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Simply put, he is the greatest free agent ever to hit the market, and Denver--which is never a huge player for top-tier free agents in any sport (sigh...Rockies)-- managed to snag him. It is a huge move for a franchise on the upswing after hitting rock-bottom from 2009 to the early part of 2011.
Naturally, Denver fans were ecstatic about this development, and took to Twitter to laud revered icon John Elway, the team's Executive Vice President for Football Operations, with congratulatory tweets and Facebook posts such as:
"Plan B should be to get rid of Elway before he causes any more damage. But he is right up there with McDaniels now."
"@johnelway Shame on you for tossing Tebow aside!"
"The dumbassery is astounding. They're foolish enough to let @TimTebow go."
"@johnelway you sir are a prick. classless bastard."
"have fun in church repenting your sins you horrid SOB"
And:
"This is the worst day ever in my 30 years as a Broncos Fan"
Um... okay... that was definitely not the reaction I expected.
You see, Tim Tebow has an ardent, passionate fanbase that is borderline crazy. It's understandable; by all accounts, Tebow is a wonderful human being and fine man. He is a source of inspiration for many. He does tremendous acts of charity, such as building a hospital in the Philippines, and is one of the nicest guys around. Say what you will about his religious beliefs, but he stands by his convictions and is who he is. He's genuine and sincere. Most importantly, he's grounded. Tebow realizes how blessed he is (pun slightly intended) to be playing football for a living.
He is the consummate teammate and is a true team player. The guy's intangibles are off-the-charts. He is one of the fiercest, most fiery competitors around, and his will to win and work ethic are second to none. He has always been doubted yet has proved the critics wrong at every level. At the University of Florida, he became one of the greatest players in NCAA history, becoming the first underclassman to win the Heisman Trophy and winning two national titles.
Most NFL experts doubted he had the skills to make it as a quarterback in the NFL, but then-coach Josh McDaniels stunned everyone by trading up to draft Tebow in the first round. Last year, the Broncos stumbled out of the game to a 1-4 start under the much-maligned Kyle Orton. Tebow replaced Orton and rallied the team to an 8-8 record, AFC West division title, and a first-round overtime upset of the heavily-favored Pittsburgh Steelers. Along the way, Tebow unbelievably pulled out a win in the final minutes week after week, each victory topping the last on the "HOWINTHEHELLDIDHEJUSTDOTHATWHATTHEHELLJUSTHAPPENED?!" chart. "Tebowing" became a national phenomenon as Tebowmania took full flight, especially here in Denver.
Nobody knew what to make of the guy. He'd look downright awful and cringe-worthy for 3+ quarters, seemingly confirming all the experts' beliefs that he couldn't hack it as a quarterback, then in the fourth quarter, he couldn't miss. I was at the Jets game with my dad, and when Tebow ran 20-yards for the deciding score with under a minute left, we both just looked at each other and literally burst out laughing because we couldn't fathom how that had just happened.
Despite all of that, many were still not sold on Tebow, most notably Elway. Last year, Tebow ranked 34th in the NFL in completion percentage. In case you were wondering, there are only 32 teams in the NFL. Tebow completed a measly 46.5 percent of his passes for 1,729 yards-- an average of only 123.5 yards a game. He did throw 12 touchdowns against 6 interceptions and added another 6 rushing touchdowns, but he also lost 6 fumbles.
Plus, Tebow is as maddening as he is exciting. His footwork needs work, and he has the elongated throwing motion of a pitcher. He struggles reading defenses and hesitates to pull the trigger on throws. For long stretches, the Broncos offense was the most boring entity in sports, running up three-and-out after three-and-out. We'd pull our hair out in exasperation for three quarters watching drive after drive end with Britton Colquitt punting the ball away.
There is no denying that Peyton Manning is a clear upgrade at the quarterback position. He would be an upgrade for all but 6-8 teams in the league. He instantly makes the Broncos better, and Denver is now a favorite to defend their division title in the weak AFC West.
Yet Tebowites are up in arms.
There are numerous arguments about why the team would have been better off going with Tebow over Peyton Manning-- no seriously, there are.
1.) Elway is jealous of Tebow and how the youngster is threatening Elway's legacy
"Elway is letting his ego get in the way of his brain. Can't handle Tebow getting the attention he was getting."
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This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. It makes absolutely zero sense! John Elway is one of the top five greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. When he retired, he had won more games than any quarterback in history up to that point. He threw for over 50,000 yards with 300 touchdown passes, won back-to-back Super Bowls, a Super Bowl MVP, and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Why in the world would he be jealous? Further, if he really were jealous about someone surpassing him, then why would he go out and sign PEYTON MANNING? Elway even said that his goal is to help Manning go down as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Does that sound like envy to you?
