You Had Me at Tebow
Spotlight On
by Clark Westfield
April 2012
Some couples work. They are well known and well quoted throughout history. Of course the title of this article refers to a couple that found happiness together in “Jerry Maguire.” We know who these people are. Lucy and Ricky, Ron and Nancy Reagan, Cagney and Lacey, Benny and Joon, Ashford and Simpson, Harry and Sally, Fred and Ginger, Jay Z and Beyonce, Fred and Wilma, Plant and Page, Joanie and Chachi, Mantle and Maris, Thelma and Louise, Demi and Ashton… They are individuals that often overcame adversity, or comic situations, to find each other and make a life together.
Then there are the others…the train wrecks, the disasters, the catch-‘em-while-you-can, come and go, 72-day-lasting marriages that often involve heartbreak and headlines. And lawyers… so many lawyers. Romeo and Juliet, George and Martha, Dick and Liz, Sonny and Cher, Kim and Alec, Brad and Jen, John and Lorena (ouch), Nicolette Sheridan and the other Desperate Housewives, Kim and Chris (72 days!), most contestants on The Bachelor, Mel and Oksana, Demi and Ashton…
The newest entry into this “Can’t We All Just Get Along” saga is the arrival on the scene of one Timothy Tebow. Will Tebow Time sideline Sanchez? If I’m Mark, the Jets starting quarterback, I don’t think I’m doing backflips to herald the second-string coming of the new Met Life Messiah. Sanchez and Tebow. It’s not Rizzoli and Isles but at least this show hasn’t been cancelled yet. In fact, as Al Pacino’s Lt. Colonel Frank Slater character would say, “I’m just getting’ warmed up!”
Granted, Rex Ryan loves a good story, headline or cage rattling to spice things up but does anyone short of a Canadian football fan think this is going to go down as smooth as Don Draper and a glass of Scotch? Dream on, folks, this is Jersey. We can mix it up with anyone and we have more opinions than Rush Linbaugh on happy pills. The mere fact that both of these men consider themselves starting QB’s puts the entire offense in a pickle. Football players by nature are team players but wide receivers are known to be, well, divas. And I do mean divas, as in “It’s all about me and my numbers at season’s end.” Like a “Real Housewife” or a runway model, these men believe that they are the center of the universe, and who’s throwing them the ball is as important to them as spinach is to Popeye. Granted, Sanchez is the better pocket passer but the intangibles Tebow brings to the offense is immeasurable. Plus, he has a friend…up there. Can they work together? Does Rex Ryan have a plan beyond getting media coverage and stealing the thunder out from under the Super Bowl World Champion Giants? (He might not have to worry – at press time the Giants have lost both wide receiver Mario Manningham and running back Brandon Jacobs to the San Francisco 49ers).
Let’s take a look at a possible scenario…it’s late in the 4th quarter, you’re down by five points and you have 1st and goal on the 5 yard line after Sanchez has completed 5 of 7 passes to drive the length of the field. Tebow, a well-respected running quarterback is standing on the sidelines, helmet on, just waiting to take the ball and punch it in. Do you allow Sanchez to go in for the score or do you put Tebow in to, I don’t know, shake up and throw off the rhythm of the opposing defense? Do you see what I mean? Both men are fully capable of leading the team to the end zone but only one will get the call. That is sure to lead to some tension on the sidelines and a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking on the part of the fans and “The Fan.”
I just look forward to the day where, after being denied the ball on numerous occasions that are perfectly suited to Tim’s talents, Mr. Wonderful erupts in a profanity-laced rant on ESPN, sounding more like a sinner than a saint. Hey, it could happen. After all, this is Jersey. We don’t hold back when we have something to say. And what is New Jersey after all without “attitude?” Will they be able to coexist? Can the terrific tandem lead the Jets back to post-season glory? Do they have divorce lawyers for football players? Tune in my friends for drama, comedy and real life quandaries, as the Tebow turns. But don’t worry about it. In the meantime, we still have Lin-sanity.
More to come…CW