The throwing motion is fixed. Unless your name rhymes with Modd TcShay
Tim Tebow debuted his new throwing motion Wednesday at Florida's pro day, and appears to have made some progress with the people who will actually decide where to draft him and not those who are just predicting where he will be drafted.
Raheem Morris, coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also known as the Team of 1,000 Quarterbacks:
"He didn't miss many throws. He came out there and did what he had to do. We all know what he can do with live bullets (flying in a game)."
Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox, also known as the Coach of 1,000 Lives:
"He's got great abilities. I think he showed that today," Carolina Panthers coach John Fox said. "I think he had a very, very good workout. ... Those intangibles are high on the list. Even more so than some of the mechanics. It's a unique position. Everyone evaluates differently."
Mike Holmgren of the Cleveland Browns:
"I would say this, if you look hard enough, anybody can be real picky about (quarterback mechanics). I think you've got to be careful of losing sight of the big picture — what kind of a winner is he and what kind of person is he? There's a lot of good about this young man. We'll see how it goes."
When Holmgren was asked if he thought Tebow would be a successful NFL quarterback, he said, "I'll steer clear of that one. I think Tim Tebow is one of the guys you root for. If he's on your football team, you have a better football team, and I'll leave it at that."
Now, who could possibly want to say anything negative in light of all that? Oh, yeah, him. Mr. McShay?
"I thought it was a positive performance. ... He's not a first-round draft pick, period," McShay said. "First- and second-round draft picks, you have to hit in today's NFL consistently with starters, guys who start early. If you're not a one, you're a two."
Am I the only one that can see Todd McShay standing near the podium if Tebow ever were to win the Super Bowl and grumbling, "Still doesn't have a good throwing motion. Should never have gone on the first day. ... "
Chad Henne -- yes, that Chad Henne -- is also among Tebow's critics.
"My judgment is that he's not an NFL quarterback," Henne told Curtis Stevenson and Anita Marks of WQAM in Miami regarding Tebow. "I'll leave it at that."
(HT: SBNation.com)
And Henne should be listened to by all. Because it's not like he's from a nearby team that might consider drafting Tim Tebow. No. Definitely not. Who does he play for again?
Things are going so well, in fact, that Tebow has been invited to the NFL Draft celebration in New York City. This would be a terrible idea for any quarterback -- just ask Brady Quinn. But it's nice to be invited, right?
He's baaaaaaaack
Meanwhile, Urban Meyer has returned to his head coaching position. Or already had.
Meyer said he actually returned a few weeks ago as the head coach. He declined to talk about the battery of tests he underwent in February, reiterating that he felt good.
How long Meyer's "leave of absence" actually was, if it even existed, is open for debate. As is the ultimate impact, though it appears that the most dire predictions of some hair-brained pundits went too far. Oh well.
Lane Kiffin doesn't approve of Derek Dooley's coaching methods
Apparently, Tennessee's new coach isn't willing to say anything just to get the logos and colors in the newspaper.
"You can get too much of a coach," Dooley said. "There's been nothing to report. There's been no news. I think people get sick of reading and hearing it, because ultimately, I'm going to keep on saying the same stuff. What else is there to talk about? ...
"That's just my style. I'm here to represent the program, not just get in front of the media and talk."
To whom could he have possibly been referring?
Not that there's been a total lack of communication with the media, including a new exchange over the call-before-you-arrive policy for former Vols attending practice.
"How confusing is this?" the new UT coach exclaimed in his pre-spring practice press conference inside Neyland Stadium on Wednesday. "When you go to somebody's house, what do you do? You just don't walk in. You go 'Hey Jimmy, I'm going to come over today.' Boom. What so hard about that? We try to create an issue that isn't there." ...
I'd like to know who is coming. I don't think that's unreasonable. I don't know a lot of the former players. So I'd like to know in advance that 'Hey, so-in-so is going to be here' so I can go shake his hand, meet him and talk to him. I don't know why that's so unreasonable. What am I missing? Is there some tradition I'm missing here?"
Actually, coach, the fact that they're not showing up with pellet guns and demanding your money is progress.
Oh, actual football:
"Any time you start with a new quarterback, it's a hard management issue because there's only one ball and only one play and only one guy doing it at a time," Dooley said Wednesday during a press conference inside Neyland Stadium. "The way we structure practice, we're going to give them plenty of opportunity and plenty of reps. I can tell you this: the quarterback position will not be settled by the end of spring. This is a body of work over time."
Vols fans: Better or worse than another year of Crompton?
Play Ball!
Scores from Wednesday:
LSU 10, Nicholls State 3
Alabama 9, Minnesota 4
South Carolina 8, Davidson 3
Kentucky 11, Wright State 1
Vanderbilt 17, Western Kentucky 6
Tennessee 13, Morehead State 2
Auburn 18, Alabama A&M 0
Mississippi State 16, Mississippi Valley State 2
SEC games begin this weekend, which might be a bit too soon for LSU, but look for your team's first matchup to be part of our Friday preview.