It’s April and that means it’s the busiest time of year on the sports calendar. The Masters and Final Four are officially in the books, but now it’s time for the NBA and NHL playoffs to take center stage. And along with handing out the Stanley Cup and Larry O’Brien Trophy, the NBA and NFL drafts are on the horizon.
But right now, none of that matters. Because Tim Tebow is back in the news.
The Philadelphia Eagles signed Tebow to a one-year deal on Monday and the presses couldn’t stop quick enough. Tim Tebow hasn’t played in the league since 2012 and if anything, that’s been a welcomed absence for the NFL.
That might sound a bit harsh, but when have you ever seen a third-string quarterback hijack headlines from two leagues on the eve of crowning a pair of champions?
The NFL already receives its fair share of attention in the offseason football void, so do we really need to lump Tebow back into the offseason clutter? In late April and early May, I flip on SportsCenter to watch baseball highlights and get an update on the NBA and NHL playoffs. I don’t tune in to hear four grown men talk about Tebow’s throwing motion.
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Tebow myself. It’s just a little ridiculous that such a mediocre player is still followed by a media circus five years after his professional debut. That’s like devoting a day of media coverage to Dan LeFevour’s latest contract negotiations (the now backup quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL).
It would be one thing if Tebow had a resume to backup the hype, but one overtime playoff just doesn’t cut it. A 27-year-old backup quarterback with a 47.9 percent completion rate shouldn’t be such a lightning rod for controversy.
But perhaps most disappointing is the competition facing Tebow in Philadelphia. Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford aren’t exactly Pro Bowl-type talents and they might just be two of the only quarterbacks in the league capable of coughing up the job to Tebow.
Sanchez might have made two AFC championship appearances and may have had a productive season as a backup last year in Philly, but any signal caller renowned for his infamous but fumble simply isn’t the quarterback of the future for me.
And while he temporarily hold the title of starter, Sam Bradford is really only the NFL’s biggest crook, something St. Louis Rams fans know all too much. Bradford, the former first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, signed a six-year, $78 million deal and missed 32 games en route to cashing his fat paycheck.
I’m not rooting against Tebow and his success. Rather, I am actively rooting against the consequences and implications of his success.
A win or two here and there and a few late game heroics in Philly means that the circus tents are pitched again and the Tebow bandwagon fires back up. That means at least another full year of days filled with nothing but Tebow talk. And that’s not even assuming his contract gets renewed, but let’s not even think about that nightmare.
So you want to stop it? You want to avoid round two of the Tim Tebow media circus? It’s easier than you’d think, but everyone needs to help.
Run to your closet, grab a Tony Romo jersey and root for the Cowboys this season. Trust me, it’ll make you feel better.
