Let's be clear first on one thing. I have never been a big fan of Tim Tebow. I'm a University of Georgia graduate who strongly supports the Bulldogs and, naturally, disliked Tebow when he was at the University of Florida. Living in Denver, I saw how blind and irrational a faction of the Broncos fan base supported Tebow despite his less-than-stellar passing ability over the past two years. I was willing to give him a chance to develop as a passer with the Broncos after his remarkable performance against the Steelers in the playoffs last season, but that went out the window the moment the Broncos grabbed Peyton Manning and booted Tebow to the New York Jets.
Even now, I'm not necessarily rooting for the guy to succeed. I'm also not rooting for him to fail. I just want to actually see the guy perform well in an environment that is eminently more difficult than Denver ever was. The problem I'm having now is that the national media and the New York media report upon Tebow with a frequency that belies the contribution he has given so far to his team (granted, they've only played one game).
Not a week has gone by since the beginning of training camp that the media hasn't created some huge Tebow story. In the first week of the NFL regular season, the story was how Tebow would be used in the wildcat for the Jets. When he had no impact upon the game (thanks in part to a tremendous performance by starting quarterback Mark Sanchez), the media went out of their way this week to bring Tebow back into the headlines. There was the hour-long Tebow special on the NFL network Wednesday night (admittedly, I didn't watch it; I've been front and center, it seems like, for every Tebow moment). On Thursday, there was a story purported by the New York Daily News that Tebow could ask for a trade at the end of this season if he's still a backup to Sanchez. Every national sports outlet has now made it one of their top headlines. It's a ridiculous, speculative story with no substance to it.
The only one who actually gets any benefit (so far) from the continued Tebowmania by the media (outside of the media themselves) is Mark Sanchez. The guy clearly took Tebow's presence on the team as the threat that it was and made massive upgrades to his game. Time will tell if Sanchez is truly a much improved quarterback or simply an average quarterback who honestly tries a lot harder now. For the Jets, if the Tebow trade does nothing but improve Sanchez as a quarterback, the trade will be considered a success. They honestly don't care all that much if Tebow can actually perform.
Tebow is the freak show in this "Big Apple Circus." He has bulked up noticeably to be able to survive the role (as a running back and a special teams player) that the Jets plan for him this season. In the first game of the season, they had him on the field for several plays but choose to have him run with the ball just five times (for 11 yards). He never attempted a pass. With the Steelers actually hosting the Jets at Heinz Field this Sunday, the NFL will most certainly have a field day over the next few days reminding viewers how amazing of a passer that Tebow can be when given the chance. Even Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is stating that they're not going to underestimate Tebow as a passer.
The sad thing is, Tebow's future as a quarterback was irrecovcably altered in the NFL the day he was traded to the Jets. They clearly are all about using him however they see fit, and that's not as a passing quarterback. He had accuracy issues with Denver the entire time he was there, and he had them again in preseason with the Jets. He's also not getting the passing repetitions in practice that he got with the Broncos during his tenure as a starter. The amazing passing performance against the Steelers was the culmination of many, many weeks of working with his receivers and was a product of a very, very bad defensive game plan by the Steelers. I won't be surprised to see the Jets have Tebow attempt a throw against the Steelers, but I doubt it will go well for Tebow or the Jets. I think Tebow is going to have a difficult, very physical game against a Steelers team bent on revenge. It could portend his entire 2012 NFL season.
Julie is a featured NFL contributor for the Yahoo Contributor Network. Living in Denver for the past 11 years, she had never seen anything like the Tebowmania that gripped Colorado in 2011. As some of her Denver friends continue to defend Tebow, she has had no choice but to continue to follow his career as a member of the New York Jets.
More From This Contributor:
Tim Tebow Trade May Have Benefited Everyone But Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow Continues To Get Pass From Media For Terrible Quarterback Play
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