Nothing about what I am about to say is "News"--in fact, it is part of a theme we've watched and all shook our heads at this entire football season--but it bears repeating, and this is as appropriate a time as ever, as the season ends for the Denver Broncos and the players are interviewed for the last time as they are clearing out their lockers and heading their separate ways:
It is both sad and ridiculous that Tim Tebow leaves town, not only somehow under a singular cloud after what can only be described as "a team loss", not just without assurance that he is that team's starting QB heading into NEXT year, but with no certainty that he will even be in their PLANS!
I won't recount here all he accomplished this season for and with the Bronco team and their fans, the way he single-handedly both galvanized that city (and made the Broncos NEWS nationwide), turned around the team's fortunes after a disastrous start, the thrills along the way of a wild ride, where he raised his own game and that of everyone around him, never getting down or sulking on the sidelines while being pointedly ignored, OR doing ANYTHING but humbly giving credit to his teammates and coaches once he DID get in there, took positive control and led them into the playoffs. We're all long aware and tired of the media (and the great pool of rabid haters that they have pandered to) and the way that through it all they have uniformly given credit to the Denver defense and everything and/or everyone else they could think of when they won, while putting it all on Tim when they did not, so there's little surprise that they are doing that now...Why should this loss be any different?
What IS disappointing and somewhat surprising has been the Bronco-players' passive ambivalence in responding to the questions regarding TT's status with the team--questions, as I say, that really shouldn't even be a part of the discussion, by now, but ARE. I understand that everyone is down, numb with shock and disappointment not just at the season-ending loss, but at how badly they were man-handled across-the-board, how they collectively "didn't show up" and instead took a "beat-down". However, even in the overall context of that situation against the background of the season-long criticism and uncertainty (AND the often CLEAR lack-of-enthusiastic support for their young QB--even from their coach, at first, and ESPECIALLY from their iconic GM, right up until overtime last WEEK, let's face it), you'd expect, and certainty like to SEE, an emotionally supportive reaction here and there...Bronco after Bronco had a mike shoved in their faces, as they left the lockerroom in street clothes, and were asked variations on the same question, "Is he your quarterback-of-the-future?", "Has he established himself as the Broncos' franchise QB?", or simply, "Is Tebow the starter heading into Camp next summer?"...You'd think one or two guys on that offense at LEAST would get a LITTLE exasperated and say something like, "What does he have to DO?", or "YOU guys ask questions like that...WE know who our quarterback is.", or something simple and to-the-point, like, "He's young, he's learning...He'd be the first to tell you that he'll work hard to get better--and he WILL--He's a leader with drive and heart". Now, his teammates did try to remain positive in their comments regarding their QB, but it is a mark of how pervasive the management's lack of clear support is throughout the organization that those teammates WERE so careful and conditional in their answers to what SHOULD have been seen as absurd questions, easily dismissed, in a similar situation with any other quarterback, for any other team.
