How 'bout that Tebow 27.5? And Thomas too!

So, I need to catch-up on some much needed sleep, and I really shouldn't be blogging right now.  However, I just couldn't let this night pass without sticking it right in the collective-eye of the critics.

If you listened to even 45 minutes of analysis this week, you know well that the Denver Broncos had an absolute 0.0000000000000% chance of wining this playoff game today.  That is absolute zero, ziltch, zip, nada, nothing.  They had no chance to win.  Everybody agreed with Merril Hodge.  Tim Tebow stood no chance against Dick LaBeau's defense.  The Steelers were going to eat him alive.

Folks on NFL Live made bold predictions that the Broncos would be absolutely shutout by the Steeler-defense.  That is, the Broncos would score zero, ziltch, zip, nada, nothing in terms of points in this game.

It turns out that Tim Tebow shot 10 for 21 for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns.  The Broncos put 29 points on the scoreboard.  That's 29 more than they were supposed to put on the board.  Tebow had a QB efficiency rating over 125.  Ben Roethlisburger had a QBR of 75.  Tebow out-QB'd Roethlisburger by some 50 points worth of QBR.

How 'bout 'dem apples?  That's a pretty sizable QBR differential, ain't it?  Surprising that the Steelers were able to hang in there as long as they were with a QBR differential like that.  A 125 next week will probably give the Denver Broncos a pretty good QBR differential also.

Of course, everybody is still buzzing about the first-ever overtime period after the recent rules changes by the NFL Competition Committee.  We were supposed to have an OT period in which both teams got a chance to touch the football.  Nope, didn't happen like that.  Tebow took the snap on the 20, hit Demaryius Thomas at around the 50 with a sweet pass, and Demaryius took off.  Nobody could stop him.  One stiff-arm later, Thomas was in the End-Zone.

Overtime lasted one-snap and just 11 seconds.  That was the most sudden sudden-death I ever saw.  I've been watching NFL Football since 1979 folks.  That's longer than some of you have been alive.

It should be noted that Demaryius Thomas is a December 25th, Christmas Capricorn baby.  He is showing some tremendous chemistry with this Leo kid named Tim Tebow.  I have a feeling these two are going to be a famous combo.  Thomas averaged 51 yards per reception nailing 204 yards on just 4 receptions.

In all seriousness folks, I have no idea how the geniuses out there in television-land came to conclusion that the Broncos stood no chance against the Steelers.  Just looking at the Steeler injury list, which resembled a small telephone book, you absolutely could not rule out the Broncos.

It's time for you buggers at ESPN to confess:  You had a religious belief that Tebow and the Broncos couldn't win this game.  It was a faith-based position, not a position based on fact or logic.  It was a metaphysical position.

I'm laughing like hell at you, and I am wondering when you are going to stop cheering against this kid.

All I want for Christmas is to see the Broncos beat down the Patriots

...with savagery and ferocity!

Oh what a bleak season this would be for me if it were not for Tim Tebow and the Broncos.  This would be the winter of my discontent.  However, the story unfolding in Denver has made it glorious summer, and all the clouds lowered upon my house, in deep bosom of the ocean buried.

It's week 14 this week, and the Broncos will host the Bears.  However, week 15 is coming, and the Patriots will visit the Broncos in Denver on week 15.  We should not overlook the Bears, but remember, this is a team that could only muster 3 points against the Chiefs.  I guess that is still three more points than my Rams scored.

Congradulations, Coach Fox!  You are the beneficiary of my Christmas wishes this holiday season.  All I want for Christmas is to see your Broncos Godzilla-press-slam the New England Patriots.  Give the following facts,

1. Robust, powerful defense.
2. A vicious straight-ahead running attack with Willis McGahee
3. Tim Tebow getting his passing confidence back.
4. Your franchise's remarkable and continued success in the 2 minute drill

 I see no reason why you shouldn't stick it to them good.  I want to see a repeat of Shannon Sharpe calling the President's office with a request for military intervention.  Why?  Because the Broncos are killing the Patriots.  Go for the jugular!  Don't call off the dogs!

Incidentally, a quick trivia question for you: Who was the top rated passer (by QBR) in the NFL on week 13 on the 2011 NFL Season? Nope, it wasn't Aaron Rodgers. It was Tim Tebow.  Aaron had a QBR of 106.159, which is fantastic, by the way.  On the other hand, Tebow shot 158.19.  He was a fraction away from the cap.  He almost had a perfect game.

I told you he could pass.  Beware:  Tim is getting his passing confidence back.  Y'all are in trouble now.

How about that Tebow III?

On a recent NFL Total Access, The Playmaker Michael Irvin quoted the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians 1:27:  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.  Of course, this is the King James translation.  I always preferred the NIV and NASB myself.  The NASB translates it:  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.  Now wasn't that better?

The quote was sited in regard to the offense Tim Tebow is running in Denver right now.  "This offense is foolishness, but is confounding all of us analysts who think we are wise", said Irvin.

Absolutely correct.  I have no objections to that statement.  I would only ask one further question:  Where the hell were you guys back in 2006 when all of us were being confounded in Tim Tebow's freshman year?  We went through that whole toxic shock resulting from exposure to the spread-option zone-read offense back in 2006.

You know the Florida Gators won the BCS Championship that year by spanking a very polished Ohio State team?  That the first of two championships we didn't think they could win.  After they won their second championship in 2008, over a Sam Bradford led Oklahoma Sooner team, it became very clear that this foolishness works.

However, it's clear you guys missed the party back then.  The looks on your faces resemble the look I had on my face back in 2006.  I wrote about that several times during the 2010 draft.

I have always been something of a Florida fan since the days of Steve Spurrier.  I totally loved that beautiful Gillman-Coryell offense he ran back at Florida.  I was a big fan of Danny Wuerffel back in those days also.

When Urban Meyer arrived in Florida... well... hehehehe... Let's just say I was quite upset by early results.  We had a two-headed QB monster with Chris Leak at the helm most of the time.  He was the nominal passer.  The Fearless Freshman Tim Tebow would come in on short yardage situations.  They would line up with 5 wide and an empty backfield.  Tim would run the football straight up the middle where there was no hole.  He would wind up popping for 7 to 15 yards a shot when there was no gap in the defense and no room to run.  I had no idea how the hell he did it, but the fans went berserk every time he came in.  It was a love affair from day one.

