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TEBOWED by Jeremy Beutel, posted Dec 12 2011 4:40PM
My Account of the Magic From Up-Close
If the team for which you root has yet to be Tebowed, I guess it eventually comes around to everyone. As a Bear fan, I braced for it all of last week...even picked the Broncos in my XL 950 Pick 'Em pool, and still didn't believe it until I saw it.
As a guy who has subtly rooted for Tebow week in and week out this year, it was an awkward feeling being lulled to sleep by his all-out incompetency for three and a half quarters. I even said out loud at one point (as yet another pass flopped harmlessly beyond a receiver's reach), "This is historically bad."
I was watching the game with my brother. With the Bears up 10 late in the fourth quarter, he made a funny about Tebow Time. We both laughed it off because Tebow had just been through a 3 for 16 passing stretch. The Bears were yielding nothing, The Denver WRs looked like beginners, and the Broncos were about to be shut out at home for the first time in history. Still, I remember telling him at that time..."I'm sure every team has felt this way in the fourth quarter... You don't think the Jets thought they had it wrapped up when they pinned him at his own five???" Still, even as I uttered the words, I knew deep down that the Bears wouldn't succumb to the magic.
And this time it wasn't mad scrambles or maddening backyard improv. It was Tebow playing the role of an NFL quarterback. A real one. Standing in the pocket. Carving up the secondary. A pinpoint pass to the end zone. Even Trent Dilfer said his makeup and mechanics seem to somehow undergo a transformation late in the game. The result? An 18-24 stretch for 200ish yards and the score.
The Broncos are 7-1 in the last half-season's worth of games. That technically makes Tim Tebow the hottest QB going not named Aaron Rodgers. (The Texans are also 7-1 over that span using multiple signal callers.)
Sure Tebow wins, but does he also somehow have an effect on other elements seemingly beyond his control? Why did a smart, dominant and veteran Bear defense yield the sideline over and over for a team with no timeouts left? Why did Marion Barber make a beeline for the sideline instead of burning loads of precious time? Why was Matt Prater making 100-yard field goals with ease? And why did the Bears spend seemingly a full hour in prevent defense when they just needed one emphatic stop? Does the mere presence of Tim Tebow render otherwise world-class athletes and coaches clueless?
Does he also somehow hold influence over the level of upcoming competition offered by Bronco opponents? They got the Dolphins shortly after their starting QB went down...and on a day when Tebow's own Florida Gator team was honored at the stadium. They faced Carson Palmer in his first start in professional football in many months. The Chiefs game ended up with Tyler Palko taking the snaps after Matt Cassel exited with an injury. They got a rookie QB in Minnesota. And faced the Bears without their two best players, Jay Cutler and Matt Forte.
The Patriots are next. And Denver gets to host. During last weekend's Broncos' game with the Vikings, someone in the room mentioned something about Denver needing to beat New England coming up. I said, "Well, they'll likely have to beat them again if they want to get to Lucas Oil in February." And I was only half-joking. It's still in the absurd category at this point. But if the Tebows beat the Bradys on Sunday, that's a conversation that's going to have to start taking place. And if you haven't yet been Tebowed yourself, just wait your turn.
I believe it was Shakespeare who said, "To Luck or not to Luck? That is the question," or something like that...
Everyday I hear on local radio or read in the local paper about different scenarios, different "what if"s. I have my opinion about what the Colts should do, which I'll save for another post, and you have yours.
But something that has been driving me crazy lately is the idea that a team doesn't need a superstar franchise quarterback to win in the NFL.
I've been hearing people advocate the idea on local talk radio and national sports talk alike. I have one question for those people. "What league have you been watching??"
Let's talk about winning. There is a difference between winning regular season games and winning championships. The difference between the two is as big as Barry Bonds' head.
Here is the list of the last eight Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, and Tom Brady.
Those, by most all NFL fans and experts, are elite/franchise quarterbacks. Rex Grossman and Chad Pennington can win some regular season games, and even a couple playoff games, but they're not winning any rings.
The league has changed, my friends, and the superstar quarterback is king.
