Tim Tebow gets dissed by LSU QB, really?
LSU Tigers quarterback Zach Mettenberger completed 58.8% of his passes last season with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and his yards per attempt average was ninth in the SEC. Not so good, right? Mettenberger arrived at LSU with huge expectations as one of the top 200 recruits in the country, but he has yet to deliver on those. Former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron is the new man in charge of the offense in Death Valley, and that certainly bodes well for Mettenberger. He has great physical tools and should end up being a good quarterback for the Tigers, but he isn’t there yet; just look at the numbers.
New England Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow throws a pass during minicamp at the practice fields of Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
The mediocre 128.3 passer efficiency rating hasn’t stopped Mettenberger, though, from dissing an NFL quarterback, and he decided to take a potshot at New England Patriots third-string quarterback Tim Tebow. From WEEI, “It’s not like I’m Tim Tebow and have terrible mechanics.”
Ah, yes, Tebow and his troublesome mechanics. What I hate about Mettenberger saying this about Tebow is the fact that he is dissing one of the best players in college football history. Through all the cult following nonsense and “Tebowing”, people seem to forget to underscore just how amazing Tebow was with the Florida Gators. I mean, we are talking about a Heisman, National Championship quarterback here. Heck, Mettenberger isn’t even nearly as accomplished as former LSU quarterback Matt Flynn, who is in the NFL and won a National Championship with the Tigers.
Until Mettenberger actually has some tangible success, he can’t sit there and fling mud at Tebow. Yes, he has better mechanics than Tebow, but does it matter if he can’t even complete 60% of his passes yet at the collegiate level? It’s true that he was just a sophomore and I am as high on Mettenberger’s potential has anyone (especially with Cam Cameron in the fold), but there’s more to the game than just mechanics.
I don’t know why this bothers me, but it does. I don’t think Tebow is a legitimate NFL quarterback (there’s still hope that the Patriots can help develop him into something, as slim as that is), but Mettenberger is probably the last guy who should be saying this. It’s one thing when a fan, blogger, or analyst disses a player, but it is another thing with an athlete knocks on another athlete; it just doesn’t reflect well.