Let me start by saying that it absolutely kills me to write this blog. Limbaugh is a guy I can say I absolutely detest. Now that I've admitted that, I think its fair to explain why he should be allowed to purchase a minority stake in an NFL franchise.
For most intelligent people, fanatical analysis detached from logic can't live in the same room. Call me crazy but what I'm about to say will be about as fair as anyone could be considering the comments that Rush Limbaugh has made over the years. WE all know about his comments about Donovan Mcnabb. We've heard his take on why slavery wasn't that bad. Even after all of that I've still find myself taking the side of Rush Limbaugh because of the principle of this matter.
Rush Limbaugh's controversial comments draws twenty million kool aid drinkers everyday mostly for affirmation and certainly not for information.
In all fairness those twenty million viewers may view my defense of Jeremiah Wright in the same vein. Truthfully all of what we believe as right or wrong is solely based on our experiences. The NFL is one of the most hypocritical organizations in all of sports. It didn't hire its first Black coach until 1989. How many black general managers are there in the NFL? Let's try 5 as of this year. Ozzie Newsome was one of the lone rangers in this important front office role for a number of years.
Remember this league didn't allow black men to play quarterback until the late 60's. Sure it was a defacto rule but it existed. So how is the NFL in any moral position to deny Limbaugh the chance to invest in an NFL team. Ironically the good ole boy's club that is actually denying Rush is the same club that is for excluding him of american right. This is a guy has been a card carrying member of this club and now he's getting his. I can't lie apart of me likes seeing this but it is still wrong. If Louis Farakhan was denied the right to buy five percent of a team, I wonder if Al and Jesse would show up to defend him? I think we know the answer to that question.
The NFL only cares about cashing checks. So why should Limbaugh not be allowed to be a "minority" owner for an NFL franchise? What does his opinions have to do with being qualified to invest in five percent of the Saint Louis Rams? If free agents decided not to play in St. Louis because Limbaugh owned a small stake in the team then that would be their right as an American and an employee of the NFL.
In a recent television appearance, Steven A. Smith concluded that if the price was right most NFL players would sign on the dotted line regardless.
Guess what? Steven A. is spot on. Has anyone forgotten how hard it is to gain financial security playing in a league that doesn't guarantee its entire contract?
Limbaugh a week later in classic fashion went of the defensive, using President Obama as the explanation for why his bid was being denied. Never mind the fact that people view his comments as bad for business. Forget that he's a social pariah and a hypocrite at best. Sure play the blame game Rush. Do the same thing you claim that liberals and minorities do all the time. It's funny how chickens always come home to roost. As a descendant of an old farm boy, chickens coming home to roost never made me sad. In fact it mad me glad.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Is Tim Tebow the Elvis of College Football?
To many music fans of generations gone by Elvis Presley is the King of Rock and Roll. Those of us who know better understand where the source of Presley's gift originated from. Tim Tebow is a phenomenal talent that plays the game of football the way it should be played. He is an infectious leader that has the "it" factor that many men envy. He's the kind of guy teammates will play hurt for. His opponents rave about how difficult it is to play against him. So is this a blog to hate on Tim Tebow? Of course not! The purpose of this column is to shed light on a factor that is the equivalent of a Hollywood remake. In deference to the many dynamic mobile quarterbacks that have gone before him, the question can be asked is he really all that?
Tommie Frazier, Charlie Ward, Eric Crouch, Rodger Staubach and Steve McNair are names that jump out at me as I rack my brain for comparisons. Tommie Frazier is the only man to win the MVP of the national championship game that he lost! Charlie Ward could certainly scramble but boy did he throw a better ball than Tebow. The same can be said of McNair and Rodger the dodger. Sure Mcnair played at a much smaller school as did Staubach but those guys dominated where they got the opportunity to play. Eric Crouch was unbelievable but wasn't a very good passer though he had magical moments running the option.
In the spirit of my musical comparison, Tebow like Elvis wasn't the first or best to every do what he did. In the case of Tebow he's still doing it. "You ain't nothing but a hound dog" wasn't originally recorded by Elvis. Blues singer "Big Mama Thornton" recorded the original in 1952. Presley's version was recorded in 1956 after seeing a band in Las Vegas record a similar version he went on to make famous.
Tebow doesn't proclaim to be the "greatest college football player" ever. He simply goes out there week to week and leads his team to victory. He's not like King James, (not Lebron) You know the dead guy who put his name on the bible to make ignorant readers of history think he actually wrote it. Yeah that guy. Tebow quotes this book a lot on mission trips and visits to prisons around the country but apparently the guy has the good sense to know that he didn't invent how he plays the game. Sadly most analyst and rabid football fans do not.
Tebow is simply the victim of what I've diagnosed as Elvisitis. Chuck Berry, Buddy Guy, Little Richard, Ike Turner and Jerry Lee Lewis were some of the early pioneers of Rock and Roll but somehow Elvis gets crowned King? In the words of Chris Rock in the movie Head of State, "That ain't right". Eric Clapton has said in numerous interviews that his early influences were the blues musicians of the deep south. The blues help to usher in the early sounds of Rock and Roll. The marriage of the stride piano and the distortion used by Buddy Guy and Chuck Berry revolutionized music, forever changing the direction of musical artistry.
Tim Tebow has been seen before. He's just the beneficiary of the 21st century hype machine. Of course that comes with the territory of winning a Heisman, winning multiple national championships and being an overall good kid. Like any monster we've created out of hype, we will eventually eat our own. As soon as he flops at the pro level, then he'll join the ranks of a lot of Heisman winners that didn't quite live up to the hype.
