01/09 (Tebow) Quickie

You all know how I feel about Tim Tebow and even I didn't see that one coming.

Here's what I do know, and this goes to the heart of the Tebow phenomenon: Every time you think that Tebowmania can't get any more intense, insane or improbable... it does.

I had been arguing all week that Tebow didn't need to win yesterday's game to validate his season or his NFL career -- simply helping the Broncos get to the playoffs was more than enough.

And yet after yesterday's game -- Tebow's finest as a pro and, given the context, one of the greatest performances by any player in NFL playoff history -- Tebow has a new defining moment.

Not just in the NFL, but for his entire career.

Even the haters had to admit Tebow pulled off something special -- at minimum, they were speechless.

Oh, the Steelers might have misjudged their strategy -- but isn't that part of the strategic advantage you get with Tebow?

This is football's version of "rope-a-dope," with two opponents: The first was the Steelers, lulled into thinking that Tebow can't possibly pass, that the Broncos would rely even more heavily on the run, that his receivers can't make plays. The second was Tebow-haters, who pummeled Tebow for three weeks, only to find themselves winded and, ultimately, KO'ed when Tebow pulled off his greatest feat yet.

I will resume last week's expectations-setting: There is no shame in Tebow and the Broncos losing next Saturday to the Patriots at Foxboro. New England is the No. 1 seed in the AFC, playing at home, coming off a bye week, with the smartest coach and winningest QB. But no one can take away yesterday's win from Tebow, the Broncos and fans.

More:

*More NFL Playoffs: ...And yet people still put down Tebow and hold up Matt Ryan as an example of a "prototype" NFL QB.

*CFB: BCS Title Game! I'm picking Alabama to beat LSU, because all things being roughly equal, it's more motivating to seek revenge than to seek repetition. If Alabama wins, they should get the No. 1 ranking, and LSU should finish No. 2. None of this "split title" stuff.

*Baseball Hall of Fame: I feel strongly that Jeff Bagwell deserves to be in, but even more strongly that any voter keeping him out from unfounded suspicions of PED usage should be banned from being a Hall of Fame voter. Others I would have voted in: Larkin, Raines, Mark McGwire, Edgar Martinez. Very good chance that Larkin is the only player admitted today.

*Varsity Dad, Part 1: I took Gabe to the Wizards debacle yesterday. I will say this: The Wizards' best fan is a five-year-old, because he was paying less attention to what was going on on the court than he was to his cotton candy, the Wizards Girls, the Kiss-Cam, the Chipotle blimp, etc. Meanwhile, my Wizards are the worst team I have ever seen on an NBA court.

*Varsity Dad, Part 2: First practice for my team of 5-year-old basketball players. The other team sharing the court with us was the Kobra Kai of Kindergarten basketball. They were so organized as to be kind of scary.

Stick with Quickish all day for Tebow reactions, Baseball Hall reactions, BCS title game lead-up and more.

-- D.S.