I thought it was the wackiest offense I had ever seen in my Goddamn life.  I wished they would fire Urban Meyer so we could get coach Spurrier back in there and run that beautiful Gillman-Coryell offense again. The Zone-Read-Option was an insult to my intelligence.

But then Florida's BCS championship victory over Ohio State stunned me.  I had no idea how they managed to get there, much less win in such convincing fashion.  I just had to accept the fact that the system works.

Tebow grew on me enormously.  I developed quite a bond with the kid.  This was the son I wished I had sired.  I later discovered he has exactly the same Moon, Venus and Mars signs I do.  The kid's emotional composition, sense of aesthetics, and drive are the same as mine.  We have quite a score according to Sirus 1.1, incidentally.  Of course, mentioning this would annoy Tebow to no end.

Fast forward to the 2010 draft.  It became clear that my Rams were going to replace Marc Buldger, a move I did not support.  However, if we were going to replace Buldger, it had to be Tebow as far as I was concerned.  I told everybody how much I loved this kid.  I wrangled on-line endlessly with those who favored Sam Bradford.

At the time, we didn't think Tebow would go in the first round.  I wanted to use the #1 pick on Ndamukong Suh, and get Tim with the #33 pick.  As it turns out, this would not have worked.  Just imagine where we might be today if we might have pulled it off somehow...

I hate to mention it, but the Broncos have 300% more victories than my Rams do right now.  Whooopse... did I say that?  Don't take it personally, Sam.  We didn't equip you for victory his year.  We had absolute rubbish at the WR position until John Elway gave us the gift of Brandon Lloyd.  I've been shouting this at everybody who will listen, incidentally.  We'll get you Justin Blackmon in this year's draft.

In summary, Michael Irvin is quite correct when he says this foolishness is confounding the wise. Still, I wonder why you guys didn't know all this by the beginning of 2009?  Don't you watch college football?  Am I the only one?

You might say that can't work in the NFL, but it is obvious that it does.  Further, it's based on the same great principle that the Gillman-Coryell offense is:  Just hit it where they ain't.  Attack the emptiness and avoid the fullness, as Tzun-Tzu says in The Art of War.  If you always attack the weak spot in the defense, you'll always enjoy moderate success.  It's just that simple.

The one thing that really troubles me is this:  Tim Tebow can pass.  He's just not doing it right now.  He had a college QBR of 175 over his entire four year career in the SEC.  He had massive passing numbers in 2007, the year he won the Heisman.  I have seen him throw the football vastly better than he has done it lately.  I know he can pass.  I think you guys have given my boy a complex.  He's heard you say he can't throw the ball so many times, he is starting to believe it.

Shake it off, Tim.  Remember who you are.  Don't listen to the bullshit.  You threw the ball just fine back in college.  Do what you did back then.  Just make your decision and throw with confidence. If you get your passing confidence back, the Broncos can run the table and go 11-5.

How 'bout that Tebow II?!?!?

As I have often said, Tim Tebow is the son I never had.  That's my boy!

You would expect me to comment a lot more often about him because of that, but objectively speaking, I have not.  Why is that?  Primarily because I have been trying to keep a civil tongue in my head.  If I blogged on this subject every time I felt the impulse, you'd get at least one hard rant every day.

There is a great deal of Tebow-baiting going on out there in the media, and it isn't because the members of the media hate Tim.  They bait the line for both Tebow-haters and Tebow-fans  because doing so is absolutely fantastic for ratings.  I let them sucker me into the dummy-debate, or should we call it a tebate, during the run up to the 2010 draft.  I felt pretty stupid for being suckered into media-swirl after the fact.  I was great for the ratings, but it didn't do me much good.

Understand that no matter what Tebow does in terms of Pro achievements, there will be Erhardt-Perkins purists who will always hate this kid.  Likewise, there will always be scientific-materialist-atheists who will always hate this kid.  They don't even care what the kid does on the field.

On the other hand, there will be those (like Jack Youngblood me) on the other side of the fence who see one hell of a competitor and an engine of victory in this kid.  No matter how many mistakes Tebow makes in the early going, we're not going to be shaken.  We know the kid is destined for greatness.  Just give him a chance to learn and develop and he will do fine.

Just remember this: Brett Favre made a ton of mistakes in his run towards franchise-QB status.  He had enough bad days that Mike Holmgren had to threaten to bench him several times before he got the message.  John Elway was considered a bust in his first two years in the league.  Elway did not enjoy success immediately, and he might just be the greatest QB in entire history of the league.  Peyton Manning didn't look fantastic in his first year as a Pro, but we all know he is another likely suspect when we talk about the greatest of all-time.

I really had to bite my tongue hard after Week-8.  We saw many "experts" in the media 'seriously' disusing whether the Tim Tebow experiment should be over and done with after one bad game.  I am sure this triggered tons and tons of social media activity and gave the media lots of attention.  In short, they got what they wanted out of it.  It was just another attempt to trigger another dummy debate, and I knew it, but it irked me nonetheless.

It's preposterous to think that either John Fox or John Elway are so uncertain, so unsteady, so wavering, so swaying as to give up on a young QB after just one bad game.  Nevertheless, this is how the media spun the story.  It was just a naked attempt to sprinkle a little napalm on Tebow's followers and get them to respond to the show.  This boosts the ratings.  Ergo, I didn't comment.

I am very pleased that Tebow railgunned the Oakland Raiders yesterday.  It hurt my prediction record, but I couldn't be happier about it.  You know I hate the Raiders.  You know I love Tebow.  When Tebow railgunned the Raiders...  well... let's just say that's one of the finest moments I've had during this otherwise bleak season.

Of course, we have to give Eddie Royal a lot of credit there also.  He had the game winning return, after all.  Tim gave Eddie the spotlight on Facebook just a little while ago, and he was right to do so.

I am fairly certain this is not the Broncos' final victory of the year.  I look forward to several more, and I expect Tim Tebow to continue to show improvement throughout the course of this season.

The Late 1990's Denver Broncos: The Water Boy Redux

It is now time to continue my synastry analysis of the greatest teams in NFL History. Let's continue with the Denver Broncos of 1997-1998.

But first, a quick review of general synastry principles.

