Attention football fans and bible thumpers alike, everyone's favorite Christian -- Tim Tebow has found a new home! After appearing to be dead in the water with no place to go following his unfortunate release from the New York Jets in April which couldn't have come at a worse time given most teams that needed a quarterback this offseason likely acquired one in the NFL Draft, a surprise team emerged. That team? The New England Patriots who agreed to sign Tebow to a 2-year deal with no money guaranteed. With arguably the most successful quarterback-coaching tandem that's ever stepped foot on a playing field in Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in place, it's unlikely Tebow will receive many snaps at the quarterback position if any at all this season. From a QB standpoint, New England was both the best and worst possible destination for Tebow. But that's not to say neither party will benefit.
Playing in New England under coach Belichick and alongside Brady will do wonders for Tebow's knowledge of the game even if it means watching from the sidelines while holding a clipboard. For Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy winner, the move to Foxborough will reunite him with some familiar faces including Pats offensive-coordinator Josh McDaniels who was at the helm of the head coaching position in Denver when the Broncos traded up to draft Tebow in the first round in 2010. Another is tight-end Aaron Hernandez whom Tebow won a BCS National Championship with at the University of Florida. Despite being listed at quarterback as mentioned by Belichick on Tuesday when addressing the media at minicamp, if Tebow does see playing time it'll likely be at another position. And though he's made it clear that quarterback is his ideal position where he's listed at third behind Brady and backup Ryan Mallet on the depth-chart, there won't be any complaining or bickering coming from Tebow regarding his role albeit as a fullback or at tight-end where New England will likely need help in place of the ailing Rob Gronkowski.
Having already undergone a plethora of mechanical throwing adjustments from coaches and former players alike, moving to another position might be the only way Tebow will see playing time this season. Few teams relied on the run in short-yardage situations last year more so than the Patriots which would be right up Tebow's alley. And granted no coach likes to mix it up quite like Belichick when it comes to milking his players for their versatility, it's definitely a possibility. But while his role remains a mystery, one thing that we all know already is that Tebow, who spoke highly of the franchises recent success and thanked the organization numerous times for giving him the opportunity, will give it his all and will do everything possible to help his team win if called upon. But not all players seeking success come to New England and leave having flourished. While Randy Moss and Danny Woodhead were both gambles that paid off, Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth are just an example of a few recent experiments that Belichick and co. rolled the dice on to no avail. During his nightmare season with the Jets last year under coach Rex Ryan, Tebow threw for a whopping 39 yards while completing 6 of 8 pass attempts and ran for another 102 yards on 32 carries while seeing limited action.
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Heading into the 2013 MLB season, no two teams had higher expectations than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Los Angeles Dodgers. So much so that many had predicted the first ever Freeway Series in this year's Fall Classic. Unfortunately those same two teams share another distinction two months into the season as being the biggest disappointments thus far into the year despite owning the two highest payrolls in all of baseball. With both clubs at or near the bottom of the standings, the Dodgers (25-32) dead last in their division and the Angels (26-33) ahead of only the lowly Houston Astros in the American League West, there's still plenty of time for both teams to turn it around. The question is, can they?
While the Angels are hoping for Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton to turn things around on offense after getting off to a slow start as well as get their ace Jered Weaver back on track after a fractured left elbow landed him an early trip to the disabled-list, their National League counterparts appear to have found what they've been missing all along. Having suffered from a lack of power all season long near the bottom of the pack in home runs and only ahead of the White Sox, Nationals and Marlins in the runs department, the Dodgers lineup has been rejuvenated practically overnight while getting a glimpse of the future. With their star player in Matt Kemp on the DL with a hamstring injury and scheduled to make a pit-stop in the Minor Leagues for a rehab assignment, Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly who's been on the hot seat, elected to make a decision many thought he would've made during the final weeks of spring training by calling up 22 year old prospect Yasiel Puig. Puig, a native of Cuba, signed a 7-year, $42 Million deal with L.A. after defecting from his homeland in 2012 and had a superb spring before being promoted to the Majors on June 2. He would make his big league debut the following day.
Taking on the division-rival Padres, Puig was plugged into the starting lineup as the lead-off man where he'd finish the game 2-for-4. However, his most impressive feat of the night would come on a play made for the final two outs of the ballgame. With 1-out in the 9th and a runner on first, Puig tracked down a fly ball on the warning track before rifling a toss on the fly to the first baseman Adrian Gonzalez in time to gun down the runner attempting to retreat to the bag for the game-ending double-play, worthy of a SportsCenter Top 10 nominee. And for those who missed his debut, the Cuban sensation made sure he backed it up with an encore even more awe-inspiring. Following their 2-1 victory over San Diego the night before, Puig highlighted a come-from-behind win over the Friars by going 3-for-4 with 2 home runs, 5 RBI's and 2 runs scored and possibly saving his manager's job in the process (at least for now) as L.A. improved to 2-0 in the Puig era after the 9-7 triumph Tuesday. The 22 year old stud became the first Dodger ever with a multi-homer game in his first two games and only the second player in franchise history with 2 home runs and 5 RBI's from the lead-off spot.
Up until Monday the Dodgers were a two man show led by Adrian Gonzalez and their ace Clayton Kershaw who's 1.85 ERA is third in the Majors behind only Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox and Shelby Miller of the Cardinals. The kid has made one hell of a first impression on his first homestand and already has as many home runs in his first two games as teammate Matt Kemp has all season. A start of this magnitude will most likely draw the comparisons to Mike Trout, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper and other young stars who made an immediate impact with their clubs last season, but Puig seems poised to write his own chapter as the one who helped save the season despite the year being far from over. While he definitely appears to be the shot in the arm the team was desperately in need of on offense, he'll need all the help he can get from struggling players like Andre Ethier and Hanley Ramirez while key cogs Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford are sidelined with injuries.
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