For all of you who get down on Mike Bianchi this should help to convince you
he's a Gators Homer!! :-)
Oliver
Orlando Sentinel
Worthy choice wasn't the right choice
Mike Bianchi | SPORTS COMMENTARY
12:48 AM EST, December 14, 2008
NEW YORK
The Heisman Trophy is supposed to go to the "Most Outstanding Player" in
college football.
It did not Saturday.
It went to the Most Dazzling Passer.
It went to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford.
It should have gone to Florida's Tim Tebow
<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/sports/football/tim-tebow-PESPT008528.topic>
.
Don't get me wrong, Bradford is a worthy choice, just not the right one. Yes,
Bradford threw for nearly twice as many yards as Tebow and led the Sooners into
the national championship game against Tebow's Gators
<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/sports/football/florida-gators-ORSPT000172.topic>
, but is there anybody out there who really believes Bradford is a better
player than Tebow?
Tebow was victimized by being Tebow - perhaps the most famous and highly
publicized player in college football history. Some fans and voters are
obviously sick of the massive Tebow lovefest that has permeated college
football since Tebow signed with UF. How else do you explain Tebow receiving
more first-place votes (309) than any of the other candidates, but finishing
third because he was completely left off 154 of the 904 ballots?
"They either love the Gators or they hate us," said Tebow, who failed in his
attempt to become the only player in history other than Archie Griffin to win
two Heismans.
Florida fans who are upset because Tebow finished third - don't be. This might
be the best thing that ever happened to the Gators heading into the Jan. 8
national title game against Bradford's Oklahoma team. Tebow, although he was
the first person to congratulate and hug Bradford after he won Saturday night,
was more than a little perturbed he didn't win.
"I'll use this as motivation," he vowed. " ... . On Jan. 8, we get to decide
something a little bit better and I'm excited about that."
Again, this is no knock on Bradford. He's had a spectacular year. But let's be
honest, shall we? Bradford won because of his gaudy passing numbers, many of
which were accumulated at the end of blowout victories against outmanned Big 12
defenses.
Could I get a clarification, please? On the top of my Heisman ballot, it says
to vote for the "Most Outstanding College Football Player" and says nothing
about voting for the quarterback who put up the most obscene passing numbers.
The word "outstanding" in my book means you "stand out" above the others. And,
to me, Bradford and the other Big 12 quarterbacks in contention ( runner up
Colt McCoy of Texas and Graham Harrell of Texas Tech) were all clones of one
another. Tebow stands out as a once-in-lifetime athlete.
The Big 12 quarterbacks are about numbers and statistics; Tebow is about
moments and memories. The Big 12 quarterbacks are measured in passing yards
accumulated; Tebow is measured in folklore created.
*Like when he gave the emotional, tear-stained speech after the team's only
loss of the season against Ole Miss. The Gators haven't lost a game since and
the speech was compared to Knute Rockne's "Win One for the Gipper" pep talk by
CBS
<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/economy-business-finance/cbs-corp.-ORCRP002841.topic>
broadcaster and college football historian Verne Lundquist.
*Or like the Florida State
<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/education/florida-state-university-OREDU000030.topic>
game when some FSU fans angered Tebow by cheering after UF star Percy Harvin
<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/sports/football/percy-harvin-PESPT008507.topic>
lay on the wet, muddy field with an injured ankle. Tebow went up to his
coaches and insisted on carrying the ball because he wanted "to hit somebody
extremely hard."
On the very next play, Tebow bulled into the line and moved the entire pile 3
yards into the end zone. After getting up from the bottom of the stack, Tebow
ripped off his helmet to show a face caked with mud and streaked with FSU's
garnet end-zone paint.
Following the game, iconic FSU Coach Bobby Bowden
<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/sports/football/bobby-bowden-PESPT008381.topic>
called Tebow "The greatest football player I've ever seen at quarterback."
Tebow is the greatest football player one of the greatest coaches in history
has ever seen - but not the most outstanding college football player of the
year?
Doesn't quite add up, does it?
Then again, Gators fans should be ecstatic with Heisman voters. They did
exactly what Ole Miss did three months ago: They not only inspired Tebow; they
incited him.
Not just for one more game, but perhaps even for one more season.
"Maybe," Tebow said and smiled coyly, "this is motivation to come back for
another year and try to tie Archie."
Mike Bianchi can be reached at [email protected].
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GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
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