FANTASY FURNACE

After 24 hours of mulling over the Tim Tebow deal, it hit us. There are only two possible reasons that the N.Y. Jets decided to bring the side show that is ‘Tebowmania’ to Gotham. We agree with one, but not the other…

Although the Tebow pickup was a 'business decision', expect Mark Sanchez to yield more than just a few starts to Tebow before the season is over. Photo: Barry Gutierrez/AP

Strictly from a business standpoint, it makes sense. The Jets, like any other team, franchise, or business, offers the public a product that ultimately needs to turn a profit in order to be successful. After taking stock of their franchise, following the N.Y. Giants Super Bowl victory a few months ago, it was decided that something needed to be done and it wasn’t  necessarily to put a better team on the field, but more importantly, to put more fannies in the seats.

They tried this approach back in 2008 after the Giants also won a Super Bowl, by bringing in an aging and ineffective Brett Favre. Fans came to the games but the Jets didn’t win anything.

As soon as the Peyton signing took place, it became evident that the addition of back-up quarterback Drew Stanton would not be enough to get them to the Super Bowl this year, nor entice their legions of faithful fans to flock to Met Life Stadium in increasing numbers. So as soon as John Elway let it be known that Tim Tebow was available, the drooling Jet’s brass rushed to place their offer for him on the Bronco’s table.

Woody, Mike and Rex, otherwise known as Moe, Larry and Curly, needed a to find a way to make their team more relevant. A way to garner more attention than the team they share their stadium with. More spreads on the back covers of newspapers and magazines. And more importantly, a way to sell more of the PSL’s that have been empty for the last two years now. Tim Tebow was going to be their business ‘Messiah’.

Unfortunately, in order for the ‘Messiah’ to come, they had to offer the football Gods a ‘sacraficial lamb’. And that ‘lamb’ is Mark Sanchez. And that’s the second thing the Jets have done that we do not agree with. The signing of Tim Tebow will ultimately be the downfall of Mark Sanchez, who, it could be said, began his free-fall last season. He completed 66% of his passes last year and will share the field with Tim Tebow who completed 46%, clearly making his signing cosmetic and not one of substance.

They have lost Mark Sanchez for two reasons. First, Sanchez is a highly emotional and fragile player who needs to be coddled at times. His recent contract extension was done as a form of damage control following the Jets brief interest in Peyton Manning. (think Alex Smith in S.F.) And how many of you remember last season when backup quarterback 73 year old Mark Brunell took a couple of snaps with the first team in practice and what effect that had on Sanchez. To say he was a little ticked off would be an understatement.

Second, and even more unsettling for Sanchez will be when he throws a pick or two and the crowd begins to yell “Tebow” “Tebow” “Tebow”! Or if it’s a 3rd and 4 and Tebow comes in to run for a first down or 4th and 1 on the 1 and Tebow runs it in for a TD; the crowd will boo Sanchez when he takes the field for the next play, forgetting that it was him who took them all the way into scoring position in the first place…

Lastly, a word about the ‘Wildcat’ offense. Teams who’ve used this form of offense in the past are teams who didn’t have a very good quarterback. That’s why Tony Sparano implemented it in Miami. (And it wasn’t that successful there either). Ever see the ‘Wildcat’ used in New England,  on the Giants, Green Bay, or New Orleans?? Fact is, it hasn’t been successfull anywhere over the past few years. You need not look any further than last year’s Wild Card game when Tebow and his Wilcard plays were stymied by the N.E. Patriots who, with their 31st ranked defense, held Tebow to 13 yards rushing on 5 carries to go along with 5 sacks!

Frankly, if Mike Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan are so enamoured with the Wildcat, then why did the Jets let Brad Smith go?

QB Tim Tebow could not get anything done on the ground in the 45-10 loss to New England in last year's Wild Card game, and it's logical that the Pats will have his number again when they meet the Jets twice in the upcoming season. Photo: Stephan Savoia/AP

The Jets used it on 23 plays last year and 43 two years ago when Brad Smith was on the team. If you factor in all the plays a team has in a season it would average out to around 3-4 times a game where Tebow would run a ‘Wildcat’ formation. And for this the Jets gave up a 4th and 6th round draft pick? To bring out our point , the Jets, who could have used those picks for another right guard, or safety, or wide  receiver, instead blow it on a third quarterback. If it  isn’t obvious that they are really looking for more ‘attention’ instead of bettering their already dysfunctional team, than prepare yourself because New York hasn’t lost a football team, they’ve gained another circus.