How Contempt For Tim Tebow Caused An ESPN.com Commenter Revolution

[meegbear]

The ESPN.com comment section is a den of iniquity and misspelling, and for the world's largest sports site, it's curiously inessential. The open registration means the discourse tends toward lowest common denominator, and it's too big to engender much sense of community. But once in a long while the disparate masses are united by a polarizing figure. This week, one Mr. Tim Tebow has worked that miracle.

On Sunday night, ESPN.com posted a Bill Williamson column calling for the Broncos to get their post-Tebow plans in order. The early comments were unremarkable: the usual "Tebow sucks" and "John Fox sucks" camps doing their thing. But as Halloween dawned, the shapeless mass of discontent had taken form. Completely organically, Tebow hate made order out of chaos.

"X > Tebow" is the meme, with X being a series of increasingly negative and absurd things. http://espn.go.com/ECHO/item/1320033984-126-932">It began with QuanB8's comment, "Ryan Leaf > Tebow." It moved to to other crappy quarterbacks—JaMarcus Russell, David Carr, Akili Smith—but soon became something else entirely. A few examples:

Windows Vista > Tebow
Being groped by Julian Edelman > Tebow
Still saying 'Whaaaz uuuppp' > Tebow
Eating undercooked chicken and dealing with its unsavory aftereffects this morning > Tebow
Yelling the N word at a DMX concert > Tebow
Wanting to dream about Cheers Kirstie Alley and dreaming about Fat Actress Kirstie Alley instead > Tebow
Rebooting the Back To The Future franchise with the plot centered around getting Tebow's mom to have an abortion > Tebow

"X > Tebow" ranges from the self-referential to the nonsensical to the patently offensive, and has spread to other comment sections. It is a monster that cannot be contained by ESPN.com moderators, despite their best efforts. As the craze hit full swing on Monday, ESPN was deleting comments almost as quickly as they appeared. That was a mistake. In the face of oppression, the commenters redoubled their efforts. I think this is an important point: the Worldwide Leader in Sports was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who wanted to make fun of Tim Tebow.

<snip>

http://deadspin.com/5855575/how-contempt-for-tim-tebow-caused-an-espncom-commenter-revolution

[Ezlivin]

1. Tim Tebow is praying for you

He's praying for us all.

God Bless Us.

[hlthe2b]

4. Either Tim's "God" doesn't give a shit about sports...

or Tim's "God" doesn't give a shit about him. Take your pick, Tim.





I guess when we make sports a "religion," inevitably, God comes along for the ride. :eyes:

[stillwaiting]

20. It is Satan that is doing this to Tim.

All good things in life come from God.

All hardships, troubles, and turmoil come from Satan.

When opposing interests are involved in a situation where only one person can win and the other must lose, then God helped the person win (if he/she's a Christian) and Satan intervened to make the person lose (if he/she's a Christian).

When opposing interests are involved in a situation where only one person can win and the other must lose, then Satan helped the person win (if he/she is NOT a Christian).

See, it's perfectly rational and logical...

Easy peasy!

And yes, I know PLENTY of people who think like this. I have no idea how it's even possible to reconcile such thinking. Their brains are fried.

[GeorgeGist]

59. Apparently God loved Tim ...

when he won the Heisman Trophy. From what I hear it couldn't have been his football skill.

[madokie]

9. on one bended knee

doing what I call a hangover slump when you fall down and are half way back up and pause while getting your bearings to stand the rest of the way up. what it looks like to me
I think he confused Jack Daniels for Jesus

[NeedleCast]

2. * > Tebow

[david_vincent]

3. Who's Tim Tebow? n/t

[NeedleCast]

7. He Was a National Championship Winning Quarter Back With the Florida Gators

I think he won two national championships. Although not widely thought to be a good fit for an NFL style offense, he was drafted in the first round by Denver. Because Denver has some serious QB issues, they gave Tebow a few starts over the last couple of weeks and he's bombed.

