Tony Dungy, who retired from the NFL last season but just won’t go away, has now thrown his endorsement to Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (right), calling the Gator star a “franchise quarterback.” He claims the run-first QB is a better NFL prospect than Sam Bradford, Jake Locker and every other college signal-caller.
Given how much God, Jesus and the Bible seem to motivate most of what Dungy does these days, I wonder how much of this comes from Tebow’s expressed love for the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. General consensus seems to be that Tebow is a great college QB and that his talent will have trouble translating to the pros. Throw me in that group. Plus, Tebow hasn’t been great this season.
I wonder if Dungy is again blinded by his faith. How he can call the 2009 version of Vince Young the best NFL QB prospect is beyond my understanding. But God has spoken!
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I’m not gonna mess with the “God” issue here. But Tebow’s style may be more the problem than his success or failure in college.
The NFL is a cemetary for run-option QBs. Even the toughest have problems when they leave the pocket and the protection that NFL rules supply to the QB in the pocket.
Pro tacklers are bigger, faster, stronger and love ESPN highlights.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 2:12 pm
People that think Tebow isn’t a good passer are making a knee jerk reaction simply because they don’t believe someone can be as great as Tebow is and simply because he has an unorthodox throwing style and throws a wobbly spiral.. What people don’t realize though is that Tebow has all the tools necessary to be a great NFL Qb.. he is just very raw because he got a late start QBing. But all his little bugs are easily fixable when he gets to the pros. Heck.. he probably could have fixed them by now in college if you didn’t have to win every game and by a large margin to win the NCG and the Heisman.
People also don’t realize how incredibly weak the talent around Tebow is on the Florida offense. Especially this season.. yet he is still willing them to wins.
People also need to realize that just because Tebow doesn’t pass that that doesn’t mean he CAN’T pass. The reality is that no matter how great a passer you are in teh SEC you can be the best passer and still not win the championship. Look at Mathew Stafford.. he was supposedly the number on pick in the draft and had Knowshon Moreno and a stellar defense and he has no championship to show for his college years. Tebow could juts rely on his passing and lose like Stafford.. or he can rely on his running and ensure wins. The reality is that even if it’s Payton Manning.. if he could run like Tebow he would rather than pass and put his team in jeopardy.. especially with weak runners and weak receivers.
You might think Tebow has great runners.. but it’s Tebow’s running that makes them look so good. Tebow draws so much pressure form opposing defenses it creates huge running lanes for his little runners to exploit.
If you want evidence of Tebow’s passing ability look at his sophomore year when he had some decent receivers. His numbers are stellar.. and this was with Tebow filling the role of runningback. People are going to be shocked when they see what a great passer Tebow is in the NFL when he has some true runningbacks playing with him. Something he has never had in college.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Agree with Choco 110%! People are just jealous! GET OVER IT!
And we’re not even going to talk about marketable he is! He’s handsome, clean cut, well-spoken, intelligent, everything you could for the face of your franchise.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 6:42 pm
“Plus, Tebow hasn’t been great this season.”
Ummmm, you must not have seen today’s game against Georgia.
Gator Nation.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Hate Christians much?
awesome game..awesome player…!!!
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 6:59 pm
“simply because he has an unorthodox throwing style and throws a wobbly spiral.”
Thanks for the chuckle. Yeah, just what you want out of an NFL quarterback: A guy who throws a wobbly spiral. Lol.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Sounds just as offensive as the Rush comment about McNabb. Pretty sarcastic tone, in my opinion. That’s like saying every black person that voted for Obama did so because of his ethnicity.
Can’t Dungy have an opinion without you having to drag his impressive, yes impressive, faith in the Lord into it?
God Bless
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Joe, I’d call Dungy’s faith more of an oppressive faith, at least when it comes to us gays.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 7:26 pm
He has opressed you in what way?
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 7:36 pm
That may not be a word but you get my point. I don’t know much about his stance on Homosexuality but I do believe that just because disagreeing with one’s lifestyle does not equal opressive.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 8:26 pm
I just get the feeling that Tim Tebow is hiding something. I’m not sure what it is, but I just feel like there is something else there.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 8:37 pm
I have no problem with Tim Tebow’s faith, though I do believe boasting about faith is a sin.
Tebow’s problem in the NFL will be hits like the one by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham that knocked the wind him.
Tebow could be more of a target than Tom Brady who is pretty tough, or Donovan McNabb who now runs the ball less. Both of them have had serious season ending injuries. Scouts will notice.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 8:39 pm
There is no such thing as a “sure thing” quarterback coming out of college. I have seen way too many players who tore up the field in college only to fail in the pros. By the same token, there are players who are projected to be mediocre pro players based on their college careers, but tear up the pros, such as Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. The moral of the story is that only an idiot would guarantee that any college quarterback will be a huge success in the pros. I personally don’t think Tebow will tear up the pros, but I could be wrong. I am, however, sick of the hype surrounding him. If one were to accept at face value all of the fulsome praise heaped upon Tebow weekly, one would be justified in believing he is the second coming of Christ.
In regards to Tony Dungy and faith, I refuse to attack anyone for being religious. I am a religious man myself. Dungy is entitled to his beliefs. However, he is associated with some anti-gay organizations, and his Christian faith is of the more fundamentalist variety.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Here’s one example of how Tony Dungy has proven to Hate Gays:
http://www.commonplacebook.com/current_events/glbt/tony_dungy_to_s.shtm
He uses his “religion” to cover for his Homophobia.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 10:23 pm
I chuckle when I see Keith Olberman and Tony Dungy at halftime during Sunday Night Football - talk about an Odd Couple.
