Take every story written about every backup quarterback in the history of the NFL, combine them, and you probably would not reach the level of attention Denver Broncos second-year reserve Tim Tebow has received this offseason.

While a lot of the diatribes and “insider” stories about him are driven by one thing in particular – page views – it is important to realize that the media cannot be solely held responsible for this barnstorm of criticism and relative subjectivity about one of the most polarizing players in the league. His team has to take some blame, too.

Read the rest of this column…after the break!
Continue Reading » The Silver Lining: Media shares the blame but tornado of Tim Tebow began in-house

Tags: Adam Weber, Brady Quinn, Denver Broncos, Eric Studesville, Heisman Trophy, John Elway, John Fox, Josh McDaniels, Kyle Orton, NFL, Tim Tebow

If you followed @onlygators on Twitter this summer, you likely saw a tweet or two from OGOGA about St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford spending some time in Gainesville, FL along with Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper.

While he was visiting, OGGOA speculated that Bradford very well could have been in town to pick the brain of new Florida Gators offensive coordinator Charlie Weis considering he was unable to meet with Josh McDaniels, St. Louis’ new offensive coordinator, due to the NFL lockout still being in progress.

Sports Illustrated‘s Andy Staples actually spoke to Bradford about his trip to Gainesville and, as it turns out, that was the exact reason he stopped by the town of the team that defeated the Oklahoma Sooners for the 2009 BCS Championship.

“They spent time in New England together,” Bradford told Staples, “so their offensive philosophies are fairly similar. Obviously, they don’t run the exact same offense. But I just thought if I could come down and just talk some ball with Coach Weis and get a feel for what his philosophy is, then it could possibly help me try to transition to Josh’s offense.”

Weis, who through a Florida spokesman declined to comment for this story, also showed Bradford a video that helped drive home some of the concepts in the playbook. “I have the playbook. I can look at the paper all I want,” Bradford said. “But it’s a lot different when you actually have someone who can kind of talk you through it — someone who has experienced it, knows what the reads are and can kind of tell you what to expect.”

Photo Credit: Bill Haber/Associated Press

Tags: Charlie Weis, Josh McDaniels, Philadelphia Eagles, Riley Cooper, Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams

Since the day John Fox was hired to replace Josh McDaniels as the head coach of the Denver Broncos, the future of 2010 first-round pick and former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has been up in the air.

While most believe – for better or for worse – Tebow should be the hands-down starter whenever the 2011 season begins, there have been plenty of questions about what Fox and new team president John Elway will do with Denver’s quarterback situation.

Both Fox and Elway have made comments that would lead one to believe Tebow will start second on the depth chart behind veteran Kyle Orton; each has also indicated that they completely support Tebow and think he could wind up being the starter this season.

Speaking on his podcast over the weekend, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche believes the decision has already been made up in Mile High.

“I’ve talked to enough people plugged into the situation there to comfortably say that unless Tim Tebow gets hurt in training camp or is absolutely awful, the starting job is his to lose,” Wyche announced.

NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks, a guest on Wyche’s show who also served as a scout for four years under Fox with Carolina, repeated on the show information he shared in a column early last week.

“If history serves as an indicator of what Fox will do at quarterback, then the high value of Tebow’s intangible qualities puts him at the front of the line,” Brooks wrote. “As an old-school, defensive-minded coach, Fox views quarterback play through a different prism. He has a preference for smart and tough player, rather than a flame-thrower with outstanding physical tools.

“Fox is intent on restoring the winning tradition in Denver but has been reluctant to name the quarterback that will blaze the path. If he stays to his traditional approach, there is no doubt his choice will be Tebow.”

With the NFL’s lockout appearing to be winding down and training camp likely getting underway soon, Tebow’s opportunity to take control of the huddle and lead the Broncos from behind center is approaching.

Photo Credit: Unknown

Tags: Denver Broncos, John Elway, John Fox, Josh McDaniels, Kyle Orton, NFL, Tim Tebow

1 » With Josh McDaniels ousted as Denver Broncos head coach, questions immediately sprung up about how secure quarterback Tim Tebow, one of the team’s first-round draft pick last season, could feel about his future in Mile High. Assurances appeared to have been given upon the hiring of head coach John Fox, a man who praised Tebow in the past, that he would have every opportunity to win the starting job and prove he was the man to lead Denver from this point forward.

