Namath: Sanchez better, but Tebow brings lots of positives

Less than two months ago, Joe Namath ripped the Jets for their stunning trade for Tim Tebow -- a move the Hall of Fame quarterback believed sent the wrong message to their young starter Mark Sanchez.

Well, Namath has again changed his tune. Again.

The man who led the Jets to their one and only Super Bowl title, said Tuesday night that he fully supports the Tebow trade, adding that "whatever work he does, he's going to bring a lot of positive vibes and effort. It's a plus."

A few weeks after the March trade, Namath told several news outlets -- including Newsday -- that the move didn't make sense. Nor did the front office's desire to inject the Wildcat, he said.

"I don't know if you can trust everything you hear from your people when you're working for them. It's awkward," Namath told me in a phone conversation on March 21, in reference to how Sanchez should feel about the trade. "...The only reason that thing's used is because the regular offense isn't good enough. You don't see good teams utilizing it or teams that have quality offenses. Not one championship team that I'm aware of has utilized it."

But on Tuesday, Namath -- who was one of several current and former players in attendance at United Way's 19th Annual "Gridiron Gala" event at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan -- said he thinks the Sanchez-Tebow tandem can work. Though he wasn't sure exactly how, the Hall of Famer expressed confidence in new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano and the rest of the coaching staff.

Namath, who declared himself a fan of both Sanchez and Tebow, did reiterate the seldom use of the Wildcat. But, he quickly told reporters: the Jets "have something up their sleeve. At any rate, Tebow is a positive."

He again maintained that every starting quarteback, including himself, would want to take every snap in practice. But when asked how he would feel if he was Sanchez, Namath did a complete 180.

"I'd be tickled to death, are you kidding?" he said. "Mark knows he's a better quarterback and bring on the competition. Mark is sensational, he's going to be much better."

Namath then said there's "no doubt" Sanchez is better than Tebow. 

"No doubt about it at this point certainly," he said. "And Mark's going to get better. He's going into his fourth year. Golly, I remember a team that won a championship with a quarterback in his fourth year. Let's hope that happens again."

(Namath, of course, was referring to Super Bowl III)

His comments about Tebow were a surprising departure from his previous sentiments, considering Namath always has been a Sanchez-sympathizer. But perhaps it's easier this way. He's earned a reputation for being extremely critical of the team -- even when his assessments are warranted. Perhaps Namath now believes it’s better to be on board at all times, rather than risk ostracization?

Asked about his fractured relationship with the Jets, Namath said: "It's rough. None of us like to be critiqued, criticized in a negative way...I don't like feeling the vibes that I get back when ever I cross (team owner) Woody (Johnson)'s path. Rex (Ryan) and I have been getting along well when we bump into each other, but I know there's an underlying sensitivity there that the Jets have."

Or, maybe Namath’s change of heart is genuine.

Tebowmania, as we’ve seen, is a powerful thing.