The Denver Tebows
A lot of people do not like Tim Tebow. If he cares, it certainly did not show during the Denver Broncos’ 29-23 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. But before the Steelers’ tears were dry people were already tweeting about the forecast for the Denver Tebows:
@NoStruggleEver: “I like tebow but they not beatin the patriots sorry”
@arielcarr34: “I really wanna see how many “Tebow fans” there are next week when they get trounced by the Patriots #bandwagonfans”
@TRiXXz: “Tebow I got respect! But Patriots about to rip apart that defense.”
People are saying that the Denver Tebows can’t win next week.
“Can’t”?
Since when is “can’t” part of the sports conversation? We love sports because things happen there that we do not expect. There are no locks in sports, that’s why we tune in. What is all this “can’t” business?
Just like how a certain Horizon League school, with an enrollment of just over 4,000, can’t play in consecutive Final Fours let alone two straight NCAA Championship games. The Butler Bulldogs were a half-court heave away from cutting down the nets.
You can’t pitch in the big leagues with only one hand? Tell that to Jim Abbott. He pitched a no-hitter and won an Olympic gold medal with only five digits.
I’m sure Wake Forest coaches told a 5’3” guard that he did not have the height to play professional basketball. Muggsy Bogues is in the top 20 all-time assists leaders in NBA history. He blocked a couple shots too.
So with a mountain of evidence arguing that anything is possible on the field/court/diamond, why are some people convinced Tebow can’t beat the New England Patriots next week?
Is it because his throwing motion is unconventional? I argue that is an advantage. Imagine if next Sunday the Houston Texans came out running the wishbone offense – a style that fell out of favor around the same time Reagan was elected. It is certainly unusual but would it not confound the Baltimore Ravens, at least enough to score some early points? The whole point of the playoffs is holding nothing back; if that means Tebow needs to throw five consecutive awkward passes then so be it.
Is it because he is open about his faith? He has the freedom to not only follow any creed he chooses but also speak about it as he pleases. Other people may be more religious, the only difference is no camera crew follows a salesman into the break room to thank his deity after selling a Pontiac. Plus I do not give this argument much credence unless Tebow is getting the snap from St. Joseph and hitting Jesus on a post pattern.
To be clear, I am not a Denver Broncos fan by trade, if anything my allegiance to the Cleveland Browns should make me viciously hate them. But there is just something about Tebow I like. Let the cynics scoff; I’ll enjoy Tebow Time for as long as it lasts. Next week’s game at New England will be a challenge. The Pats are a playoff-tested team with a savvy coach and veteran quarterback. No doubt it will be a struggle, perhaps another overtime game. I won’t bother making any predictions about the game because the players don’t care what I think. All I know is this: the Denver Tebows might lose, but don’t say they can’t win.
Thoughts? Ideas? Vague notions? The author is curious what you think and can be contacted via the Twitter @Corey_Barnes
