Terrell Owens. Adam "Pacman" Jones. Chad Ochocinco .
These players are just a sample of a select group of NFL players that have at one point been referred to as a cancer to their team. These "cancers" are players that hold a team down through one or more factors such as an attitude problem, poor work ethic or a negative public image.
So how could Tim Tebow possibly be grouped in with these players? He has a stellar attitude and work ethic, and he couldn't be more well liked by the media and fans. He is a proven winner and leader, and is a pure and chaste individual who is very proud of his Christianity.
So what is wrong with Tim Tebow?
I don't want Tim Tebow on my team. Even as a GM or coach, I would still feel this way about him, and its for a very specific reason. Tim Tebow, for all his popularity and glamor, has found a way to be a monumental distraction in what has been a relatively short NFL career. It is unfortunate, because for the most part, it's not his fault. He can't control the media, what they say about him or what they write. Every statement he makes is scrutinized by thousands of fans, analysts and players, and that sort of exposure can be dangerous. His career in Denver quickly became a media circus, resulting in him basically leapfrogging Brady Quinn on the depth chart and then winning him the starting job over Kyle Orton, a proven capable quarterback, without ever having earned the role based on performance.
Tim Tebow gained a lot of respect in the league for his morals and his devotion to the fundamental details of football. His poor statistical performances, even in games that Denver won, were overshadowed by the pure media hype that TIM TEBOW won again, and that the kid was a winner, a saint, a Pro Bowler and just about everything else but a decent quarterback. John Elway repeatedly stood behind Tebow and praised his ability to lead the team. Confident as they seemed that they had found their franchise quarterback, Denver nonetheless won the Peyton Manning sweepstakes and Tim Tebow's time in the Mile High was done.
So now Tebow finds himself in New York, with the Jets, of all teams. All of the leagues biggest ego's, all in one place, and they still haven't found a way to co-exist. And above all of the Jet's current issues stands one huge powder keg just waiting for Tim Tebow to land smack dab in. They have a hard knocks, no bullshit coach who likes to tell it how it is and speak plainly. They have a diva wide receiver who decides when and how much he wants to practice. They have an immensely talented D that under performs in a vast majority of their games. They are in limbo in what is quickly becoming one of the toughest divisions in the league and to top it all off, they have issues with incumbent QB Mark Sanchez. Sanchez, a frequent target of criticism from fans and his coach alike during his tenure with the Jets, has been left to consider how quickly he can ( and will) lose his job to fan favorite Tim Tebow if he so much as flirts with slumping play.
This is the Tim Tebow situation. Tim is used to getting what he wants, and he gets it without begging or complaining or even earning it in some cases. His fatal flaw as an NFL player is not his statistical shortcomings, as we have seen before that stats do not always translate to wins and vice versa. His flaw is that he attracts too much attention to himself and his team, and this in turn puts pressure on the front office to make him relevant in any way possible. Even his recent placement on the punt coverage team made national news.
It is regrettable to group Tebow in with other troubled players, because he suffers from none of the transgressions of other players.However, if he is to truly succeed in the NFL, it will require him to find a balance between being the player everyone loves and the player who does right by his team.
Tebow is a rare breed in the NFL, one of the few players who work hard, pray hard, keep their vices down and cherish the game. He deserves a better legacy than a distraction and I think in time, he will see that the true road to success in the NFL is done out on the field and not on camera.
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