Is Tebowmania here to stay?

Posted by Bob Weber on Dec 14th, 2011 in football | 0 comments

While growing up in Colorado in the 1980s and 1990s, I heard my fair share about a man named John Elway. Whether I liked it or not, I couldn’t turn on the television set or open up a newspaper without having this household name mentioned, especially each year between the months of September and December. What were John Elway and the Broncos going to accomplish, or not accomplish this week? How can they improve their defense/offense? Do they have a shot at the playoffs? Lastly, and most importantly, were they going to win the Super Bowl this time around?

I was born in Denver in the summer of 1977. By the time I was six years old, John Elway had signed on to be the Bronco’s new quarterback. This is also around the time when my earliest memories were starting to form. So for years upon years, fifteen to be exact, this Colorado Native has seen more number seven jerseys than she can possibly count. The Orange Crush was everywhere I looked; there was no escaping it. The old Mile High Stadium sat proudly off to the west of interstate 25, and Coloradoans were hooked on Elway and their orange and blue.

Unfortunately, as a child and teenager, I had absolutely no interest in anything that had to do with sports –especially football. I loathed Sunday afternoons around my house. Once we got home from a two-hour church service, my dad (a transplant from the state of Pennsylvania and huge Bronco fan) would flip on the only television my family owned. For the next three hours he monopolized the family room with total Bronco mania.

I would occupy those three hours in any possible way that I could, mostly just to get away from all the noise. That usually meant hopping on my bicycle and riding over to a friend’s house, or in my later teen years, taking off in my car and going anywhere else. By the time Elway retired in May of 1999, I was 22 years old and a journalism student at Colorado State University. Once again, my attentions were anywhere but football.

It’s Tebow Time in Colorado

So why is this self professed football “avoider” writing about a subject she obviously knows little about? Well, it all has to do with a guy named Tim Tebow. Being that I am still living in Colorado to this very day, I am finding that once again I can’t turn on the local news stations, open a local newspaper, or even look at my Facebook wall without hearing about the “Mile High Messiah”.

The various stories usually consist mostly of Tebow’s religious displays on the field, coined as “Tebowing.” Then the debate begins over his ability to run and throw the ball, but the life span of all of this Tebowmania really depends on, once again, hearing more about Elway. Especially now that Elway has been named the executive vice president of the football operations for the Denver Broncos. Will Elway name Tebow as the new starting quarterback for the next season? More importantly, will Elway make Tebow our new franchise quarterback? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

All things aside, it is very apparent to me that Tebow, like Elway, has officially become a new household name, not only in Colorado, but also across the nation. He has reached the platform of fame, and from what I hear he already sells more of his number fifteen jerseys than any other rookie out there.

Andrew Hall, an implant dentist who practices in Colorado Springs, is a huge Tebow fan, and his connection to Tebow stems back to his dental school days at the University of Florida. “I’ve followed him from when he was recruited out of Nease High School” said Hall. “When I was finishing up dental school, he was just finishing up high school. We knew who he was in the state of Florida, and we knew his recruitment very well. It was either Alabama or Florida.”

According to Hall, Tebow was already a rock star the day he showed up at UF, so when he came to the NFL, it was sort of the same thing. “He just has that magnetic personality and there’s just something about him that people are intrigued by.” Hall said. “People either love him or hate him, but I think by far you’ll find that people really love him.”

With all the buzz over this 24-year-old football star, it is clear to me that Tebowmania in Colorado is here to stay, and I should just get used to it, well at least for the next month or two. The Denver Broncos play the Patriots this Sunday. Maybe I’ll watch and see what all the hype is about, and maybe this Tebow guy can turn this football “avoider” into a fan.

Sara Pollock writes for e-Marketing Partner and is a football “avoider”

Barry Sanders and Barry Sanders Jr. – Like father like son

Posted by Bob Weber on Jun 17th, 2011 in football | 0 comments

Barry Sanders is the most dynamic running back I ever saw play the game. In fact I’m still angry with Bobby Ross and the Detroit Lions management for making him retire before he broke all the records – now we have to see Emmitt Smith’s smug face and Dallas star every time someone talks about an ‘all-time leading rusher’.

One of the favorite things about Barry that my friend John and I used to talk about was his father’s attitude. Barry’s dad, William Sanders was opinionated about his son’s tallent.

“I’m so proud of Barry, but I’m also a realist,” William said. “I watched Jim Brown play for the Cleveland Browns and he was the best I have ever seen. Playing football back then was harder.”

