And on the 6th day God Created: Tim Tebow

We'll get to that beautiful Adonis, Tim Tebow in just a few short bars here, but like always, I had a few sports thoughts that have been percolating in my head. And forgive me if they ramble because the hamster that runs on his wheel up there has been running low on food for about 2 weeks now so you never honestly know what's going to come out. So, without further ado…

• One of my esteemed cohorts wrote a great piece chronicling the big news in the MLB that broke yesterday including the addition of 1 more playoff team per league. While he liked the addition I do not. It takes away from the race for that one elusive non division-winning playoff spot. Ask yourself this: With the way the Red Sox played down the stretch in September do you think they should have been entitled to that 5^th and final spot? That would seem to really have watered down the improbable feat that Tampa accomplished. Don't get me wrong, I love "Game 163" when two teams are tied and I believe a one game playoff is the right move. But, let's say the Red Sox win 95 games next year and the next closest is the Tigers at 88 and because the Tigers know they are going to get in, they save Verlander for that one game playoff. Seems flawed. However, mark me down as in favor if it's a 3 game series. Baseball isn't like football and shouldn't be decided after one game, you play 3-4 game series' all year why would you change it for the playoffs? You start the 3 game series the day after the regular season (always ends on a Sunday) and it would be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. You give the team with the better record the option of having Games 1 and 3 or 2 and 3 at home. That way both teams are at least guaranteed one playoff game at their respective home parks. Also you would start the next round on Thursday so it would give a decided advantage to the Division winners that they don't have to play potentially 8-10 games in a row leading up to the end of the season.
  




• For anyone who has been concerned about my health, thank you! It's been a rough go since Heidi Watney left but the Zoloft and Jack Daniels has really been a great coping vehicle. Good bye, sweet Moon Goddess.
  




• Maybe I'm reading too much into this (who, me?) but why let Ben Cherington go through an entire process of interviewing people if Larry Lucchino is just going to impose his own opinion on who should be the next manager of the Sox? Why hire a GM if Larry Lucchino is going to once again be the one running the show? It's awfully telling that Cherington will be in Cuba next week scouting Yoenis Cespedes, while the Sox brass is going to hold their own interviews with Bobby Valentine.
  




• Speaking of Cespedes if you haven't seen the spectacle that was his recruit video it's quite amusing. Horrible editing and special effects aside this guy has tools. I said on our fan page that he reminds me a LOT of Vladimir Guerrero in his prime. He has a plus arm, good speed and power to all fields. He says he's 26, you never quite know with some of their Crayola written birth certificates down there, but odds are he's definitely on the right side of 30 and he'll probably cost less than most of the other outfield options available. (Speculation is that his deal will be somewhat comparable to Aroldis Chapman's deal from 2 years ago, 6 years 30.25 million). Best of all he's right-handed. I expect the Red Sox to be big players for his services.
  




• I loved Ryan Miller playing for Team USA, he was phenomenal. But is he serious about the Lucic hit? You come out of your crease by 20 feet, and expect to not get railroaded? You're a hockey player, act like one.
  




• Rob Gronkowski, best tight end in football?
  




• I am not just saying this because I don't like the Jets but at what point do they have to think about drafting a new quarterback? Sanchez is just flat out horrible. Are Patriots fans spoiled because you have one of the top 3 quarterbacks all-time on their team? Yes, absolutely! But Sanchez can't get out of his own way. He is a horrible time manager, he has trouble hitting wide open receivers, and tries to force balls into double coverage regularly. He was taken out of college too early and didn't get the time to develop some of those attributes. That may ultimately be his downfall.
  




• As much as I wanted Jonathan Papelbon to stay as part of my plan, I am glad they let him go for the exorbitant contract the Phillies they just gave him. I do not want to get in the business of paying a closer 13 million a year for 4 innings of work per week. I'm also not comfortable (yet) with anointing Bard as the closer. I say we bring in a stable of power arms and let them duke it out in Spring Training. Although he isn't the power arm he was, I would also like to take a flyer on Joe Nathan who said he doesn't necessarily have to be a closer.
  




• Did anyone else hear the ludicrous statement that Time Wakefield's agent spewed the other day? "He loves being a Red Sock but if for some reason they don't feel like he can play, well he's going to win 15 games somewhere else and show them that, once again, they've underestimated him." Tim Wakefield, 15 game winner, verbal diarrhea at its finest.
  




• The other big announcement was that the Astros will be moving to the AL which creates two 15 team leagues. You know who this will adversely affect? David Ortiz. There are going to be more Interleague games now with a more balanced schedule and a player that is solely a DH is going to have a difficult time to find a home unless you can find a team willing to put him at first base regularly. The Red Sox will not be that team unless he takes a humongous hometown discount.
  

Alright I've put it off for too long. Tim Tebow is an absolute demi-god. Look here, I'm not gay or anything, but if my wife told me she was going to leave me and hook up with Tim Tebow I would demand vivid details and listen to them while eating bon-bons and probably consider throwing on some Lauper.

As far as just the passing part of his game, it's subpar, Tim himself will admit that. But, he knows what his skill-set is and he utilizes his specific skills more than just about any player in the entire league. But the one thing he is particularly skilled at is decision making, we'll call this, The Jesus Trait. He doesn't force balls anywhere they shouldn't go, Jerry Sandusky take note of that (too soon?). He knows that his team doesn't lose the ball if he throws an incompletion but if he forces a ball into tight coverage and it gets intercepted, he can't use his superhuman powers to win everything that comes into his grasp.

Another positive of the inauguration of the Tebow Era is that the SPCA can rejoice in the fact that there is a new running quarterback in town (yes, that was a cheap Mike Vick dog joke, sue me). His running style will inevitably take a toll on his body, but last night won him a game against the Jets whose questionable up the middle blitz forced Tebow out of the pocket (shouldn't they be attempting to keep him in the pocket? Blitz from the edge not the gut, just a thought.) Side note: Darelle Revis called out Tebow leading up to the game saying he'd be "bored" and that last run for the go-ahead TD he was thinking about going out of bounds and saw Revis and took it right at him. Pretty much a middle finger right to the best defensive player in football, but Lord knows a good Christian boy like him would never actually do that.

Ok, all this hob-knobbing aside, I can do without his press conferences after the game, which are more like sermons and inspirational Richard Simmons movies than that of a player delivering his postgame synopses. His dreamy eyes are enough to melt my heart but when he opens his mouth I'd rather gauge my ears out with a rusty spoon.

Whether he's Richard Simmons or Steve Young-reincarnate he and his team know that if the game is within reach Tim Tebow will find a way to win it. Who cares if the way he does it is uglier than sin, I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty.

Stay Tuned

Norton