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Tim Tebow And Colin Kaepernick Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin
Hotair ^ | 10/04/2017 | Taylor Millard

Posted on 10/05/2017 11:26:13 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Some of the hotter memes to pass through social media since President Donald Trump’s castigation of NFL anthem protests all involve Tim Tebow. People have been putting up images of Tebow kneeling during games faster than a dealer passing around a new narcotic, suggesting the ex-NFL quarterback never got a fair shake in the league, and intimating his out Christianity is one reason why he was so divisive. There’s definitely a large nugget of truth to the claim, but the same could also be said about Colin Kaepernick. The two quarterbacks appear to cause the biggest schism between fans, with Tony Romo a very close third, but they’re pretty much two sides of the same coin. It’s an uncomfortable truth for those who enjoy professional football, however, it’s one which needs to be acknowledged.

The first is their college careers. Both Tebow and Kaepernick were dual threat quarterbacks in college, who ran about as much as they threw. Their stats are strikingly similar, with both players rushing for almost 60 touchdowns in college, while Tebow tossed six more TD’s than Kaepernick. What’s interesting is Kaepernick has the edge in passing and rushing yards, having thrown 800 more yards than Tebow and rushed for over a thousand more. The biggest difference between the two is obviously hype, and awards. Tebow played in the SEC for the Gators, meaning he got to be on TV much more than Kaepernick’s Wolf Pack did in the MAC. He also won the Heisman, and was a finalist for two others. The closest Kaepernick got to an award was being on the Manning and O’Brien award watchlists.

The similarities are the also the same in the NFL Draft. Scouts praised both for their leadership qualities, work ethic, height, and arm strength. Both were criticized for playing in a non-pro style offense, decision making, and delivery issues. Yet two teams took a risk on Tebow and Kaepernick, with Tebow going 25th overall to the Broncos, while Kaepernick went 36th to the San Francisco. It’s pretty interesting to see how their careers keep mimicking each other, even into the NFL. Kaepernick has had a longer career, and NFL playoff wins, but Tebow won one playoff game in three seasons and both rushed for at least a dozen TDs.

It could be argued Kaepernick and Tebow’s successes (and failures) are because of how coaches used them. Broncos Coach John Fox was willing to Tebow-ize the Broncos offense in their only season together, and Kaepernick’s greatest success came with Jim Harbaugh as his coach. When Tebow was sent to the Jets, he hardly touched the field, even though he started two games and got to do the occasional trick play. I remember there being questions as to why the Jets even traded for Tebow, if they weren’t going to play him. Kaepernick’s stock fell through the floor when Harbaugh left, and other coaches came in. Does this mean both Kaepernick and Tebow are system quarterbacks? Yes. In all honesty, both players deserve to be in the NFL, if they can find the right situation. There has to be a coach out there willing to use Tebow’s strength as a runner and a deep passer, and Kaepernick’s success with the 49ers with Harbaugh can’t be ignored. This is an indictment on NFL coaches who are too focused on making their offenses a specific style, instead of figuring out ways to successfully use both quarterbacks. It’s disappointing to both players and shows a lack of thought process in the NFL.

The biggest similarity between both quarterbacks are their PR issues (yes, even Tebow!), and the fact they were pushed by the media. Tebow was heralded by ESPN during his college and NFL tenure, while Kaepernick became a media sensation because of his decision to sit during the National Anthem. The PR issues are because of their fans and/or detractors. Tebow’s legion of fans are well known, as plenty of Christians have flocked to him because of his outspokenness regarding his faith. That’s caused others to bristle at Tebow’s success, not because they don’t necessarily like Tebow, but because there’s this idea his fans are annoying. Kaepernick has been praised and vilified for kneeling or sitting during the Anthem, with people on the left loving what he does, while people on the right are a bit more angry. It doesn’t really matter whether either Tebow or Kaepernick are right in their actions. The fact they had their legion of fans so hellbent on pushing the quarterbacks meant it would be a headache for teams to even consider signing them.

I’ve no problem with either player, even if I believe they’re more products of the system they were in, and I don’t mind the fact both of them have been known for their activism. I tend to agree a bit more with Tebow, than I do Kaepernick, but it doesn’t bother me both have decided to stand firm in their beliefs. They both deserve another shot in the NFL, if they can find the right situation.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: colinkaepernick; nfl; timtebow
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To: SeekAndFind
I didn’t know Colin Kaepernick was a devout Christian...

Sure... based on his tattoos.
Cavorting with Islamic radicals, slandering police officers, promoting racial hatred,and idolizing Cuban atheist commie mass murderers ... suggests otherwise.

21 posted on 10/05/2017 12:33:12 PM PDT by El Cid (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house...)
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To: SeekAndFind

Tebow was acknowledging God and thanking God for God’s help in Tebow’s work/game efforts.

