THERE’S ALWAYS SPORTS RADIO

After my customary break to focus on finishing up the semester strongly (I got two A’s this semester and I am only five classes away from my MBA), I AM BACK!!!! So sit back and enjoy, because I want to discuss a topic that at one point or another has entered the minds of all football fans (NFL and NCAA). That topic is the future of myth and legend that is known as Tim Tebow.

Florida fans and the television powers that be (primarily ESPN & CBS) have had a huge football love affair with this kid since the day he stepped on campus. As a freshman, he was nothing more than a backup fullback (wearing a quarterback’s number) who attempted all of 33 passes that season. Yet for some inexplicable reason, he received more attention than Chris Leak who was Florida’s senior starting quarterback. You may remember him; he was the guy that actually led Florida to the national championship that season. Yet, when mentioning Tebow everyone always says that he won two national championships. I find that to be a bit disingenuous. While Tebow definitely won the National Championship in 2008, saying that he won it 2006 is like saying that Drew Bledsoe won the 2002 Super Bowl for New England, or that Byron Leftwich won the Super Bowl last season. Chris Leak did a lot for that program, and I just hope that when they celebrate the 10-year anniversary of that championship, that they at least invite him to be a part of the festivities.

I also found it quite nauseating that CBS interviewed him on the field immediately after Florida’s SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama. Now, I have watched a lot of college sports in my day, and I can’t recall any other instance where a losing player was interviewed on the field after a game. That usually happens outside of a somber locker room, or in the pressroom, but never on the field. That was Alabama’s moment, and CBS should not have let their obvious love affair with Tebow cast any shadow over Alabama’s celebration. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if CBS tries to pressure AFC teams into drafting him so that they can cover his sure to be brief NFL career.

Although I have been absolutely annoyed by the media coverage that Tebow receives, and equally annoyed by his carefully crafted image (more on that later), I will admit one thing: THIS KID WAS A GREAT COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER! While it is true, that he has had the great fortune of playing on some phenomenal teams at Florida (a school that doesn’t have to recruit, they simply pick who they want), he has made his share of big plays to lead them to victories. His skill set is perfectly suited for the college football game, but not the NFL. He has proven that he can complete passes to receivers who are open by five yards. This happens a lot at Florida because their receivers are simply better than most secondary’s that they line up against. However, in the NFL if a receiver is consistently open by five yards, a defensive back will lose his job. Open in the NFL is basically having your inside shoulder inside of the defender’s inside shoulder. Tebow doesn’t have the arm or accuracy to consistently complete that pass. In college, he also proved to be a tough runner who can simply run through most defenders. If he tries to do that in the NFL, he will quickly be given Google Map directions to a place called injured reserve. Simply put, try that in the NFL and Ray Lewis will break you in half. Trying to run by NFL defenders is also not an option, unless you have the speed of Michael Vick or Vince Young (which Tebow does not). He will quickly learn that the majority of NFL defensive ends are much bigger, faster, and stronger than him. The bottom line is that Tebow is a quarterback with an average arm (can throw far with a lot of air under the ball, but can’t really throw the ball on a rope), who does not possess the skills to be a pocket passer in the NFL. He also isn’t fast enough to be a run/pass threat like Michael Vick, Steve Young, Vince Young, or Randall Cunningham.

I think that I have made it pretty clear that I don’t think that Tim Tebow can play quarterback in the NFL. However, I do feel that there is a place for him in the league. I think he could play an H-back position (sort of a fullback/tight end hybrid), and maybe hold for kicks. Now that I think of it he could possibly excel at being the personal protector for the punter on the punt coverage unit. But quarterback? NOT A CHANCE!

To me, Tim Tebow comes across as a carefully crafted political figure. I just get the vibe that his handlers are already preparing him for a career in politics. He acts like he grew up next door to the Cleavers and is the most wide-eyed and innocent person in college football. There have even been stories of him spending his spring break in third-world countries performing surgical procedures on children. He even writes bible verse, which some people can alter or interpret to be game results (please see picture below).

Is there not a more perfectly crafted image of a wholesome, All-American boy? I’m not buying it. It all seems fake and phony to me. My only advice to him is if you are going to say one thing and portray one thing, you had better live it. There have been several high-profile instances of the exact opposite happening. You don’t want to become one of them.

