Some Perspective as Tim Tebow’s Career Comes to an End
Looking back over the past few years and it’s hard to envision a
Florida
future without
Tim Tebow
. For the last four seasons we’ve seen Tebow put an entire team on his back time after time and almost will them to victory. He has used his talent and, more frequently, his desire and passion to push the Gators to the next level more than we can remember. His contributions to the Florida program are almost unmatched and something that will stay with fans for a lifetime. But despite all of that the most recent image of Tebow is not one of exhilaration, but one of desperate sadness. One of the greatest to ever play college football kneeling on the sideline in tears.
I’ve already admitted I’m not a fan of the crying. I gave my probably too harsh thoughts already, but just because I didn’t like what occurred on that sideline after the loss to Alabama doesn’t mean I’m not a fan of Tim Tebow. However, I do sometimes wonder what reception Danny Wuerffel would have received had he played 10-15 years later during the time where anyone and everyone has the ability to give their thoughts to the rest of the world. Would he have been as big as Tebow? Maybe. #15 has made many of us forget a great deal about #7 and the part he played in Florida history.
Don’t take that as me saying that is at all Tebow’s fault, because it isn’t. It’s actually funny how much “hate” there is for Tebow when realistically it’s distaste for the media coverage of the quarterback and not the man himself. I can understand all other fan bases being sick of Tebow. I can understand them happy there is only one more game left before he moves on from college football. Sometimes there are even moments where I wish other Gators would get similar praise. Not that Tebow doesn’t deserve the attention, but he is one player. A great one, but one player. We hear little about the other stars of the time. A mention here and there, but little else. But that’s the nature of the beast I guess.
That may not be the most popular opinion of Tebow you’ll find. In fact, some may even blast me as not being a true Gator fan, but that’s about as far from the truth as you can get. But understand, I’m a Florida fan first and a fan of the individuals second. As much as I’ll miss Tim Tebow, I’m excited to see how the offense runs under John Brantley. I was as big of a Percy Harvin fan as you’ll find, but I was very interested to see how the ball would be distributed without him. Maybe I’m just used to the fact that you only get so much time to truly follow a college player. So as Tebow closing in on the final 60 minutes of his Gator career, part of me isn’t looking forward to next year, but another part of me can’t wait for the 2010 season opener.
We now move on to that final game. One final snapshot of Tim Tebow and what he meant to college football. Like it or not, the image of Tebow crying at the end of the SEC Championship Game isn’t the last you’ll see of him. If you think my thoughts about that moment mean anything, you’re sorely mistaken. The only one’s thoughts that matter are those of Tebow himself. And my guess is he wants to erase that moment from not only his mind, but from the minds of college football fans everywhere. Make sure you’re watching on January 1st.