1. There are 12 signs in the Zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.
2. It all starts with Aries at the Spring Equinox. It all ends with Pisces at the Spring Equinox.
3. There are four elements in the Zodiac: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water.
4. They follow precisely that sequence around the circular orbit: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water.
5. The sequence of elements repeat themselves three times through the 12 signs.
6. There are, therefore, three signs of each element.
7. There are three Fire Signs: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.
8. There are three Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.
9. There are three Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.
10. There are three Water signs: Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.
11. You are most compatible with members of your element. Fire is most compatible with Fire, Earth with Earth, etc.
12. Your are highly compatible with members of your companion element. Earth and Water are companion elements. Fire and Air are companion elements.
13. Some elements mix with difficulty. Fire and Earth can blend with some difficulty, making a hard ceramic. Air and Water can blend with difficulty, forming a bubbly foam.
14. Allegedly, Earth is totally incompatible with Air, although you can't prove it using me as an example. Allegedly, Fire is totally incompatible with Water. I buy this doctrine.

The notion under-girding this series is that great teams are all about chemistry, comradeship, and brotherhood. In the final analysis, the players win the game for each other. The reason why an injured man rises to fight again when his body says "no" is because he can bear to let his brothers down. If you got a bunch of guys who are as tight as brothers, they will sacrifice for each other, and all things are possible. If teammates don't like each other and don't get along, you don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the Super Bowl.

Does anyone remember the Bickering Bills?

With that said, let's consider the back-to-back champion Denver Broncos. The 1997-1998 Broncos were fundamentally a Water team at the skill positions. John Elway, and Shannon Sharpe are both Cancers. Terrell Davis and Howard Griffith are both Scorpios. Rod Smith is a Taurus, just like Shannon's brother Sterling. Incidentally, Taurus is an Earth sign, and goes great with both Cancer and Scorpio.

Then we have our one typical exception and statistical outlier: Ed McCaffrey, who is a Leo. This is not as bad as it may seem. The only guy Ed had to be compatible with is John Elway. It just so happens that Cancer and Leo are side-by-side in the Zodiac; a pair of summer-time signs that treat each other cordially in the neighborhood. Cancers frequently have a little Leo in them. Leos frequently have a little Cancer in them.

John has some Leo in him, and Ed has a bunch of Virgo in his chart. They are more compatible than you might think. In fact they just happen to have a problem-solving & communication score of 174 together. Anything over 150 is considered extremely strong.

The Bronco line was mostly Air and Fire, noted for being compatible, with one outier: Tom Nalen, who is a Taurus. Of course, this only made Nalen more compatible with John Elway. Once again, this suggests the line is a discrete unit, somewhat separate from the skill positions.

Of course, Mike Shanahan is a Virgo, well noted for being compatible with a bunch of Water guys, a couple of Tauri, and Leo. He went on to have some success with a Taurus QB named Jay Cutler. Shanahan had no success with Sagittarius Donovan McNab last year. That was a bad train-wreck. Believe me when I tell you I know how tenuous Virgo-Sagittarius relations can be. Coach Shanahan had a small bit of success last season with with a Taurus kid named Rex Grossman. Rumor has it he might roll with John Beck this season. He is a Leo cusping on Virgo. What a co-inky-dinky...

Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak, interestingly enough, is a Leo. He got along great with John Elway and Shannon Sharpe. These days, he gets along great with a pair of Cancers named Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. We summer-time boys seem to get along pretty well together.

Although not the best elementally aligned football team, you can see that the Broncos were very well aligned with one another. It's pretty clear from the America's Game documentary series that these guys fought like hell for each other. This team liked each other, they respected their leaders, and they had great chemistry.

Deep-offseason Incendiaries

Intro

It’s against my policy to comment on the NFL during a deep-offseason lockout. Still, the NFL Network managed to come up with an incendiary last night that will get me to break policy. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that the writers at the NFL Network crafted a flaming arrow specifically designed to flush me out.

Which Heisman winning QB will have the most wins in 2011?

So the question was put to us: Which Heisman winning QB will have the most wins in 2011?

• Tim Tebow
• Sam Bradford
• Carson Palmer

Early on, Sam Bradford was leading at 55% of the vote. By the end of the show, Tim Tebow had run away with it, leading by 88%. Carson Palmer had just 1% of the vote. This is all beautifully designed to trigger all kinds of controversy, especially with a guy like me.

Unfucking the question

First of all we to do quite a bit of straightening out before we can approach this question:

1. Quarterbacks don’t win games. Teams do.
2. Football isn’t fucking baseball. This is a team sport involving actual athletes.
3. Carson Palmer has retired. How can you put him on the list?
4. The question should be rephrased for accuracy: Who will win more games, the Rams or the Broncos? This is the correct way to state the question

4. The question should be rephrased for accuracy: Who will win more games, the Rams or the Broncos? This is the correct way to state the question

88% say the Broncos will win more games than the Rams

If so, this will be a solid step forward for the Broncos, and a significant step back for the Rams. The vote, in itself, is a hell of a referendum on Billy Devaney’s pathetic excuse for a draft. Believe me, if I happen to see that guy, I’m going to break his nose… and his legs.

You might argue that this vote is due to the greater popularity of the Broncos vs. the Rams with general public. You could argue that this vote is due to the greater popularity of Tim Tebow over Sam Bradford with the general public. You might argue that this vote came from impartial observers who simply feel that the Broncos have an easy schedule and the Rams have a tough schedule.

No matter how you slice it, Devaney did not develop much confidence in the general public with his most recent crappy draft. The public would not feel emboldened to make such a comment if we had had a good draft.

Stuck on the fence

Ordinarily, this is the sort of question I would not comment on. It’s sorta like asking Archie who is better: Peyton or Eli. As you all know, I have declared that Tim Tebow is the son I never had. I am still sore that my Rams passed on him. As you know, all Ram-fans have pretty well adopted Sam Bradford. This includes me.

The Rams are my 31-32 year obsession. The Broncos have long been a favorite of mine, but especially now that they have Tim Tebow. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t chose to comment on such a question.

Do I think it is possible for the Broncos to win more games than the Rams? Sure it’s possible. For the lack of one Mike Pouncey, Sam Bradford could get injured and miss most of the year. I would hate to see the outcome of that season. John Fox could do a stellar job of re-assembling that Bronco defense, and you might see them win 7 or 9 games this season.

Do I think any of these things are likely? Not likely, but not precisely remote possibilities either. The 2011 season could unfold this way.

Do you remember when the Browns traded Quinn for Hillis?

