Saturday afternoon the University of Florida played a woefully undermanned Kentucky football team.
I know what you’re thinking. Yes. I hate Florida. No. I don’t recognize Kentucky (except on a map). So what gives?
Well, this rant is about karma, leadership, common sense, sportsmanship and the Antichrist.
The Gators came into the game with some issues, and one that was fairly serious was the fact that Tebow along with three other players were suffering from flu-like symptoms that were so severe, the university arranged for the four to fly separately from the team to Lexington.
At the time, Florida was the number one team in the country. Kentucky was not ranked. I am certain or at least fairly confident that Florida could have won not only without Tebow playing but also with no quarterback at all.
The Gators, under the leadership of Urban Meyer and quarterback and 2007 Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow, was whipping UK’s ass. Florida was up 31-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Yep. A 31 point lead after 15 minutes of football.
Let’s say I’m Urban Meyer the coach. I have the best team in the country. I have a huge lead. I have a bye week after this game which gives me two full weeks to step off the gas, rest some guys, heal some that are nicked up or outright injured, and also I can get some guys some playing time and experience that they wouldn’t normally get.
Now let’s say I am Urban Meyer the man. I’m killing this Kentucky team and my team’s spiritual, emotional and physical leader is clearly not okay. There will still be Heisman stats available for him down the road. Right now is the time to protect Tim Tebow the person as well as Tim Tebow the football player.
Instead, none of that last bit happened.
Tebow was still playing into the third quarter when he got absolutely center-punched off the defense’s right side. I mean he got his fucking plow cleaned. As in shoulders hitting the ground WELL before the feet did.
If you haven’t seen it, here’s a link to it .
And that was before his head struck a player’s leg and whipped violently forward, knocking Tebow unconscious.
After a couple of minutes Tebow was helped from the field to a cart where on several occasions he vomited into a plastic bag. (nausea and vomiting are obvious signs of a concussion or other head injury).
Florida went on to win while Tebow was transported to a local hospital for overnight observation.
The question everyone is asking and will ask for the next two weeks is whether Tebow will be ready for LSU in two weeks.
And the answer is no.
Any physician anywhere that folks can find to interview says that sitting out four weeks is imperative for an injury like this to prevent the occurrence of another concussion.
And now it’s up to Urban Meyer to do the right thing.
And I have zero faith that he will.
Meyer came to Florida from Utah and was seemingly a great guy. Since then, he’s transformed into a colossal douche, and I don’t know if it’s just the people there or what.
The smart and right thing to do for Tebow is to sit him the four weeks. But Meyer won’t. Of course they’ll talk about Tebow demanding to play and that he’s saying he is ready and he’s a leader and a warrior and all of that crap. That’s what he should say. He’s a kid. A big and athletic one, but a kid nonetheless. It’s Meyer’s job as his coach and mentor to do the right thing by Tebow.
Meyer should look ahead and see that this decision could affect how parents welcome UF coaches into their living room wondering if their child is an un-damageable hunk of meat there to serve at the High Holy whims of coach Jackass.
Let’s see what’s truly most important to Meyer, Florida and fans of UF football. I’m pretty confident that the deciding factors won’t have anything to do with what’s best for Tebow that day, the day after, and / or his future in the NFL.
What say you?