It was anything but normal and calm last week for the NFL. Trades were made and scandals uncovered.
Peyton Manning made headlines when the Colts did not extend his contract, and he was on the search for another team to sign him. While many people had their ideas about where he would end up, he inevitably made the choice to sign with the Denver
Broncos for the 2012-13 football season.
This move, however, brought up another question. What would happen to Tim Tebow?
Tebow had been the quarterback for the Broncos and in one season, the term “Tebowing” was created. I remember hearing about Christmas cards with him Tebowing on the front and seeing pictures on Facebook of friends Tebowing. With all this hype around him, I figured Tebow would be sticking around Denver.
It was a shock to find out that last week, Tebow was traded to the Jets. Once again, Tebow was in the middle of more hype and more questions. Many thought Tebow’s off-field popularity was the reason the Jets took Tebow, but the Jets owner, Woody Johnson, said it was strictly a football move and nothing more.
“Our mission is to win games pure and simple,” Johnson told ESPN. “We think that Tim Tebow has been a winner all his life.”
With all the craziness revolving around him, Tebow has taken it in stride even though he has become a most unusual distraction in professional football.
The New Orleans Saints have also been a team that has made the news recently but not for the good.
Sean Payton, the head coach for the Saints has taken full responsibility for the scandal that has circled the team. He
apologized for the bounty system that has been happening and money offered to the defensive line for hitting opponents and knocking them out of the game.
Payton was suspended for a year and the defensive coach, Gregg Williams, who had been warned of doing this before, has been banned from the league. The NFL also put an eight game suspension on general manager Mickey Loomis and a six game
suspension on the Saints’ assistant coach, Joe Vitt.
Payton had lied to the league that anything was going on and even told his defensive assistants to lie. It was also said that 22 to 27 players were involved in the scandal. I believe the consequences of this scandal were not too harsh. Payton and Williams should not have ignored a reminder to stop the bounty when they were told three years ago, and they should not have lied to the league about it.
The next step for the Saints is to choose a stand-in coach for the upcoming year while having with the league watch their every move. Only time will tell how the Saints will hold up in the 2012 season.
With news swirling around Manning, Tebow and the Saints, it’s hard to avoid the fact that this upcoming year is going to be
an interesting one. It will be worth it to stay tuned.
