The Popcorn Stand: Ripping Tebow and James, er, the media that fawned all over them

Editor’s note: The Popcorn Stand is a column periodically (actually when Recorder Sports Editor Charles Whisnand feels like it) featured on the Recorder web site in which Whisnand writes about, well, whatever he wants. The name of the column is in honor of one of Whisnand’s favorite columnists, Pulitzer Prize-winning Red Smith, who once dubbed one of his columns the Popcorn Stand.

Just back from vacation and just wanted to get two things off of my chest.

First, I love Tim Tebow. Let me say that again, so it’s perfectly clear. I LOVE TIM TEBOW. As a person. As a football player, not so much. So I’m sure I’ve already offended those Tebow fans who become offended anytime anything remotely bad is written or said about Tebow.

It seemed painfully obvious to me that the Denver Broncos defense did all the heavy lifting for three quarters before Tebow finally started to decide to play in the fourth quarter during his successful streak before his recent struggles. But that didn’t stop one national sports columnist from actually suggesting that Tebow was looking like a legitimate NFL MVP candidate. Seriously? A quarterback completing less than 50 percent of his passes an MVP candidate? With Aaron Rodgers? Drew Brees? Tom Brady?

Anyway I’ve seen this and written about this before and us know-it-all sportswriters know how much you fans love it when we remind you of things like that. Tebow was in the league five years ago. Except in 2006, his name was Tony Romo.

I remember writing about how life imitated art comparing Romo to the character played by Jamie Foxx in “Any Given Sunday.” (An awful movie by the way. “North Dallas Forty” was much better). After the Jamie Foxx character had a couple of good games, the media were fawning all over him in the movie.

The same thing happened with Romo after four games. There were those writing about how Romo was going to take the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl. After so much hype after so little time, I gave Romo the nickname, “The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread.”

We’re still waiting for Romo to take the Cowboys to the Super Bowl. My guess is, the wait will be even longer for Tebow to take any team to the Super Bowl.

Second, ESPN has zero credibility. Remember “The Decision,” ESPN’s one-hour special in which it fawned all over LeBron James when he announced he was signing with the Miami Heat. And throughout last season, ESPN continued to fawn all over James, offering such obscure stats as James was the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in game threes of playoff series when the series was tied 1-1. (I’m not making that up).

Anyway, caught the end of Sports Nation with its list of the top Jeers of the Year or whatever and guess who was No. 1? James.

Again, ESPN has zero credibility.

Editor’s note: The Popcorn Stand is a column periodically (actually when Recorder Sports Editor Charles Whisnand feels like it) featured on The Recorder website in which Whisnand writes about, well, whatever he wants. The name of the column is in honor of one of Whisnand’s favorite columnists, Pulitzer Prize-winning Red Smith, who once dubbed one of his columns the Popcorn Stand.

Just back from vacation and just wanted to get two things off of my chest.

First, I love Tim Tebow. Let me say that again, so it’s perfectly clear. I LOVE TIM TEBOW. As a person. As a football player, not so much. So I’m sure I’ve already offended those Tebow fans who become offended anytime anything remotely bad is written or said about Tebow.

It seemed painfully obvious to me that the Denver Broncos defense did all the heavy lifting for three quarters before Tebow finally started to decide to play in the fourth quarter during his successful streak before his recent struggles. But that didn’t stop one national sports columnist from actually suggesting that Tebow was looking like a legitimate NFL MVP candidate.

Seriously? A quarterback completing less than 50 percent of his passes an MVP candidate? With Aaron Rodgers? Drew Brees? Tom Brady?

Anyway I’ve seen this and written about this before and us know-it-all sportswriters know how much you fans love it when we remind you of things like that. Tebow was in the league five years ago. Except in 2006, his name was Tony Romo.

I remember writing about how life imitated art comparing Romo to the character played by Jamie Foxx in “Any Given Sunday.” (An awful movie by the way. “North Dallas Forty” was much better). After the Jamie Foxx character had a couple of good games, the media were fawning all over him in the movie.

The same thing happened with Romo after four games. There were those writing about how Romo was going to take the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl. After so much hype after so little time, I gave Romo the nickname, “The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread.”

We’re still waiting for Romo to take the Cowboys to the Super Bowl. My guess is, the wait will be even longer for Tebow to take any team to the Super Bowl.

Second, ESPN has zero credibility. Remember “The Decision,” ESPN’s one-hour special in which it fawned all over LeBron James when he announced he was signing with the Miami Heat. And throughout last season, ESPN continued to fawn all over James, offering such obscure stats as James was the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in game threes of playoff series when the series was tied 1-1. (I’m not making that up).

Anyway, caught the end of Sports Nation with its list of the top Jeers of the Year or whatever and guess who was No. 1? James.

Again, ESPN has zero credibility.