The bottom line is this. If NFL teams are smart, he will not be drafted before the third round. At that point, the financial commitment will not be devastating if he doesn't pan out. The team that drafts him should immediately make him their H-back. He should have a decent career there. But we all know that's not going to happen. Some team will be stupid enough draft him in the first or second round to play quarterback (it has happened before with less accomplished college quarterbacks). Their thinking is that it will do wonders for their image. They will then learn the hard way that Tim Tebow does not have the ability to play quarterback in the NFL. He will certainly work hard and give it the old “college” try, but after three seasons of sitting on the bench or failing miserably on the field (depending on how stupid the coach is), Tim Tebow will begin his second career which is indeed his true calling. He will be a sports-radio host in Gainesville Florida, where he will always be considered a god. Hey, it worked for Buck Belue.

AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK:

BALLER: John Wall (PG University of Kentucky) – He is simply the best player in college basketball. Over the past week, he has led Kentucky to victories over North Carolina, Connecticut, and Indiana. This kid is amazing. If you haven’t seen him play yet, make some time and check him out. He is definitely worth it. However, if you want to see him in college you had better hurry up because he will only be there one season. I hope his one season in Lexington leads to a National Championship.

BALLER: Mark Ingram (RB University of Alabama) – Although I am not an Alabama fan, Mark Ingram is by far my favorite college football player. He plays the game the way it should be played. He is a hard runner that can run by defenders, but would much rather run through them. I also have never seen him run out of bounds to avoid contact. He’s so tough that he makes you forget that Shaun Alexander (softest NFL RB in recent history) once played for Bama. Ingram definitely deserved to win the Heisman. Congratulations!

SCRUB: Tiger Woods (Professional Golfer) – I know that he isn’t the first person or high-profile athlete to cheat on his wife, but he is the latest to learn that eventually the mistresses will come out and say something. While I am disappointed in him for his “transgressions” as he likes to call them, I am not surprised. I mean, he was a filthy rich man who married a trophy wife. Did anyone really think that there was real love and respect there? Unfortunately, this type of thing happens all the time. He is a famous and wealthy guy who thinks that all of these women want him for his looks and charisma. I find that funny because to me he simply seems to be a corny dude who happens to be great at golf (which has made him extremely wealthy). He is waaayyyy to lame to think that he could pull off this lifestyle long-term. He had to know that eventually he would get caught. If not, shame on him.

SCRUB: Tim Tebow (QB University of Florida) – After your team got slaughtered by Alabama, you were on the sidelines crying like a little girl that didn’t get the bike she wanted for Christmas. I just want to know if you were crying because you lost the game, or because you realized that your athletic career would be all down-hill from there? Either way it goes, save it for the locker room. The man, the myth, and the legend that is Tim Tebow should not be seen crying after losing a game.

KEEP YOUR WORD COACH

**Remember that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (thus the pink blog). Please do whatever you can to contribute to finding a cure for this terrible disease that affects so many.**

The one skill that separates good college football coaches from great college football coaches is their ability to recruit. Great players can make average coaches look much better than they actually are (i.e. Larry Coker during his Miami run), and average players can make great coaches look average (i.e. Steve Spurrier at South Carolina). College coaches are willing to do any and everything to get these great players to play for them. For instance, I am yet to figure out how Ron Zook can consistently get great players to play for him. Some coaches bend the rules to get recruits on campus, while other coaches flat out break the rules to get recruits on campus. There are even those who play by the rules. No matter what approach they take, success in big-time college recruiting comes down to one skill. The ability to make an 18 year old kid feel like he is an athletic god, and convincing his parents that you will take care of him as if he was your own son, make sure he gets a great education, and do your best to help him get to the next level in life, whether he intends to play in the NFL or be one of the remaining 94,328 (whatever that commercial says) players that will go pro in something else. I am not going to sit here and call all college coaches liars, but I am sure that they some interesting things to players, parents, and high school coaches to convince them that their university is the right place for them.

In Saturday's game against the Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma quarterback (and reigning Heisman Trophy winner) Sam Bradford was knocked out of the game for the second time this season with an injury to his throwing shoulder. The first shoulder injury caused Bradford to miss three games, and it is thought that this injury is similar to the first one. For those of you who don’t fully understand the significance of an injury to a quarterback’s throwing shoulder, I will try my best to explain. I want to make it clear that I am not a medical doctor nor am I a football coach, but I think I can explain this one. The quarterback is the player on the football team who is responsible for throwing the ball. You throw the ball with you arm, and the shoulder is the second most important part of the arm (behind the elbow) when it comes to throwing a ball. To make a long story short, Bradford is one serious shoulder injury away from throwing like Chad Pennington. No disrespect to Pennington, who gets more out of a dollar store water pistol arm than any quarterback in NFL history, but being compared to Chad Pennington will definitely have an adverse affect on Bradford’s draft prospects. In my very knowledgeable opinion, he is on track to become the next quarterback of the St. Louis Rams. (That’s my fancy way of saying that he will be the first pick in the 2010 NFL draft.) While most players would dread being drafted by a franchise in such disarray, the $40+ million in guaranteed money that the first pick will receive, should do a lot to make St. Louis look like a wonderful place to play football.

