Thursday, January 02, 2014

2013 BBS Awards: Varitek Award for Most Overrated Athlete

This goes to the athlete whose actual production paled in comparison to the hype that surrounded him. It's named after Jason Varitek because in his later years, people gave him way too much credit for what he actually did on the field. This award shouldn't be looked on as a criticism of its recipient, but of the fans and media who praised him too much.

This year I can only think of one athlete who deserves this award. It's more because of the attention he got outweighing his contributions. It's Tim Tebow.


Tebow was the biggest story of the Patriots off-season up until Aaron Hernandez was arrested for murder. And as a former college teammate, Tebow managed to become part of that story too. He was the biggest draw at training camp. Tebow jerseys and shirts were everywhere.

He then struggled in the pre-season games. "Struggled" is actually a kind way to put it. He was awful. And nobody, except the most blindly faithful Tebowists out there, was shocked when the Patriots cut him.

And now he has a job at ESPN. And good for him. He seems like a nice guy. Especially in a sport that features murderers, rapists, wife-beaters, dog fighters, gangsters, and douchebags of all kinds.

And working at ESPN is perfect for him. He's already loved and adored by many people there. He's already smarter (and has a more accurate assessment of himself) than pundits like Skip Bayless.

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