Yes one’s religion should be respected but I would argue he is like Carrie Prejean. Dungy, as noted above, has associated himself with right-wing church organizations. But I have no desire to empower Dungy like Prejean and her ilk have been empowered by uproar.
When Tony Dungy’s son committed suicide, I was curious why not that its any of my business. He was 20 I think and I’m just wondering if there were any gay issues there. Perhaps a stretch but we know how it is dealing with this at a young age.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 12:27 am
I expected something a bit more explicit considering the headline. However, I do read Dungy’s repeated reference to Tebow’s “leadership” as a coded reference to his faith. One of the hallmarks of the FCA is to introduce Christian athletes into locker rooms as leaders, and to then use their leadership positions to coerce other athletes into the Fellowship.
I don’t trust the FCA. I don’t trust those associated with it. And I do not trust Dungy’s judgment of player potential on the basis of their leadership.
I do, however, trust Tony Dungy’s football acumen and knowledge. If he thinks Tim Tebow is a potential NFL star, I would have to ask those running my draft (assuming I’m an NFL owner) what they know that Dungy doesn’t that proves Tebow isn’t if they aren’t planning on drafting him.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 7:56 am
I never heard of Cyd Zeigler but when I came upon this article RE: Tony Dungy endorsement I found a collection of other Zeigler “sports” related articles. My conclusion: Cyd Zeigler is not a “sports” reporter. He is more of whiney left wing whacko that somehow failed to get a job at the ACLU or ACORN and the DNC was already loaded with his brethren… So we sports fans are stuck with this asshole for the indefinate future.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 11:39 am
Jack you couldn’t be further from the truth about Cyd. If I’m not mistaken he’s right wing / republican.
No one here is “stuck” with him… if you don’t like him, don’t read his articles. That simple.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 12:46 pm
these bible-thumping athletes need to keep the church out of their workplaces. most jocks are too dumb to understand science so naturally they turn to religion for their answers but we don’t need to hear about it.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 1:51 pm
At the risk of speaking for God, don’t y’all think he has a lot more pressing issues to contend with rather than determining a victor at a sports event? All these athletes pointing to the sky and/or kneeling whenever they make a play…I mean really.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I read somewhere that Tebow is a big ol’ robo-christian just like Dungy so this doesn’t surprise me.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 3:53 pm
I’m curious if Jack Francis might be able to point to the “whiney left wing whacko” portions of Cyd’s posts, including this one. Being opposed to the Christian hegemony of our society isn’t left-wing. It is strict constructionism of the Constitution.
However, even if we accept that there’s a certain leftish slant to this article, to what other articles is Mr. Francis referring? I read most of what gets put up here, and politics don’t really seem to be an issue for the most part.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Cyd “left wing?”
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Hey Jack Francis,
Cyd may be an asshole, but he’s OUR asshole you wanker.
I feel like Outsports should make t-shirts, “Everybody Hates Cyd”, because the uninformed and random crap is just really funny at this point.
Three things I don’t talk about: Religions, Politics, and the Great Pumpkin!
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Yea, I think Jack Francis has some anger issues…or just issues in general! Give ‘ol Cyd break. He’s just saying what most people think but are afraid to say. And, I think Binkley’s right on! I’m not sure God appreciates all this pomp and circumstance.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Whatever Dungy’s reasons are….they are his!!!! People on this board hyped up Brady Quinn to no end mainly because he was “hot” and now people want to get on Dungy because he may be doing it for faith related reasons? What else is going on in the sports world?
on Nov 2nd, 2009 at 12:08 am
Me a whiny left-wing nut? ACORN? DNC????!!!!???? That is funny! Thanks for the laughs!
on Nov 2nd, 2009 at 12:27 am
…me thinks Jack Francis needs to go back to school for the “INDEFINATE” future! ha.
Jack sounds like another ‘Birther’ or FOX NEWS hillbilly who would rather we all not pay attention to the facts about the ‘holier than thou’ Tony Dung and instead repeat ‘what a great guy he is’…
I for one don’t believe you can speak the word of God and Hate a segment of society. That is not how a real Christian should lead their life.
on Nov 2nd, 2009 at 8:42 am
Tony Dungy is an asshole.
on Nov 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I’m the mother of a professional snowboarder. She has been directed by her sponsors to NOT express anywhere that she is an atheist — to the point that she was told to take an evolution fish off her car. Other athletes have “JESUS” emblazoned on their helmets!!
It’s so divisive. My daughter is not a drinker or drugger and there is no place for her socially on the competition circuit. The “Christians” love to tell her she’s going to hell, and that she’d be such a “cool Christian”.
It’s hard to live in a country where the people in control are so afraid of their own mortality that they can’t even face it. They have to share a delusion of immortality so they can deal with their own life. Sad.
on Nov 2nd, 2009 at 6:12 pm
I’m with ya Sherry! I’m not sure what a Christian is anyway. I suppose your run-of-the-mill “Christian” goes to church, drinks beer on Sunday afternoon, has gay friends, curses and covets his neighbors wife, or husband. But the right wing christians are no better than the jihadist muslims! And, at least Tim Tebow and his protestations will be out of the news after the college season is over. He’ll never do anything in the pros.
on Nov 3rd, 2009 at 2:25 am
I am a Christian. But I never though that you were supposed to put your sleeve. Just live a good life with a good heart. Nothing else is needed. Stripping the bible of all its meaning through incorrect interpretations and condemning others is what I was told was a sin.