Why Tim Tebow Does Not Deserve All the Criticism

We all watched Tim Tebow dazzle and amaze us during his four years at Florida. His college career will go down as one of the great college careers of all-time, if not the greatest. 

Most of us already know what he accomplished, but why don't we refresh our memories:

• Two National Championships (2006-07, 2008-09)                                                               
• Heisman Trophy Winner (2007)                                                                                          
• First Quarterback with 20 rush TDs  and 20 pass TDs in single season (2007)             
• Maxwell Award Winner for Nation’s Top Football Player (2007, 2008)                              
• Davey O’Brien Award Winner for Nation’s Top Quarterback (2007)                                  
• James E. Sullivan Award Winner for Most Outstanding Amateur Athlete in any Sport (2007) 
• Offensive MVP of the National Championship Game (2008-09) 

There’s more I could have added to the list, but you get the point.  You look at that resume and you can’t possibly imagine any downside to Tebow.

However, there is the so-called downside of Tebow: He has bad mechanics. His delivery of the football is bad and he is not accurate. In fact, he’s less accurate when he’s on the run then when he’s throwing from the pocket. 

NFL experts like Merrill Hoge, who I've a lot of respect for, came out and said that “It’s embarrassing to think that the Broncos could win with Tebow.”  Why is it embarrassing? What does Hoge have to base his “expert” opinion on? 

Is it Tebow’s four years in college where he did nothing but win?  Or is it the three games that he started in 2010 (his ROOKIE season)? 

During those three games in which he started, he was actually quite serviceable. He did beat the Texans while passing for over 300 yards.

Is it me, or do MOST rookies, and not just rookie quarterbacks, tend to struggle while figuring things out?   

Skeptics are already shredding my last statement, saying things like “The Texans had the worst pass defense in the league. Anyone could have done that.” 

My response to that is: He was a rookie. He was a rookie playing quarterback, the toughest position to play in all of professional sport. I beg you, and I repeat, beg you to argue that one with me.

Now, before you Tebow haters blow up this article and jump on Hoge's "Tebow Hatin' Train," I urge you to read what another expert had to say about Tebow’s future as an NFL quarterback.

Former NFL quarterback Rich Gannon, who happens to be the 2002 NFL MVP, a three-time All-Pro and Super Bowl quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, had this to say: “It bothers me when old running backs or old offensive linemen who've now become analysts start analyzing the quarterback position. They’re not experts at it.”  

Gannon’s right.  They’re not experts. Why isn't  Hodge measuring Tebow’s ability to win ugly?  All the “experts” love the ability of Ben Roethlisberger to win ugly. 

Why isn't he measuring Tebow’s ability to get the team to rally around him?  These are intangibles that just aren't  measured in combines and practices. 

I could rattle off a laundry list of quarterbacks who were NFL busts, but were touted as the guys that have it all. What happened to them? Why didn't  they succeed?  They had perfect mechanics.  They had rocket arms.  They were all extremely accurate. 

So what happened to the Ryan Leaf’s, the Heath Shuler's, and the Joey Harrington’s? How does Drew Brees do it?  After all, he was considered too short to make it as an elite NFL quarterback. Phillip Rivers may have an uglier delivery than Tim Tebow.

I guess what I am saying is get off this kid’s back.  He has done nothing but win at the high school and college levels. 

I’ll say this right now: All of you Tebow haters can go on bashing him as much as you want, the fact is he has just as much of a chance to win at the highest level as the next quarterback.

And he is going to win for a reason he hasn't had to think about before: He is going win despite all of you who bash him.

Just make sure that when he does win, you Tebow haters stay on your side of the fence. 

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