The prince is advised to commit all his atrocities upfront. The people will forgive him for the early bloodletting over rest of his long and peaceful reign. So said Machiavelli.

I remember it all very well. I better remember it. It was just last year.

President Mike Holmgren walks in the door at Cleveland, and tosses Derek Anderson out on his ass. He then trades hometown hero and 1st round draft pick QB Brady Quinn for an unknown fullback who has been scrubbing for the Bronco special teams.

As you may imagine, this created quite a shockwave in Cleveland. Most Brown fans were very disappointed that Holmgren chose not to exercise his formitable QB coaching skills in developing Brady Quinn. They were disconsolate that Mike shredded a 1st round pick and got next to nothing for him. Many were pissed.

My, my, my, what a difference a year makes.

That unknown fullback was none other than Peyton Hillis. He played in all 16 games in 2010, carried 270 times, and rushed for 1,177 yards. He turned out to be half Mike Alstott and half Larry Czonka. The fans in Cleveland bonded with him immediately, and they love this guy to death.

Incidentally, EA Sports just put Hillis on the cover of John Madden's Football 2012. He beat out Mike Vick and Aaron Rodgers for that honor. Now he is an entertainer and an icon in addition to being a pretty good Aquarius kid for his Gemini boss.

Now Brown fans are laughing like hell about how badly Holmgren snookered the Broncos. I still wonder if the Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn trade was the final nail in Josh McDaniels' coffin. When Hillis exploded in Cleveland, and Brady Quinn did nothing in Denver, I think Pat Bowlen detonated.

When you look at what Derek Anderson did for he Cardinals in 2010, and what Quinn did for the Broncos last year, I think it's pretty damn obvious that Holmgren made the right moves. There can be no doubt that he shed dead weight.

Hillis now has to face the jinx, but he seems unafraid. I think this guy is a 1,000 horse power bulldozer. If anybody can whup the jinx, he will.

I told you the Redskins weren't taking a receiver

This morning the Internet is buzzing like hell with news of the Redskins negotiating with the Broncos for that #2 overall-pick in Thursday's draft. Some are saying the Redskins' move was premature. On the contrary, the timing is perfect. We are presently only about about 30 hours from gavel-time. It's time to go, buddy. You better be negotiating right now.

For the Redskins, the move is perfectly understandable. It's pricey as hell, but it is perfectly understandable. Shanahan's WCO doesn't work without a smart AND mobile quarterback. Say what you will about his very lack-luster college career, but Gabbert is very smart and very mobile. He fits the suit very well. Sometimes you just have to pay what it costs.

If you want that Bob Kramer knife, you're going to have to pay through the nose to get it.

The McNabb story in Washington has ended tragically, and so will the Shanahan story if he doesn't bust a move. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Shanahan needs defense like a dying man in the desert needs water. He may be planing to do what I hope my Rams will do: Fix the defense in free-agency.

I do want to crow for a moment, though. I told you the Redskins weren't taking a receiver. All the stuff about Julio Jones was horse shit from the beginning. The only thing worse than a QB with no WR is a WR with no QB. Just ask the Cardinals.

As Michael Lombardi has said many times, there is a certain order of operations you go through in building an offensive unit. The order of operations is important. Go out-of-order you will get bad results. Here is that order.

1. Offensive line
2. Quarterback
3. Receivers

You need the line first, or you will have a David Carr situation. You need the Quarterback next. There is no point in tying up picks and money in a receiver until you have a trigger man who can make him work. I have excluded the RB positions because this is increasingly a commodity position handled by a committee.

On the other half of the equation, I don't think I like this deal if I am the Broncos. I know the defense needs a full scale rebuild. I know this is a defense-rich draft. I know you want several of these players, not one. I know you feel you can get several by doing this deal.

Nevertheless, Marcell Darius and Von Miller are two of the crown jewels in this draft. I think I would probably take Von Miller and see if I could arrange Phil Taylor from Baylor later on. I would reckon this as the best way to rebuild my defense. You might also take Darius and Akeem Ayers.

We'll see if the Redskins make it worth John Elway's trouble. Shanahan and Elway certainly have deep-ties. I am sure there is enough personal good-will there to get the deal done, if the figures are right.

How about that Tebow?

Overdue

I’ve been meaning to write this column for the better part of a week now, but it’s been a very busy time. I spent a good chunk of this holiday at home in Fresno California with the family, and my brother came down to L.A. to visit afterward. I didn’t want to do a half-ass job on this entry.

Tim had his first 300 yard game

For those who don’t know it, Tim Tebow just had his first 300 yard game against the Houston Texans. He shot 16/29 for 308 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. This yields him and NFL QB rating of 89.44, and an NCAA rating of 148.869. The formulas are different. He also ran 10 times for 27 yards and a touchdown. His long was 11 yards for the TD, so can see in the statistics that he was mostly running to avoid pressure. Most importantly, his offense put 24 points on the score board and won the game.

So Tim is back up to his old tricks again. For those who don’t know it, Tim had a career NCAA passer rating of 175. That roughly translates to an NFL rating of 122. You should note that no NFL QB has ever had a rating of 122 over 4 or even 3 seasons. Tim did precisely this against the finest SEC, Big East, Big-12 and Big-10 defenses in the country. He threw those passes against defenses loaded with Sunday talent. He did that on route to two NCAA championships and a Heisman trophy. His achievements as an NCAA passer cannot be denied.

Of course, I am biased. I have called Tim Tebow the son I never had. You know I love this kid. I temper those critiques with this point: There is a reason I adopted this kid. Getting your first victory and an 89.44 rating in just your second start is damn good for any QB. It took Sam until his 3^rd start to get his first victory, and 7^th start to get a passer rating over 89. Of course, Tim was going against the Texans’ defense, and he does have the NFL’s leading receiver to throw to.

Perplexed by the critics

I have to say, I continue to be perplexed by Tim Tebow’s doubters. For some utterly bizarre reason, they seem to think he can’t throw the football. I am absolutely sure I have no idea what the hell you guys are talking about. I am fairly sure that you are looking at some other kid named Tim Tebow, not the Tim Tebow. I keep hearing these utterly bizarre conversations about some H-Back or Tightend that came out in last year’s draft. This absolute non-sense is baffling. I have no idea where this talk comes from.

