Tim Tebow
 

I'm not sure if Tebowmania has reached Europe yet; but damn is it big all of a sudden in America. I've been a Vikings Broncos fan for my entire life, and typically the Vikings were the better team virtually every season... Till this season.

I wasn't really struck when they drafted Tim Tebow a year ago, but knowing a bit about Tim Tebow I hoped he would get a chance to succeed. So that's happening now in spades, and I couldn't be happier. The guy is one for the record books, and this has undoubtedly been the most exciting football season of my lifetime in terms of entertainment value.

Anyone else a bit captivated by this story?

Re: Tim Tebow
 

In football, you use your feet to move the ball. So no, this steroid marketing ploy has not reached Europe yet. ;)

Re: Tim Tebow
 

Thankyou for the customary "I'm an ignorant European who knows nothing about your sport and assumes that it is illegitimate because we have a sport of the same name" comment that this thread could not have lived without. Normally I would reply with the customary "Your sport is comparatively boring to watch and has fewer points scored", but I have sobered up. =p

Tim Tebow is a fanatic. He has a workout routine that seems like punishment, or some kind of sick way to execute mere mortals. He's a beeeeeeeeast. And for all that, he's a soft-spoken, polite man who just really likes Jesus.

For a sport constantly dominated by drama-queen players with multi-million dollar contracts who are always getting into nasty shenanigans, there's something unique about seeing a guy who visits a terminal child before and after every game, prays during kicks, doesn't talk smack and who will carry a team on his back if that's what needs to happen. It seems crazy that people should hate the fella for sticking with his guns in terms of what he believes, when the sport has more jackasses than you can wave a massive, meteoric stick at.

One way or another, the kid's a winner.

Re: Tim Tebow
 

Dude, American Football hasn't reached Europe yet. =p

Re: Tim Tebow
 

Haha, the NFL had a European league like 4 or 5 years ago but it was terrible. All of the players were American and none of the teams were interesting.

They should have gotten historical and brought back some cool tensions and named the team like "The British Trade Monopolizers" or "The Berlin Prussians". Actually the Prussians would be a cool team name, thinking about it...

Re: Tim Tebow
 

I'm sure the sport has potential here too, a lot of people showed up to our local university games, but it would certainly have to be different from the American version to get any ground from the established sports.

Do you want to know the secret to how he can keep up a workout routine no mortal could follow? Hint: Jesus didn't actually touch him.

I know one shouldn't doubt the gods of American football, but was that what he always did, before he dreamed of a career in NFL? As you say it sort of is a sport for jackasses, so it is a bit fishy when somebody tries too hard not to be seen as one.

Re: Tim Tebow
 

Aren't all sports at that level dominated by jackasses? When you're making that sort of cash, and when fans will kiss the ground you walk on, it must get to your head.

Anyway, I can respect the guy. He actually seems like a good role model unlike many players these days. I still think sport pros are too often idolized as "heroes" as opposed to all of the real heroes out there, but he's certainly an improvement over many high-profile players.

Re: Tim Tebow
 

Also...

Tebowing

Re: Tim Tebow
 

I never liked Tebow, I enjoyed watching him cry on the sidelines when the Tide murdered the Gators a few years back in the SEC championship game. I'll admit he's been pretty damn good/lucky in every one of his starts so far. He absolutely sucks for three quarters and then gets a fire lit under his ass to come back and win. I wouldn't be surprised if they make the playoffs, their division is garbage. I'd be surprised if he can continue this success into next season, I think the spread offense style required for Tebow's success will be figured out and he won't be as successful, he will go the way of the wildcat formation.


As for American football, after Los Angeles, London is frequently considered the next logical place for a new NFL franchise, they really want to expand the brand outside of North America. I don't know if it will be successful, might take a while to really catch on and surpass other European sports in popularity (though it will never surpass that other football, aka soccer).

Re: Tim Tebow
 

Well that's just it, he is improving drastically. If you watch the film from 3 weeks ago, he's vastly improved at completing passes and staying in the pocket to drive the ball down field rather than running for a shorter gain.

If anything I think the stigma people have with him will just benefit him in their underestimation.


Haha, Los Angeles. Los Angeles, typical to it's fair weather population, has never been able to maintain an NFL team. As soon as they have a bad season nobody in Los Angeles wants to buy tickets. They've run what; 2? 3? NFL teams out of Los Angeles in as long as it has existed, because unlike the Lakers, an NFL team isn't going to be consistently winning world championships every other year.

London would be iffy, I'm not really sure how well the games the NFL plays in London every year sell; they should just always have the Patriots play in some kind of brutal irony.

Re: Tim Tebow
 

He was a horrible pocket QB at Florida (the few times when he wasn't running the ball) and he still relies upon the defense thinking he's going to run to get anyone open (nice thing to rely on, I'll admit). He has improved but I think he has a lot to do to wear off that novelty idea that people have of his style, and beating defensive giants like the Ravens or Steelers would do that (as opposed to beating a QB-less Bears and a bunch of bad teams outside the Jets). He's still very much a work in progress and he definitely has the determination to work at it, but as long as Denver continues to run this kind of enhanced-Wildcat, spread offense, teams will figure it out.

Where I'd be worried is that QB's of the style of Tebow, Vince Young, Michael Vick,even Cam Newton, etc the "running-QBs" tend not to have long and successful careers. I'd be worried about Tebow getting mashed by someone like James Harrison and coming back a shell of his former self (like Vick after he broke his leg in 2003).

We'll see how he does against Brady and the Patriots this weekend. Pats defense isn't what it used to be, but Brady and the offense are surely capable of putting up more points than their defense will allow (kinda like how the Saints are playing).

Re: Tim Tebow
 

Well that's what they've been saying for about 6 weeks... and even though every week I read headlines about head coaches watching tape and coming up with beastly plans to stop the option; it hasn't happened yet.

That aside, the option offense was never supposed to be the permanent solution in Denver, it's just been the plan to ease Tebow into the offense, and considering that Tebow has fewer starts than some current Rookie quarterbacks, I don't think he's doing bad.
I remember looking at a comparison of the first 10 starts of Tebow to Elway, Brady, Montana and some of the other greatest QBs or all time, and Tebow generally has about the same pass completion percentage, but with fewer interceptions and more touchdowns. He also has more rushing yards, but that goes without saying.

Michael Vick hasn't exactly had a short career, and if you'll remember he was quite the phenom last year. Beyond that, there's countless examples of rushing quarterbacks considered among the greatest to ever play the position. Randall Cunningham? Fran Tarkenton? These even coming from my biased Vikings knowledge.

It will be an interesting matchup, and while normally even a miracle believer such as myself would say it's too far to reach for the Broncos, it's really not. Saying "The Patriots defense isn't what it used to be" is like saying "The Roman Empire isn't what it used to be", The Patriots are dead last in pass defense. Second to last? The Minnesota Vikings, where Tebow threw for 200 yards.

The Patriots offense is lightning in a bottle, but Brady can be pressured, and there are few defenses these days that can pressure a QB like the Broncos, who have brought back the concept of "Orange Crush". In the secondary they've got Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey, both veterans and damn near the best at their positions. It isn't even a question of Defenses, it's a question of Defense, whether the Broncos defense can keep Brady from Bradying.

Re: Tim Tebow
 

Don't worry, I got this...


Oh yeah? Well, soccer sucks!