I Am Superman

OMG...what a dork...who strikes this pose?

Let's get one thing straight. I have never liked Tim Tebow. I could not stand Tim Tebow when he was at Florida. It wasn't personal, but anyone that helps the Gators beat the Dawgs year after year is never getting a friend request from me. To this day, I'll never understand why A.J. Green gets a personal foul for a phantom gesture after a touchdown and Tim Tebow gets off scott-free after every post-play Gator chomp celebration.

All that said, the media's determination to see him fail has absolutely mystified me. They all seem to preface their criticisms with "he's a great guy, but..." But that doesn't change the fact that most of them haven't played a down of football as an NFL quarterback. Nor does a "but" change the fact that countless players have revolutionized the position by defying conventional wisdom (see Fran Tarkenton, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Tom Brady, Michael Vick, etc.). I'm not a conspiracy theorist that thinks it's an anti-Christian movement in the media (though I don't think that scores him any points).

Criticize his throwing motion or his decision-making. That's all fair game (though I trust NFL quarterbacks with this analysis more than Merrill Hodge, Colin Cowherd, or Scott Van Pelt). But when the media and various analysts say anyone "can't" do something, I have a problem as an American. I still believe this is a land of opportunity and anyone can work to better themselves and their standing in society. God forbid an NFL team give their first round draft pick a few years to develop.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not pretending his performance against Miami was good in any way. Nor do I pretend that the "W" in the win column for the Broncos is evidence that he is the answer. All I am saying is that as someone that watched him defy the odds for several years in the SEC and as someone that has heard all the raves about him working his tail off at the pro level (as many of you have), I'm not counting this kid out until he's over 30 and unemployed (in the NFL...there's nothing wrong with being over 30 and unemployed in other careers, of course). If there is one annoying jerk-face that can overcome physical limitations (a la Tom Dempsey, Doug Flutie, Barry Sanders, etc....not that they're annoying jerk-faces), it is Tim Tebow. I don't say this with any pleasure, but rather begrudgingly. This kid is a freak of nature that works really, really, really hard. He cries like a baby when he loses, but he works really, really, really hard.

As a Dawgs fan, I wanted nothing more than for the Dawgs to beat him and the Gators. When Matthew Stafford and (eventually) Tebow went pro, I wanted nothing more than to see Stafford have a better career. I still do. That being said, the fervor around the Tebow debate has become ludicrous. What other player has been told they could not succeed at this level by this many people, this often, for this long? What dog do any of these analysts have in this fight? They may be correct, but their pretentious and sanctimonious certainty reeks of elitism. I have no patience for that. Let him succeed or fail on the field. Then judge his career on its merits. Until then, shut up. You don't decide his fate. He does.

I hate the media for countless reasons. Liberal bias, Big Ten bias, anti-SEC bias, and overly dramatic puff pieces during pregame shows...that's all annoying. The one thing for which I'll never forgive the media: making me pull for Tim Tebow.