Hey, Broncos Country! By now we all know how vocal Merill Hoge has been regarding his dislike for Tebow and how he and many other people who mainly dislike Tebow for his outspoken beliefs try to disguise their disdain for him behind a veil of football "expertise". They'll pick apart his throwing motion, his footwork, his accuracy--all of which no doubt need to improve--but what they're really picking apart is Tim Tebow the person. Either they're not the religious type and don't like people who are (although I've never once seen Tebow act like a missionary in shoulder pads, trying to convert people on the field or in the broadcast booth) or they see in him something they're afraid to be, a person of conviction, so they want to tear him down in an attempt to build themselves up. But I digress...I'm rambling.

While I'm not suprised to see small people act small, I was bit surprised to see a sports writer who is generally well respected and not known for being an outspoken hater behave like a shallow person, too. Yes, he's done it much more discreetly than Merill Hoge but, nonetheless, the subtle hints of what you may have first interpreted as Tebow "doubt" become exposed as a distinct pattern of outright Tebow-hate. Although he hasn't been venomous like some others have, over the course of several weeks his dislike for Tebow has become as clear as a Rocky Mountain summer morning.

So who am I talking about, you wonder? Well, let me give you seven hints. Seven weeks in a row this individual has picked against the Broncos and each and every time he's blamed Tebow for his pick. Take a look:

Week 7:

Tim Tebow starts for the Broncos, which makes this game intriguing. Otherwise it's two bad teams going nowhere. The Dolphins are on a short week, while the Broncos are off a bye. Even so, I look for the Miami defense to throw a lot of different looks at Tebow, and he will make some mistakes that lead to a Miami victory -- even with Matt Moore at quarterback.

Week 8:

Tim Tebow will make his first home start of the season here, which will bring added juice. But he has to play better than he did last week if the Broncos are to have a chance. The Lions have lost two consecutive games, and haven't played well in doing so, but they respond here. Matt Stafford has an injured ankle, and is day-to-day, but I expect him to go. If he does, he lights up the Broncos. If it's Shaun Hill, he'll be fine against them as well. The Broncos won't keep up.

Week 9:

The Broncos made the decision to start Tim Tebow again. That's good news for the Raiders. The Raiders will start Carson Palmer for the first time. Let's see: Tebow or Palmer? That's easy, almost as easy as this pick. Blowout.

Week 10:

The Chiefs have to be steaming here after losing at home to Miami last week. Denver is playing a second consecutive road game after upsetting the Raiders. The Broncos ran at will against the Raiders, but they find it tougher to do here. Tim Tebow will be forced to win it with his arm, and he can't.

Week 11:

This is Tim Tebow against Rex Ryan, the spread option against a supposedly good defense. The Jets are coming off a blowout loss to the Patriots at home that saw their defense pushed around. The Broncos have won two consecutive games without throwing the ball. They can't do that against the Jets. Ryan gets his team to bounce back against an offensive-limited team.

Week 12:

Tim Tebow will try and up his record to 5-1 as a starter, while the Chargers will be trying to end a five-game losing streak. San Diego is the better team and that shows up here. The Broncos don't do enough on offense, even against a San Diego defense that is struggling. Philip Rivers has a good day.

Week 13:

This is Tim Tebow vs. Christian Ponder in a battle of young starters. Tebow is on a roll, but how long can it last with the style they are using? Tebow struggles to pass the football, and this is a second consecutive road game and it's outside the division. I'll take the rookie passer who can throw it, and that's Ponder.

So if you haven't guessed yet, you've been reading the words of one Pete Prisco of CBS Sports. Not a guy you'd typically think of as the overly opinionated type. Sure, he's paid to give his opinion but he normally stays above the fray and at least attempts to remain objective. It seems Pete, too, has been caught up in the Tebow hype and has clearly come down on the side of the haters.

As I've stated, he's not being nasty but do you see the pattern in his picks? Each and every time he specifically calls out Tim Tebow and states that he can't get it done. Of course, as Denver continues to win, it's people like this who are the first to stand up and say that it's a team sport and Tebow's not winning by himself. "Give credit to the Defense!" "Give credit to the Offensive Line!" "Give credit to McGahee and the running back corps!"

And in all those cases, they're right, right, right! But where is the blame in those seven picks for anyone other than Tebow as Prisco continues to predict Denver's failure? Nowhere to be found! So if Denver wins, they do it as a team but if Denver loses, it's all Tebow's fault?! Please! Show some professionalism!

Mark my word, when Denver eventually drops a game--and they will--the entire loss will be laid at Tim's feet. Although Prisco and others have incorrectly predicted Tebow's demise 5 out the last 6 weeks (and are likely to make it 6 out of 7 once our Defense gets done with Ponder), they nevertheless will immediately jump out of their seats and shout, "See! I told you so!" once we finally do lose one. Hardly seems fair. Hardly seems objective. Hardly seems professional.

But is does seem like Tebow-hating. Or is it just me?

GB2