This endless quarterback controversy has been the prelude of another ruckus in Denver, an overblown predicament for a franchise, once credited for its prestige and usual traits of acquiring Super Bowl victories. It wouldn't be too sassy to oust or even lose faith on Timothy Richard Tebow, abstaining from his availability and talents of versatility, stamina and agility, a knack to conspicuously give off a better description.
The fans winced when Kyle Orton, projected to be starting quarterback for the season-opener to end the popularity contest, notified enthusiastic fans in a rabid sports town that insulted the average supporter, I suspect, when he rudely said they don't enter into consideration much.
Seriously, Kyle? I mean, really?
So now that he has won the top quarterback spot for the Denver Broncos, he's found bliss when the fans weren't partly responsible for the team's decision in choosing a quarterback. With that in mind, however, he's never won the kindness of the Broncos fans, and because he's not convincing by many in the Mile High City, he'll need to win the fans back.
"Thank God the people (fans) don’t make the decisions," Orton told the Denver Post. "That’s really all I got to say about it. My last goal as quarterback is to win over the fans, that is my last goal."
Perhaps, he does have a way he can win the fans back, you know. That is, obviously, winning football games and carrying the Broncos to the playoffs would definitely earn back the fans.
These are the same people who've lobbied for Tebow in accepting the responsibility of the tough assignment at the quarterback position after working out and practicing diligently to earn the full-time job as the starting quarterback. It's almost understandable to feel sorry for Orton, the pariah in Denver as fans have converted into Tebow fans.
If he wasn't one of the most beloved players in the NFL, since he entered the NFL as a popular phenom and a two-time national champion at the University of Florida, an illustrious institution of the Southern Eastern Conference, Orton would never had been mentioned in trade proposals as he was so heavily.
There is, however, more reason now than ever to grasp a sense that Tebow is not ready for the challenge in a football-oriented town, but the fans believe he's ready to be named the starter. It might seem as though that he's worthy for the toughest task on the field, but apparently the front office is not impressed with the improvement of his accuracy and mechanics. As of now, Orton gives Denver the best chance in winning games and it is now rational to judge that the Broncos can easily win the AFC West if they have the fitted pieces.
It's just popular athlete, I assume, perpetrated to create a wave of propaganda in Denver, and just about every day, he is respectfully increasing his celebrity in a town where the fans have welcomed Tebow with opened arms -- already calling him the next franchise player -- since John Elway of course -- in his craft to engineer a franchise still needing much growth. So what do people in Colorado want from the well-known hero, despite that he may not be the starter for the 16-game season?
He has found a home near the Rocky Mountains, adoration when all he had was the population back in Florida -- Gator Nation -- and, more than ever, he had his loyal family, along with the voters on the night he stood on stage to receive the most prestigious award in college football. It was the stiff-armed trophy that may have even hinged regards and eminence.
In this game, nowadays, it really depends on what the fans are asking for, to satisfy the ticket buyers. It's because, as we all know, fans are like customers in this business. We barely even notice these days, no matter if someone is amiss on a specific subject, but the purchaser is always right. That goes for the fans as well, a customer to an extent, inexplicably spending huge wealth on sports events with one's heart and soul all attached to their local franchises within a town where most residents pride themselves on sports.
What the Broncos' supporters want, of course, is the stiff-armed, almighty and explosive quarterback of passion and prodigy to be named the starter and play this season. It could happen suddenly, a Tebow experiment, just to evaluate what the team has in the famous quarterback. He can survive a contest and stand on turf without getting knocked down, having much physique and quickness to take on hits and force miss tackles from the opposing team.
By now, anyway, everybody knows of Tebow and most football observers even notice how the world pays attention when he's nearly becoming one of the finest names in pro football, liked so much for his practice of religion and humbleness as a more benevolent human being who happens to love his relationship with Jesus and his family more than football.
He was standing at midfield amid training camp, engulfed by thousands of fans curious to know if Tebow can be worthy of leading the Broncos rebuilt culture after the crowds at Broncos' Dove Valley headquarters were donning a bevy of Tebow jerseys. Is it just me, or is Orton the minority in Denver?
It certainly seems like he's the disregarded quarterback, when in reality, he's truly the regarded player -- for playing like the best gunslinger in training camp, for intriguing new Broncos' head coach John Fox. His semblance is what identifies Tebow as a praiseworthy quarterback, of course, as he is idolized as a role model from his charity efforts by visiting inmates in prisons or helping circumcise Filipino children during his missionary work.
And this time, we thought he would emerge into a star, much like the achievements in his collegiate career when he become the only player ever in NCAA history to score 20 touchdowns rushing and 20 touchdowns passing in the same season. He could have used the I-want-to-be-traded excuse. Or play the sit-and-wait game.
At least, he has struck me as man who could be a starting quarterback in this league, a unique pass thrower with an erratic jump pass and excellent leadership. In many ways, he's very poise and crafty with the ball, taking the snaps and calling the plays for a high-powered offense.
But it wasn't Fox's decision to draft Tebow -- and instead -- it was his predecessor Josh McDaniels who believed in him and had chosen to take a risky gamble on an unproven draftee that had plenty of flaws in his throwing mechanics and accuracy, even though he had already shown his mobility and quickness to be efficient in open field.
"Right now, Kyle Orton is our starter," Fox told reporters. "I don't think we'll really figure it out until we start competing. It's a group of three that are very capable. We have a young guy, high draft pick, in Tim Tebow who got his feet wet last year toward the end of the season. And then, shoot, Brady Quinn I'm looking forward to seeing."
The question is can he accomplish it with an elite pro franchise? Actually we can't deny that Tebow has much potential, after all. So maybe it wasn't such a faulty choice to draft Tebow 25th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft.
This is particularly not true for a new head coach, uncomfortable telling fans that the quarterback of the future isn't the endearing athlete everybody had in mind. If things go well early, Fox could be portrayed as an expert in football, having confidence in Orton.
The truth is, no matter how much Tebow is anointed in Denver while the fans implore for the Broncos to reward him the starting job as quarterback, Orton had 41 touchdowns and 7,455 yards over the past two seasons and he still is disrespected and insulted in the mind of the crowd in Denver.
Perhaps just as worse, booed when he failed to push the ball into the end zone from the 9-yard line in training camp scrimmage as of recently, the fans requested a trade and there were speculates that he would have been dealt to the Miami Dolphins. In the meantime, there is much work to be done and Fox is aiming for a fresh beginning in Denver.
As we've seen, Tebow Mania isn't fading and supporters are anxious to see Tebow earn the starting job, not too happy with an incumbent Orton. The mantra of most fans who don't like Orton want Tebow, who is grandiose in his religion and principles.
It's also evident he was the best high school player in the nation, and translated greatness in college where he nationally made headlines and strengthened his status as one of the most successful players in history, a Christian role model everybody loves to appreciate. Surely, he's a nice person, a modest citizen, a hero on and off the field and a faultless paragon.
What the fans want is Tebow, not Orton. What the fans want is somebody with good character, not somebody with better results.
