People in Sports | | Seattle Times Newspaper

President Obama: The New York Jets' Mark Sanchez-Tim Tebow debate has reached the highest government level.

The president appeared on a Columbus, Ohio, radio station Thursday and gave a thumbs-down to New York's trade for Tebow, even though Jets coach Rex Ryan has repeatedly said Sanchez is his starter.

"I don't like the idea of a quarterback controversy at the start of a season, so if I was a Jets fan, I'd be pretty nervous," Obama told 97.1 The Fan. "Sanchez is not Tom Brady yet, but he led them to the playoffs two years in a row. I think Tim Tebow seems to be a wonderful young man, and he's got just a great winning attitude. He really steps up when things count.

"But there's going to be a lot of tension in that situation, so it'll be pretty interesting to see how it plays itself out."

Newsday