[macrojack]

I agree with Launche. No-one on this site as expressed any disdain for Tebow, though several of us have been less enthusiastic than the mainstream. So, expressing reservations about his anointment as the second coming should not be construed as hate. Jackman seems to have single-handedly fabricated the whole hater profile.

Tim is not the first football player to expose his superstitions publicly and we can be certain he won't be the last. I prefer his brand of eccentricity to the boneheaded, ostentatious and, often, criminal expressions of certain other players. At least he isn't a clown and he isn't hurting anyone.

As a long-suffering Bronco fan, I can't help but swell with high hopes that Tebow is the real deal but he has a long road ahead before he is a proven commodity. Personally, I would love to see him amass a collection of 5 or so Super Bowl Rings. Praise the Lord!!!

Meanwhile, I'll cheer for my Broncos and hope to be shown that my reservations were misplaced. Does anyone here imagine the Broncos making it to the big game this year? If not, you're a hater.

[Mike Nomad]

Actually the Brees fumble was correctly ruled a fumble, that same play has occurred several times to Detroit this season. The entire arm needs to be in the act of throwing and moving forward.

Absolutely correct. And that's why they stopped running the close-up camera angle on the replay: You do see his arm moving forward, his forearm hit the forearm of a Lions' D-Man, and with the impact, the ball goes Not Where It Was Supposed To.

That, and the play was blown dead before the Lions eventually got a hand on the ball.

[jimdgoulding]

Very true, Launche.  Media panders to the greatest denominator.  And they're highly capable of creating all kinds of idols themselves.  How about Kim Kardashian for an example?  Or, Housewives of New Jersey?  Heck, how about Hoarders?  And there are plenty of willing subjects and sports is not immune.  Look at it this way, if there weren't a Terrell Owens and an eager media, sports wouldn't have an amusing side.  By the way, Tebow is innocent of this pretense, imo, but the media knows a story when they see one and they don't need anyone's permission. 

[vinyl_guy]

Tim is not the first football player to expose his superstitions publicly and we can be certain he won't be the last.

What superstitions????? You may not agree with his beliefs, but there is nothing superstitous about him or his beliefs.

[cujobob]

By definition:
noun
1.
a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like.
2.
a system or collection of such beliefs.
3.
a custom or act based on such a belief.
4.
irrational fear of what is unknown or mysterious, especially in connection with religion.
5.
any blindly accepted belief or notion.

[jackman]

Some of you guys really make me laugh.  I don't subscribe to most of the media hype, positive or negative.  It's funny to follow this thread because every time Tebow has a good game the excuse makers are quick to point out how bad the other team played, how lucky he was or how well other players played. I kills them to give this kid credit. When he has a bad game, the same guys are the first ones to say he can't play in this league and that other teams have figured him out. It makes me laugh.

Tebow is essentially a rookie and will have ups and downs as all rookie QBs do. Yesterday's performance was heroic and he deserves his share of the credit for the win. If that last play was a pick six, he would deserve his share of the blame for the loss. 

Who knows if he will live up to his hype but i don't blame Tebow for the hype. He's not a punk like TO, Randy Moss or Pacman Jones and I don't understand the extreme negative feelings some people have for this guy. Also, I could care less about his religious views. As long as he is not beating up women, killing and fighting dogs , driving around drunk, shooting guns in nightclubs or so many of the things that are too common among NFL players, I could care less about his personal views.

I hope this guy succeeds because I enjoy watching him play. He has been a winner his whole life - at football - and it's fun seeing him prove so many experts wrong.

[cujobob]

Absolutely correct. And that's why they stopped running the close-up camera angle on the replay: You do see his arm moving forward, his forearm hit the forearm of a Lions' D-Man, and with the impact, the ball goes Not Where It Was Supposed To.

That, and the play was blown dead before the Lions eventually got a hand on the ball.