To straighten out the confusion on this subject, you must begin with one iron-clad law: Quarterback evaluators don’t know what the hell they are talking about. They are ignorant as fuck, as a rule. I am not just speaking of Tebow’s case. I am speaking of all cases, period. If they knew what they were talking about 70% of all can’t-miss QBs selected in the first round wouldn’t go bust. As I stated so many times last year, the 70% bust rate among first-round QBs is iron-clad proof that NFL Quarterback evaluators don’t know what the hell they are talking about.

You must admit, you’re 70% rate of failure is an absolutely damning statistic. If a QB missed on 70% of his passes and lost 70% of his starts, he would be a shitty QB indeed. You need to entertain the possibility that you are all quite shitty at evaluating QB prospects.

Michael Lombardi quoted Bill Walsh many times during the last draft cycle. His favorite quote was this: Very few men are qualified to evaluate the QB position, and even fewer are qualified to coach the QB. I will translate that for you: “Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN does not know what the hell he is talking about when he evaluates Tim Tebow.”

Lombardi is a very nice and diplomatic guy, and would never run the ragged edge of serrated knife through Kiper’s guts. I would, I have, and I will again. I rather enjoy it. I better cut Mel whilst I still can. He has vowed to retire soon due to the bust of Jimmy Clausen.

When you see Mel Kiper doing a QB evaluation, you must begin with the presupposition that he has a 70% chance of being wrong. You would also do well to presume that 70% of what he says is absolute bullshit. If you do not begin with these presuppositions, you are a fucking fool.

The Chargers are next

The Chargers are next. I live here in SoCal, and I hear quite a bit of Charger chat on the Radio. I can tell you that the Charger fans and the Charger coaching staff are concerned about this game. The fans don’t want to be embarrassed and neither Norv Turner no A.J. Smith want to end with a loss to the rudderless and ruined Broncos. Such a loss could be the last straw.

Most of the talk I hear is worried talk. The Chargers are worried about defending Tim Tebow. He does what Michael Vick does, and what Steve Young did. He takes the snap from shotgun and fades back to throw. You set yourself to defend the pass. He runs. Suddenly your defensive configuration is all wrong. This gives NFL DCs like Ron Rivera fits.

Have a look at Tim Tebow's natal chart

So, just for fun I decided I would have a look at Tim Tebow's natal chart. As dedicated and committed Baptist, he would not approve of this, but I thought I would give it a shot anyway.

The look is pretty stunning. Two things jumped out of the HTML and bit me on the nose right off the bat. My first reaction was "look at 'dem triangles!" My second reaction was FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!

If you didn't already know it by now, Tim is one fiery guy. He is a quadruple Leo (cardinal fire) a triple Aries, and a double Sagittarius. He has multiple planets in all three fire signs, the most dominant being Leo, the leadership sign.

Naturally, this yields some amazing aspects. having so many planets in these compatible signs, all of the same element leads to zero confusion in the kids mind. He's got purity of intend and purpose without a lot need for analysis to figure out what he wants to do in life.

The kid has Venus in Leo and Mars in Leo, just like me. He's also got Moon in Aries, just like me. No wonder I feel a great paternal feeling for this kid. Any prospective wife better watch out. This kid is a fiery Lion. He may be keeping it bottled up right now, but just wait for the damn to break.

My advice to you Tim: Seek a triple Scorpio woman. She needs to have her Sun, Venus and Mars in Scorpio. That's about the only creature on God's Earth that's going to be able to keep pace with you.

Name: Tim Tebow

August 14 1987

12:00 PM Time Zone is AWST

Manila, PHIL

Rising Sign is in 20 Degrees Scorpio

You tend to be quiet, reserved, secretive and, at times, quite difficult to understand. Others notice your deep emotions and feelings and wonder how to draw you out. Stubborn and tough, you fight for any position you believe in. You are very resourceful and formidable when you become angered or upset about something. You enjoy living life at the cutting edge -- for you life must be experienced intensely and totally. Quite courageous, you are willing to take calculated risks. Easily hurt by others, you often strike back with bitter sarcasm. Sensitive and curious, you are concerned with the deeper mysteries of human psychology. Once you have become interested in any subject, you pursue it with total fanaticism.

Sun is in 20 Degrees Leo.

More than a bit of a showoff, you love to be the center of attention! But others do not usually mind because they tend to enjoy your genuine warmth and affection. Very spirited and willful, proud and self-important at times, you demand your own way. You are quite honest, however, and the respect of others is very important to you. You never compromise yourself and you pursue your goals with persistence and dedication. Your regal presence and demeanor draws you to positions of leadership and authority. But beware of being overly hardheaded, domineering, ostentatious or patronizing or you will lose the goodwill and admiration that you enjoy. Very theatrical, you live life on a grand scale wherever and whenever possible. Your strength and energy vitalizes those who come in contact with you.

Moon is in 24 Degrees Aries.

High-spirited and courageous, you are a fighter when your emotions are aroused. The degree of force and drive that you can bring to any effort sometimes surprises others. You have hair-trigger reactions to specific stimuli and tend to "let it all hang out." You sometimes act before you think and do things on the spur of the moment, and that sometimes gets you into trouble. Your moods change quickly -- you have quite a temper, but you don't hold grudges. Very independent, with an extremely strong and forceful personality, you are known for being impulsive, careless, reckless, foolhardy, rash and daring.

Mercury is in 14 Degrees Leo.

You are usually quite convinced that your own ideas are correct and you enjoy persuading others that they are. At times, you are very stubborn and proud of your beliefs and principles, and you get very defensive when they are challenged. You appreciate truth and honesty -- you practice it yourself and expect it in others. You have good talent for organizing, directing and planning. You delight in being asked for your advice and counsel.

Venus is in 18 Degrees Leo.

You have a striking, regal appearance and demeanor that attracts others to you. Your friendship is highly sought and you tend to take friendships quite seriously -- you remain loyal and true to those to whom you are attached. For you, love is mixed with pride and respect. Relationships are over when you lose respect for your partner. Be careful of a tendency to relate only to those who make you look good -- the powerful, important and influential. This can lead to arrogance and selfishness, and neither of these qualities becomes you.

Mars is in 24 Degrees Leo.

You are a very proud person. Strong, bold, courageous and self-possessed, you love to be the one to initiate significant actions. When people expect a lot of you, you respond positively and will work hard in order to maintain their respect. But when your dignity or pride is threatened, you tend to become sarcastic, arrogant and domineering. Try not to take any challenge or resistance that you meet as a personal affront. You are very stubborn about your right to live your life according to your own principles.

