Sun Sentinel

Sadly, now that Jags don't want Tebow, he is done as NFL quarterback

Jacksonville GM Caldwell following closed-minded path

Mike Bianchi


11:47 PM EST, January 11, 2013


Running off at the typewriter

Well, it's already official. New Jacksonville Jaguars GM David Caldwell has only been on the job a couple of days and he's already as big a dummy as old Jacksonville Jaguars GM Gene Smith. Caldwell, in only his second day on the job, closed the door on the Jags acquiring Tim Tebow.



Beyond comprehension.

The most irrelevant, uninteresting franchise in the NFL turns its back on a hometown hero — the most beloved athlete and biggest celebrity to ever come from Jacksonville. It would be understandable if the Jags, like the Broncos last season, were getting ready to sign Peyton Manning, but that's far from the case. The Jags, for crying out loud, were 2-14 this season and currently have Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne as their top two QBs. If they could acquire Tebow, build a system around him and somehow find a way to win, they'd be the most talked-about franchise in the league. And if they didn't win — oh well. Then they'd just go back to being the same old irrelevant Jags. When you have nothing, you have nothing to lose.

Unfortunately, the Jaguars are just another cookie-cutter NFL franchise who are unwilling to do things differently. They'd rather fail with a conventional quarterback than take a chance on winning with an unconventional one.

And please spare me the rhetoric about how the Jags don't need the dog-and-pony show that comes with Tebow. Why not? Without Tebow, they're just a bunch of dogs. Give me the pony, too. Who doesn't like a pony? Ponies are fun!

Sadly, I'm afraid this marks the end of Tebow as an NFL quarterback.

If his woebegone hometown team won't even give him a legitimate chance to be a starter then nobody will. …

SHORT STUFF: How decisively was Notre Dame destroyed by Alabama on Monday night? Let me put it this way: It was so bad that Touchdown Jesus lowered his hands and put them over his eyes. Even he couldn't bear to watch. … And is it just coincidence that Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly decided to interview with the Philadelphia Eagles after that Bama beatdown? Nick Saban must be one bad hombre. He beat Urban Meyer so badly, Meyer quit at Florida a few days later. And now he's beaten Notre Dame so badly, Kelly is thinking about high-tailing it to the NFL. … Speaking of Urban, did you see where former Gator running back Chris Rainey was cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers after being arrested for hitting his girlfriend? Yes, the same Chris Rainey who threatened to kill his girlfriend via text message at UF but was allowed back on the team by Meyer. It's pretty sad when an NFL franchise has more ethics and principles than one of our institutions of higher earning, er, learning. …

It's sad and tragic that former NFL superstar Junior Seau committed suicide a few months ago, but it's incredibly presumptuous for all the pundits to blame NFL-induced head trauma for Seau's depressed condition. The fact is most people who commit suicide never played a down of football in their lives. Seau had relationship issues, prescription drug issues and financial issues. Isn't it just as likely that any one of those factors had as much to do with his depression than concussions did? …

Rob Chudzinski being named the new coach of the Cleveland Browns is what I like to call a Nancy Pelosi hire — not very sexy. … Can you believe everybody cast their ballots and nobody got voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Hey, that sounds like a Florida election! … Magic sharpshooter J.J. Redick says he could beat any other NBA player in "Jeopardy." Isn't that like me saying I could beat Jerry Greene in the 110-meter high hurdles? … And isn't it time we started referring to A.J. McCarron as Katherine Webb's boyfriend? … Finally, the NHL lockout is over. Now we can get back to watching football! … Mary Lee, a 16-foot, 3,500-pound Great White Shark whom scientists tagged and named in Cape Cod, was said to be swimming off the coast of Jacksonville earlier this week. Hey, Jags, see what happens when you stiff Tebow?


Don't forget, you can click on and read the wildly popular Open Mike blog and interactive extravaganza to get my freshest takes on what's happening in the world of sports. Here's an updated blog item about where Alabama coach Nick Saban ranks in the pantheon of college football legends.

Move over, Bear Bryant.

After Nick Saban's 42-14 victory over Notre Dame in the BCS national title game, he supplants you as the greatest coach in SEC history.

No, he doesn't have the legendary aura or the cool hat, but he has three national titles in four years and four overall when you count the natty championship he won at LSU.

Yes, the Bear won six national championships and 13 SEC crowns during his career, but let's be honest: In the Bear's day, there weren't a zillion schools out there who had the resources or desire to compete for national championships. The Bear didn't have to worry about Boise State or Kansas State or even Florida or Oregon.


It's the same reason, I also don't give UCLA legend John Wooden the nod as the greatest college basketball coach of all-time even though he has more national titles (10) than any other coach in Division 1-A history. In Wooden's day, there were many schools (see entire SEC except for Kentucky) that didn't even try to compete at the upper level of college basketball. At the University of Florida, for instance, there was a day when the head basketball coach also doubled as an assistant football coach.



Move over, Bear.

You are now the second-greatest coach in SEC history.



On my column about how college football just matters more in the SEC: "Of course the SEC cares more. Most of the schools are located down a pig path in a state where the only professional sport is wrestling and NASCAR!"

On Alabama dominating Notre Dame: "Touchdown Jesus just changed his name to 3rd-and-14 Jesus."

On Dwight Howard injuring his shoulder while playing for the Lakers: "Will he come to Orlando to rehab it?"


Three of my favorite quotes from this week's late-night talk shows:

Jay Leno: "According to several reports, a lot of people think 2013 is going to be bad luck because it has the number 13 in it. You know what you call these people? Notre Dame fans."

Conan O'Brien: "Good news for hockey. After 113 days, the National Hockey League has settled its contract dispute. The last time Americans went 113 days without watching hockey, it was during last year's hockey season."

Jimmy Fallon: "Lance Armstrong's lawyer is denying reports that he will admit to using performance-enhancing drugs. He said that Lance has been very consistent about his intentions to just keep lying about it." Follow him on Twitter @BianchiWrites. Listen to his radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on 740 AM.