Thursday, April 22, 2010

Desperation in Denver

There comes a time, seemingly, in every sit-com's life where the writers decide they've run out of ideas and decide to use a tired old theme. A once-cool character who has fallen out of favor decides he will get everyone to like him again if he can pull off some impossible scheme. So in order to win over his compatriots, friends, girl, etc. he will do (fill in the blank).

In Broncos Country, the blank is Tim Tebow.

An undeniable leader, incredible college quarterback, tenacious worker, and adopted son of Urban Meyer, Tebow has spent the off-season getting his throwing motion more attuned to the NFL's liking. Despite all these attributes, he was a questionable-pro prospect and viewed by many as a marginal second-round pick. But for Hoodie Jr., he's a first-rounder.

That's not to say Tebow can't someday be a good NFL quarterback. The afore mentioned attributes of the most beloved Gator in recent history are what made teams even consider him a player worth taking a chance on. However, you don't take those chances in the first round.

This move smacks of that tired old sit-com theme. Josh McDaniels has made a number of, uh, interesting moves in his first year and a half as the Broncos head coach. First, a franchise quarterback is traded away and later, the drama-laden season of Brandon Marshall ends with a trip to Miami to ply his punting skills with the Dolphins.

Jay Cutler's departure seemed to be justified by a strong media push to unveil Cutler's d-bagginess and by his mediocre year with the Chicago Bears. The suspension of Marshall early in the year looked to work when the receiver came back and excelled while the Broncos started the season 6-0. But Marshall was only a bottle of Diet Coke waiting for the Mentos to get dropped in and when it was, we found out he is still an uncontrollable reaction.

Oh, and the Broncos limped to a 2-8 finish and a spot on the couch for the playoffs.

So the questions that McDaniels seemed to have answered early in the season about his genius rose again. What better way to prove himself than to draft a kid with questionable NFL ability in the first round round and make him a great offensive player? Then, I ask you Broncos fans, what choice will we have other than to love him, idolize him, and regale his genius?

Let's say that Tebow does become a valuable member of the Broncos' offense as a quarterback. Can McDaniels' public admonishing of the people who doubted him be far behind? Is there any doubt he will walk to the podium at a press conference, make a statement about how dumb we all are for not seeing his incredible ability to be an NFL coach, and then stomp off with his hoodie waving victoriously in the wind?

Perhaps the writers of sit-coms continually go to this theme of wacky-schemes-for-love because it still makes people laugh. Unfortunately, this is the Denver Broncos, not some Thursday night show on NBC. Congratulations, Josh McDaniels. You have proven your lack of the very thing you are striving to show. Your genius.