"C'mon in, the door's always open...not you, Cleveland...

Spin has hired out-of-work historians to research whether the NFL existed before Tim Tebow. Early findings suggest it did, but that God didn't watch.

In fact, two statistical trends have been uncovered in the extensive fact-checking -- one dating to the beginning of the Dark Ages in Cleveland football (1996) -- that relate directly to the popularity the league enjoys in all games played today, not just those divinely orchestrated on behalf of the Denver quarterback.

In 2011, for the 16th consecutive season, at least five teams made the playoffs after failing to qualify the season before. Thanks to The Nap and other odd turns of events, the number was six this season: Denver, Houston, San Francisco, the New York Giants, Cincinnati and Detroit. "