Today’s View From the Bull Pen
Priorities
We have them all wrong. From constant news coverage of Jodi Arias and OJ Simpson to athletes getting mega bucks for playing a game, our sense of what is important is completely and totally screwed up. You'd think that we might have learned something from the recent events in Boston. That heroes emerge from even the most difficult of circumstances, but, no, we return to the inane and inconsequential. Amanda Knox. Film at 11.I drew this cartoon after reading the recent story about Andrew Wiggins, supposedly the "next" LeBron James, signing a letter of intent with Kansas. While Wiggins did his best to keep his signing from becoming too much of a circus, it still carried huge weight in the 24/7 news cycle. It made me think of the number of brilliant kids who will walk across graduation stages all over our country in the next few weeks, whose names are only heard as they stride forward to get their diplomas. No newspaper columns are written or press conferences held for valedictorians or honor students, but, hey, dribble a basketball and we hear all about it. Priorities. Yeah. I'd say we have them pretty screwed up.
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Quotes & Quips
“If you love your job, you haven’t worked a day in your life.”- Tommy LasordaTwitter Goodies
This is exactly how I feel also! I wish John Elway would realise this all will come back to bite him in the ass!
Come on Drew: I really liked Tebow as a person; but he couldn’t learn to be an NFL quarterback at 24-25. He didn’t have the talent to be a passer. I love playing the piano, am okay at it; but I can’t make a living because I don’t have the talent.
This perfectly illustrates something that I’ve observed with several loyal Broncos fans after this week. It’s as if their entire love for the Broncos was based on Tim Tebow. I’m not talking about fans of just Tebow, but long-time Bronco fans.
With the schedule the Broncos had this year, had they stuck with Tebow would not have won more than 6-7 games, then people would be complaining that we didn’t go after a guy like Manning when we had the chance. Defenses were figuring this guy out and there was no way he was going to develop into a quality passer in one off-season of work. People say ‘why not develop Tebow and see where we are in 5-6 years?’ I have one answer for that as a Bronco fan, do you want a chance to win a Super Bowl in 1-3 years or maybe in 5-6 years?
John Elway’s job was and is on the line every day. He knows his personnel decisions can affect the team for better or worse. A healthy Peyton Manning improves this team 3-4 wins over last years’ record. It immediately puts Denver into the upper echelon of teams in the NFL, a position they would not have been with Tim Tebow at QB.
Tebow knows it’s a business, John knows it’s a business, and we fans ought to know it’s a business. Certainly we have the right to unloyal ourselves from the Broncos. But we fans, will also embrace a good season and forget Tebow, especially if he ends up in a morass of mediocrity in NYC. I think Drew is pointing out an option to us with this one, not necessarily making a statement.
Peoples’ reaction to the Tebow-Manning thing has been bugging me for days, almost weeks, now. I finally figured out (I think) why some Bronco fans are so “up in arms” about the Broncos’ front office and coaches decision to sign Peyton Manning, after such an exciting season given to us by Tim Tebow and the rest of the Broncos. This is why:
Tim Tebow and his heart-stopping fourth-quarter, 2-4 minutes left in the game comebacks to win games, gave Bronco fans something to cheer and be excited about.
Think about it. After the last couple of years under the Shanahan empire and the McDaniel’s circus, Bronco fans were fed up. We had had it. Things were not good at Dove Valley, folks. Not to mention the fact that the Bronco organization had to deal with a few players’ off-the-field behaviors (unbecoming a professional athlete) – and together with the fans, the deaths of Kenny McKinley, Damien Nash, and Darrent Williams.
Tim Tebow energized and gave new life to a once hapless team and organization. I’m not saying he is the best QB to ever play the game. What I am saying is that Tebow made a difference. He gave Bronco fans, and his teammates, hope. Last year’s win against the Steelers in the first round of the playoffs was MY Super Bowl experience of the year. I was just as ecstatic watching the Broncos win that game, as I was when we won both of our Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998.
Which brings me to John Elway. A lot of folks have been critical of his decision to sign Manning and trade Tebow. This is where we have to look at things from a different vantage point. Professional football is a business. Tough decisions have to be made. Business is not about emotions and personal relationships. Business is about results-oriented performance, the “bottom line,” and what meets the business’ needs. Like it or not, that is why Elway went with Manning. Manning was available. Manning is the one of the best, if not the best quarterback in the league. Manning gives the Broncos a better chance of being successful, based on his PROVEN record, sooner rather than later. Like Jon-Michael commented in an above post, “as a Bronco fan, do you want a chance to win a Super Bowl in 1-3 years or maybe in 5-6 years?”
