Sports and God

So, a lot is being made of the random statistical anomalies from the Broncos-Steelers game on Sunday, and the religious connection. Tim Tebow’s favorite biblical verse is John 3:16. Tebow threw for 316 yards. Ben Roethlisberger threw a crucial interception on third and sixteen. The Steelers had the ball for 31.6 minutes, and Tebow averaged 31.6 yards per completion. Naturally, all of these statistics mean that God caers about football, right?

Um, no. Let’s be serious here – if whatever gods really care more about the outcome of some sporting even than the injustices and problems of the world, then maybe it’s time to get some new gods. Whatever higher powers one believes in definately have better things to do than to make sure that some scatter armed quarterback wins a football game. And if they don’t, then they have a severe issue with figuring out priorities.

Meanwhile, after every game, it’s customary to hear various athletes thanking God for their victory. So why don’t the players on the losing teams blame God for the loss? Steve Johnson of the Buffalo Bills did, and was soundly criticized for it. In all reality, he was right – if the gods want the opposing team to win, then they must want the other team to lose. And they certainly are in position to make sure that happens.

Sports comes down to strategy, skill, and luck – not some random higher power deciding who to favor based off how holy their life is. If that was really a major factor, then how did Roethlisberger win two Super Bowls? How do all of these people that no one would ever want to be around succeed time and time again? The reason is that they are, for that moment in time, simply better.

Tebow hit four passes that he may never complete again. Let’s not go overboard here. Sometimes a coincidence is just a coincidence.

All He Does Is Win

In the NFL, the only thing that matters is whether or not a team wins. It doesn’t matter how the victory occurs, so long as the wins column receives another mark. So, the time has come to recognize someone that does nothing but win football games, no matter how ugly it may look out there. A man who has a penchant for leading his team to come from behind victories, often in rather miraculous fashion. A man who didn’t even start for his own team at the start of the season, and was seemingly unwanted by his own head coach. That’s right, we’re here to talk about John Skelton.

John Skelton? Yes, this man is why the Arizona Cardinals were even in playoff contention until this past week. He has managed to put together a winning percentage that is close to another quarterback that, according to his defenders, does nothing more than win in Tim Tebow. In fact, Tebow’s winning percentage is .615 at present. Skelton is at .600.

So, while Tebow gets all the credit for managing to win football games in rather unorthodox fashion, Skelton wins games also. Unlike Tebow however, Skelton does not have a solid defense or a great running game to rely upon. What he has is Larry Fitzgerald, which means that Skelton actually has to play quarterback. Apparently, this is a novel concept for a quarterback to, you know, actually look competent when throwing a football. While he may have accuracy issues (12 touchdowns to 15 interceptions in his career), it should not matter, since he wins games. At least, that’s the argument the Tebow crowd has.

In the end, it’s time to give some love to John Skelton. Since, you know, he actually can play quarterback in the NFL, unlike that fullback that’s simply lining up behind center.

The Tim Tebow Experiment

Well, Tim Tebow has truly made his mark on the quarterback position. After last weekend’s performance of the ages (2-8 passing, 69 yards and a touchdown) he may have set the quarterback position back eighty years. All these years later, those coaches who refused to adapt and regarded the forward pass as a fad have been proven correct.

Why bother playing the quarterback position with anything resembling skill when you can just run the ball sixty times? Why have solid arm strength and the ability to hit receivers in stride when a toddler could play roughly as well at that position? And yet, somehow the Broncos have managed to win games with this joke behind center, because the opposition is not smart enough to put nine players in the box.

In fact, Tebow’s own coach has admitted that if Tebow were in a real NFL offense that “If we were trying to run a regular offense, he’d be screwed.” That statement coming from John Fox is truly damning. Yes, everyone knew that Tebow would be a project if he stuck as a quarterback, but you would expect something resembling progress. Instead, he has regressed to the point where even his own coach does not want to see him throw the ball. And John Fox knows terrible quarterback play – he did see Jake Delhomme over his last two seasons in Carolina. Just wonder why he didn’t try the No Passing offense then….

The notion that Tebow is winning games has to be a nightmare for the Broncos organization. They were going nowhere, and gave in to the public clamoring for Tebow. They wanted to prove to the uneducated masses that Tebow, while he has a lot of heart, is not a quarterback. In this, they have been proven correct – Tebow is most definately not even close to an NFL quarterback.

Yet, the Broncos inexplicably manage to win games that Tebow starts, and somehow find themselves in the race for the AFC West. While this may be due to Tebow being Football Jesus and having magical powers (such as causing amnesia to opposing defenses so that they forget that the Broncos only run the football now), in all likelihood this is due to the unorthodox gameplan. Remember, the Miami Dolphins managed to win games with the Wildcat when it first came out. How long did that last? Well, the Broncos offensive playbook straight from 1904 probably has the shelf life of yogurt on the dashboard of a car during an Arizona summer.

In the end, expect sanity to win out, and the Broncos to fall back to Earth hard. Even Football Jesus cannot cause that many miracles.

