100th Post - Tim Tebow Needs to Come to Jacksonville

Today marks a significant milestone in the short life of this blog - this is our 100th post!  This blog has grown a lot since its humble beginnings in November of 2012.  We have over 5,000 page views, 4 regular contributors, and three exciting features in addition to our weekly picks.

At this juncture, I felt the need post about something that I have been campaigning for these past few weeks - for Tim Tebow to come to my life-long team, the Jacksonville Jaguars.  I don't usually post about my Jags because they're the least popular team in the NFL, but this time is different.  The Jags have a real opportunity to shake things up and drastically increase their popularity on both a local and national level, and they are not even considering it.

For a long time, I was in the camp of the opposition and didn't feel we needed him in Jacksonville.  When the 2010 drafted approached, I was very happy that the Jags didn't take him with the #10 overall pick (but instead we took Tyson Alualu??).  #10 was simply too high, and I think even the most ardent Tebow advocates would agree that it would be a huge reach to take him at #10.  It was a huge reach for the Broncos to take him at #27.


I was immediately introduced to a rabid Tebow fanbase who desperately wanted him to come to the Jags.  It was nothing like your run-of-the-mill hometown player whose hometown NFL team passed on, ie Vince Young - it was something very different.  Multiple times a day, every day, the Tebow fans raided the comments sections of the official Jaguars website, calling for them to trade for the former Florida signal caller.  At the time, however, I was drinking the company Kool-Aid that was being served to me by the official Jaguars outlets, and felt the Gabbert needed to be given a fair go.  After all, we did use a #10 overall pick on him and needed to give him every chance to show he could play.

Two years later (and two abysmal Jags losing seasons later), I really enjoyed watching Tebow turn the Broncos into contenders and lead them into the playoffs.  Yes, the defense was the driving force in the turnaround, but there was more to it than that.  Tebow's leadership and inexhaustible competitiveness was a driving force that inspired everyone around him to play better.  That was the difference between him and Orton - while he is pretty comparable to Orton from an overall skill perspective, he set himself far apart with his on and off field leadership.  He's the kind of guy you need and want in your locker room.

When Denver was looking to trade Tebow, the Jets and Jags made virtually identical offers.  The Broncos let him pick, and he chose New York.  Jacksonville took this as a slight, but let's be honest - the Jets had a far better chance of competing for the playoffs than the Jags.  The move to the Big Apple made sense.

Then Tebow was released.  At this time, I'm screaming for the Jags to pick him up, if for no other reason than to push their other quarterbacks in camp.  The Jags are easily the least popular team in the league, and could benefit more than any other from some time in the spotlight.  It would also have been huge for merchandise sales, especially jerseys.  However, the new GM on the job made it clear from day 1 that he would not sign Tebow, and he didn't even take a look Tebow's way when he was released.  The Pats signed and cut him, and here we are today.

The Jags are in an even WORSE state now than they were at the start of the offseason.  Two games in, Maurice Jones-Drew, their best offensive weapon, is injured.  Blaine Gabbert, the starting QB, is out with a broken thumb.  They're no longer giving Gabbert his final chance, and are trotting out Chad Henne, and everyone knows exactly what Chad Henne brings to the table - the play of a below average backup QB.  Numerous rookies are starting, and there are few recognizable names on the field.  They have been destroyed in their first two games of the season, which were the two most winnable games on their schedule.  The team can hardly get a first down, and there are no exciting players to watch on the field - this team has become utterly uninteresting. 

Bring in Tebow, and so much changes.  Fans from outside markets will tune in just to see him play.  All the avid Tebow followers will go out and buy a jersey or two, and ticket sales will skyrocket.  You bring in a truly dynamic player who will generate some positive buzz, and maybe even some wins.  Heck, you might even gain some fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars as a result!  The Jags look far worse than the 0-16 Lions, and that mark is a distinct possibility this season - at least the Lions were competitive in some of those games!  The big question is....what do you possibly have to lose by bringing in Timmy?  The answer is absolutely nothing.  It can be nothing but positive for a team that is otherwise doomed to a season of horrific failure.

If you agree with me and want to promote the cause, please like the page "Tim Tebow by Week 6" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timtebowbyweek6?ref=stream&hc_location=stream
And get on your Twitter and use the hashtag #TebowtoJax  .  Do this as many times as you can - we need it to catch on so it will get noticed on a national level.

Jags, all of this comes from a true fan.  I've loved this team from day one, and have been rooting from afar year after year (I don't live anywhere near Florida).  I understand that losing seasons will happen at times, but that has been a trend since 2008, and things have only gotten worse and worse.  You had a good draft this year, and it's something to build on, but we're realistically 3 years away from being a serious contender.  In the meantime, bring in Tim for a season and see what he can do for the team....again, what is there to lose???