Barry is great, but he’s no Jim Brown…

Well, it looks like the nut doesn’t fall far from the tree. Barry Sanders Jr. is a talented running back himself currently being courted by a variety of schools. I found a few comments in this article amusing

The elder Sanders lives in Michigan – he has three sons there – but he owns a car dealership in Stillwater, Okla., and visits Oklahoma to see Sanders Jr.

“We’re pretty close, but I wouldn’t say we talk on the phone a lot,” Sanders Jr. said. “Probably a couple times a month.”

The father-son duo has taken recruiting trips together to Alabama and Florida State, but they rarely talk football.

“We talk about current events, family, traveling,” Sanders Jr. said.

Sanders will take in a few of his son’s games this fall and even though he’s quiet about the topic, his son knows he’s looking forward to watching him in the future.

“Some of his closest friends have said how excited he is,” Sanders Jr. said.

So Barry Sanders Jr. has to learn from his Dad’s friends how excited his Dad is to see him play. Hope he makes the pros so Barry can tell everyone how his son is good, but he’s no LaDainian Tomlinson.

NFL Thinks Rookies Make Too Much Money

Posted by Bob Weber on Dec 30th, 2010 in football | 0 comments

Part of the ongoing contract negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Players Associations is a discussion about NFL rookies making too much money. The owners think the pay rate for rookies is out of whack, they spent $50 Million in guaranteed money on unproven rookies. Now, in typical heavy handed Roger Goodell style, the league has posted an article ‘proving’ rookies are overpaid because of their underrepresentation in the Pro Bowl.

Money players: Pro Bowl selections average 6.8 years of experience, 83% have 4+ years of experience

The league has a point, but this doesn’t tell the whole story. The Pro Bowl is largely a popularity contest. A 1/3 of the voting is done by the fans, and if you aren’t an unbelievable standout like Ndamukong Suh or play for a high profile team like the Patriot’s Devin McCourty you are going to have a hard time getting the nod. Several players, like Ed Reed and Antonio Gates, who missed more than 1/3 of the season were selected over less popular athletes. The Pro Bowl is by no means a scientific process, it’s not supposed to be. If that were the case we could do away with the voting altogether and just print out a roster based on the stats.

The NFL is a dangerous career. Most drafted football players have contributed a huge amount of their life in training and competition to achieve their high draft status. If they are drafted by a poor team they may be injured and never be able to collect on a big contract. The NFL needs to watch it’s stance here. If there is a salary cap on rookies, and it’s too low, you may see a fall off on the talent entering the draft. I know personally if I was going to take the chance of stepping on a field with a team of pro players, knowing that I could be permanently injured at any time, I would want a LOT of guaranteed money.

Sanchez bad attitude earns fines

Posted by Bob Weber on Nov 6th, 2010 in football | 0 comments

Mark Sanchez has made it his goal this season to eliminate the bad body language that was so prevalent during his rookie campaign

Mark Sanchez’s(notes) negative body language is going to cost him some money. New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer announced Thursday that the team would be issuing light fines to the quarterback every time he slumped his shoulders, put down his head or trudged off the field during practice.

So cool that this was Sanchez’s idea.

Nolan leaves Broncos and other NFL news

Posted by Bob Weber on Jan 18th, 2010 in football | 0 comments

Just when you thought Josh McDaniels couldn’t screw anything else up before the season was over, we get another blow. Mike Nolan, one of the premier talented Defensive Coordinators in the NFL, is leaving the Broncos. His only comment? “I can’t say anything other than Josh and I mutually agreed to part ways.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the Broncos are discussing former Patriots Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees. Great, another New England stooge. Stand by to hear about trades of Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler and anyone else on the team with any talent.

In some good news, with the defeat of the Chargers by the Cinderella New York Jets yesterday, there are now no teams I don’t like still alive in the playoffs. Regardless of who wins over the next few weeks, history will be made. Either Manning will win another championship, Favre will win a championship at 40 years old, Brees will take the Saints to their first Super Bowl EVER, or rookie QB Mark Sanchez will lead a #5 Seed Jets team to a win. All of these scenarios are very exciting.

Finally, in the funniest event of the weekend, Cowboys linebacker Keith Brookings whined that a last minute score by the Vikings was ‘classless’ and they were just running up the score. Yep, nothing more classy than complaining and crying about poor sportsmanship after a humiliating showing in a game, of course this is Jerry Jones’ Cowboys. Nothing screams class more than an 11,000 square foot TV.