Once again, it’s time to chat with my inner self. You’re allowed to listen in.
Q: Why has Tim Tebow become the most-popular (and polarizing) athlete in America? Is it because he’s so clean-cut? Is it because ESPN talks about him every hour on the hour? Is it because the 8-8 Broncos actually won a playoff game with him as quarterback?
A: Yes, yes and yes. But the biggest answer is fairly obvious.
Tebow-mania exists because he plays the most-cherished position in American sports — NFL quarterback — and does it completely differently. It’s as if a major-league pitcher became moderately effective throwing underhanded. It doesn’t matter that Tebow is a below-average passer with way-above-average-competitiveness on a team that runs the ball well and plays defense.
Tebow is different, and while the mania has gotten annoying, that’s not his fault. He is being himself. As an athlete, he’s to the NFL what someone like Spud Webb was to the NBA years ago — so unique, his effectiveness gets overblown.
Q: So you don’t like Tebow?
A: Sheesh, you say anything bad about the guy, you get branded a hater. I like that Tebow has shown the staid NFL there’s another way to play quarterback, at least in spurts. He can be fun to watch, at least in spurts. But this shall pass, because Tebow can’t pass. Defenses will stop him. New England will pound Denver and end the playoff run.
Q: Will we see the Lions in this round of the playoffs next year?
A: I’m not so sure about that. Are the Packers planning to disband?
Q: What does that have to do with it?
A: The Lions are stuck in a division with the best quarterback in football, Aaron Rodgers. That makes it a lot tougher, because if they have to be a wildcard, they can’t host a playoff game the first two rounds. You saw the size of that disadvantage in New Orleans last weekend.
Q: Oh stop it. They’ve proven they can play with Green Bay. If you had one spot you could instantly upgrade on the Lions with a star, which position would it be?
A: Cornerback.
Q: Any big upset this weekend?
A: Houston’s defense is good enough to put a scare in Baltimore, even with T.J. What’s-His-Name at quarterback.
Q: And who’s winning the Super Bowl?
A: That would be Green Bay, again.
Bob.wojnowski@detnews.com
Join the Conversation
The Detroit News aims to provide a forum that fosters smart, civil discussions on the news and events that we cover. The News will not condone personal attacks, off topic posts or brutish language on our site. If you find a comment that you believe violates these standards, please click the "X" in the upper right corner of the post to report it.