Only in New York can such a circus exist. The Jets, knocked out of the playoffs on Sunday, still merit attention because of the spectacular nature of their descent and the fluidity of the quarterback position.
Tim Tebow, the ultimate company man, finally has had a bad week. US Weekly reports that he split after two weeks of dating actress Camilla Belle. Meanwhile, Tebow revealed his frustration with being on a team that traded for him but was unwilling to give him a fair shot at playing — even as starter Mark Sanchez was finally benched for play so bad it defies comprehension.
Third string Greg McElory, one of the few silent parts of the Jets’ season, bolted to starter over Tebow, making for all kinds of speculation in the city that thrives on speculation.
Let’s hear first from Tebow, who has had just 70 snaps at QB all season: “All you can ask for, all you want is a chance — a chance to go out and play the game you love and help this team win football games,” he said. “That’s all I wanted. I tried to make the most of every opportunity I had. I would’ve loved to have had more.
“Some things are hard to understand.”
Here is Sanchez (NFL-leading 24 turnovers), who ESPNNewYork.com indicated is on the trading block: “I’m not going to go into hypotheticals about me being here or not being here. Any questions about, ‘What’s going to happen next year? Are you going to be a starter again?’ I’m not even going to go there.
“A ton of emotions go through your mind At the forefront is just disappointment. You’re upset, frustrated with my play and some of the decisions I’ve made — not just for myself, but for the team. Losing hurts and playing poorly hurts.”
Finally, here is new starter McElroy from quotes distributed by the Jets:
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is a great moment and a great milestone in my career. Obviously this is something I’ve looked forward to and I’ve dreamed about my entire life. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity.
“I can’t say enough about (Sanchez and Tebow). It makes the situation difficult because you love those guys, you want to see them have success, but at the same time I know if the roles were flipped, I’d be rooting those guys on and they’ll be doing the same for me.”
