Dylan Stinson
Assistant Sports Editor
Brady Quinn, backup quarterback for the Denver Broncos, recently made some antagonizing remarks directed toward Denver’s starting quarterback, Tim Tebow.
Quinn seems to think Tebow is overrated and believes the fans are the reason for Tebow getting playing time over him.
“Early in the season, there was a game when Kyle (Orton) got hurt and the coaches were calling for me to go in, but Kyle got up and finished the game out,” Quinn said. “So I was the second-string guy. Then, a few weeks later, they decided to put Tim in. I felt like the fans had a lot to do with that. Just ‘cause they were chanting his name. There was a big calling for him. No, I didn’t have any billboards. That would have been nice.”
Quinn also stated he doesn’t understand why everyone thinks Tebow is so humble, because he prays in front of the camera.
“If you look at it as a whole, there’s a lot of things that just don’t seem very humble to me,” he said. “When I get that opportunity, I’ll continue to lead not necessarily by trying to get in front of the camera and praying but by praying with my teammates, you know?”
It seems like someone has a bit of a jealousy issue. Quinn is only making himself look bad in this situation. He’s criticizing a man who completely turned a team’s season around, excuse me, HIS team’s season around.
Quinn should be ecstatic for the way Tebow managed the Broncos on the field. When Tebow took over, the Broncos had a 1-4 record, he finished out the season taking the Broncos to the playoffs while sporting an 8-5 record, passing for 12 touchdowns and running for another six. Are those the most impressive stats you’ve ever seen? Absolutely not, but the Broncos were winning! That’s all a team is supposed to be worried about.
There is no room for selfishness on a team. I feel like most people learn that while playing T-ball. To be a good team player you sometimes have to sacrifice your own wants and desires to do what’s best for the team. The character Quinn is displaying is not the kind of character you find in a leader or a true team player.
Leaders serve, encourage, work and, most importantly, know their role. Quinn isn’t a true team player because he is more concerned about his own playing time than he is the Broncos’ success.
So what if you’re not the starting quarterback, Quinn? Your team is going up and you get to be a part of that.
The problem with Quinn is the same problem we see with so many other athletes in today’s sports world: they don’t buy into the team. The best thing Brady Quinn could have done is encourage Tebow and support him in interviews.
I will say I respect Quinn’s honesty, but not really. You can be honest and still be encouraging and supportive. Instead of responding like a pissed off 13-year-old, Quinn could have said something like: “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t upset about Tim getting the starting role over me, but he is this team’s quarterback, therefore I support him and will do my best to help him and this team in any way I can.”
See how much better that sounds?
Get a grip, Brady. You sound like a child. An annoying child. A child who doesn’t get his way so he throws a fit and blames everyone else for his problems. “Whaaaahhhh the fans like Tim better than me! Whaaaaaaahh I was supposed to be the starter!” Shut up, Brady. Your golden boy days at Notre Dame are over with, for now at least. Oh, and you really weren’t that great anyway. Now you have a new role: Back up.
Here are some tips I’d like to say to Quinn:
1. Shut your mouth. As I stated earlier, if you want to be a good team player the best thing you can do is look to encourage your team as much as possible. Stop making stupid comments in the media that will do nothing but cause tension and bitterness.
2. Work hard. If you really want the starting job work your butt off and maybe one day you’ll get the shot. For now though, keep working hard and doing all you can to improve not only yourself but everyone around you. A good leader and teammate is focused on others and not himself.
3. KNOW YOUR ROLE! Brady, you’re a second string quarterback in the NFL behind one of the most popular athletes in America. There is absolutely no shame in that! Embrace this time and learn as much as you can while still doing everything that is asked of you with a serving/leadership mindset. Leaders serve and encourage, Brady. Just watch Tebow, he’ll teach you a thing or two.