Tebow!

     Tim Tebow isn't a person. Tim Tebow is a character. Tim Tebow is old school grit, rah-rah attitude, and wholesome American values. Sure, there is a man named Tim Tebow, but people aren't polarized by him, but the character that has been built up since ESPN showed a high school game of his. That's what I'm writing about, the TV character Tim Tebow.

     When Tim was a Florida Gator, nobody cared about his throwing style. Nobody cared that he couldn't read Cover 2 schemes or blitz packages. College Tebow was a winner. College Tebow fired up his teammates, he threw jump passes, wrote Bible verses under his eyes, and played football in a way that made your grandma proud. The media loved Tim Tebow, so much so that they turned a lot of sports fans off.

     This isn't the first (or last) time this will happen. Remember Tyler Hansbrough? I hate that guy. ESPN raved about him for four years at UNC to the point it turned me into a Hansbro-hater. We live in a world now where it is easy to over saturate the market with stories and fluff pieces about a certain player, especially one who isn't even a pro yet.

     Anyway, back to Tebow. Last year in the draft, something bad happened. Tim Tebow was drafted in the 1st round of the NFL Draft. We as sports fans had watched Tebow play in Gainesville with the mindset that Tim Tebow would fade away after he graduated. He might get drafted, but like a lot of QBs of his type, would fade away quickly. Like a bad guy in a horror movie, Tebow wouldn't die. And this year, he found new life, as the NFL version of Sanjaya.

     The new version of Tim Tebow is a culmination of media over-hype and 24/7 over analyzation. We've been told he's great, not ready for next level, best college player ever, won't know NFL defenses, ultimate team player, horrible mechanics, devout Christian, better career chance if he changes positions, super awesome guy, and will set your franchise back 5 years with him as QB.

     So after being told he's great, then told he sucks, what are we supposed to think about Tim Tebow? I feel like opinions of Tebow, more than any athlete ever, have been shaped by what other people have told us about him. We've hated him because people loved him too much, we loved him because of all the wonderful things we're told about him, we've hated him for not fitting the mold we were told makes an NFL quarterback, and we've loved him because people hate him so much.

     None of this makes sense, and yet it all makes sense. That's Tim Tebow.  I've face-palmed at least a half-dozen times writing this post. I can't put my finger on what I want to say about what I think Tebow is, and it's probably for the best.

Pay 'Em!

     Brandon Philips wants to get paid. He's the best Second Baseman in the game, he's just 30, and he's coming off a solid season where he hit for over .300. He has made it clear he'd like to stay in Cincinnati, but isn't giving the "homeboy discount". I can understand that. It seems like a lot of people can't.

     Fans use the argument all the time, "Boy, if I got paid a million bucks to play a kids game, I wouldn't complain and ask for more money". I hate that mentality. Any fan that thinks that is a hypocrite. There are a lot of problems I have with that sentiment and I'm going to address it here. *Gets on soapbox*

1. Players can't play forever - Sure, these guys make a TON of money, but they can't play pro sports forever. Most guys might not make it to 30, and with steroids banned, very few hit 40. Athletes need to make their money when they can.
2. Look at your peers - I worked at a gas station making 5.25 an hour, I was fine with it. Then another guy came in that I felt didn't work as hard as me and he made 5.75 an hour. 10% more than me? The rest of the time he worked there, I felt disrespected. We did the same work and he made more. If at your job a new guy came in and did the same thing as you and made 10% more and you had seniority, I bet you wouldn't like it.
3. It's all about your industry - If the good people in your industry made between 12-20 million dollars a year, and you fit in that category, don't you deserve that money too? 

     Look, it's real easy to see the astronomical salary figures and figure that these guys are overpaid. To me, these guys aren't overpaid because the teams make money. Call me crazy, but I'd MUCH rather see guys on the field cashing in instead of some already super rich old guy in a luxury box.

     Do the Reds want to pay @DatDudeBP? We'll find out. But whether they do or not, Brandon Philips deserves to get paid. We all do.

Ace of Spades

     Quick, name a Motorhead song. (Waiting) Ok, raise your hand if you said the following: 1. Ace of Spades 2. Who's Motorhead? Most people know Motorhead for that one song, Ace of Spades (or maybe through Triple H). Lemmy, the rock legend and frontman for Motorhead, hates that song. He's played it a million times.

     That's what this blog turned into for me. It was my Ace of Spades. I didn't want to write anymore, but I felt like I had to pump SOMETHING out every day or every other day. Eventually, I got to the point that instead of writing once a week or so, I quit altogether. Which sucked. I like writing, I like being opinionated, and letting you know what I'm about. So from now on, I'm writing a couple times a week, or really whenever I feel like it. Which I hope is enough to keep you checking out the blog and telling you loved ones to read my posts.

     So what's happened to me since I've last posted? Well, I'm married to a lovely lady, Jessica. I'm busy as a producer at 700WLW and as Slakk on 102.7 WEBN. I've been playing video games, much to my wife's chagrin. That's about it.

     Expect a burst of posts within the next week or so, I've got a lot to say. I look forward to making my spot on the Internet a good one. If you have a topic or question for me, randyaslack@gmail.com is my e-mail and I'm consistently on Twitter @RandySlack