Heismanpundit

I understand there is a propensity out there to find reasons to nitpick over the details of larger-than-life sports figures.

But I don’t understand the point of this story by Joseph Goodman , which notes ‘lingering criticism’ of Tim Tebow .

Sure, Florida’s quarterback won the Heisman Trophy in 2007, but not once last season did he lead a game-winning, fourth-quarter touchdown drive. Tebow had three chances to be the hero — against Auburn, LSU and Michigan — and he stumbled every time.

So, technically, Tebow was perfect with the game on the line. He was a perfect failure. Harsh, but true: Tebow couldn’t win the close game. That’s the criticism facing the junior from Jacksonville entering the 2008 season.

For those of you who were vacationing on Mars this past year, let’s recap: Tebow ran and threw for 55 touchdowns last season. He’s the first 30-20 guy in the history of college football. He was second in the nation in pass efficiency. He completed 67 percent of his passes. He had only six interceptions in 350 attempts. He led his team in rushing with 895 yards and threw for nearly 3,300 yards.

He did this all as a true sophomore. I dare say it was one of the top 5 individual seasons in the history of the sport.

But, hey, he didn’t lead a 4th quarter comeback. Let’s harp on that, shall we?

I might understand if the criticism of Tebow was coming from a novel point of view. But, instead, Goodman offers a standard outlook completely in tune with the mentality of coaching retreads from the most overrated sporting enterprise in America, the NFL:

It’s elementary, but some of the best decisions Brady and Manning make on a game-to-game basis are when they choose not to run the football. Tebow’s biggest weakness last season was his inability to find an open receiver. Instead of reading the field and finding an open receiver, Tebow often would scramble for a first down.

So, let’s get this straight. Instead of find an open receiver, Tebow would scramble for a first down. The horror! Someone please tell me why it is better to throw for a first down than to run for a first down!

Yes, I know, he didn’t go through his reads, or whatever. The NFL teaches us that quarterbacks, at all costs MUST STAY IN THE POCKET (even Vince Young, damn his mobility)! The quarterback MUST GO THROUGH HIS READS! Ron Jaworski, who probably ran a 5.2 40 in his day, says so!

Process over results! Activity over achievement! Maintain the status quo! Because, by God, if the spread–or any other system that doesn’t rely on the sanskrit-based terminology of the West Coast Offense and its offspring–ever makes it to the League, the old gray hairs might not be able to teach really athletic quarterbacks how to resist the urge to use their ability. They might not be able to drill into them the mentality they need to make all the checks necessary to complete a 3-yard pass on third and long.

Never mind that Tebow accounted for more touchdowns than any sophomore in the history of college football, he should try to be more like Brady and Manning, both of whom play in a field goal league featuring offenses with phone-book sized playbooks.

Guess what: I have a feeling that Tebow knows what he is doing out there. He is, after all, just entering his second year as a starter.

Let’s let the artist do his thing, k?