The Beginning Of An Error

With the benching of the much maligned Kyle Orton, it is officially Tebow Time in Denver. As the Broncos continue to search for the heir to John Elway, their search is beginning to look a lot like the Dolphins quest to replace Dan Marino. There have been failed prospects, trades that did not work out, and incompetent coaches which have all served to set back the process of moving forward. And Tim Tebow is merely the latest roadblock.

Is Football Jesus an athlete? Yes. But is he a quarterback? The answer is a resounding NO!!! What Tebow happens to be is a college quarterback who made a name for himself with what he is off the field. If one ignores the name on the back of the jersey and looks at what the person does on the field, then Football Jesus is nothing more than a practice squad player if he’s lucky.

Now, it is certainly possible that Football Jesus will have a good career – in the Canadian Football League. To be an NFL quarterback, you need to be able to actually throw the football without a windup that makes it appear that one is doing the old cartoon windup where the arm spins around several times. Yeah, he can run, but can anyone respect his passing game? Defenses will be playing eight man fronts and contain against him within weeks, and what then? This is someone that fumbled three snaps in his brief time last game, and only connected on four of ten passes. Somehow, I doubt that opposing defenses are terrified of his abilities.

The biggest gripe that supports of Football Jesus have is that he has not been given a legitimate chance. Well, there happens to be another quarterback on the team that has not had a legitimate chance – Brady Quinn. Quinn has starting experience, but it was in the cesspool of football that is commonly referred to as the Cleveland Browns. He has had absolutely nothing in terms of weapons, a line, a defense, or a coaching staff to work with. Unlike Football Jesus, he actually progressed this offseason, showing a firmer grasp of the playbook and the finer mechanics of being a quarterback. Football Jesus, meanwhile, spent the offseason making underwear advertisements and pitching his autobiography. Seems a lot of people really needed to know what it’s like to hold a clipboard in the NFL. Oh, and Football Jesus has actually regressed this year in terms of pocket presence, awareness, and reading defenses. Yeah, that’s what the Broncos need at quarterback, someone that has no concept of how to be one.

So where are the billboards for Brady Quinn? When does the ‘Free Quinn’ movement begin? Where are the people trying to pressure John Fox into making Quinn the starter? That’s right, Quinn isn’t a name with zero NFL pedigree that has inexplicably created a legion of mindlessly loyal fans who will scream prejudice at anyone who even displays the slightest thought that their Chosen One is not a legitimate football player. Well, those people need to wake up.

Football Jesus is not the answer. Football Jesus will not be the salvation of the Denver Broncos. If anything, he will condemn the Broncos to roam the draft boards like the Wandering Jew is condemned to roam the Earth. Enjoy what you have brought upon yourselves, Broncos fans. Sometimes it is better not to receive what you want.

Shut Up Tim Tebow Supporters

Fans of third string, and hideously overrated, quarterback Tim Tebow are planning to purchase billboards, urging Denver Broncos coach John Fox to bench Kyle Orton and start Football Jesus. First, this assumes that Fox would actually care what these obviously delusional people think about the quarterbacking situation in Denver. Second, this assumes that Football Jesus not only can walk on water, model underwear, and praise God while playing quarterback with some level of competence. Tebow has managed to do the first three on this list, but he is not ready to do the fourth.

If a quarterback with a similar set of skills was to come out in the NFL Draft, and not have been named Tim Tebow, he would have been no more than a fifth round selection. Quite frankly, he needed to revamp his throwing motion, which is still a work in progress, learn a complex offensive system, learn to read a defense, and to make plays with something other than his legs. In fact, in most cases, the same player would have been converted to tight end. But since he’s the Football Jesus, he stuck at quarterback and was a first round pick.

Naturally, Tebow’s supporters are blind to this. To ‘attack’ Tebow (mention his shortcomings and how he needs to improve his game) is to attack his religious beliefs. Apparently, those people that notice the problems with Tebow’s game are against religious people, puppies, super happy sunshine, freedom, the sanctity of marriage, Swedish Bikini Teams, teddy bears, rainbows, and beer. But, that is not the case. No one cares who Tebow worships. He can praise God, Allah, Satan, or Cocidius for all anyone cares, as long as he plays football with some degree of skill. The reality is, that he cannot do that. So shut up, religi-freaks.

Lost in all the Football Jesus hype is the fact that the fact that Orton is actually a good quaterback. Last year, before the ill-advised Tebow games at the end of the year. He has completed 58.1% of his passes in his NFL career, has not had a quarterback rating below 79.6 in any full season that he has been a starter since his rookie year, and knows how to win football games. Tebow won games in college. Let’s put it this way – if Tebow throws for more than 70 touchdowns in his NFL career, I will eat my boxers on air during a podcast The Mad Sportsmen – you should give us a listen *shameless plug*). Take it to the bank.

Football Jesus was a great college quarterback, make no mistake. But there have been quite a few great college quarterbacks that have not done anything in the NFL. Just look to Rodney Peete, Gino Torretta, Eric Crouch, Brad Banks, Troy Smith, and Danny Wuerffel, amongst others. They were terrible in the NFL, and in fact, some players like Jason White, never made it in. THAT is the company that Tebow will be in – not in the Steve Young or Randall Cunningham level.

