John Elway is one of the best (if not the best) quarterbacks in the history of football, but it seems as though he has lost track of what is most important in sports: winning.

MIKE KAYE

An athlete plays professional sports to win. It is the goal of most (if not all) competitors to, you know, compete. That is why I have an issue with John Elway and his public treatment of Tim Tebow.  I, myself, am not a member of Tebowmania. I do, however, think we as fans of sports, must respect that he is a winner, which is why I find Elway’s lack of acceptance for the Mile High Messiah so astonishing.

Elway was a pillar of the Denver Broncos championship teams of the late 90s (who can forget the helicopter leap?). His five Super Bowl appearances are a record. He won two late in his career (Terrell Davis basically won him the first one) and his owner, Pat Bowlen even remarked after the first win, “This one’s for John!” before handing Elway the trophy. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004 in his first year of eligibility. So why is someone so dedicated to winning, so uncomfortable when a mild-mannered, dream of a son-in-law is winning games at an alarming pace?

At press, the Broncos were 5-5, a large step up from the 1-4 record that Tebow inherited and the team seems to now have a winning culture in place with the defense enhancing its performance because they know Tebow can find a way to win if given the opportunity.

All that said, why does Elway look like he just sniffed sour milk every time a camera pans to his skybox?  He seems disinterested in the young man. Elway made up his mind when he took the job and put every obstacle in Timmy’s way to make the running QB nothing more than a gimmick who worships Jesus Christ. But like everything else Tebow does, he found a way to win and win in dramatic fashion.

Tebow is not conventional nor is his game what contemporary players of his position are lauded for. He is not a pocket passer nor is he accurate. That said, the drop-back passing game has not always been a conventional mode of offense and even Elway had problems with accuracy (career completion percentage 56.9, which would be average at best for a veteran passer).

Tebow’s running ability allows for him to make up for what most young quarterbacks struggle with: redzone offense and accuracy. Through week 11, Tebow has more rushing touchdowns than the once-heralded Chris Johnson (CJ2K if you’re nasty) and has more wins as a starter (4) than last year’s runner-up to the MVP, Michael Vick (3).

Okay Elway, still beefing about having a pass-first QB? Let me throw some knowledge your way.

In five games as a starter, young Timothy has six touchdowns and one interception compared to the six TDS and five INTs college stud and 2011 first-rounder Blaine Gabbert has in eight games as a starter. You can see Tim’s lack of a pocket presence has little weight on his aerial scoring ability.

Last year’s first overall pick, Sam Bradford, has just five touchdowns but also has five interceptions in eight starts. Do you see what I am getting at Mr. E (could he be the Riddler? Think about it and discuss)? Tebow does not put his defense in a bad position like other young guys at the position, because he avoids turnovers.

Tebow may be many things that people are discouraged by (a running quarterback, a religious extremist, the starter of a posing craze) but he has the support of his teammates and his fans. Remember, John Fox got hired after his team in Carolina came in last place in the entire league, so for him to be where he is right now based on the work of Tebow and Co. is pretty phenomenal. Since taking over as starter, Denver’s defense (outside of that Lions blowout) has steadily improved and has allowed just 15.5 points per game. Compare that to the 27.6 points they were allowing with the now-gone Kyle Orton at starter and you can see Tebow has had an overwhelming affect on not only the offensive side of the ball but his defensive teammates as well.

Elway will forever be known as a fantastic player, a winner, and the owner of car dealerships (AutoNation anyone?) but early on in his stint as an executive for the same organization that he once helped build to prominence, he seems to be weak sauce.

In a league where you have an owner (Stephen Ross) who smiles on the sidelines at a home game as he is losing to the aforementioned Tebow, I guess I should not be so surprised by Elway’s lack of enthusiasm towards winning. I guess I should have known better. If I am a Broncos fan or player, I would honestly feel resentment towards the front office for their lack of approval for a quarterback, who despite numerous obstacles, literally breaks through and scores.

Photo: Getty

Popularity: 2% [?]