Esiason’s Latest Tebow Rant: Hatred or Delusion?

Poor Norman Julius Esiason. It must be so miserable to live with such hatred or delusion. At this point, I’m not sure which of the two maladies afflicts “Boomer,” the former Bengals’ and Jets’ Quarterback and current CBS football analyst who seems to have some type of creepy obsession with Tim Tebow. In yet another rant directed at the Heisman Trophy winner and two-time National Champion with the Florida Gators (which is one more Heisman and two more National Championships than Mr. Esiason), Boomer let loose on Monday with a tirade on his New York radio show aimed at the Jets’ organization in general and Tim Tebow in particular.

The former quarterback for Gang Green — who led the franchise to exactly zero Super Bowl wins in NYC to go along with his zero Super Bowl wins in Cincinnati — comes across as an arrogant jerk who hates Tim Tebow, the man and the football player. Given his clear animus against Tebow, why he would want his daughters to marry the Jet’s backup QB is beyond me. As a sidenote, why would Tim Tebow want to marry into a family where the potential father-in-law has shown such personal disdain for how you make a living?

Of course, Esiason’s comments should not surprise most astute observers. From Tebow’s first touchdown of his rookie season, Esiason has displayed a hateful attitude toward Tebow that manifests itself in denigrating the young man’s football abilities, all the while applying inconsistent standards that he would not apply to anyone else in Tebow’s position. Would Esiason (along with Dan Marino) have mocked a Michael Vick or Cam Newton or Sam Bradford for scoing their first NFL touchdown running instead of passing as he (and Marino) did to Tebow? Has Boomer called for the Arizona Cardinals to cut Kevin Kolb after his abysmal performance in the Hall of Fame pre-season game where he went 1 for 4 and threw an interception on his first pass? Why not, since he thinks Tebow should be cut after a SCRIMMAGE game in which he went 1 for 4 as well? I could continue, but I have forgotten how many time that Boomer Esiason, Merril Hoge, Stephen A. Smith, and others have applied completely inconsistent and grossly unfair standards to Tim Tebow that they will not apply to any other quarterback who has started and/or played in a comparable number of games.

Speaking of playing in games, how many games has Tim Tebow played in as a NY Jet? Oh, that’s right — zero, zilch, nada, zippo. But yet, Mr. Esiason thinks that Tebow should be cut NOW, before he even plays in a pre-season game and before he even takes the field in one regular season game. Said Esiason:

“You want to know if I were the Jets what I would do?” Esiason asked. “I would cut Tim Tebow. I really would.And I’ll tell you why I would,” Esiason added. “Because it’s not in any way, shape or form, I think, benefiting this team.”

What should one say to Norman after his irrational rant? First off, you are not “the Jets.” Secondly, you are the only person who has the arrogance to ask a question that no one wants to hear your answer for. Third, to say that Tebow — who was voted by his peers as one of the 100 best football players in 2011 —  is not in “ANY way, shape or form, I think, benefitting this team,” shows that you are not just a hater, but that you are completely delusional. Even if you thought that Tebow would be a bust (which you obviously do), why do you open your mouth so as to remove ALL doubt that you, sir, are a fool? Well, maybe an idiot. At least that’s what Tim Hasselbeck, former NY Giants’ backup quarterback and current NFL analyst thinks of your comments:

“I think it’s laughable that Boomer Esiason would say that you should cut Tim Tebow,” Hasselbeck told The Post. “With all due respect to him that’s an idiotic statement. The guy is a good football player period. No one can dispute that. If you dispute that you’ve lost your mind.”

Boomer’s comments would be laughable if they were not so pathetically sad. But no matter the ridicule that he endures, Tim Tebow handles it like a person who has been blessed. Asked to respond to Boomer’s comments, the young man said:

“I’ve heard nothing but great things about Mr. Esiason. I know he was a great player here, and I just wish him nothing but the best in his announcing and God bless him.”

God bless him, indeed. For God knows much more about Tim Tebow’s future than Boomer could ever dream. I’m quite certain that we have not heard the last anti-Tebow rant from Boomer. But, from here on out, every time I hear another one come out of the mouth of Norman Julius Esiason, I will be reminded of Joseph N. Welch’s now classic response to Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Army-McCarthy Hearings:

“Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator. You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”