NY fans prefer Sanchez over Tebow
If Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez finds himself a backup next year, he may not be able to say that fans never gave him a chance.
A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday morning showed that both general New York State residents and the state’s football fans were fine with the trade for Tebow, but that they strongly felt Sanchez was the best option as the starting quarterback.
Forty-three percent of all respondents said Sanchez should start, against just 16% for Tebow. The divide grew even further, with Sanchez picking up 61% of voters to Tebow’s 19%, when football fans responded to the same question.
“Mark Sanchez is still number one,” said Mickey Carroll, Quinnipiac’s poll director.
Ever since the team acquired Tim Tebow — whose wild level of popularity helped draw 15,000 people hear him speak at a Texas Easter service yesterday — there’s been nonstop speculation that his rabid fan base might later pressure the organization into giving him a chance to become the starter.
Team officials have been clear that they view Tebow as a backup, but the team’s general manager, Mike Tannenbaum, set off a firestorm in fan message boards when he said Tebow could see more playing time if Sanchez and the rest of the team’s offense needs a spark.
The Jets have said they think Tebow, whose unrefined passing skills make him more of a threat with his feet than his arm at times, as a perfect Wildcat quarterback. The Wildcat is a rare offensive formation in which a player (normally a running back) takes the snap and has the option of either running or throwing the ball.
While Tebow wasn’t the choice of the respondents, he did garner decent favorability ratings. New Yorkers approved of the trade for Tebow, 42% to 15%, and approve of Tebow generally, 44% to 11%. Among Empire State football fans, 56% approved of the trade and 60% say they have a positive impression of the quarterback.
This article was written by Chris Herring and appeared in the Wall Street Journal.
Posted by Necesitamos Mas Football
on 4:27 p. m..
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