The Great Debate [Part II]

Anyone who read Part I of this article knows I’m not a big fan of Tim Tebow, so I’m rather surprised to be defending him so frequently. I’m equally as surprised to have any opinion at all on the VP of Operations in Denver. I never imagined I’d have anything to say about either of these guys, but here we are. Two days ago, John Elway made some comments on the radio regarding Tim Tebow, and his comments disturbed me. When asked if he was feeling closer to having his franchise quarterback, Elway very meaningfully said no. He then began to pick apart Tim Tebow, bone-by-bone, and threw in a few compliments here and there to salt the zebra meat as he devoured it. He made it clear that Tebow’s time in Denver is temporary.

I’m so accustomed to the Patriots keeping inside baseball, well, inside. Am I spoiled by the discipline of New England? I must be. Elway’s thoughts on Tebow should be between him and Tebow right now. The Broncos are in the middle of a season. This team has been a joke ever since I was a kid, but now they have a shot to make the playoffs -- and to make it in style. Everyone associated with the Denver Broncos -- from the players to the owners to the janitors -- needs to demonstrate poise and maturity. And then...this? These comments from Elway on the radio? Is that leadership? Is that wisdom? Whatever happened to class?

Elway’s got almost every analyst out there backing him up and applauding his tough-love sentiment. But why? Denver won’t win the Super Bowl this year, but it won't be Tebow’s fault. It’s the fault of a great number of things -- mostly, they’re just not that good. They don’t have the weapons to win at an elite level right now. But Elway’s comments make it seem like Tim Tebow is what’s standing between the Denver Broncos and Success. Believe me, there’s a lot more than Tim Tebow blocking that pathway. There’s enough wrong with that team to fill a book on. But let’s just say, for argument’s sake, that Elway is positive Tebow’s not the guy. Ok, fine, that’s understandable given all of his issues. I’m not convinced he’s a good quarterback either. But to put these thoughts out there during a playoff push is completely misguided. People haven’t cared about the Broncos in what seems to fit my understanding of forever. Before Tebow’s arrival, teams were not afraid to play against the Broncos. Now, however, there’s a feeling of something -- maybe not fear or dread, but it’s something. It’s the feeling that playing against the Broncos means playing against a growing momentum. Do you really think teams want to play against Denver right now? The answer is no. Nobody wants to chop off a limb in the swirling helicopter blade of hysteria surrounding this team. When’s the last time Denver had that kind of clout? They had a fire going, and Elway poured every bucket of water he could find right on top of it.

I agree with Elway on certain things, most notably on the fact that Tim Tebow isn’t a very good quarterback right now. He’s not even in the mid-range level of Cassel and Sanchez. He’s in the bottom of the mix. But again -- if you recall my point from Part I of this article -- the kid’s only played five times, and he’s 4-1. Yes, we know the problems -- his mechanics are terrible, his accuracy is dismal, he clearly doesn’t want to throw the ball, and he suffers from severe fan hype and media over-exposure. And yet, despite all that, he’s got his team in a better position right now than the New York Jets. If that’s not potential, I don’t know what is.

Even if Tebow was 1-4, it still wouldn’t be classy for Elway to say what he said. But those numbers are reversed, and so is Elway’s logic. Is he aware of how little thought people put into the Denver Broncos from year-to-year? People care about the Packers, the Pats, the Bears, the Steelers, the Giants -- they don’t care about the Broncos. But now, people care a little. Maybe it’s for all the wrong reasons, but it is what it is. The team might not matter tomorrow, but they do today, and Tebow has something to do with it. Elway should ride-out the season with the kid and see where it goes. Worse that happens is they lose. So what? John Elway should be used to losing. So they’ll lose, and Elway will get rid of Tim or throw him back on the bench as a back-up. But to go on the radio and blast him like he did, that had less class than Rex Ryan’s outburst last week. At least Ryan’s particular brand of idiocy comes from his passion for winning and his hatred for losing, which I can respect. But Elway’s comments come from...where? He wants a quarterback who can lead them to the Super Bowl -- this year? Whatever happened to taking steps? Helping a player grow? Winning little victories and building something from nothing? How about John gets happy with a quarterback that led his guys to 4-1 in his first 5 games and put his team in a position to make the playoffs for the first time in seven years?

How about John Elway just stops talking altogether?