Free-agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress became the latest pro athlete to trash-talk New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow, with his vicious comment about him on ESPN's "First Take" that "It's not Peyton Manning back there."
Tebow is a polarizing figure who has been subjected to tons of negative comments about his skillset since joining the NFL.
Here's a look at the rest of the current and former pro athletes who showered Tebow with smack-talk:
2) CM Punk: While showing Jimmy Fallon how to make snow angels on the production floor during his appearance on the late night talk show, Punk said "This is kind of like 'Tebowing.' Except, unlike Tebow, I actually am a champion."
It's unclear at this time if Punk was just trying to tweak Jimmy Fallon, who is a well-known Tim Tebow fan, or if he was serious about taking a verbal swipe at the star quarterback.
3) Tedy Bruschi: Former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi was apparently miffed at Tebow's constant spot in the limelight. "Stop talking to the media so much," Bruschi said on ESPN's "NFL 32". "You need to disappear, okay, Tim Tebow? You're not the starting quarterback, it's Mark Sanchez's team. I want my voice to come from my head coach and my quarterback -- my starting quarterback. That message has to be consistent."
I wouldn't agree with Bruschi's assessment on the situation, as it's not all Tebow's fault that the media is in love with him. I'm sure Tebow wouldn't mind backing away from the spotlight for a little while, but the New York media never leaves him alone. NFL athletes are required to make themselves available to the media, so you can't knock Tebow for answering questions openly and honestly.
4) Brady Quinn: Much like Bruschi, Quinn took umbrage with Tebow stealing the spotlight. "I was the second-string guy," Quinn said of his role with the Denver Broncos. "Then, a few weeks later, they decided to put Tim in. I felt like the fans had a lot to do with that. Just 'cause they were chanting his name. There was a big calling for him. No, I didn't have any billboards. That would have been nice."
Quinn also ripped into the 'Tebowing' phenomenon. "If you look at it as a whole, there's a lot of things that just don't seem very humble to me," he added. "When I get that opportunity, I'll continue to lead not necessarily by trying to get in front of the camera and praying but by praying with my teammates, you know?"
In my view, Quinn has a point on the first part of his argument. It makes it tough on the coaching staff and for a starting quarterback when a large part of the fan base is chanting to bring in one player over another player. Coaches want to stay in the good graces of their local fan base, so they want to make decisions that the fans support.
5) Jake Plummer: Plummer was annoyed with Tebow's constant references to religion. "I think that when he accepts the fact that we know that he loves Jesus Christ, then I think I'll like him a little better," Plummer said. "I don't hate him because of that, I just would rather not have to hear that every single time he takes a good snap or makes a good handoff."
This one is more a matter of preference than anything else. I personally don't mind Tebow speaking about his religion, as long as he's not overly preachy. Some people don't like that Tebow wears religion on his sleeve, and I can't rip them for feeling that way.
Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Jets fan. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.
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