Not all of NY happy about Tebowmania
By Editor | March 22, 2012 | 0
Posted: Thursday, March 22, 2012 7:00 pm
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
NEW YORK (AP) — Tebowmania's headed to New York, and the drama has already started for Jets fans.
It began the moment the Jets pulled off the deal for the Broncos quarterback. Or thought they did.
Eight hours and one huge snag later, the trade was on again.
But not before the Jets added to the franchise's already lengthy list of embarrassing moments.
Sure, Tebowmania is coming to New York, but it certainly wasn't a smooth deal. And it didn't come without some controversy — something this Jets season could be filled with the moment Mark Sanchez struggles and restless fans call for Tebow to replace him.
"Mark Sanchez is, has been and will be our starting quarterback," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said on conference call late Wednesday night.
But the Jets have opened themselves — and Sanchez — to added pressure by bringing in Tebow. New York recently signed Sanchez to a three-year contract extension after falling out of the hunt for Peyton Manning, a vote of confidence for a quarterback whose pride took a serious shot at the end of last season as the Jets finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs. Some players questioned his leadership abilities, but Sanchez recently vowed to be the guy the franchise can lean on.
Turns out, Rex Ryan's Jets now have two of those guys, including one in Tebow who might automatically be the biggest star in New York right now. Not Sanchez. Not Derek Jeter. Not even Jeremy Lin.
"I'm just excited for him and to see what he does," Lin said in Philadelphia, where the Knicks beat the 76ers. "We'll see what happens next year."
Just a few weeks after "Linsanity" swept New York and the rest of the NBA, "Timsanity" now will take over New York after the Jets acquired the polarizing quarterback and a seventh-round draft pick from the Denver Broncos for fourth- and sixth-round picks.
Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath, who led the Jets to their only Super Bowl title in 1969, was among many who were unhappy about the deal.
"I'm just sorry that I can't agree with this situation. I think it's just a publicity stunt. I can't go with it. I think it's wrong," Namath told 1050 ESPN Radio on Wednesday. "I don't think they know what they're doing over there."
The trade was completed hours after the sides initially agreed to a deal, which was hung up when the Jets balked at repaying Denver more than $5 million for a salary advance due Tebow. The two sides agreed to split that cost, and Tannenbaum said the team was "comfortable with the compensation."
Published in The Messenger 3.22.12