thependulumswings

Why can’t we have one thing without the other?  It’s because today’s society says we can’t.

Any moment that could be viewed as a good one is torn down by the other side because someone a) unfairly benefited, b) has white privilege, c) it’s the good old boys again, etc, etc.

This time as the Jacksonville Jaguars might/probably/will offer Tim Tebow one more shot at his American Dream, we get a barrage of “if Tebow gets a chance so should Kapernick.”  One has everything to do with the other on the obvious level,  but it has nothing to do with the other when you dig into any of the details surrounding Tebow’s latest and likely last attempt at playing NFL ball.

Tebow’s old college coach Urban Meyer is now the Jaguars headman.  They won a championship or two together a decade ago at the U of Florida.  Maybe Meyer loves what Tebow brings to the locker room.  Work ethic and leadership come to mind.  If you just wondered about Kapernick’s work ethic and leadership you just fell into the same trap described above.  They’re mutually exclusive of one another.  But, that’s ok, we’ll play along as well.

Tebow has been asked to try the TE position before but was adamant about playing QB.  He’s gotten as many offers at QB in the last eight years as Kapernick has in the last four.  That would be zero.  So, a new position on a new position gives air to a 34-year-old’s last attempt.

Maybe he won’t make it, maybe he will.  But his willingness to try earns the short-term modest contract and opportunity in an old coaches’ eye.

Meanwhile, last we saw Kaepernick he was supposed to show his skills (after a couple of years away from the sport) to those NFL scouts, coaches, and GMs that decided to make the effort to see him in the much-ballyhooed, arranged by the NFL, tryout.

How did Kapernick do? Well, he showed up late.  He showed up with his own film crew (unannounced prior)  that he was insisting be allowed to record the event.  Then he refused to go through some of the workout as planned by the NFL.

The word that is opposite of willing is unwilling.  Unwilling usually doesn’t get you as far along in a job search as willing might.

Meanwhile, has anyone looked up the personnel breakdown stats in the NFL?  In 2019 59% of the players identified as African American, and in 2020 that percentage had risen to a tick below 70%.  With that as the backdrop, we ask the question, “if any NFL team thought Colin Kaepernick (baggage included) thought that he could help them win on the field, in the locker room, or in their community, wouldn’t they sign him?”

When Antonio Brown signed on mid-season last year with Tampa Bay, why didn’t anyone scream about Kaepernick then?  Or Tebow for that matter?

Malcontents abound in the league.  Your skillset has to more than offset your drama though.

Tim Tebow brings no drama.  He may also bring no skillset at TE either.

In the world of supply and demand, there is little for Tebow (even with all of that white privilege) and less for Kaepernick.  But, that assertation doesn’t work with the narrative of the day.