The most polarizing figure in the NFL is at it again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ywHh69CbQ8
Adding another chapter to his legacy, Tim Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime, propelling the Denver Broncos to a 29-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC Wild Card stunner.
In the record books, it will look like a frozen rope that traveled 60 yards in the air and nestled perfectly-placed in the outstretched arms of Thomas, who merely high-stepped his way into the end zone for an easy game-winning touchdown.
In reality, it was a nicely-thrown skinny post that turned into a long gainer after Thomas threw a vicious stiff-arm on Ike Taylor and outraced Ryan Mundy to the end zone for one of the most exciting endings in NFL playoff history.
And the narrative? It stays the same. All Tebow, all the time.
Need proof? Consider:
Shortly after the conclusion of the game, it would seem that Yahoo! Sports gave the lion's share of credit to Thomas, the Broncos second-year wideout who set a team record for receiving yards in a playoff game (204), which was also the 7th-highest single-game total in NFL playoff history and the most receiving yards versus the Steelers in a playoff game, all post-merger. Thomas earned "cover boy" status in the aftermath of his performance in Denver:
That image was saved shortly after the Broncos' dramatic victory. A short time later, however, it was replaced...by this one:
It's not to say that this is indefensible. Tebow did become the first and only Broncos quarterback not named John Elway to throw for over 300 yards in a playoff game. He hit Thomas on a variety of deep balls and comported himself quite well to the big stage, as he was making his first playoff appearance. Plus, his name alone is an attention-grabber (see the title of this piece). But such a quick change in perspective leaves no doubt as to where the media descend when they want to sell a big story.
Next week, the hype will be escalated, as the Broncos face the Patriots in a rematch of Tim Tebow vs. Tom Brady. Brady and his boys spanked the Broncos in a heavily-hyped regular season game Week 15 in Denver. This game will be on the Patriots' home turf. Will the Broncos win? Likely not. But if they do, you can be sure who will get the credit. Even it's just from delivering a simple 15-yard skinny post and letting a talented receiver run wild.
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