Tim Tebow

Even for those of you who have never watched a football game, you probably know who this guy is. Over the past several months, he has inexplicably become a media darling and a national icon. It's time I weigh in on the subject.

I hate Tim Tebow.

Maybe that's too harsh. I believe, at his core, he is a good man. I think he possesses qualities that I myself am jealous of. He has unshakable faith. Even after I developed a faith of sorts in God, I've never been able to remove all doubt, no matter how badly I wanted it. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm just not wired that way, and I'm very grateful for the relationship I do have with a Higher Power, even if it's a round peg in a religious square hole.

He gives to charity. A lot. He seems to genuinely care about the plight of the human race. I can't afford to give to charity, but I wonder, even if I could, would I? I like to think I would. I've even researched the non-profits I would like to give to. But at the end of the day, if the world were divided into givers and non-givers, where would I cast my lot?

He's a hell of a teammate. I cannot deny his charisma, his selflessness (although this can be debated on certain levels I won't get into here), his desire to win, and his ability to inspire. The team clearly rallied behind him, and there is no contesting that.

Maybe a more fair statement is: I hate what the media has turned Tim Tebow into for the sake of a better story.

Tim Tebow is a bad quarterback.That's a statement I can make in all fairness. For all of the intangibles I just listed, at the end of the day, he still lacks the tangibles.

"But Ben, he wins games. How can you say he is a bad quarterback when he succeeds at the only stat that really matters?"

Because the last time I checked, there are 26 guys on a football team, and 13 more that play on special teams (which may or may not be part of the 26 that play regularly). Football teams count on 53 guys to win on any given Sunday, and Tebow is just the guy who is getting the credit for their success.

In his final game of the season, Tebow went 9-for-26, 136 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a fumble lost. He's only been above 50% in completion percentage twice in his brief career. In 23 games, he has completed 167 of 353 passes, for a dismal 47.3%, 17 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and a very, very mediocre 75.1 Quarterback Rating. Dear Readers, there is a chance that I could post similar numbers in an NFL uniform.

I heard on television this morning, consistent with the media rhetoric, that these are better numbers than Aaron Rogers and Drew Brees had coming into the league, and that Tebow will be a force in the NFL for years to come. If I were to venture a guess, I would say he has less than 3 years left, and if for some reason he goes longer, it's out of fear of a media backlash, or a backlash from the fans that inexplicably continue to defend his piss-poor play at the quarterback position.