Tebow is also well know for being HIGHLY religious and very vocal about it...as in, he never shuts up about it. So he's earned a lot of contempt from people who want to watch a football game without the sermon.

[madokie]

10. and beat our okies asses in that game too

so screw him sideways with a two by four upside down turned inside out

juskidn

[NeedleCast]

12. Well, As A University of Texas Fan, That Was One Of My Favorite Tebow Moments

:P

Considering the beating you guys put on us a few weeks ago, you get no sympathy right now.

[madokie]

46. I'm sure it was :-)

then go on and let kansas wipe our asses. I'll never figure that game out, football that is.

OSU is kicking some serious ass this year though. :-)

[SwampG8r]

25. if he had gone to ou would you like him more?

i am proudly a gator
yes even this year proudly
i never got to go so i sent my wife and all 3 of my kids
so when i see someone who has an opinion of tebow based on college football i ask
if he suited up for your school and was just as successful would you still hate him?
or would you love him like we all do?

[Fawke Em]

27. University of TN fan (even harder to be so than you this year)

and I would NOT have liked Tebow playing for UT. He seems to be a fake.

FWIW, I wasn't a big Casey Clausen fan because he seemed fake, too.

[NeedleCast]

28. Well First, I was Just Cracking on a Texas Rival

Honestly, Tebow seems to be handling the hate pretty well. I don't like his religious sanctimony and he has suggest at times that he is being "persecuted" (by this vast christian majority nation) for his religious views. The University of Texas had our own bible-wielding quarterback (Colt McCoy) for four years and yes, I loved him because he served up two BCS bowl wins and broke the record for most wins as a starting QB in the NCAA (which I think was just broken again by the dude from Boise St).

So, don't get all spun up about it. So far, Tebow has been a flop in the NFL. That's not dogging Tebow. Just a fact.

[JVS]

34. How about if he weren't a Gator, would you still love him?

I think Gators fans gave/are giving his churchy asshattery a pass because he brought home the bacon

[SwampG8r]

56. likely not but i recognize my own hypocrisy on it

[madokie]

48. I was just being a smart ass actually :-)

I don't take any game seriously ever, game or players. I see it for what it is, a game that will have a winner and a looser nothing more.

[NeedleCast]

49. I responded to the wrong person anyway

My bad.

Go Big-12 (or, you know, however many teams we have this week).

[LynneSin]

43. A few years back he was part of an anti-abortion TV ad that was aired during the Super Bowl

He pointed out that his mom was a single mom and she almost had an abortion but instead choose to have him, like that was some great miracle or something.

To be honest, the single mom's I've known - most have tossed around the idea of having an abortion. Heck a few married women friend I had also considered it. But for all of them it was really more of emotional upheaval of being pregnant, none of them ever even inquired to get one. So the fact that his mom considered abortion at one time hardly impresses me

[FSogol]

13. He's a "praying in public so everyone can see how pious he is" football player.

You'll see him run for Congress in 10-15 years.

[JVS]

24. This guy

And incidentally, he's the reason that the NCAA started to ban putting messages on your facepaint.

[ComtesseDeSpair]

40. Woooooooow....

That guy is an ENORMOUS douche! I had no idea. Nothing is more annoying in sports than the influx of religion. It's like when MMA guys finish beating the crap out of one another and then the winner says a thanks to Jesus. Yes, I'm sure that the reason you were able to beat the other guy up is because Jesus loves you more. It's funny though, it never seems to work the other way around. I don't recall ever hearing a religious zealot who just lost a sporting competition say, "I guess Jesus loves the other guy/team more than me."

[backscatter712]

5. Tebowing has become Teblowing...

[meegbear]

11. +1

[Scuba]

15. Must be good at it. Phil looks like he just won the Masters!

[TwilightGardener]

6. LOL.

[SpiralHawk]

8. "I don't need your steenkin sanctimony." - Tebow (R)

"I got my own. Massive. Steenkin. Sanctimony."