With so much at stake for Bradford, It is now time for Bob Stoops to put the player’s physical and financial health ahead of his desire to win games this season. I am sure that Bob Stoops made the same empty promises to Bradford’s parents that he has to every other star player that he has recruited. But now, it is time for Stoops to be a man of his word, and SHUT DOWN BRADFORD FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON!!!!

Oklahoma is currently 3-3 on the season and 1-1 in the conference, with that loss coming to Texas (who would own the tie-breaker if they finished with the same conference record). Therefore, it is safe to say that they will not be playing for the national championship this season, and their chances of playing for the conference championship are essentially dead as well. That being said, it is clear that they really don’t have anything to play for, except pride, which is a responsibility that your backup quarterback should be able to handle. Truth be told, if they were undefeated and ranked 1st in the nation, I would still feel as though it would be irresponsible for Stoops to allow Bradford back on the field.

Bradford is twenty-two years old, and is obviously going to want to get back on the field as soon as possible. If he comes out and says that he wants to shut it down for the season to protect his draft status, college football fans and the college football media are going to bash him repeatedly for being “selfish” and for “thinking about himself more than the program.” Which is why, he should continue to rehab as hard as possible and say all of the “right” things about wanting to get back on the field with his teammates and win games for Oklahoma (blah, blah, blah). Bob Stoops on the other had should be the responsible adult who protects the kid from himself by making sure that he never plays another down as a college football player. It is the job of Stoops to make sure that everyone sees the big picture, and realize that he must do what is best for Sam Bradford the person, and not the Oklahoma football program that will still be there long after Bradford is gone.

Truthfully, I don’t believe that college football programs or the NCAA really cares about what is in the best interest of their student athletes. The only thing that they really care about is money. With Bradford on the field, Oklahoma would definitely get more media exposure (which would help recruiting). They would also win more games, and play in a third tier bowl game, instead of a fourth tier bowl game (more money for the school). Bob Stoops would also get to increase his career wins. Basically, everyone EXCEPT BRADFORD has something to gain from him risking a career altering or ending injury, and continuing to play.

Now is the time for Bob Stoops to step up and show future recruits that he really does have their best interest in mind and will always do what is best for them long-term, even if it hurts the short-term future of his program. Whether he is man enough to do it remains to be seen. All I know is that Sam Bradford is one shoulder injury away from becoming Chad Pennington, and it would be a shame if he suffers that hit on a college football field before he ever gets to cash in on all of his talent and potential. Stoops, DO THE RIGHT THING & SIT THE KID!!!! The future of the Rams is in your hands.

AND NOW FOR MY BALLER AND SCRUB OF THE WEEK!

BALLER: Mark Ingram (Running Back - University of Alabama) - Although I despise Nick Saban, I absolutely love to watch the University of Alabama football team. Simply put, THEY PLAY THE GAME THE WAY IT SHOULD BE PLAYED! They play clean, hard, and with BAD INTENTIONS!!!! The ring leader on their offense is running back Mark Ingram. Ingram earns Baller Status for his 24 carry 246 yard performance against South Carolina. For those of you who aren't very good at math, that's a whopping 10.3 YARDS PER CARRY! He also had a touchdown. HE IS A BAD MAN!!!!

SCRUB: Rush Limbaugh (REJECTED Owner of the St. Louis Rams) - Rush, you being my Scrub of the Week has nothing to do with your political beliefs. This is America, and you have the right to be either Democrat, Republican, Independent, Any Combination of Them, or Neither. That is your business. However, the reason that you are my Scrub of the Week is because you actually tried to become a part owner of a team in a league that is nearly 70% African-American after you have made numerous racial and prejudice statements about African-Americans and black NFL players over the years. Are you serious? This isn't a politcal blog, so I won't get into Limbaugh's infamous quotes. Let's just say he isn't the type of person who needs to own a team that is mostly made up of African-Americans. Nothing good can come from that situation.