Is Tim Tebow a Hall of Famer? (Start Caleb Hanie!)

I thought this article was about Tim Tebow!

The Sun-Times ran an article last week called "Is the Bears’ Devin Hester a Hall of Famer" and it got me to thinking how maligned he was by the press and the "experts" both at University of Miami and in Chicago.  He was drafted as the 57th overall pick in 2006 (2nd round), but primarily as a cornerback.  Bears officials said they drafted him as an "athlete" and not for a particular position, but Hester's viewpoint is hilarious - knowing what we know now:

"...but I don’t want to be labeled as just a special teams guy"

And this after loosing his starting position on the Hurricanes.as cornerback.

When Hester had his dry spell with no kick or punt returns for touchdown in 2009, some not only blamed his transition to the designated #1 receiver, but others that he had "lost it."  I was simultaneously chuckling and shaking my head in disbelief when, with his first TD punt return this year, the whole hall of fame thing filled the blogs, the articles, sports TV and  social media networks.

What a fickle world we live in huh?  My point is - no one knows who will make it, how they'll make it and when they'll make it.  Often, not even the players themselves.  And sportswriters who make excuses for their team favorites (that's you Waddle, Briggs, Haugh and the Chicago media Cutler-Enablers), should dare to dismantle their group-think.

But there is a common denominator in winners.  Heart will optimize talent everytime.

Which brings me The Mile-High Messiah.  I started my Tebow man-crush with many fans during the famous Florida-Mississippi defeat diatribe. As we all know by now, despite his amazing collegiate accomplishments, the conventional wisdom is that Tebow couldn't make it as an NFL quarterback.  His passing mechanics are terrible.  He's a system quarterback.  He can't take a snap.  Big School QB's don't translate to the NFL.  Florida QB's don't translate to the NFL.  Running QB's don't translate to the NFL.

The all time stunner is that WINNING college QB's don't translate to the NFL.  What?  Of course, that blogger wrote a piece today praising the brilliance of Fox playing Tebow and how he is the answer for the franchise.

Andrew Garda, ESPN blowhards I don't want to give any more attention to, and resident village idiots like this, all should be men this morning join me in now begin the campaign to draft Tebow into the NFL hall of fame. 

Too soon you say?  He didn't even WIN the game he energized yesterday?  Pish posh.  I've got just about of good of chance at being right as any of the overpaid hacks who think they know how ANYONE or ANY TEAM will end up.  If you want to have a gas, go look up the Sports Illustrated and ESPN pre-season NFL or college rankings with how they actually ended up.  If Mel Kiper was financially penalized for every wrong prediction he made, he'd be in a debtors prison in Islamabad for life.  

It is the same reason in politics polls mean nothing in predicting winners.  Remember Fred Thompson (GOP) or Howard Dean (DEM)?  But leadership and heart ARE much better predictors of the future.  But there were many who saw leadership in Ronald Reagan long before it became poplar.  What we learn is that the adoption of IDEAS is the same for consumer products.  JUST on the "Can Tebow play in the NFL" question, we likely moved into the "Early Majority" although it is interesting that MOST PEOPLE will not accept truth until AFTER it happens.

It is easy to be on the Tim Tebow train this morning - but how about 15 minutes before he even was called to play in the game?  here is a couple of comments from the Bronco fan forum from yesterday:

Here is what is interesting.  The same guy, with the same talent everyone wants to coronate today, was castigated yesterday.

So what's your point, PolitiJim?  My point is that EVERYONE has potential in something.  It isn't just the talent of the player that "makes" him, as know - but as with our favorite football flick RUDY, all heart will not make you first team either.  At least in football.

And it isn't just up to the player either.  I am still mad at Lovie Smith and Mike Martz (aka Frick and Frack) for playing Todd Collins (aka Dip Van Winkle) when Jay Cutler went down in the NFC Championship game last year.  What could have happened if Smith/Martz recognized Hanie's ability to move the offense, oh, at half time?  Collins generated a 6.2 passer rating (no that's not a typo) in a week 5 game against the Panthers that Hanie had to come in and save, but somehow he miraculously was a better an option after he marinated on the bench 12 more games?  WHO believes in us important as well.

And it's why I feel Jay Cutler should be benched if he shows even an inkling of that prima donna smirk when things don't go his way.  Talent is NOT everything.  And as Tebow has proven, experience may also be overrated.  The TEAM needs to know that Cutler believes in them.  How else do you explain that the same coaching staff, with the same players against the same team in the same game suddenly are competitive?  It's called leadership.  Even after a three and out on his first series in the game, Tebow impacted THE ENTIRE TEAM.  Look at this comment:

Why did it happen?

Do PolitiJim, you're saying we should BELIEVE in Tebow but NOT BELIEVE in Cutler?

Yes, with three other important directives: 

• Since I have this unusual gift and insight into predicting success (I told Denver fans they would hate Orton), I would like Bears coaches and front office to run everything by me first.
  
  
• Cutler's got raw talent, but the not the right 'winning' attitude.  He couldn't even win at Vanderbilt!  Bench him now in the hopes that he will find himself, Jesus or a vowel.  Anything that will release his inner Tebow if he has it.
  
  
• Dear Denver.  We would like to give you Jay Cutler back.  His Pro Bowl appearance was obviously caused by some weird mix of your oxygen deprived fan atmosphere and his weird DNA, and we'll throw Brian Urlacher in to boot.  And if you take that deal, we have a shiny new offensive line you might be interested in too.

But, as ridiculous as it is now - I'll go on record that Tebow will be seriously considered someday for the Hall of Fame.  Just as my Christian brother Devin showed the amazing return qualities he did in Miami, TT's "winning" mindset will make a place for him before Kings in Canton. You heard it hear first.  The "experts" have proven it is just as much chance of happening - as their ridiculous forecasts.

THE DEVIN HESTER CASE FOR HALL OF FAME "Devin Hester is the most prolific kick returner in NFL history. Four games into his sixth season, he already holds career records for punt-return touchdowns (11) and total kick-return touchdowns (15). Is that enough to earn a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? No one has made the Hall of Fame as a return specialist. The three special-teams players in the Hall are kickers, and only Jan Stenerud was exclusively a specialist. Lou Groza was an all-NFL tackle, and George Blanda threw 236 touchdown passes, 21st on the all-time list. (Hester has modest, though not insignificant, numbers as a wide receiver — 168 receptions, 13.1 yards per catch and 12 touchdowns. But his Hall candidacy is based almost entirely on his return-game excellence.)"

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