Posts Tagged ‘University of Florida’

The Tim Tebow Experiment

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

By Brandon Pemberton

The Tim Tebow debate has been an ongoing topic since he was preparing for the 2010 NFL Draft and it has been a hot topic during the 2011 NFL season.  Tebow is arguably one of the top 20 college football players of all time, was a great leader of men at the University of Florida, and a model citizen from what we know.  With all that said, he had flaws as a passer in college that I and others thought would hinder his ability to be a solid quarterback in the NFL and a successful passer in or out of the pocket.  Many call my opinions and the opinions of others “hate”, but it’s far from it.  I just call things the way I see it.

The Denver Broncos felt pressure from fans to start Tebow during training camp, but decided to go with last year’s starter Kyle Orton instead.  Head coach John Fox felt as though he was the more accomplished passer and would give them the best chance to win.  Denver went 1-4 in his five starts at QB and going into the bye week, Fox let it be known that there might be a change.  Eventually Tebow was named the starter and he would get his chance to prove that he could play in this league.

In four starts, Tebow has a 3-1 record and the Broncos are a game out of first place in a weak AFC West division.  The Broncos have had to totally get rid of the passing game because their starting quarterback has below average ability passing the ball.  Here are Tebow’s passing stats in his four starts: 43-95 45%, 526 yards, 6 TD’s, 1 INT, and a passer rating of 79.5 to go along with 14 sacks.  Can I ask you a question?  If I read you these stats without telling you who the player was, what would you say?  You would tell me he stinks and will never win in this league with those types of passing numbers, right?  He is horribly inaccurate, holds the ball too often, and has problems delivering the ball on time.  With those deficiencies, there’s no way in hell he’s the quarterback of the future in Denver or for any other NFL franchise.

Tim Tebow and the Broncos have been winning games by running the read option offense for now, but can you seriously tell me that they can win like this consistently?  The life span of an NFL running back is about 3-5 years if he’s lucky, so there’s no way this guy’s going to last, taking these hits.  Quarterbacks are protected in the pocket as passers, not when you are running the option; they are treated like a running back.  It’s only a matter of time before he gets knocked out while running the ball or after pitching the ball to one of his backs.  NFL players are too big, too fast for this style of offense to work week to week, let alone for years.  This is the NFL, not West Point, not the Naval Academy, and not Colorado Springs, Colorado.  2-8 for 69 yards passing is not going to win you a Super Bowl.

I received all the confirmation I needed when it comes to Tebow yesterday when I read the direct comments from his head coach when asked about his team’s new offense: “If we were trying to run a regular offense, he’d be screwed.”  There you have it folks, even his own coach knows his limitations.  It’s blatantly obvious people.  Just watch tonight as the Jets defense makes mince meat out of Tebow. I’m not the type to toot my own horn, but as I told Philadelphia Eagles fans when Casey Matthews was drafted that he couldn’t play, I said the same about Tebow and his long-term ability to win games.  He had a nice run, but tonight he and this option offense will be exposed.

Catch me on Twitter @BrandonOnSports

Brandon Pemberton of Brandon on Sports, for War Room Sports

Are Athletes Role Models?

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

If you have listened to previous episodes of The Greatest Marshall Faulking Sports Internet Talk Show then you know on Pass The Rock I have talked about athletes being allowed to get away with moral transgressions due to their superior athletic abilities. Because of this they continue to make bad decisions and end up in the spotlight for many things other than sports. It seems as though these days the sports section of the news has more scandal than gossip magazines. There seems to be just as many athletes on TMZ’s website as there are on ESPN’s website.

I had a conversation with a friend about athletes and their legal trouble, as well as which athletes give back to the community and I made a statement talking about athletes being role models. He disagreed and believes athletes are not role models, but they are just individuals who have been blessed with superior athletic ability which does not make them role models.

I completely disagree. I know many people will disagree with my opinion but I believe love it or hate it ATHLETES ARE ROLE MODELS! Many athletes are quick to say they are not role models but when they try to sell us any product that agrees to pays them they have no problem with crafting a certain image.

Remember Nike told us to “BE LIKE MIKE.” Many wanted to be like Mike although Mike lined his own pockets while ignoring many social issues he could have spoke on due to the platform he had and still has. (Had to take a shot at Mike.. lol)

The term role model generally means any “person who serves as an example, whose behavior is emulated by others”. The fact of the matter is kids will want to emulate their favorite athlete. Whether we like it or not and THAT IS A FACT!

We are part of the problem. We as a society put emphasis on many of the wrong things these days. Some of us who are adults still act like children and look up to athletes, movie stars, and musicians. We need to stop praising these people and start praising the individuals that really make a difference in our society. Kids used to look up to doctors, lawyers, teachers, firemen, and police officers.  These are the individuals that make a difference and we as adults need to praise them.

I remember as a kid Charles Barkley having a commercial saying emphatically “I AM NOT A ROLE MODEL!” What’s funny about this is I have heard many athletes referencing Barkley’s commercial when saying themselves that they are also not a role model. All that shows me is they were watching Barkley as though he was their role model.

James Baldwin once said “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” If we want the next generation to stop looking at athletes as their role models than maybe we should do the same.

James “The Blueprint” Williams aka Jimmy of The War Room

I have a problem with the NCAA and their treatment of so-called “Student Athletes”.

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Does the NCAA really believe that eligibility is a more punishable offense than DWI’s, Assaults, Stalking, or any of the offenses committed by the University of Florida players. When you juxtapose the situation in USC and The University of Florida do you really believe that USC should be punished? That is a joke!!

The problem is the special treatment given to great athletes. Outstanding athletes, especially on the collegiate level are allowed to get away with pretty much anything because of their talents. No one holds them accountable for questionable morals as long as they help schools make millions of dollars. By the time these athletes get to the professional level these behaviors are exposed. The amalgamation of their fame and the amount of money they are paid only adds fuel to the fire.  Two hours at a rookie symposium does not erase 21 years of ignorant behavior.   At the professional level, players get fined, suspended, cut or traded for behavior that is not new. How do they expect these boys to become men and show good judgment when their behavior has been allowed for years? These moral transgressions have been allowed for years and now the organizations and the fans expect them to magically disappear. That won’t happen. More than likely they will end up like Braylon Edwards.

Jimmy Williams