Colin was acknowledging himself and trying to push his own agenda of what Colin thinks is important and not fulfilling his work responsibility to stand for the National anthem.


22 posted on 10/05/2017 12:47:16 PM PDT by b4me (God Bless the USA)
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To: SeekAndFind

Tebow is a Christian, a misionary and now a baseball player who was Yughly rejected for his religious beliefs; Kapernick is a God-less Fuc Communist anti-American, anti-White racist and is embraced.... The NFL and ESPN can forever go “KaperNick” themselves!


23 posted on 10/05/2017 12:48:00 PM PDT by Jumper
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To: SeekAndFind
If Tebow kneeled because he was authentically pious, and not to make a statement, then its his own business. I do not know for sure which it was. If he was making a statement it was a pro-Christian one...or at worse a desire to seem holy.

In the case of Kaepernick its clear he did it as a protest. And I have seen evidence to suggest it was not just a protest about social issues, but based on some career dispute, that he decided to wrap in something larger than himself to give himself cover. Whether or not it was mostly his career issues he was protesting, the way he protested was Anti-American. The fact that the reason he could legally protest in an anti-American way being an American value not-with-standing, the substance was blatantly negative toward America, and we later learned racist against whites, and bigoted against police officers.

Failure to be able to draw such obvious distinctions makes this article useless in its analysis.

24 posted on 10/05/2017 12:55:17 PM PDT by AndyTheBear
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To: El Cid
Sure... based on his tattoos.

And Jesus said unto them: "It is not who does the will of my Father in heaven who is my mother, or sister, or brother, but the one who has the right kind of tattoo"

25 posted on 10/05/2017 12:57:58 PM PDT by AndyTheBear
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To: bigdaddy45

Neither was a lousy quarterback. Both could win in the right system, which is about the only thing that’s right in the article. Russell Wilson, btw, is a system quarterback who does a great job for Seattle. Wilson, though, probably wouldn’t do well on many other teams. He’s also less athletically gifted than T or K.


26 posted on 10/05/2017 1:01:06 PM PDT by achilles2000 ("I'll agree to save the whales as long as we can deport the liberals")
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To: bigdaddy45

Neither was a lousy quarterback. Both could win in the right system, which is about the only thing that’s right in the article. Russell Wilson, btw, is a system quarterback who does a great job for Seattle. Wilson, though, probably wouldn’t do well on many other teams. He’s also less athletically gifted than T or K.


27 posted on 10/05/2017 1:01:06 PM PDT by achilles2000 ("I'll agree to save the whales as long as we can deport the liberals")
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To: bigdaddy45

Neither was a lousy quarterback. Both could win in the right system, which is about the only thing that’s right in the article. Russell Wilson, btw, is a system quarterback who does a great job for Seattle. Wilson, though, probably wouldn’t do well on many other teams. He’s also less athletically gifted than T or K.


28 posted on 10/05/2017 1:01:06 PM PDT by achilles2000 ("I'll agree to save the whales as long as we can deport the liberals")
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To: SeekAndFind

What Tebow and CK have in common are fans that insist both are being blacklisted because of their beliefs.


29 posted on 10/05/2017 1:02:40 PM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: AndyTheBear

Most flawed analysis only look at similarities and ignore the critical DIFFERENCES and then on that basis make an equivalence between the two.


30 posted on 10/05/2017 1:03:45 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: GSWarrior

RE: What Tebow and CK have in common are fans that insist both are being blacklisted because of their beliefs.

But is being a pious Christian as opposed to being unpatriotic BOTH worthy of blacklisting?


31 posted on 10/05/2017 1:04:52 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

You can bet that the lack of logic was praised by the editor. It’s simply another twist on the same fake news: a disguised Trump/MAGA/Christian hit piece that Leftists can chuckle over.


32 posted on 10/05/2017 2:07:47 PM PDT by poconopundit (CNN is... Corruption News Neglected)
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To: SeekAndFind

IMHO neither were blacklisted.


33 posted on 10/05/2017 2:54:12 PM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: SeekAndFind

No problem with Kaepernick wearing a pro-Castro T-shirt and socks portraying police officers as pigs? I have a problem with anyone that doesn’t have a problem with that.


34 posted on 10/05/2017 3:33:36 PM PDT by Kazan
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To: SeekAndFind
I didn’t know Colin Kaepernick was a devout Christian...

That was before he hooked up with this present Muslim girlfriend. He reported converted to Islam.

35 posted on 10/05/2017 3:34:50 PM PDT by Kazan
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To: AndyTheBear

LOL!


36 posted on 10/05/2017 3:57:14 PM PDT by El Cid (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house...)
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