I believe that John Elway did what was best for the Broncos. Not just the organization and the players; but for the fans, as well. He knows what it takes to win games. As a player, he has an incredible record and two Super Bowl rings to prove it. As an executive, he is relying on his experiences as a player and businessman to make those tough decisions, to position the Broncos for a winning future…a Super Bowl winning future. As a life-long Broncos fan, I’m trusting that those decisions are what is best.
Tim Tebow has put this whole thing behind him. He said in his press conference from the Meadowlands today, that he will never forget his time in Denver, the Bronco chapter of his life is closed, and that he is now happy to be a Jet. If Tim Tebow has moved on, why can’t everyone else?
It is time to move on, Bronco fans. I have.
I’m rooting for Manning and Elway to make a difference. I believe that Manning has a much better skill set than Tebow. He has experience and the desire to win another ring (and tie his brother, which is the real unspoken reason he didn’t hang it up after sitting out a season and four neck surgeries).
I hope that Tebow does well in New York. But although I jumped on his bandwagon when he took us from the worst in the AFC West to the division title and won the first playoff game in years for the Broncos (winning does that for you), I’ve always had a little voice at the back whispering that “he’s going to take too long before he’s any real good, and it’s going to take a lot of reprogramming. I knew this when the Patriots came to Denver and broke his 5-game win streak. They had watched the tape and figured him out, and everyone else did the same.
I actually agree with Peter King of CNNSI; the Broncos should have kept Tebow and let him study under Manning and Elway, while also acting as a tight end who can occasionally throw a pass. But like they always say; “it’s just business.”
If Manning can take the Broncos further along than Tebow did (and win more playoff games), Bronco Nation will cheer and be happy and Elway will be forgiven for sending Tebow away. If Manning falls on his neck and injures it again (or worse), it’s going to be ugly.
And to televangelist Pat Robertson, who would call down the Wrath of God for letting Tebow go, a big wet raspberry in your general direction. I’d use stronger language, but this is a friendly forum.
Good Morning from Omaha,
if it doesn’t make dollars it doesn’t make sense. A lot of people watched the bronco’s games to see tebow pull another win out of his hat. they were and are intrigued by him and his abilities. All along I was saying that it was a team game.
While the team won, Elway understood that there was more to this game and that to rebuild the bronco’s well into the future he had to get a traditional quarterback. He chose to ignore the football evolution going on at the qb position. thats fine- he made a business decision. If tebow would have gone down because of injury what would the bronco’s have done.
Its still a big gamble with Mannings neck. The is a stark lack of receivers of his similar talent. Maybe in the draft they will fill that void. Keep in mind that Manning is going to be around only so long.
Elway is building for the long run and the bronco;s future. I liked watching tebow and believe that he will become an NFL qb. Elway could not or would not wait for that to happen and made the quick fix with Manning. He is all in and hopefully bronco fans will understand.
If it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense. In the long run the bronco;s are going to be bigger than tebow or one player, even JOHN ELWAY!
Strive for excellence, nothing but your best.
Gene
Like it or not, there are a few sports figures that could have the reputation to be electable as Colorado’s Govenor: John Elway is on that short list. Now he’s not perfect, but he did what he thought would be best for the team. And when Manning was available, he would be foolish not to at least put in some effort.
Yet, he’s getting as much heat for whatever he does like Charlie and Dick Monfort get for the Rockies. The only difference is that the Monforts only sign the paychecks, and let Dan O’Dowd make the deals. Fans will never be happy with whatever management does, and think they can run the team a lot better than management can. And like with the Ubaldo trade, fans were really shut out of Ubaldo’s jealousy until long after the trade. I just wish fans would quit being back-seat GM’s.
And finally, we should just let the Broncos news settle down. There are 3 other sports either starting or ending that deserve more attention than the already-in-offseason Broncos.
I understand that it is a buisness decision but it still hurts to see another reminder that there is no more loyalty. Weather that loyalty is to a city, team or player. I’m glad the Broncos went after a great QB in Manning and I am happy that he chose Denver but I see no reason why Tebow couldn’t have learned from Manning. Fans chanted for him to be put in when Orton was QB becuase Orton was okay at best. I don’t think many people would have chanted when it’s Manning and who better to learn from. Tebow will be a winer and in 2 to 3 years the Broncos will be looking for a new QB.