However, a report by the NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi paints a different picture of the Broncos’ stance on Tebow. “Most members of the Broncos who were there when the Tebow pick was made are looking to distance themselves from the choice, which is a classic way for things to operate in the NFL,” Lombardi writes. He continues, “So Tebow is a man without much support in Denver, making quarterback a huge need.”

2 » As OGGOA reported late Monday, the Minnesota Timberwolves decided to send former Florida Gators forward Corey Brewer to the New York Knicks in a side deal latched on to New York’s trade with the Denver Nuggets for F Carmelo Anthony. Our immediate reaction was positive, that Brewer would be given a fresh start in a system where he could thrive and actually contribute a quality the team doesn’t have – defense.

However, multiple reports surfaced Tuesday that the Knicks may not end up hanging on to Brewer and could trade him once again before the NBA‘s trade deadline passes on Thursday. “From what I’m told neither Brewer nor the first round pick may remain in the Knicks’ possession beyond Thursday’s trade deadline,” Newsday‘s Alan Hahn wrote, “but what either could be used for remains unknown.”

For now, Brewer remains in limbo even as his former teammates praise him. “It’s all a part of it,” Minnesota head coach Kurt Rambis said of the situation, according to the Minneapolis StarTribune. “You have the basketball side of the NBA and the business side of the NBA. This is part of the business side of things. It’s an absolutely horrible spot [for Brewer] to be in. It’s something that has weighed on his mind for a while now. You could just see it. It’s awful that that’s what happens to guys in this league. But, again, that’s a part of the business side of it.”

Tags: Carmelo Anthony, Corey Brewer, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, John Fox, Josh McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New York Knicks, NFL, Tim Tebow

1 » The No. 2 Florida Gators baseball and softball programs found out Thursday that each would have four games featured live on the ESPN family of networks during their respective 2011 regular seasons. Florida baseball – which will be featured on ESPNU’s Thursday Night Baseball Game of the Week with their contest at Arkansas on May 5 at 7:30 p.m. – will also face Georgia (away) on April 16 at 2 p.m. on ESPNU, Alabama (home) on April 23 at 6 p.m. on ESPN2, and Arkansas (away) on May 7 at 8 p.m. on ESPNU. Gators softball will have four home games aired live. Their back-to-back games against Alabama on April 23 (4 p.m.) and April 24 (1 p.m.) will air on ESPN2 and ESPNU, respectively, while their consecutive contests against Tennessee on May 7 (12 p.m.) and May 8 (3 p.m.) will be featured on ESPN and ESPNU. All games airing on ESPN or ESPN2 will also be simulcast on ESPN3.com.

2 » Florida softball also found out Thursday that their incoming 2011 recruiting class has been ranked No. 1 in the country by ESPN/RISE. The Gators are bringing in six freshmen including pitcher Alyssa Bache (Clearwater, FL), third baseman Bailey Castro (Pembroke Pines, FL), infielder Jessica Damico (Gray Summit, MO), shortstop Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, FL), utility player Lauren Haeger (Peoria, AZ), UTL Brianna Little (Middleburg, FL) and SS Katie Medina (Downey, CA). Wrote ESPN: “The Gators had a lot of pressure to bring in a dynamic recruiting class with the group they have leaving this year, and they certainly pulled it off. They bring in a big class of seven athletes that includes two dominating pitchers in Lauren Haeger and Alyssa Bache, power at the plate with big hitters like Bailey Castro and Briana Little, and speed in the infield with tough players like Jessie Damico, Sami Fagan and Katie Medina. The Gators have the best recruiting class of the year, hands down.”