We are excited to announce that the winner of the Second Annual Xtra Large Cincinnati Getaway is Jeff Beasley. Jeff wins a two night stay for four at the luxurious Kingsgate Marriott, four day-passes to the Cincinnati Zoo, and 4 tickets to see the divisional battle between the Reds and Brewers on Saturday, September 17th.
Thanks to all of you who participated, there were a lot of great entries. Here is the winning lineup:
"The All Time Reds ULTIMATE BIG RED MACHINE
C- Without any hesitation, JOHNNY BENCH, the greatest
Red of all time and possibly the greatest catcher in
the history of the game
1B- TED KLUSZEWSKI, The Big Klu, was a STUD hitter
all the way down to the muscle shirts or sleeveless
jerseys that he wore to allow the biceps room to
move! The guy playing there for the current Reds may
one day take this guys' spot on this list, Mr
Votto-matic!
2B- I assure you JOE MORGAN didn't make his fame in
broadcasting ESPN games, again, quite possibly the
best in MLB history at his position. He did it ALL!
3B-TONY PEREZ may have been the backbone of the famed
Big Red Machine, 7 time all star, 2nd all time in
Reds RBI leaders and 3rd in big flies (home runs)
SS- great shortstop and all around great guy and
athlete, BARRY LARKIN was the heart and soul of the
franchise in the 90's and early 2000's and a .295
career hitter with an amazing .975 career fielding
position at shortstop, no less.
LF- PETE ROSE.....I can provide evidence if need be,
but CHARLIE HUSTLE's picture can be found in the
dictionary under the word "baseball player"
CF- VADA PINSON was before my time but the numbers
and abilities speak for themselves. A stellar
defender who could "fly" was constantly amongst the
league leaders in hits, batting avg, and doubles in
the late 50's and early to mid 60's.
RF- Given the chance to play his entire career in
Cincinnati, my description of Johnny Bench above may
have applied to FRANK ROBINSON as the greatest Red of
all time as he is among baseball's finest in many
career offensive categories and the first 10 yeras he
spent in Cincinnati, claiming Rookie of the Year and
NL MVP awards as a member of the Redlegs
P- Had to "cheat" and do a little research here
because right off of the bat, I would have said JOSE
RIJO from recent memory but I have to say there are a
handful of guys with comparable stats and
performances as Jose had. After reading, I'm gonna
say the great EPPA RIXEY for the 20's era is the
Red's all time greatest Starting Pitcher. His 266
career wins were the most by a lefty in the NL until
Warren Spahn eclipsed his mark in the late 60's.
RP- THE NASTY BOYS! Dibs, Charlton and Randy
Myers.........wow! Talk about "turn out the lights!"
Manager- SPARKY. Sparky Anderson. Who wouldn't have
enjoyed playing with or for this guy? And oh yeah, by
the way, he won baseball games and World Series'
rings along the way! RIP Sparky.
Good trip down memory lane today, thanks!"
Congratulations again, Jeff, and thanks to those of you who wrote in with your all-time starting nine Cincinnati Reds!
As an interested observer, I am desperately hoping not to see empty seats at Lucas Oil Stadium if, say--the Kerry Collins-led Colts return home on November 6th after their three-game road trip and sit at 3-5.
The Colts need their fans. You don't hear much about the franchise moving to LA anymore these days. And that's partly because the fan base here won't let them leave. Look at training camp this year. Over nine grand for a couple of the night sessions in Anderson.
On Thursday as all of the news began to unfold, I saw in my Facebook news feed no fewer than three Colts' fans post about which team they would root for this year. Yes--teams other than the Colts. This hurt my head. I do not get that.
And it says here that Colts' merchandise could take a huge hit this year. (What...Ernie Sims jerseys aren't going to offer a big boost?) Then there was this on Twitter yesterday: "Bad sign. Just got the email from Colts liquidating tickets for Carolina and Houston late in the season. #unnerving" Not sure about the validity, but it's out there.
