't make any of this up.
"The passion, the fire of Tim Tebow, who is the unquestioned greatest leader in college football today."
-Fox announcer Thom Brennaman in the BCS National Championship Game
Let's give Tebow a little credit. He has played on two national championship teams in three years and is a former Heisman winner. But it's not like he led a ragtag group from worst to first or overcame great adversity to get to the title game. He finished third in the Heisman voting in 2008, finished 38th in the country in passing yards, averaged 3.8 yards per carry for the season and threw as many interceptions as touchdowns in the biggest game of his career.
It's not like he led his team to an undefeated season or anything. (That's Brian Johnson of Utah, who had more passing yards and completions in 2008 than Tebow, and against a common opponent [Alabama], Johnson threw for more touchdowns and yards too, with a less-talented supporting cast.) But don't ever question Tebow's superiority.
"In just a cynical, sarcastic society…if you're fortunate enough to spend five minutes or 20 minutes around Tim Tebow, your life is better for it."
"I just don't think you can talk enough…all the things you hear about him from so many people, and none of them do him justice."
"He's an amazing kid. Twenty-one years old, to think what most of us are doing at 21, the places he's been, the things he's done. Extraordinary."
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 14
Jacob
posted 1/12/09 @ 2:05 AM CST
i agree that the media should stop kissing tebow's @$$.. but are you seriously bashing the kid? i mean for the most part what they are saying is right. (Continued…)
Ludlow
posted 1/12/09 @ 6:21 AM CST
I guess that since there are no hawgs with suitable reputations on the playing field to have the masses name their kids after, you feel an urge to take a shot at the best college football player in America. (Continued…)
Tee Fox
posted 1/12/09 @ 6:22 PM CST
Matt, Don't you wish you were Tim Tebow? Let's see, he has won two national championships, one Heisman and he has been on three missions through out the world and he is only a Jr in college. (Continued…)
rtg3388
Robert
posted 1/12/09 @ 10:54 PM CST
I'm glad that we all know Watson well enough to assume that he is Tim Tebow's foil. Also, I'm glad that you can see into the future to know that Tebow's name will be remembered forever. (Continued…)
SCrain
Stephen
posted 1/12/09 @ 11:20 PM CST
Are people really this retarded? I don't think that Watson has a personal vendetta against Tim Tebow. If you read the article and get off your knees for a second, you'll clearly see that he is not personally bashing Tebow. (Continued…)
Uncle Vic
posted 1/13/09 @ 7:13 AM CST
HI Matt: Great column, I see no bashing here, only acknowledgement of one of college sports best players. There are great players of the past and there will others to follow Tebow. (Continued…)
Jeff
posted 1/13/09 @ 8:57 AM CST
I think it's sad that so many people have to write articles like this, and then try to cop out by saying they aren't bashing Tim Tebow, just the media coverage. (Continued…)
Stephen
posted 1/13/09 @ 10:52 AM CST
No one is saying that Tebow is a terrible person or a terrible athlete, that would just be extremely ignorant. What the point of the article and all of our arguments is that the coverage and public image of Tebow is extremely biased, skewed, and extremely over-exaggerated. (Continued…)
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