More on Tim Tebow, UF basketball and Jacoby Brissett…after the break!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: baseball, softball, Tebow, Brissett

Tags: Alyssa Bache, Australian Open, Bailey Castro, baseball, Brianna Little, Charlie Weis, Denver Broncos, Dwyer, Erving Walker, Jack Daniels, Jacoby Brissett, Jessica Damico, John Fox, Josh McDaniels, Katie Medina, Kenny Boynton, Lauren Haeger, Matt Elam, Mike McCoy, NFL, Rafael Nadal, Ryan Sweeting, Sami Fagan, SEC, softball, tennis, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

1 » After head coach Josh McDaniels was fired, murmurs surrounded the Denver Broncos specifically about whether or not his replacement would be a fan of rookie quarterback Tim Tebow. Now that John Fox has been hired as the team’s new head coach, questions about Tebow’s safety in Mile High have been quieted. The issue now is whether or not he will be tabbed as the team’s starter in 2011. “Just like any position, they’ll compete and we’ll go from there,” said Fox on the Dan Patrick Show when discussing Tebow and veteran Kyle Orton. “It’s too early for me to say. I’m going to evaluate guys on grass and we’ll have to see when we get those opportunities.” Most of Denver is calling for Tebow to be given the reigns to the offense after he started the final three games of the 2010 season; Fox hopes to be convinced of the same next year.

2 » The Beaver County Times sat down with Pittsburgh Steelers starting center Maurkice Pouncey and pick his brain about the team’s playoff run. One of two Florida Gators rookies remaining in the NFL Playoffs, Pouncey was candid in his answers. “It’s so much better,” he said of winning an NFL playoff game compared to playing in big games at Florida. “There is so much more on the line. In college, it was awesome. We had a great group of guys. But it was amazing. It was unbelievable. Man, our fans were awesome. For them to be out there with that much energy, it was crazy.” Pouncey also said winning a Super Bowl would be “the greatest accomplishment ever.”

3 » Chicago Bears safety Chris Harris injured his hip in the third quarter of Sunday’s game, paving the way for Major Wright to see extensive playing time against the Seattle Seahawks. Though Harris will be back against the Green Bay Packers, Wright is expected to see more playing time than usual in relief of his teammate.

4 » Catching up with injured Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, who is currently on the outside looking in, NBA.com reports that the former Gators star will have a pin removed from his injured right thumb in a week’s time and will finally begin rehabilitation on the thumb shortly after. “It’s been long and sometimes frustrating not being able to be out there with my teammates,” Noah said on Monday. “Physically, I feel pretty good. I’ve been doing a lot of cardio and working out. I feel strong and I’ll be ready to get back and help the team. I’m just trying to control what I can control right now. I’m all about getting this pin out of my finger and getting my hand back to 100 percent. Hopefully it’s before that because I would love to play in that game.” The article also discusses Noah inviting a dozen children to a game on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, his thoughts on point guard Derrick Rose and how good he believes the team can be this season.

5 » Speaking of former Florida stars in the NBA, Atlanta Hawks forward/center Al Horford is once again having an impressive season. In addition to averaging a career-high 16.5 points per game, Horford set a new career-high in blocks with seven on Monday night. He also scored 23 points (on 10-of-16 shooting), grabbed nine rebounds and dished six assists in his team’s victory against the Sacramento Kings.

6 » Swimmers Gemma Spofforth (who graduated in December) and senior Conor Dwyer have been named the 2010 recipients of the Ben Hill Griffin Award. Recognizing and honoring the top female and male student-athlete who excels in both athletic and academic achievement as well as extra-curricular involvement, the award is presented by the University Athletic Association. Spofforth is the third woman to win the award in back-to-back seasons (Angie McGinnis-2006-07, Nicole Haislett-1992-93); she and Tebow (only three-time winner) were honored in 2009. Dwyer is the third men’s swimmer to get the award (Ryan Lochte-2004, Greg Burgess-1993).