And I suppose it makes sense. When did Peyton get here--1998? A 21-year old guy in college right now was seven or eight the last time the Colts took the field without their hero. He's lived his entire formative life knowing that Manning would likely save the day. That's just a different kind of reality. Fans around here are used to a whole lot of stability. And predictability. And above-average success.
I am not originally from Indianapolis. But if I was, I would likely be a lot like one of my old college roommates. He was born in 1980 and roots for the Colts, Pacers, and Cincinnati Reds. In his sports lifetime, he has had the good fortune to observe three different Hall of Famers staying with his favorite teams for well over a decade: Barry Larkin (1986-2004), Reggie Miller (1987-2005), and Peyton Manning (1998-present).
But that's just not the way it works. Not in this day and age. Not for most sports fans. Most fans have to ride the roller coaster. Who's starting under center this week? Should we play for a .500 record or a draft pick? Can we finally have three consecutive winning seasons? That's how it is for Bears' fans. And Bengals' fans. And now...well, for Pacer fans. And you've seen what has happened at Conseco in recent years.
Hey! The Colts might still go 12-4 this year. Who knows? That's not what I'm saying. I'm simply responding to the rampant throw-in-the-towel-for-2011 attitude I've seen over the past two days.
And yes, on the other hand I've also seen people on Facebook and Twitter with a "Let's get behind Kerry Collins" attitude. That's the right idea.
Right now is the time to dig in. Be a Colts' fan. Be a real fan. Don't turn off the games. Don't keep the jersey in the closet on Blue Friday. And don't gravitate towards "my second favorite team" as the season wears on. That's not how this works. Football means staying in through thick and thin. There hasn't been a lot of thin for Colts' fans in the Manning era.
Every time this gets addressed, we inevitably hear from the true diehards. From the guys who were there to help unload the Mayflower vans. Who lived through 1-15. And Steven Emtman. When Colts stood for Count On Losing This Sunday.
And there are plenty of you out there. That's not who I'm addressing here. I'm addressing the Pierre-Garcon-jersey-with-the-
tags-still-on guy. And the "It's a good thing my Packers are good this year because I don't think the Colts will be much fun for awhile" guy.
Right now is a chance to prove a lot of people wrong. If this team is out of the playoff hunt and they're still selling the place out at the end of the year, that will be a huge step in the right direction. That's how fan bases are really built. And solidified.
Take it from me. Sometimes it can be really rewarding to grind with a team down the stretch just to get to that winning record or final playoff spot. Or 8-8 for that matter. Try it. You might like it.
Then again they just might run away with the division again and be playing in the ultimate home game on February 5th.
Rumors surfaced over the weekend that Reggie Miller may be on his way back to Indianapolis to assume a high-level role within the organization in which he spent his NBA career. Pretty interesting, to be sure, especially if it would mean Larry Bird's departure from town. Naturally, people wanted to get the facts straight. And when facts need to be straightened out, we all, of course, turn to Twitter.
Reggie didn't disappoint. That afternoon, he went to his ReggieMillerTNT account…and promptly proceeded to put on an absolute clinic on how not to tweet.
"@ReggieMillerTNT: After playing my entire 18yr career & spending the better part of my adult life affiliated with the Pacers (cont'd)"
First thought: YES! He's coming back to Indiana.
Second thought: did he seriously just (cont'd) us?
3 minutes later….
"@ReggieMillerTNT:(cont'd) I'm honored to be mentioned as someone MrSimon, whom I respect a great deal (cont'd)"
Okay, yada yada you're very humbled. We get it. We would be too. But you're killing us here.
A couple more minutes…
"@ReggieMillerTNT: (cont'd) would consider for an impt role within the org. I have had no formal discussions or mtgs at this time with MrSimon or Pacers mgmt."
WAIT, WHAT? You drug us through all that to tell us there's no news?
Issued as a whole statement, the above makes more sense. But chopped up into abbreviations and grammatical errors--spread over several minutes of time? Exactly what you don't use Twitter for.
Arg. Reggie, thanks for the free tutorial on how NOT to tweet. Next time, take a lesson from the Diesel:
"@SHAQ: im retiring Video: http://bit.ly/kvLtE3 #ShaqRetires"
.
