Gopher football 2013 letter grades - Potential Ad Nauseam

Quaterback – C:

Philip Nelson has promise, but he must become a more consistent passer.  He has the arm talent to get there.  I’m not sold on Mitch Leidner or Chris Streveler being competent B1G backups, but we shall see…

Running Back – B+:

I think Minnesota has all the ingredients.  The hard running, physical styles of Donnell Kirkwood and Rodrick Williams should complement the speedy Berkley Edwards perfectly.   For the first time in 8 years, there is real talent and depth in the Gophers backfield.

Offensive Line – B:

Lots of depth and “potential” here, however this unit must stay healthy in order to maximize it.  The Olson brothers are the key, if they can stay healthy then look out.  Highest ceiling of all the Gopher units in my opinion. 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends – C:

Like Philip Nelson, the wide receivers and tight ends do not lack talent and potential, but must be more consistent.   The lack of a true #1 WR must be addressed in fall camp.  Andre McDonald has all world potential and Jamel Harbison looked fantastic in the spring game less than 8 months after tearing his ACL.  Isaac Freuchte is a solid receiver who should more than double is catch total from last year.  Maxx Williams looked the part of a big time tight end in the spring game.  Potential to be much better than the letter grade, but not a lot to go off of right now.

Defensive Line – B:

Ra'Shede Hageman “looks” like the best and most intimidating defensive player in the B1G.  However, Big Shede must become more consistent and not take plays off, the latter of which he listed as one of his goals after the spring.  Roland Johnson is a nice space eater in the middle and Thieren Cockran has all B1G potential at DE.

Linebacker – D:

Right now this unit is a complete unknown and a real concern.  De’Vondre Campbell has all the tools, he held offers from Texas, Kansas State, and Tennessee before signing with the Gophers.  Damien Wilson has caught a bunch of people’s eyes as well.  James Manuel and LaMonte Edwards are undersized linebackers that need be become more consistent.  This group has potential, but right now it is a complete unknown.

Secondary – B+:

Loads of talent and depth at safety and cornerback.  I think it’s the strength of the team.  Don’t laugh I’m serious.   Derrick Wells, Briean Boddy, Jeremy Baltazar, Martez Shabazz, and Eric Murray are all legitimate B1G corners.  The safety spots will be occupied by veteran Brock Vereen (arguably the smartest player on the team) and Antonio Johnson.

Special Teams – D:

This is a major concern.  The Gophers currently lack a punter or place kicker they can rely on.  The return game should be fine.

Overall team grade – C+:

I see strengths and weaknesses on this team, and ultimately I expect them to be just barely better than last year.  Staying healthy will be key.  Some positions lack depth such as linebacker, quarterback, and defensive line.  I used the word “potential” ad nauseam.

12 Step Program For Gopher Football Fans

1.    We admitted that we were powerless over the futility of the Gopher football team – that our lives had become unmanageable.

2.    Came to believe that a Power greater than Glen Mason could restore the Gophers back to glory.

3.    Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of the College Football Gods as we understood them.

4.    Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of the Gopher football program.

5.    Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of the wrongs of the Gopher football program.

6.    Were entirely ready to have the College Football Gods remove these defects of character.

7.    Humbly asked the College Football Gods to remove these shortcomings.

8.    Made a list of all persons we had harmed after a difficult loss, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9.    Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or ourselves.

10.  Continued to take inventory of the program and when we were awful, promptly admitted it.

11.  Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with the College Football Gods as we understood them, praying only for knowledge of their will for the Gopher football program and the power to carry that out.

12.  Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to all suffering fan bases and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Tebow lunatic fringes have been silenced

We can finally put the lunatic fringes to bed on Tim Tebow.  He will no longer be a quarterback in the NFL, at least not a quarterback with a significant role.   Tebow will be at best a 3^rd team quarterback brought in for a wildcat play or two, at worst a backup quarterback in the arena league.  Tebow was offered a contract by the Arena League’s Orlando Predators.  Tebow’s career in the NFL has been one marked by controversy before he even stepped foot on the field.  Just months before he was drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos, Tebow and his mother filmed a controversial pro-life commercial during the Super Bowl.  Recently Tebow backed out of an appearance at a Dallas Baptist Church with opinionated Pastor Robert Jeffress.  Jeffress has made controversial comments about homosexuals, Jews, Catholics, and Mormons.   Some people think Tebow backed out to save his image, but this isn’t about Tebow and what he does off the field, this is about his career on the field and the fact that it is disappearing faster than a plane through the Bermuda Triangle.

The New York Jets recently acquired journeyman quarterback David Garrard who has been cut recently by both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins.   The Jets current starter is Mark Sanchez.  Rumors are swirling that Tebow will be released.  What does that say about Tebow?  If David Garrard and Mark Sanchez look more attractive to the Jets it may be time to shut er’ down.  That means no more Tebow Centers on ESPN.  That means no more quarterback controversies involving Tebow.  The days of Tebow going 3-18 passing through three quarters and 15-20 passing in the 4^th quarter to lead a comeback win are no longer, at least in the NFL.  The Twitter fights between the followers of Skip Bayless and Pete Prisco will be no longer and you know what?  I’m sad about that.   The fact of the matter is Tebow brought about great debate whether you loved him or hated him, and let’s be honest almost no one was indifferent regarding Tebow.   Even if you were someone who disliked Tebow, you more than likely enjoyed the relevancy of Tebow and the debate it brought on.  The bottom line of Tebow is he polarized sports fans and brought endless debate because both the Tebow “apologists” and “haters” had concrete evidence to back up their stances.  If you were a Tebow believer you could point to the fact that he is a winner and great leader of men.  After all Tebow took over as starting quarterback for a Denver Broncos franchise that had gone 5-16 while he was the backup and 8-5 after he took over during the 2011 season including an exhilarating overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC playoffs.  If you are a Tebow critic you could say that he started every game miserably and if not for the defense keeping the Broncos in the game he never would have had the opportunity to lead those late game comebacks. 

So we are left with this….  Tim Tebow is going to have to move on to a new career/profession.  Will it be Tim Tebow the Politician?  Tim Tebow the Coach?  Tim Tebow the Pastor.  Tim Tebow the Arena Football League player?  Tim Tebow the businessman?  Or perhaps Tim Tebow the philanthropist.   Tebow has already built a children’s hospital in the Philippines and has brought someone from The Make a Wish Foundation to every one of his NFL games to date.   We will no longer have debates over whether Tebow should start over the mediocre Kyle Orton or the awful Mark Sanchez.  My dream would be for the Minnesota Vikings to acquire him so we could have the Tebow debate in my own backyard, but we all know that isn’t going to happen.  Most NFL GM’s and Execs see Tebow as kryptonite.   Just the presence of Tebow alone will make their current starting quarterback panic and force them to curl up into the fetal position.   The lunatic fringe will start the Tebow chants after the current starter’s first incompletion.   The talk radio lines would be jammed every day with Tebow debate.  “Tebow sucks, get him outta here!”  “Tebow is great, he needs to start right away!”  “I would let Tebow marry my daughter!”  “My daughter can throw better than Tebow!”

I think we all secretly love the Tebow debate because it stirs great passion and opinion and that’s what makes living in America and being a sports fan great.  Just imagine the debate Tebow will create when he runs for President in 2040, of course it will bring back the lunatic fringes and then some!