I've not seen any evidence suggesting it was anything but a fumble. They botched the call either way. If it's a fumble it was called poorly and if it was an incomplete pass it was called poorly. That could have been the play of the game for Detroit, but they weren't allowed to return it and it could have been an important drive for the Saints, but they lost possession. What the refs did in the Steelers/Broncos game was just as bad. They're so afraid of getting a call wrong in a big spot that they nullified a lot of great play. Both the Lions/Saints and Steelers/Broncos had a ridiculous amount of offensive holding.

[jackman]

Cujo, you are right!  That play would have made the humiliating Lions loss less humiliating!  Never mind the fact that they couldn't cover receivers, stop NO in short yardage situations or play defense in the second half.  Just be thankful Brees knelt down on that last drive instead of going for a score and twisting the knife.

Complaining about bad calls is just sour grapes. The lions were lucky to be in the game. If the Saint receivers didn't drop some easy catches in the first half, the game would have been out of reach sooner.

[cujobob]

A team whose defense is built around their defensive line will struggle when the opposition can hold them on every play.

[jackman]

A team whose defense is built around their defensive line will struggle when the opposition can hold them on every play.

More sour grapes.

[cujobob]

Tebow beat a one legged QB but you're ready to name him man of the year. Show some restraint.

[jackman]

Tebow beat a one legged QB but you're ready to name him man of the year. Show some restraint.

Show me where I said that?  That one legged QB looked pretty good in the second half. More than I can say about your Lions.

[thunderbrick]

 

[Mike Nomad]

I've not seen any evidence suggesting it was anything but a fumble. They botched the call either way. If it's a fumble it was called poorly and if it was an incomplete pass it was called poorly. That could have been the play of the game for Detroit, but they weren't allowed to return it and it could have been an important drive for the Saints, but they lost possession. What the refs did in the Steelers/Broncos game was just as bad. They're so afraid of getting a call wrong in a big spot that they nullified a lot of great play. Both the Lions/Saints and Steelers/Broncos had a ridiculous amount of offensive holding.

While we don't sync up on the fumble call, we're on the same page about all the holding.

I didn't see the Steelers/Broncos game. What happened? Something particularly hideous, or just sloppy/missed calls in general?

[twitch54]

Tebow beat a one legged QB but you're ready to name him man of the year. Show some restraint.

Since when does #7 play defense ????????

[macrojack]

Steelers were on their own 20 or so when Ben took the snap, stood up and fired a backward pass to the right. The receiver dropped the ball and Denver fell on it. The Refs called it an incomplete pass but several replays showed that it was not a forward pass so it had to be a fumble. John Fox wanted to challenge but the refs talked him out of it. The Steelers then drove the length of the field and scored a touchdown making the score 20-13. If Denver had maintained possession, the score would have been at least 23-6. That missed call turned the game around. That's why I condemn the damn refs. Other games were altered by other bad calls.

[Bigfish]

Guys:

While my season is over I think there will be some great games next weekend.  The G-men at the Packers, Saints at the 49's, Broncos at the Pats and Houston at the Ravens.  I will make my picks:

G-Men
49's
Pats
Ravens

I hope the games turn out to be as exciting as I think they will be!

[Zero]

I hope you're 49r's pick will be off. !     

This should be a nail biting weekend of football. 

[cujobob]

Steelers were on their own 20 or so when Ben took the snap, stood up and fired a backward pass to the right. The receiver dropped the ball and Denver fell on it. The Refs called it an incomplete pass but several replays showed that it was not a forward pass so it had to be a fumble. John Fox wanted to challenge but the refs talked him out of it. The Steelers then drove the length of the field and scored a touchdown making the score 20-13. If Denver had maintained possession, the score would have been at least 23-6. That missed call turned the game around. That's why I condemn the damn refs. Other games were altered by other bad calls.

This. It was bad because in a situation where the refs can't be wrong, but hats all they've managed. What could they have possibly said to Fox? It was quite strange. The game should have been put away early. The right team won, but barely.

[JerryM]

Bad officiating, unfortunately, is a part of the game. Like the weather. Sometimes it's great for both Teams, sometimes it's not. Sometimes it affects the outcome of the game, sometimes not.

It's very rarely ever a viable excuse for a loss. Especially in the Playoffs.

JMHO, YMMV, etc.

Go Saints,

Jerry