Even when Elway traded Tebow, thus giving him the opportunity that so many of his fans desired, the fans were still seething at Elway because he traded Tebow to New York instead of Jacksonville. Many felt that Denver owed it to Tebow to send him where he wanted to go. Um... no. That's not how it works in sports. You try to accommodate if you can, but the franchise comes first. Never mind that Tebow actually preferred the opportunity with the Jets, how dare Elway put the needs of the team ahead of Tebow! New York gave up two draft picks for Tebow whereas Jacksonville only offered one.
2.) Manning is a significant injury risk
"Think @timtebow better long-term for Broncos. Manning long-in-tooth, coming off 4 surgeries. One hit and hysteria is OVER."
This is actually a legitimate concern. Manning will soon be 36 and is coming off four neck surgeries, so the worry is valid. However, Manning has been cleared by renowned surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins. Furthermore, doctors at Northwestern University did a study of 99 NFL players who had suffered herniated discs like Manning. Of those, 53 opted for surgery, and the study found that players who chose surgery had higher return-to-pay rates and longer careers. In an article in The Denver Post, Dr. Eric McCarty, chief of sports medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, said, "You do have to make sure that it's healed and that the bones are completely fused to each other. But once that occurs, that's not going to break." The real concern is nerve regeneration. Nerve damage affects arm strength, but by all accounts, Manning has looked great throwing the ball.
As for the "one hit and hysteria is OVER" sentiment, it's the NFL. Every player runs the risk of having their career ended with one hit. Football is a violent game. Tebow could suffer a career-ending injury as a result of a vicious hit. In fact, it's more likely to happen to him than Manning because of his physical running style. Tebow got battered pretty good in that New England game. If the Broncos had won, he would not have been available to play in the AFC championship game the next week.
3.) Manning is old, only has a few years, and the team has no backup plan
Manning is 36 and no spring chicken. He likely will only have a few years left where he performs at an elite level. Considering he's Peyton Manning, I'll gladly take three of those years. Elway won back-to-back Super Bowls at ages 37 and 38. Kurt Warner took the Cardinals to the Super Bowl in the twilight of his career. Brett Favre had one of his best seasons and quarterbacked the Vikings to the NFC championship game at 40.
Sure, Manning is not the long-term answer at quarterback for Denver, but he is a nice bridge to whoever is. The team is going to draft a quarterback and groom him to succeed Manning in a few years, just like Aaron Rodgers did in Green Bay. Teams do plan for the future in the NFL. It does happen. Besides, who better to learn from than Peyton Manning?
As for not having a "Plan B", people are panicking because the only other quarterback the team has is Adam Weber, who spent last season on the practice squad. Again, the Broncos are going to sign a free agent to serve as the backup QB. Billy Volek, backup QB extraordinaire, is available and would be a good choice, for instance. Tebow would not be a good backup to Manning because the two are so different. Tebow simply cannot operate the same offense as Manning.
4.) Elway lied! LIES! DAMN LIES!
"worst move broncos ever made next to puting elway in charge - two faced elway KEEP TEBOW"
Much of the outrage stems from a statement Elway made months ago when he said that Tebow had earned the right to be the starting quarterback entering training camp. Obviously, that has no changed, and Tebow fans are furious. They are vilifying Elway for going against his word. How could do he do such a terrible, terrible thing to Tebow!
Elway made those comments about Tebow being the guy back in January. At the time, Peyton Manning wasn't even on the radar. It wasn't known whether Indianapolis would even release him. The Broncos were set to enter training camp with Tebow as the starter, and the team was going to bring in a free agent--backup Brady Quinn was a free agent and not expected to return-- as well as draft a young quarterback.
Two months later, a future Hall of Fame quarterback is suddenly available; would you expect Elway to not make a play for Manning because of comments he made weeks before? The situation had changed, and Elway had to react and act accordingly. He didn't intentionally lie about Tim Tebow. He had planned on going to training camp with Tebow as the starter, but when Manning became available, he decided to gamble and go all-in. There was no malice behind it.
The majority of Bronco fans are ecstatic. They stench of the McDaniels era is finally dissipating, and the future is bright. Unfortunately, there is an extremely zealous and outspoken minority that is dominating the interwebs.
Tim Tebow took us all on a great ride in 2011, and it was one of the best stories of the year. It was like nothing I've ever experienced, and I'll always remember going crazy with disbelief as he brought the Broncos back time after time. From the miraculous triumph against Miami to the scintillating overtime victory in the playoffs against off Pittsburgh, Tebow restored hope and promise to a proud franchise.
However, it's time to turn the page and move on to a new chapter. I wish Tebow the best of luck in New York and truly hope he succeeds. If anyone can do it, he can.
In the mean time, I cannot wait to see Peyton Manning don the Orange & Blue and lead the Broncos out of the tunnel at Sport Authority Field at Mile High.