So shut up Tim Tebow fans, and get over yourselves. The criticism of Football Jesus has NOTHING to do with his religion – just the fac tthat he is not and never will be an NFL quarterback.

Terrell Pryor's Future

Yesterday, the Oakland Raiders surrendered a 2012 third round draft choice to take Terrelle Pryor in the NFL Supplemental Draft. Given Al Davis’s lust for players with speed and size, the fact that he went to the Raiders is not shocking. What did surprise a number of pundits was that the Raiders used their third round selection to take him.

On the surface, this seems like a bit of a reach. Most people figured that he would cost a fifth or sixth round draft choice. If the Raiders were concerned that a team worse than they were would have selected Pryor, the logical move was to use a better pick. However, the Raiders did not have a fourth round selection in next year’s draft, hence why they had to use the third round selection.

With Pryor now being taken by a team, people now wonder what position he is going to play. He was a tremendous college quarterback, much like Tim Tebow. Also like Tebow, many think that the best chance for him to make an impact would be to switch positions. Yet, unlike Tebow, Pryor’s entire throwing motion does not need to be overhauled to the extent Tebow’s needs to be. Pryor certainly has the arm and ability to play quarterback in the NFL, unlike Tebow.

Oakland is also a solid landing spot for Pryor, which is a moderately shocking concept. He can be groomed as a quarterback of the future, which is something the Raiders need to develop. Having Jason Campbell, a solid NFL quarterback and a good citizen as a mentor, will help Pryor’s acclimation to the league. Once the mental part of the game is there, Pryor could be quite dangerous as a quarterback. With that speed and the threat of his arm, Pryor will be able to make plays with his legs, either by getting time for his receivers to get open or by running for first downs. While it is unlikely that Pryor turns into a game changing player in the mold of a Mike Vick, there are a few similarities in their abilities. Should he turn into anything even close to Vick, the Raiders got a steal.

Terrelle Pryor has a future in the NFL. And it will be as a quarterback for the Raiders.

Quick Hits

This post is about things that happened that just don't fit to have their own post:

-Roger Goodell is leaning on the Fords, owners of the Detroit Lions, for guidance through the labor issues in the NFL. These are the same people that kept Matt Millen as President and CEO of the Lions from 2001 to 2008. The lockout is going to last until 2015 now.

-Tim Tebow finally joined his Denver Broncos teammates at their informal workout. He threw a few tight spirals to Britt Davis, did some wind sprints, and stretched. But more importantly, his presence ensures that those Broncos in attendance will be Raptured later on today.

-'Macho Man' Randy Savage died yesterday. What was not overly known about him is that he started his athletic career as a catcher in the Cardinals and Reds organizations. Strange that a guy who played four minor league seasons and did not get above 'A' ball may be one of the top five best known former members of either team to the non-sports watching populous.

-Derek Boogaard's death was ruled accidental, due to a mixture of alcohol and oxycodone in his system. While it is never a good thing to see someone die in the prime of their career, it is good to see that the concussions he suffered did not have a part in this. His brain was donated to medicine however, and I am still curious to see if the beginnings of CTE were developing.

-Why was Claude Julien not playing Tyler Seguin before this series? What did he have against the kid? Did Seguin accidentally kick Julien's dog? How could he not realize how useful that Seguin is? Yet somehow, Julien has the Bruins two wins from the Stanley Cup. Guess even the blind squirrel finds an acorn occasionally.

-The Atlanta Thrashers may be moving to Winnipeg. Nothing official has been announced yet, but this leads to the question of which team will move to the Eastern Conference in the NHL. More on this story will be posted if the move occurs.

-Yao Ming is recovering from yet another foot issue, and hopes to remain with the Rockets. Maybe, just maybe, Yao should listen to the warnings that his body is giving him, and hang up the oversized jersey. His feet just cannot take playing basketball any longer.

That's all for today. Regular sized posts will resume tomorrow.

Card of the Week Part 6 - 2010 Prestige Aaron Hernandez

Above is the 2010 Panini Prestige Aaron Hernandez rookie card. This card was one of 104 rookie cards included in the base set (which included four cards not listed on the main checklist), and one of 26 different short prints. Panini has refused to announce a print run for the short prints in the set, or the odds to gettting one of the short prints in a box, so as to avoid placing an artifical cap on card values. Instead, they are relying on the secondary market and the principles of supply and demand to set prices.

Several of the rookies in the set have both a base card and a short printed draft variation. These include some of the bigger names in the 2010 draft, such as Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, and Ndamukong Suh. Also, Gerald McCoy has two cards, both of which are short printed.

For a first time football set for a company known mainly for producing stickers, this was an excellent debut. Included in the 104 rookie cards were players who started to get more playing time and hobby love throughout the year, such as Blair White and James Starks. The rookies themselves are listed in alphabetical order by first name, with the exception of cards 301 through 304, which were not listed on the checklist that came with the box.

The Hernandez card is a great example for this set for a number of reasons. Not only is it the first rookie card on the checklist, but it is also the first short print. The set has a nice, crisp design, and does an excellent job with getting head shots of the rookies. At approximately $90 per box, with a total of four games used and/or autographs, this was a great product.