Jupiter is in 29 Degrees Aries.

The way that you grow and develop is by being an uncompromising individualist. You have a great need to be yourself and to explore your latent talents and abilities. Do not be afraid to let yourself go and develop self-confidence and pride in your accomplishments. But try not to become so self-centered that you ignore the needs of others. Also, you may have to build up your self-discipline in order to focus your energies properly.

Saturn is in 14 Degrees Sagittarius.

Basically quite conservative, you respect traditional authority figures and are very thankful and supportive of the laws and institutions which govern your life. You learn and accept new ideas only after having very thoroughly examined them. Ideals and abstract concepts are important to you only if they can be used in some practical fashion. You are so practical and so orderly that you have natural skills in planning, administrating and organizing.

Uranus is in 22 Degrees Sagittarius.

You, and most of your peers, have the tendency to think that all ideas, customs and traditions from the past are outmoded and irrelevant. You are attracted to radically new ideas, philosophies and religions that will, hopefully, cause sweeping changes throughout the world.

Neptune is in 05 Degrees Capricorn.

You, and your entire generation, will idealize work, practicality and the ability to attain reasonable goals. But, because you will also stress the need to be selfless and giving, you may find it difficult to attain your goals unless you have lowered your expectations on all fronts.

Pluto is in 07 Degrees Scorpio.

For your entire generation, this is a period of intense research and discovery in areas that were heretofore considered mysterious, remote or taboo. The root causes for many complex occurrences will be unearthed due to the intensity and thoroughness of the search.

N. Node is in 03 Degrees Aries.

You're at your most comfortable when involved in group activities outside of your immediate family circle. You delight in getting involved with others in neighborhood civic or political activities, especially if you can be a part of the leadership of the group. Your zeal and overabundant energy bring out your real creativity when you can work toward tangible results -- things that will immediately benefit those around you. You have a real gift for getting the most out of charity drives and community benefits. Take time out between projects though, because you tire out easily and your effectiveness becomes greatly diminished when your energy is depleted. Also, don't even think of trying to get involved at a peripheral level -- you need a total commitment to feel personally fulfilled. Let others bake the cookies and set up the chairs -- you should be the one to tell everyone what to do and when to do it!

So Tebow's biggest problem is that he is left handed, eh?

BleacherReport.com sent a newsletter to me this morning on the Denver Broncos, now officially my second favorite team. One headline boldly declared: "Tim Tebow's Biggest Problem: He's Left Handed."

The URL pointed towards a blog by Bill Williamson on the ESPN website. He would appear to be an official blogger on the subject of the Broncos for ESPN. He gave us a number of factoids to start off:

• Only 12 Southpaws have started 50 or more games in league history. This includes such illustrious names as Chris Simms, Michael Vick, Frankie Albert & Bobby Douglass.
• Only one Southpaw is scheduled to start in 2010: Matt Leinart.
• Only two Southpaws have won a Super Bowl: Stabler and Young.

Then we get some very bizzare information here which points at everything that is wrong about coaching in the NFL. Do you want to hear this?

• There are coaches and teams that aren't open to the prospect of going with a Southpaw. I'll bet that's my Rams.
• Many coaches don't think they can coach a lefty. There are certain challenges that coaches don't want to deal with. I'll bet that is Dick Curl.
• There are scouts who won't touch a lefty because OCs feel that a Southpaw could mess up their offense. I'll bet you anything that OC is Pat Shurmur.
• Then there is the flip-flop of blindside protectors. The ROT is the blindside protector if your QB is a Southpaw, not the LOT. Many OCs don't like that flip-flop at all.

I don't doubt there are such OCs in the league. I am sure there are. I merely want to go on the record and say that these are the types of coaches should be fired if you have one. They really should not be hired in the first place.

Everything about that sort of thinking is utterly wrong from the inception point:

1. Southpaws have a huge advantage. They flip the entire defensive pressure scheme upside down. Most defenses have big trouble with this.
2. Doing everything in reverse, and putting a reverse spin rotation on the ball does funny things to the minds of defensive backs. They read Southpaws more slowly. I believe there is a 12ms delay in the defense when they are forced to read a southpaw. This can make the difference between 18 inches of daylight, and a 1.5 yards of daylight.
3. This Southpaw advantage has made modestly talented QBs such as Ken Stabler and Boomer Esiason very successful in the NFL.
4. You never adapt a player to your offense.
5. You always adapt your offense to your players.
6. If you are a ridged system guy, you are no damn good to God or this country. We need to round you up, and shoot you down like a dog.
7. If you are a coach who is unwilling to stretch a little to gain the Southpaw advantage for the team, you're a faggot, and we don't need you.

I am almost certain I am speaking of Guys like Dick Curl and Pat Shurmur there. God damn them both to Hell. May they burn forever.

Yes, I am still smoldering over our draft decisions in 2010. I don't like 'em. I don't like those decisions at all.

I'll tell you what I really don't like about these choices. The hired guns like the GM and the OC will get fired, their affiliation with the Rams will end. They will probably be glad they have been relieved of the rebuilding duties. They will go on with their lives. We the permanent Ram-fans will be left with the wreckage and consequences left behind.

Just remember: There is no team loyalty at the management level. That concept does not exist.

Anyhow, I am still stunned that Mr. McDaniels stood up and grabbed Tebow. I hated this guy with a passion for breaking up a promising Bronco team. I still think he is making some wacky moves. The firing of Dick Nolan is truly inexplicable. Nevertheless, any guy who knows Gold when he sees it in Tim Tebow can't be all bad.

I would rather have Josh McDaniels as my OC than Pat Shurmur, that much is for certain. How about head coach? Well... I don't know about that. I like Spagnuolo just fine, and I fear what this McDaniels kid does when he is unleashed. Now, if we could get McDaniels to work under Spagnuolo, that would be a good tandem. It would be fitting too, as Spagnuolo's defense thumped McDaniels' offense in Super Bowl 42.

Are the Broncos for sale...?

While looking for information on Enos Stanley Kroenke's position on the sale of the Rams, I stumbled upon a small gold cache of rumors regarding the Broncos. The much troubled Broncos just might be for sale. Pat Bowlen might be ready to throw in the towel. These rumors are reported by respected journalist Mike Florio of NBC Sports.

