Tebow has more to offer than some NFL backups

While Tim Tebow was cut Saturday by the New England Patriots, I believe he is good enough to play in the NFL.

Exactly where and how much he should play is a question up for discussion, though.

Some people are saying Tebow should hang it up. We all know there are plenty of doubters out there, people who are quick to say someone can’t do this or that.

I asked callers on my national Fox Sports radio show Saturday night to name quarterbacks that played in the NFL who couldn’t carry Tebow’s clipboard. Then I gave my own two-minute rapid fire list of Chicago Bears quarterbacks that were just west of brutal.

It’s easy. Moses Moreno, Jonathan Quinn, Henry Burris, Cade McNown — oh, what’s the use? My whole column could just be names of quarterbacks who wore a Bears uniform who never should have had the honor. I’m sure the same could be said for other organizations that were never lucky enough to secure a star quarterback.

I believe the will of an individual is a special thing. If Tim Tebow quit now, I’d be shocked.

Of course, there will be people — even those who defied the odds themselves — who will criticize Tebow and say he should pack it in. I was watching “Mike and Mike” on ESPN and I heard recently hired SEC expert Paul Finebaum talking about Tebow.

Finebaum, who did a show for years on the Southeastern Conference, its players, coaches and schools. He started with a small show but had a loyal following, and now has signed a lucrative deal with ESPN. I heard him say Tebow should pack it in, that he’s basically a circus act, and shouldn’t be playing in North Dakota or Iowa in an arena football situation.

Well, my friend, ask Kurt Warner if Tebow should quit. Warner is a future Hall of Fame quarterback and he got his start in the Arena Football League.

Haven’t you been told you couldn’t do something? Maybe you listened, but maybe you didn’t. I know when I was getting started in radio I was told hundreds of times that I should give up my dream.

Finebaum is entitled to his opinion, but he should never forget the people who thought he had no shot to advance, yet he kept going.

I hope Tebow doesn’t retire and keeps trying. As for Mr. Finebaum, I guess when you trade in your plaid shirt and jeans for a blazer and a dress shirt, you can sometimes forget the journey you took.

I think Tebow deserves the benefit of the doubt, and should keep trying. Why not follow your dream to the end?

Acknowledgments:I#146;d like to thank everyone at the Patrick J. Ryan golf outing I attended recently at St Andrews Golf and Country Club in West Chicago, especially Kristina Pilolli and Brian Flood. It was a great time.Coming soon:The Mike North Pregame Show debuts Sunday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon on WIND 560-AM The Answer. Ÿ Mike North#146;s column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.