FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Tim Tebow has been criticized for years about his quarterback skills, his arm and how he throws. He refuses to accept anyone calling him a quitter or phoney. The New York Jets backup quarterback insisted Wednesday that he didnt ask out of running the teams wildcat plays last week, but acknowledged what he said in a meeting with coach Rex Ryan might have been misinterpreted as such. "I never said, Hey, I dont want to do anything or I wont do anything," Tebow said. "That wasnt the talk at all. He knows that, and everybody on this team knows that. Id never not do something if I was asked, and I think thats whats disappointing about the whole situation, people saying, You quit, or, You didnt do this. It was not it at all. "It was just me asking to get an opportunity to play the position I love, which is quarterback. It wasnt me asking out of anything." Last Tuesday, Ryan chose to go with third-stringer Greg McElroy over Tebow in place of the benched Mark Sanchez for Sundays game against the San Diego Chargers. After hearing the news, Tebow went to Ryan to discuss the situation and told him he wanted to be "a regular quarterback." "I was definitely disappointed and frustrated," Tebow said. ESPN New York first reported Sunday that Tebow had then asked out of the wildcat, and a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed that to The Associated Press. But Tebow thinks it was a situation in which he wishes he was "more clear" when he initially spoke with Ryan. Tebow realized that Ryan might have misinterpreted what he said when they met when he wasnt in wildcat packages during practice Wednesday and Thursday, and then sat down with the coach last Friday to clear the air. "I just asked for an opportunity to play quarterback and he definitely understood that," Tebow said, "and then Friday, I went up to him again and reiterated that, Hey, Ill do anything for this team like I have all year." While Ryan never confirmed or denied the reports, the coach said, "If I would have asked Tim to play in anything, Tim would have gone into the game and done that." Tebow never played in the Jets 27-17 loss to the Chargers, as wide receiver Jeremy Kerley handled the majority of snaps in the wildcat package. More than anything else, Tebow said, hes most disappointed by the attacks on his character and reputation during the last few days -- adding that his Christmas "wasnt the best" because of all the talk about how he let his team down. "When people talk about how you play football and how much, thats one thing," Tebow said. "That really doesnt bother me. I think the only thing thats been disappointing these last few days and frustrating is people saying, Oh, you quit on your team or youre not a good teammate. "For people to not know the situation and then start to bash your character and then say youre a phoney or youre a fake or youre a hypocrite, I think thats whats disappointing and thats whats frustrating. Your character is who you are as a man, and thats a lot more important." Tebow later added: "You work your whole life to build a reputation, and then people try to bring you down when they dont understand even what happened. Its disappointing." Miami centre Mike Pouncey, who played with Tebow at the University of Florida, walked through the Dolphins locker room Wednesday saying: "Free Tim Tebow!" That has been the sentiment among Tebows many supporters, yet the popular backup has had a minimal role in the Jets offence. He hasnt played a snap in four of the last five games, partially due to him recovering from two broken ribs, but he hasnt been the dynamic addition the Jets expected him to be. New York will either trade or release Tebow after one season. When asked if he wanted to return to the Jets next season, Tebow said: "Im looking forward to this game vs. Buffalo, and weve got to pull together and get a win." Not exactly a ringing endorsement, especially from a guy who repeatedly said he was "excited" to be a member of the Jets when he was acquired from Denver last March. "Its hard for Timmy, man," Pouncey said last week. "Timmy is a great player. Hes a great friend of mine. I wish him nothing but success, and I know hes going through a hard time right now. I had the opportunity to talk to him after our last game and you could tell that he was upset and sad that he wasnt the starting quarterback up there. But I know that once he gets his opportunity hell do the best he can. "If the opportunity is not in New York with the Jets, it will be somewhere else. Hes a guy who is never going to give up on anything, and I know he wants to be a starting quarterback in this league. And that day will come again for him." NOTES: CB Antonio Cromartie and S LaRon Landry were selected to the Pro Bowl as backups on the AFC roster. Its the first time the Jets are sending two defensive backs -- and it comes in a year in which star CB Darrelle Revis was lost early in the season with a knee injury. "When Revis went down, it speaks volumes to what guys took on and made sure everyone was being accountable," Cromartie said. "And our back end doing what they were supposed to do." Landry is the first Jets safety to go to the Pro Bowl since Erik McMillan went in 1988-89. LT DBrickashaw Ferguson is a second alternate, while C Nick Mangold and KR Joe McKnight are third alternates. wholesale jerseys . 