By Michael Kelley ’14 & Mick Kowaleski ’14

Tebow-Mania Heads to the Big Apple

Kelley: Let me take you through my fantasy when I first heard TimTebow got traded to the New York Jets on Wednesday afternoon.

It’s Week 7 and the Jets are playing a big division game. Sanchez drops back and throws it deep to Santonio Holmes. Picked off. There’s a faint noise from the upper deck. You can hear it building slowly but can’t quite make out what it is. Only those close to the source hear it… Tebow…Tebow…Tebow. Next offensive possession. Jets are down in the fourth quarter. It’s third and ten, Sanchez fires it over the middle… picked off again! Defender returns it for a touchdown. The whole crowd is chanting now… TEBOW! … TEBOW!… TEBOW! Rex Ryan folds to fan pressure and pulls Sanchez. In comes Tebow, who leads a comeback for the ages.

Sound familiar? With the presence of Tebow and his beloved fan base, Sanchez is doomed to fail, especially in his fourth year when it is all on the line now and the fans and organization expect serious improvement. What a disaster for Sanchez. For the Jets. CAN’T WAIT!

Kowaleski: I also think that Timmy Tebow will find success in New York, but for different, less Friday Night Lights-esque reasons.

I envision Tebow not as a starter, but more of a role player. New Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano created the Wildcat offense in Miami, and Tebow would thrive in that offense. It’s been proven that Tebow finds the most success in option-driven offenses, and the Wildcat is a spiritual offshoot of the option for all intents and purposes. Tebow, as a glorified RB/QB hybrid, would be the perfect Wildcat centerpiece.

Let me give you another situation. Sanchez is having trouble getting the offense moving. Rex Ryan throws Tebow in with the Wildcat to soothe the egos and provide invaluable leadership, and his Wildcat/option steadily moves the ball while also chewing the clock, providing the D with time to rest. With the offense in a rhythm, Sanchez can be easily re-inserted in order to prove the actual quarterbacking and score points.

The even-keeled Tebow can be the stabilizing force that rights the rocky Jets boat.

Goodell Lowers the Boom

Kelley: Sean Payton suspended for a full year. General manager Mickey Loomis suspended for 8 games of the season. Assistant coach Joe Vitt suspended six games. $500,000 fine. Loss of second round draft picks this year and next.

Goodell came down hard and the Saints are in a mess.

What do you do for a head coach? Payton is the mastermind and one of Drew Brees’ closest friends and mentors. It is safe to say that the Saints will not be playing in their hometown New Orleans for the Super Bowl this year.

Kowaleski: You failed to mention the fact that former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, now with the Rams, has been suspended indefinitely. He was the true mastermind of the bounty program and St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher has stated that the Rams will use a committee of assistant coaches to run the defense.

In my opinion, the punishments are too harsh for what I perceive to be a mere slight extension of football’s heart and soul: contact. I’ll miss Sean Payton running the show in New Orleans as well as Williams’ defensive wizardry.

Magnificent Messi: Best Soccer Star of All Time?

Kowaleski: Though you wouldn’t know it by looking at his 5’7”, baby-faced frame, Lionel Messi is possibly the greatest soccer player of all time. The Argentinean forward captains FC Barcelona and just broke the club record for all-time goals at the ripe old age of 24.

Although an incredible player who should be definitely included in the greats list, he can also be compared to the NBA’s LeBron James in the sense that he may not be considered the greatest until he finds success in the World Cup. He has two or three more tournaments left, but he has to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Diego Maradona and lead Argentina to a World Cup victory in order to truly be considered the best of all time.

Kelley: Just the fact that Messi recorded his eighth hat trick of the season is incredible. But honestly, the speed at which he has broken this record is legendary. Cesar Rodriguez, who previously had the record, set the mark in 13 seasons. Messi needed just less than eight seasons. The sky is the limit for this guy who will continue to be a world force for many years to come. Lionel Messi is to soccer as Michael Jordan was to basketball.

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