- Tebow (R)

[Hassin Bin Sober]

29. If that isn't a fake "liar for jesus" smile... I don't know what is.

[tridim]

14. How bad is he relative to other bad quarterbacks?

I don't pay much attention to pro football, so I really don't know.

[NeedleCast]

17. Fairly Bad

Although he's essentially a rookie. I think this is his 2nd year in the NFL. He got a few starts last year when Denver's regular starting QB was hurt and was underwhelming but not terrible.

This year in (I think) 3 starts, he's been pretty terrible. He's just not a NFL style quarterback. He's got poor release, doesn't have huge arm strength and the game is moving too fast for him right now.

Too bad for Denver that at the QB position, they're choices are bad, bad and worse.

[backscatter712]

18. Last I heard, the coach is giving Tebow one more game as starting QB...

Then they'll be back to the eternal search for a quarterback that doesn't suck....

[NeedleCast]

19. What's Elway Up To?

I mean, Denver could hardly do worse, right?

[backscatter712]

21. VP of the Broncos, owns an arena football team, hangs out at GOP fundraisers... n/t

[ScreamingMeemie]

23. Elway is Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Broncos...

I'm thinking no to your idea. ;) He is currently scouting Andrew Luck.

[Johonny]

30. He's about 38th best QB in the league this year

among people with more than 59 pass attempts he ranks 38 of 39. Beating only true rookie Blaine Gabbert.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/qb

I think only Alex Smith has played at Tebow's level play for a year and still remained a starter in the NFL. However the season isn't close to over so it is hard to know if Tebow will improve. He played better last season so it is a big ? He isn't the worst QB of the last 5 years at this point, but he isn't looking like a future NFL starter either.

[Scuba]

16. A lot of People are fed up with the holier than thou crap. nt

[joeybee12]

22. I was actually at the comments section when this exploded....

I wasn't posting, but just reading, and all of a sudden the comments came flying so quickly I had to close the window...it was mind boggling how quickly people were responding.

[Arctic Dave]

26. As a Broncos fan I must say I am thouroughly enjoying reading this.

:D

Whoever drafted TT needs to be beaten with a horse whip. Denver is not, and never will be, a QB proving ground. They are good at producing RB's.
Denver needs to get over their dreams of another JE coming to rescue them and start rebuilding the team from the linemen back. I don't care how great your QB is, he can't do squat if he is on his ack 90% of the time.

That being said.

Firery jock itch > Tebow

[n2doc]

44. Josh McDaniels

And you have more than enough reasons to want to beat him up!

Jamarcus Russell on Purple Drank>Tebow

[fishwax]

54. yeah, Josh McDaniels really did a number on that team

Cheated, lost a bunch of games, and drafted Tebow with no other option signed through this season. :grr:

And then what does Denver do after a 4-12 season? Go hire the only coach in the league who won even fewer games. :wtf:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

31. I like Kyle Orton

I think he has talent. He just needs a better offensive line, better receivers, and one solid running back. Denver shouldn't give up on Orton or he will go somewhere else and prove himself. After having in lived in Wisconsin and Oakland as a kid, I'm a Packers and Raiders fan. I thought my Raiders were lucky to get a win vs. Denver and Orton impressed me in that game, despite the "Tebow, Tebow" chants from Denver fans. I used to post on the ESPN boxing message board (boxing is my favorite sport). There were a lot of knowledgeable posters on that board, although it had its share of juvenile idiots.

[AngryAmish]

32. Problem is Orton has a neckbeard

[sarcasmo]

33. The Lions slowed the nut down on Sunday by sacking him 7 times and making him look like shit.

[JVS]

35. How much of that is Tebow's fault and how much of it is the offensive line's fault.

[sarcasmo]

38. His long pass is terrible. That was not all the O lines fault.

[JVS]

39. Terrible long passes beget interceptions and incompletions usually, not sacks.

I don't watch Denver play, but I'm wondering if he's hesitating or being slow back there (his fault) or if hhe has no time back there (the line's fault), or if a mix, what proportions. The reason I suspect there might be line problems is that he obviously didn't have this problem in college ball. Then again, coverages are not as good at college, so he was probably able to get the ball to a receiver more quickly as well.