Photo Credit: NBA.com

Tags: Al Horford, Angie McGinnis, Atlanta Hawks, Ben Hill Griffin Award, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Conor Dwyer, Denver Broncos, Gemma Spofforth, Greg Burgess, Joakim Noah, John Fox, Josh McDaniels, Kyle Orton, Major Wright, NBA, NFL, Nicole Haislett, Pittsburgh Steelers, Playoffs, Ryan Lochte, Super Bowl, swimming, Tim Tebow, University Athletic Association

1 » Four quarterbacks were selected within the first 85 picks of the 2010 NFL Draft, yet Denver Broncos rookie Tim Tebow – picked No. 25 overall in the first round – is the only one of the bunch yet to start a game at QB for his team this season. That will change Sunday as Tebow will take his place behind center for the 3-10 Broncos in relief of injured starter Kyle Orton (ribs). Tebow, who has taken almost every first-team snap in practice this week, already has four touchdowns this year (three rushing) but has played sparingly for Denver up until this point. The head coach who drafted him and believed in him, Josh McDaniels, is no longer with the club, and Tebow will be starting behind an offensive line that allowed Orton to be sacked 34 times in the team’s first 13 games. Nevertheless, all eyes will be on Tebow at 4:15 p.m. (ET) expecting him to show he has what it takes to play QB in the NFL.

2 » According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Florida Gators offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Steve Addazio will interview for the head coaching job with the Temple Owls. Addazio, who has never been a NCAA head coach, has been coaching in college since 1995 and is not likely to be retained at his current position by new Florida head coach Will Muschamp. Though a majority of fans are pleased with Addazio’s past success as a recruiter and coaching the offensive line, his struggles managing the Gators’ offense over the last two seasons have drawn their ire. Addazio is not the only candidate for the job but would be a big pick-up for a smaller school as he could bring in top recruits and likely perform better as a head coach than a coordinator.

3 » Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin, who has missed his team’s past two games after his severe migraine headaches acted up again, is expected to return to the field this week. Harvin has undergone plenty of treatment for his migraines since entering the NFL, but doctors have continuously failed in pinpointing their cause or minimizing their affect on him. According to the player, he now has a “clear mind” and practiced “more explosive than when I left” after spending a week at a Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ, meeting with a migraine specialist. Harvin is now on a new medicine that will help him control other triggers that might cause the headaches. “We covered pretty much every base. We’ve got a plan to prevent it, we’ve got a plan if it comes, and we’ve got a plan if it’s real bad,” he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

4 » Certain BCS bowl teams may be having problems selling out the tickets for their games, but Florida has had no issues getting rid of their allotment for the 2011 Outback Bowl. The Gators have sold their assigned 12,000 tickets for the event and fans are snatching up plenty of the non-allotted tickets to see head coach Urban Meyer lead the team for the last time against the Penn State Nittany Lions and soon-to-be 84-year-old head coach Joe Paterno.

Photo Credit: Ed Reinke/Associated Press

Tags: BCS, Denver Broncos, Draft, Joe Paterno, Josh McDaniels, Kyle Orton, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota Vikings, NCAA, NFL, Outback Bowl, Penn State Nittany Lions, Percy Harvin, Steve Addazio, Temple Owls, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Will Muschamp

With veteran quarterback Kyle Orton performing well in front of him much of the season, Denver Broncos rookie signal caller Tim Tebow was relegated to back-up and spot duty. Though he has scored four touchdowns this year (three rushing), Tebow and many of his fans knew it would be a reach for him to start a game in 2010.

That is until things changed in Denver.

The Broncos began playing worse and worse each week, head coach Josh McDaniels was fired and replaced with interim coach Eric Studesville, and Orton injured his ribs on Sunday against Arizona during a terrible performance.

Those events have led to Tebow taking the majority of first-team snaps during the last two practices even though Studesville claimed earlier in the week that Orton would be his starter. Studesville changed his tune a bit Thursday, saying he was “not in a hurry to make a decision” about his starting QB.

“He did a nice job in practice yesterday. He went in there and ran the huddle, he did a nice job throwing the ball, and going through alert systems in the run game,” offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said, according to The Denver Post. “It was great for Timmy to get in there and have the majority of the snaps. As practice went along he got better and better, he felt more and more comfortable with everybody.”

Columnists and fans in the Mile-High City have been clamoring for the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft to see the field for an extensive period of time behind center. That time may finally come on Sunday.

Photo Credit: Ed Reinke/Associated Press

Tags: Denver Broncos, Draft, Eric Studesville, Josh McDaniels, Kyle Orton, Mike McCoy, NFL, Tim Tebow