Is Tim Tebow A Selfish Locker Room Destroyer?

A lot has been made over the last few days about Tim Tebow's alleged desire to not be included in the New York Jets' wildcat package in last Sunday's loss to the San Diego Chargers, according to reports from ESPN New York.

Tebow, when asked about the situation, said that he never asked out of any part of the Jets' game plan, but merely expressed frustration about Ryan's decision not to start him at quarterback and to instead go with third stringer Greg McElroy, who was sacked 11 times and concussed in the contest. He said that he wishes he had been more clear in expressing his concerns.

However, my question is this: if we were talking about any other quarterback in the NFL being accused of refusing to play in a niche role for their team, would we even be trying to follow up on the story, or would we just label that person a me-first, reprehensible locker room wrecking ball?

Two examples come to mind when comparing the reactions of both fans and the media to such accusations about Tebow, given these players' falls to reserve roles during this season: Alex Smith and Michael Vick.

Let me ask you, if reports flooded in following the San Francisco 49ers blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night that Alex Smith told coach Jim Harbaugh that he didn't want to be inserted into the game as a change of pace quarterback, would you try to rebuke those reports, or would you just be surprised and disappointed in Smith for being anything but a team player in that scenario?

What if Michael Vick allegedly told Andy Reid that he didn't want to play in the Philadelphia Eagles' season finale this Sunday against the New York Giants because his role as the team's starting quarterback was already taken from him, which frustrated him? I highly doubt that people would refuse to believe a story about Michael Vick being selfish, regardless of what the situation really was.

The more likely route for many would to accuse Smith or Vick of being bad team chemistry guys after hearing stories like that, something that isn't being said often about Tebow given his glimmering reputation off the field.

So, is Tim Tebow a selfish locker room destroyer? Maybe. Probably not. But it is by no means a notion that should be dismissed immediately, as the people dismissing the idea are the same ones that would describe other quarterbacks for allegedly doing the same exact thing.