Many have noted the problems and frustrations Bowlen has experienced since the end of the John Elway era. He is getting older, and the organization is in turmoil. It has been since Bowlen fired his best buddy Mike Shannahan, who just took the HC job in Washington.

If this is true, you can expect Kroenke to make a big move. He already owns the Avalanch and the Nuggets in Denver. He can buy the Broncos clear of the cross-ownership rules that plague him in St. Louis. He can obtain an NFL franchise in his preferred city.

Certainly, if there is any truth in this rumor, we can expect Stan to sell to Shahid. He will need to do so to raise capitol for his purchase of the Broncos. These rumors are coupled with strengthened reports that Khan is buying 100% of the Rams.

Don't trade for Brandon Marshall

Denver Post columnist Dave Krieger floated a trade balloon yesterday, suggesting that the Broncos should trade Brandon Marshall and Bears' #1 pick to the Rams for the absolute #1 pick in 2010 draft. Presumably, the Broncos would use this pick to select Suh. Naturally this lit up the conversation wires among Rams fans.

Let squash this one with a simple principle from warfare and business: Never pay for anything you can get for free. Everyone is presuming that Denver still owns the rights to this 4th year player. That is only true if 2010 is going to be an uncapped year. This question is still uncertain. If we have a labor accord, and 2010 is not uncapped, Brandon Marshall can move as he pleases, provided they don't franchise him. Can you imagine how fucking stupid we will actually be and look if we deal Suh for a 1st and a guy we could have for free? What if we don't get a good contractual hold on him immediately? We would look about as stupid as Al Davis is about to look trading for Richard Seymour.

There may well be a series of late-preseason free agents because of a latter day labor accord. Wait and watch for this moment.

No my friends, you get Brandon Marshall in free agency by signing him to a good contract, or you don't get him at all. A trade involves massive risks that, from my viewpoint, are unnecessary. I'll chase Brandon Marshall all day long in free agency. I won't trade for him.

I understand Dave Krieger's desire to get something for Marshall rather than merely allowing him to walk away as a 100% loss to the Broncos. This is human nature. I just hope we aren't stupid enough be on the other end of that transaction. Given the highly tenuous legal hold the Broncos have on Brandon Marshall, they are really in no position to be talking trade deal with anyone regarding him. This is a sucker's trade. Don't be the sucker.

Memo to Devany: Make sure we sign Brandon Marshall

I won't bother to rehash all the meladrama going on in Denver between the owner the coach and Brandon Marshall. The bottom line is that there relationship is going to end on a sour note. Brandon has been deactivated for his final game in a Bronco uniform. He will become an unrestricted free agent thereafter. Despite the fact that they are playing the Chiefs, I think the Broncos miss the playoffs. The Ravens will take the Raiders to the electrical shed.

We can expect Marshall to make a play for Chicago. I am almost certain he wants to be reuinited with Jay Cutler. They were turning into a famous combo together. Nobody was more pissed about Jaygate than Marshall. During a teleconference interview with the NFL Network, Marshall was careful to make sure he was filmed in front of the painting of himself and Jay Cutler embracing after their first Pro touchdown together. That speaks volumes.

I know Chicago would love to have Brandon. I know Jay would love to get him back. I know it is a long-shot for the Rams to intercept this process successfully and get Marshall to come to a team with no established NFL quarterback. However, money talks. We should make Brandon a nice lucrative offer. If Chicago gets him, we should make it expensive as hell for them.

Personally, I can't think of a better security blanket for a rookie like Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy or Jevan Snead. Would you like to ease the passage of a young rookie QB into the NFL? Get him a killer reciever like Brandon Marshall.

Aaaah Bouyyyy Denver...

Well, I guess it has come time to eat some crow. I am not quick to do that. It has become fashionable, and I hate following fashion trends of any kind. However, as one of the leading detractors of the recent changes in Denver, I guess I have to print a retraction.

The Broncos are undefeated at 6-0. They have taken down a few good teams in the process. Yes, the Bengals would have beaten them on opening day had it not been for the "Immaculate Deflection." Still, the Bengals are a very good team this year, and this loss would only make Denver 5-1.

Nobody, but nobody, but nobody expected the Broncos to do as well as they have this year. The Broncos are the stunning story of the year. They are eclipsing even the Saints (whose year has finally arrived) as the NFL's biggest shock.

Somehow, someway, the Broncos magically rebuilt a terrible defense that was permitting something like 30-34 points per game last season. Now they are permitting 6.6 points per game. The three men responsible for this massive turn-around are Mike Nolan, Brian Dawkins and Elvis Dumervil.

They have also turned the #2 ranked passing attack into balanced pass-run team which sometimes struggles for points. Still, they are looking good. They fight like hell and score when they have to score.

I still feel the Broncos are winning with some sort of black magic, voodoo, smoke and mirrors tricks. Nevertheless they are winning. Josh McDaniels somehow got the players to buy into his system. They are playing with enormous effort and enthusiasm. It is impressive to see how these men get after it one each and every play. McDaniels even convinced disgruntled WR Brendan Marshall to get on board with the program and play with high effort. Now that is a serious achievement. I think we have to admit that McDaniels holds one of the most important keys to coaching: The Motivation Mojo. Somehow, he gets these guys to buy into his system, and he motivates them to sacrifice their bodies for the battle right here and right now.

Honestly, I still don't think they have a shot, but I have seen stranger things in the past. Just yesterday, I mentioned the Raiders 1980 campaign. They shocked the world with an under-talented cast of rejects. They were a high-effort squad like this Bronco team. Like the Broncos, that Raider team was expected to be in a full state of rebuilding for years. The rebuild was immediate. We had no idea how it happened.

Denver is the new Wallstreet. The Broncos the new AIG.

The Denver Broncos are experiencing a meltdown of epic proportions. If there were any chance of them being sold in pieces to the rest of league, I would say that the Denver Broncos rivals AIG as the most dysfunctional corporation in the nation. Since there is no chance of the Broncos folding or being dismembered, I just can't make the AIG comparison... as much as I would like too.

Jaygate: just what the fuck happened?

A few weeks ago, FAF (Free Agency Friday) hit, and the New England Patriots traded Matt Castle to the Kansas City Chiefs. Looked fine on paper. Then all of sudden there is all this gossip circulating around the league from sources inside the Vikings', Chiefs', and Lions' headquarters that the Broncos were shopping Jay Cutler around, trying to trade him out of the Conference and Division. Why? To acquire draft picks. Why? Some of these picks were to be used to acquire Matt Castle, formerly of New England. Some were to be used to rebuilt Denver's sagging defense.