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Join the club. The NHL locked the players out over the weekend when the collective bargaining agreement expired at 11:59 p.m. ET Saturday. Its the NHLs fourth work stoppage in 20 years. Day 2 of the NHL lockout on Monday saw no changes from either side as talks between the league and the NHLPA remain unscheduled. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr have spoken informally since the lockout began, and may do so again on Tuesday. But nothing official will resume until at least Wednesday between commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr. The two sides havent met for face-to-face talks since last Wednesday. Attention already has turned to alternative leagues like the AHL, where players will continue to train for the season and play the game. The AHL consists of 17 independently-owned franchises and another 13 owned by NHL clubs. Its the primary minor league of the NHL -- nearly 90 per cent of todays NHL players spent time in the A -- and a safe haven these days for younger players on two-way contracts that remain eligible to play at the lower level. Another prolonged NHL lockout like the one that forced the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season means better competition in AHL cities like Syracuse, increased attendance everywhere, and international media attention that it is simply not used to. "The effect then was a window of opportunity for the American League to have a greater presence from a media perspective across North America and certainly more live television exposure, and to some extent an even stronger player pool than we normally have," longtime AHL president and CEO David Andrews said. "Im anticipating that will be the case again this time." The AHLs 77th regular season starts Oct. 12 -- a day after the scheduled start of the NHL season -- and training camps open in less than two weeks. Theres been movement toward the A already. The Buffalo Sabres announced Monday that it had loaned 20 players to the Rochester Americans. Among them were forward Luke Adam, AHL rookie of the year for the 2010-11 season, and Marcus Foligno, who played 60 games for Rochester last season. On Saturday, the Philadelphia Flyers assigned 26 players, including Erik Gustafsson, Braydeen Schenn and Sean Couturier, to the Adirondack Phantoms of the American Hockey League.dddddddddddd "At least I know my seasons going to start. We have camp on the 28th which is great. Im just preparing for that," Gustafsson said. "I think the AHL is going to be a great league. I think it will be the best league in the world." Among the young NHL standouts that could give the A a jolt are Carolinas Jeff Skinner, the 2011 NHL rookie of the year; and New Jerseys Adam Henrique, who clinched the Devils Eastern Conference title in June with an overtime goal against the New York Rangers in Game 6. Ottawas Jason Spezza set the standard during the last lockout. Spezza, a Senators forward, played 80 games for Ottawas AHL franchise in Binghamton, N.Y. and had 32 goals and 85 assists. Several Canadian NHL teams also sent players to their AHL affiliates. Edmonton moved 26 players to the Oklahoma City Barons including Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Toronto Marlies, Hamilton Bulldogs, Abbotsford Heat and St. Johns IceCaps have also received players from their NHL clubs. "Weve always been the second-best league in the world," said Dolgon, who switched NHL affiliations from Anaheim to Tampa Bay after last season and has seen a bump in fan interest. "Now, we can be the second-best league with even greater talent playing in that league." If the lockout goes beyond the start of the AHL season, Dolgon said he expects attendance will be up across the board. "I dont know that were seeing NHL fans flocking to our ticket windows, but I do believe that our current fan base is more excited, and I think thatll ultimately lead to more ticket sales," said John Bitter, in his ninth year as ticket manager of the AHLs Milwaukee Admirals. "Hopefully, well start to get newer fans on account of it. Our hardcore hockey fans are excited about this. I think theyd rather see the NHL play, but theyre not going to turn down the guys coming back, thats for sure." The public perception is that there seems to be a pretty wide gap between the union and the owners, which could mean another prolonged stoppage as the search for a new CBA continues. "Obviously, the question is: How long will the labour stoppage continue," Andrews asked. "Theres still a month to go before the season is scheduled to open. So, its difficult to say how its going to play out. "Were certainly looking at it as an opportunity again for our league to benefit over the short term, and at the same time recognize that our sport is better off with the NHL playing. The NHL is the engine that drives our business. For us, any kind of short-term financial windfalls or brand exposure windfalls are just that -- short-term. "Wed be just as happy if it all gets resolved and the NHL begins the season on time." Hes not alone. ' ' '