AND SO IT BEGINS … After Tim Tebow practiced with Tom Brady and his new teammates, he made a prepared statement in front of swarming media (above). (AP (2))
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tim Tebow plays by Bill Belichick’s rules now, whether he plays one snap or not at all, because they all do, no matter who they were, or hope to be.
The NFL’s most polarizing figure has been granted this last chance, this best chance, to worship at the altar of his polar opposite, a man who would rather wrestle a polar bear than bare his soul to inquiring minds, or whip an army of Tebowmaniacs into a holy frenzy during practice.
This can be heaven for Tebow following his year in hell if he plays this right. There are verses in Tebow’s Bible that imply patience is a virtue, and so Tebow should do himself a favor and subdue the raging competitive fire inside him that left him feeling betrayed by Rex Ryan and the Jets and bide his time in 2013 and perhaps beyond and learn from the best and the brightest how to throw the football without making defensive coordinators and naysayers chortle.
In the meantime, because he gets no guarantees from Belichick, and no guaranteed money, he must remember to wear the happy face he wore until the bitter end of 2012, and dutifully play whatever role beyond quarterback Belichick asks him to play. And embrace whatever, wherever, whenever, for the good of his team, and his career.
See, it doesn’t matter whether you are Tom Brady, Anthony Weiner or Tim Tebow, if you can help Belichick win football games, you can be a Patriot. Tebow can run shirtless through the rain if he indoctrinates himself in the Patriot Way, and that process began on the first day of the rest of his NFL life, when he was a quarterback, and only a quarterback.
“It’s a circus out here, I love it,” cornerback Kyle Arrington said.
Only by Patriot standards was it a circus. Yet not a clown in sight. No ballyhooed Backup Quarterback press conference inside a fieldhouse inundated with media. Tebow is no longer a freak show, just another monk inside a football factory franchise that is championship-starved rather than attention-starved.
“From the outside looking in,” Aaron Hernandez said, “it looks like a big mess.”
But from the inside looking out, a different story.
“The media’s going to be around,” Hernandez said, “and if you let the media become a distraction, then that’s your fault. But obviously in this program, we don’t let that happen, and we just worry about playing football and taking care of ourselves.”
Belichick predictably tired of the incessant Tebow questions but managed to get off one funny when someone mentioned the media crowd at his morning presser: “Hopefully there will be more than that at the games on Sundays.”
Photographers and writers somehow still awake following Belichick’s dentist chair mumblefest lined up as savvy Patriots VP of Media Relations Stacey James ushered Tebow toward them after practice.
“He’s not going to take questions,” James forewarned.
I joked with Tebow: “We had a one-on-one scheduled, I thought,” and he smiled and asked, “Is that true?”
I lied, sue me.
There were maybe 100 media members present on this overcast day, watching Tebow juggle a football as he watched Brady and backup Ryan Mallett during the team period before he completed four of seven passes against the scrubs at the end of practice. It didn’t mean there wasn’t a last-gasp jockeying for position.
“You can relax, it’s all good, I’ll speak loud enough for everyone to hear,” Tebow began.
He should deliver a sermon sometime.
“First and foremost, I just want to thank the Patriots for giving me an opportunity. I’m very thankful. It’s such an honor to be a Patriot and play for Coach Belichick and for Coach [Josh] McDaniels, and learn under Tom [Brady], and be a part of this great franchise, and be a part of a very successful franchise. I found out firsthand; I’ve lost to ’em several times.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to working hard every single day and getting a lot better, and learning under some great people. … That’s all I got. Thank you all so much, and God bless. I’m sure we’ll be talking more soon.”
Hernandez and Brandon Spikes were Tebow teammates at Florida. Both professed their love for him. It’s the Patriot Way.
“Nobody’s safe here,” Spikes said.
Also the Patriot Way. Fine with Tebow, who would rather be unsafe than sorry.