Josh McDaniels wins Gumshoe’s heart of hearts [Curiosities #65]

Hats off to Josh Mcdaniels (please don't dig for sarcasm here; I'm serious).

I am not a Denver Broncos fan (OAKLAND RAIDERS ALL THE WAY, ALL THE WAY, ALL … the … ugh), and I really don’t care personally if they win or lose.

I assumed that, by extension, I wasn’t a fan of their coach Josh Mcdaniels, either, but something he said recently completely changed my view of the young upstart.

My big-time flip-flop arrives by dint of Mcdaniels’ stance regarding recent Broncos draftee Tim Tebow. I feel his staunch defense of the rookie has been not only the work of a stand-up guy but a good person all-around.

Tebow The Tank, as I like to call him, has drawn heat for allowing a land-mine of a defensive player to BLAST into him on the last play of regulation the other day versus the Cincinnati Bengals.

I have to admit, my innards turned to MUSH when I saw Tebow take the rib-rattling hit (as many obviously did). Yes, he’s built like a brick sh**house, but even the largest buildings can be shaken if the foundation is hit with enough force; sure enough, Tebow has since missed practice for the second-straight day.

That’s when Mcdaniels, the fiery young coach — who is sort of like the head-coach version of Tebow in regard to doubts about his ability to succeed at the Next Level — swooped in to defend his young quarterback.

And I quote, via USA Today: “To judge him on what happened the other night in terms of being reckless I would say is very unfair,” McDaniels said. “What he did the other night I hope all of our guys would have done, no matter who it was. Yeah, it’s part of his game. But I’m sure he’ll learn either the easy way or the hard way that you want to stay in this league as long as you can and we’ll help him do that.”

All I’ve got to say is: WOW. If anyone had any doubts as to whether Mcdaniels is really the stand-up guy he appears to be, well, it’s time to face the facts or to forever keep your empty head buried in the sand.

Mcdaniels so impressed me I’m literally speechless (fortunately my typing fingers don’t feel the same way); in an era when bosses are often more interested in squeezing their players/employees for all their worth by dint of the recession and other factors, here we have a young, passionate coach who believes in his draft pick enough to put his entire career on the line AND step in when the media jackals call his prize into question.

I can’t emphasize enough how much warmth I’m feeling toward Mcdaniels right now. For all the bluster and bravado he’s shown, he’s also proved to be the type of coach that Cares; that Nurtures; that wants Winners, not fantasy-football fodder (for the record I’m also a Brandon Marshall fan so BACK OFF).

How this brash, confident — albeit, as I mentioned, surprisingly thoughtful — baby was birthed from the belly of one Bill Bilicheck is completely lost on me, but, based on his fire, grit, and never-erring belief in his system and his players, I feel like maybe I can secretly root for the Broncos for the very first time.

As an avid, lifelong, RABID Oakland Raiders fan, it’s nice to realize that, even if My Team seems eternally stuck in a dysfunctional rut, there are people — and teams — out there who truly carry on the legacy the NFL with heart and, perhaps more importantly, faith.