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.

So how about that Tim Tebow?

So tonight was the end of an era for Florida. It might not be the end of the Urban Meyer era, but it is certainly the end of the Tim Tebow era... and also the begining of a new era... hopefuly with the Rams.

I remember the start of Tim Tebow's career like it was yesterday. I would sit at my computer working on my latest 3d creations in 3ds Max and Modo, and watch college football on a small standard def TV sitting next to my computer. In fact, that same TV sits next to my computer on my desktop right now.

I remember watching that wacky spread-bone attack and shaking my head in dismay. Chris Leaks was the main QB in those days. Tim Tebow, the fearless freshman phenom, would come in on short yardage situations. They would go with 5 wide recievers, Tim would line up in the shotgun, he'd take the snap, take a tenative step or two, plow right up the middle where there was no hole, and he would gain 6 to 10 yards a pop. I had no idea how the hell this wacky thing could work, and I was certain that coach Steve Spurrier would never approve. I remember thinking that they needed to fire Meyer get Spurrier back, and re-establish the FunNGun in the sun. I also remembered thinking that Tebow was a lot better than Leaks, and he aught to be the full time starter.

I could hardly believe it when Florida wound up in the BCS championship game, going against my Step-dad's Ohio State Buckeyes. I could hardly believe it when they spanked the fuck out them and won the national title with that wacky attack. That was quite shocking.

Tebow became the full-time starter the next season and responded with one of the greatest statistical year any QB ever had. He passed for something like 3,700 yards that season, which is pretty amazing for a 'running' QB. Naturally, he won the Heismann that year. Now he has two rings, the Heismann, a gaudy record of victories, and a ton of records in the NCAA books.

I grew very attached to the kid through this process. I was overjoyed that he saved the best for last, smashing the Bearcats 51-24, completing 31 of 35 passes for 485 yards, and gaining 533 total yards. He looked like a killer.

I am more confident now than ever that this is the QB that the Rams need to go after. I am confident that he is what I always thought he is: A bigger, stronger, tougher version of Steve Young. Not quite as fast and mobile, but plenty mobile enough. He is also a kid of peerless character and leadership ability. This is the guy we need.