Anointing Tebow the greatest college football player ever is like believing that Jim Jones and David Koresh were really the second coming of Jesus. There has been so many great players through the generations. Ask a guy that's in his 60's he may tell you that Paul Horning or Archie Griffin is the greatest. It's all about opinion. Tebow's reputation off the field has largely contributed to the canonization of what he does on it. Tebow has only four career 300 yard pasing games.
Two of those games was against Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic in the 2007 season. How many yards a quarterback throws for isn't the only measuring stick especially when he's supported by a team with an oil wells's worth of talent. Oddly enough, it does bring up an interesting conversation about why team accomplishments are largely misrepresented as the ability of one person, opposed to one individuals contribution to the team. The entertainment value of television skews this dramatically which explains why we like to turn on these guys when they don't meet our lofty expectations.
Time has a way of eradicating the memories of Rashaan Salaam, Rahib Ismail, Andre Ware, Danny Wureffel, Gino Torretta and countless other sure things the hype machine created. During Charlie Ward's run at Florida State, I vaguely remember the media giving him props for being the student body president. He was also known as a clean cut kid as well but never did he get worshipped in the fashion that Tebow does. Ward's ability to play in the NFL was completely shot down while Tebow is some circles is being considered as a first round pick.
I believe most NFL GM's no better but stranger things have happened. I.E. Alex Smith, Vince Young, Pat White, Heath Shuler and the list goes on. So if you're on the bandwagon of Tim Tebow being the greatest college football player ever then you're welcome to stay there. Just remember when he flops at the pro level to have mercy on him. The Best Damn sports already has spot warmed up for him on one of their goofy list. Just wait and see. I love being the one to say I told you so.....
Tommie Frazier, Charlie Ward, Eric Crouch, Rodger Staubach and Steve McNair are names that jump out at me as I rack my brain for comparisons. Tommie Frazier is the only man to win the MVP of the national championship game that he lost! Charlie Ward could certainly scramble but boy did he throw a better ball than Tebow. The same can be said of McNair and Rodger the dodger. Sure Mcnair played at a much smaller school as did Staubach but those guys dominated where they got the opportunity to play. Eric Crouch was unbelievable but wasn't a very good passer though he had magical moments running the option.
In the spirit of my musical comparison, Tebow like Elvis wasn't the first or best to every do what he did. In the case of Tebow he's still doing it. "You ain't nothing but a hound dog" wasn't originally recorded by Elvis. Blues singer "Big Mama Thornton" recorded the original in 1952. Presley's version was recorded in 1956 after seeing a band in Las Vegas record a similar version he went on to make famous.
Tebow doesn't proclaim to be the "greatest college football player" ever. He simply goes out there week to week and leads his team to victory. He's not like King James, (not Lebron) You know the dead guy who put his name on the bible to make ignorant readers of history think he actually wrote it. Yeah that guy. Tebow quotes this book a lot on mission trips and visits to prisons around the country but apparently the guy has the good sense to know that he didn't invent how he plays the game. Sadly most analyst and rabid football fans do not.
Tebow is simply the victim of what I've diagnosed as Elvisitis. Chuck Berry, Buddy Guy, Little Richard, Ike Turner and Jerry Lee Lewis were some of the early pioneers of Rock and Roll but somehow Elvis gets crowned King? In the words of Chris Rock in the movie Head of State, "That ain't right". Eric Clapton has said in numerous interviews that his early influences were the blues musicians of the deep south. The blues help to usher in the early sounds of Rock and Roll. The marriage of the stride piano and the distortion used by Buddy Guy and Chuck Berry revolutionized music, forever changing the direction of musical artistry.
Tim Tebow has been seen before. He's just the beneficiary of the 21st century hype machine. Of course that comes with the territory of winning a Heisman, winning multiple national championships and being an overall good kid. Like any monster we've created out of hype, we will eventually eat our own. As soon as he flops at the pro level, then he'll join the ranks of a lot of Heisman winners that didn't quite live up to the hype.
Anointing Tebow the greatest college football player ever is like believing that Jim Jones and David Koresh were really the second coming of Jesus. There has been so many great players through the generations. Ask a guy that's in his 60's he may tell you that Paul Horning or Archie Griffin is the greatest. It's all about opinion. Tebow's reputation off the field has largely contributed to the canonization of what he does on it. Tebow has only four career 300 yard pasing games.
Two of those games was against Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic in the 2007 season. How many yards a quarterback throws for isn't the only measuring stick especially when he's supported by a team with an oil wells's worth of talent. Oddly enough, it does bring up an interesting conversation about why team accomplishments are largely misrepresented as the ability of one person, opposed to one individuals contribution to the team. The entertainment value of television skews this dramatically which explains why we like to turn on these guys when they don't meet our lofty expectations.
Time has a way of eradicating the memories of Rashaan Salaam, Rahib Ismail, Andre Ware, Danny Wureffel, Gino Torretta and countless other sure things the hype machine created. During Charlie Ward's run at Florida State, I vaguely remember the media giving him props for being the student body president. He was also known as a clean cut kid as well but never did he get worshipped in the fashion that Tebow does. Ward's ability to play in the NFL was completely shot down while Tebow is some circles is being considered as a first round pick.
I believe most NFL GM's no better but stranger things have happened. I.E. Alex Smith, Vince Young, Pat White, Heath Shuler and the list goes on. So if you're on the bandwagon of Tim Tebow being the greatest college football player ever then you're welcome to stay there. Just remember when he flops at the pro level to have mercy on him. The Best Damn sports already has spot warmed up for him on one of their goofy list. Just wait and see. I love being the one to say I told you so.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.JPG){kind=small}