The deal never happened. Why?

Rumor has it that the Broncos were demanding too much of the Lions, who would have loved to build around Culter. Both parties would have liked to do the trade. They just couldn't agree to terms. More specifically, the Broncos wanted both of the Lions' 1st round picks, but eventually fell back to the #1 pick overall, and the 2nd round pick. Neither package was acceptible to the Lions. They felt the first overall pick was more than sufficient gold to seal the deal. Denver did not feel the #1 pick in the draft was good enough for Cutler. Then the Patriots completed their trade with the Chiefs, terminating the affair.

When this deal fell through, the Broncos became increasingly desperate, contacting the Vikings first, and then the Chiefs. This is the first clear-cut sign that the organization knew it had fucked up, and the relationship with Cutler was compromised.

Then the leaks started to flow. Sources inside the Broncos organization--loyal to Cutler--told Jay that the organization had been shopping him around, and trying to acquire Matt Castle. Jay Cutler, known for his passionate temper, hit the fucking roof. Rumor has it that he and his agent had a number of red-hot phone conversations with Pat Bowlen & McDaniels.

This is where the fun begins. Bowlen & McDaniels denied everything. They claimed the Chiefs & Lions contacted them with offers, inquiring if Cutler would be available if the price is right. Bowlen & McDaniels insisted that they told all would-be-bidders to fuck off. Cutler was never on the market, period.

That would have been fine except for the fact that Vikings, Lions, Patriots and Chiefs all broke THE MAN CODE. They confirmed Denver's infidelity to Cutler. They each confirmed that they had been contacted by the Broncos FIRST. None of them ever expected Cutler to be on the block. The whole affair might have died with a well-placed lie. Alas, such was not to be. That was when Cutler really got pissed. First, Bowlen fires his coach and mentor Mike Shanahan, then McDaniels give him a vote of no-confidence by trying to deal him, then they both lie to his face and try to cover it up.

Jay is now declaring that his days in Denver are over. His relationship with the Broncos is irrepairably busted, and he wants to be traded.

So who is right in all this?

I think I speak for the majority of NFL fans--not Bronco fans--when I say that I am absolutely flabbergasted by what has happened in Denver lately. This is almost inconceivable. If a gypsy woman had stared into a Crystal Ball and prophesied this, I would have laughed like hell at her and declared her a fraud.

Let's start with the facts: The Broncos had Mike Shanahan a proven offensive genius who had led them to back-to-back Super Bowl victories. They had Jay Cutler, the man touted as the most promising young Quarterback in the league. He is already a Pro-Bowl QB. Just a little more proof, and everybody was prepared to accept Cutler as an elite NFL QB. The Broncos had the #2 ranked offense in the league by points. I can tell you that they had a smooth rhythm moving down the field which was a true pleasure to behold. They looked like an offensive Juggernaut coming to life last year. Cutler looked totally confident and in control almost all the time. Yes, he had a few bone headed plays, but didn't Bart Starr, Bradshaw and Montana have some stupid plays early in their careers also? Hell yes they did!

Then it kinda collapses. The Broncos don't make the playoffs. The next thing we know, Mike Shanahan has been fired. He has a teary news conference where he declares that Pat Bowlen is still his best friend. Jesus... Speaking as a Ram fan, I was utterly shocked. I wanted to sign Mike Shanahan immediately.

Then Bowlen announces that he has hired Josh McDaniels, OC of the Patriots. Jesus... You fired Mike Shanahan to sign this esquinkly little 32 year old shit with absolutely no credentials to his name? You want Josh McDaniels, not Mike Shanahan? SHIT! Speaking as a Ram fan, I was pretty fucking surprised. I was wondering what the hell was going on in Denver. I thought for sure Bowlen would select a defensive coordinator like Steve Spagnolo, now the chief of my team, to be their head coach. Maybe we screwed them. Maybe they screwed themselves. What ever the case, I was sure that the new administration would leave the offense alone and work exclusively on fixing the defense.

Now Pat Bowlen, one of the most respected owners in the league, nay one of the pillars of the league, allowed this no-name dude McDaniels to break the one working part of his football team? OMG WTF? Unbelievable...

The majority of Hall of Famers on the NFL Network are pretty horrified by these events. They can't believe Denver would give up on Cutler. They have no idea what the hell Bowlen & McDaniels were thinking. Everybody is scandalized.

What every happened to if ain't broke don't fix it?

I really feel bad for the people of Denver. The Broncos were on the rise. I was certain they would win the division and be a contender in 2009. I believe the Chargers are vulnerable, and there is nobody else in the West. Oh yeah... I forgot that the Raiders and Chiefs are there... but that is still nobody. Now McDaniels has done it. He has effectively wrecked the team. He has set them back 5 or 6 years. I think they are toast in 2009.

So how would I fix it?

There are only two courses of action if you are Bowlen:

1. Complete a trade with Detroit for the #1 pick.
2. Rollback all the changes made since the season ended.

If you take option #1, expect the Lions to hold you over a barrel. They know you are despirate now. By taking this option, you announce your only real hope is to acquire Matthew Stafford... and pray he is as good as Cutler... eventually. Detroit can stick a gun in your ribs and demand that you give them a sweetener. Maybe one of your two WR. That would hurt like hell.

How the hell can Bowlen execute option #2? It is very simple:

1. Fire McDaniels
2. Go on bended knee to Shanahan (who claims you and he are BFFLs) and ask him to return.
3. Make him responsible for smoothing things over with Cutler
4. Publicly announce that you fucked up, and are rolling back changes.

Speaking as a computer programmer, I can tell you that we do option #2. When we accidentally write bad stored procedure which garbles data and messes up the DB, we rollback. We put the old data back in place. We put the old code back in place. We clean up the mess. We have to publicly announce that we fucked up. We restore the system. It hurts. Nobody likes to fuck up. Nobody likes to eat crow. Nobody likes to clean up the mess. Yet this is the only way to keep the organization healthy and on track. We gotta fix it.

Both are very difficult paths to trek. I really pity Bowlen. Never give a young fucktard this much control again. That was a serious error. I think the people of Denver will cheer option #2. If you are headed in the wrong direction, turn around