[fishwax]

55. It's a bit of both

The offensive line has problems, to be sure. Made worse is the fact that Tebow is a lefty, and the Broncos right tackle, protecting his blindside, is a rookie. That guy got schooled against Detroit. So some blame can go to the offensive line. But then again, Orton only got sacked 9 times in his 5 games as a starter. So sacks have spiked pretty significantly since Tebow took over.

But Tebow also makes things worse. He misses some opportunities for quick throws because he's not going through his reads quickly enough. He's also sometimes too quick to give up on the play and run. That's resulted in some good runs but also a few sacks. In college he could pretty much always be successful using his feet because he was going against linebackers and lineman who were mostly college quality, with only one or two NFL-caliber players. So it was a mismatch. Then, too, since he hasn't shown any accuracy or consistency throwing the ball downfield, defenses are playing closer to the line, which also makes it harder to run when the play breaks down.

[ProfessorGAC]

58. Um, JVS. . .

. . .there were some of those sacks that occurred after 6 or 7 seconds. He isn't getting the speed of the game, and he still thinks he can run around and stay away from a defense as fast as the Lions. No offensive line could be expected to hold their blocks against that front 7 for that long.

And, he was missing receivers by 15 feet on 12 yard outs.

He was dreadful.
GAC

[JackDragna]

36. I helped establish this meme!

I was on the thread when it started up and I made key humorous contributions. Man. Can't wait to tell the grandkids about this one.

[Cali_Democrat]

37. OMG it's still going

Those comments are hilarious!

[KamaAina]

41. Toenail fungus > Tebow

:P

[hifiguy]

42. Cris Carter made the most salient points about Tebow:

His footwork is horrible, his throwing mechanics are worse, and he seems completely incapable of reading complex NFL defenses. The guy simply does not have anywhere near the football skills necessary to be a quarterback of any kind in the NFL. Case closed. Jebus ain't gonna save him this time.

[madfloridian]

45. Tebow's eye black bible verses. Picture.

http://blog.al.com/press-register-sports/2009/12/tim_tebows_eye_black_bible_ver.html

[kentuck]

47. The reality is that Tebow fills the stands...

And his jersey is one of the most popular in the NFL. He is a money-making machine. Whether he can be a quarterback in the NFL is debatable. He is strong enough to play other positions. The trick is to find the right role for him. Personally, I think I would only use him in the fourth quarter. Orton has a history of tiring out after about 10 games so this could extend his season by letting Tebow play the fourth quarter. The team supports him and does not see his religion as blatantly as ESPN or others. I am a long-time Bronco fan.

[Romulox]

50. The guy's an ass, but I appreciated his comment re: the on-field "Tebowing"

“Obviously, you don’t know somebody’s intentions, so I won’t judge what he did,” Tebow said yesterday at his weekly news conference. “He was probably just having fun and was excited he made a good play and had a sack. And good for him. He was just celebrating and having fun with his teammates, and I don’t take offense at that. I was more bothered I gave up the sack and didn’t break the tackle.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/keeping_it_kneel_a4ZRY7ZG2MksybPaow0LDJ#ixzz1cf2mpdN0

BTW, Stafford most definitely > Tebow!

[workinclasszero]

51. I'm a Christian and I somehow think God really doesn't care

who wins a stupid football game.:eyes:

So Brother Tim, why don't you pray for world peace, for the healing of the sick, for justice for the poor instead?

Guess you don't hear that preached much in teathuglian political churches, eh?

[ScreamingMeemie]

52. God is a Packer fan. And they had a bye.

:hi: We've been over this several times people.

[workinclasszero]

57. LOL :) /nt

[Logical]

53. You all are going to hell! I am praying for you! n-t