I will admit that I am not a Tim Tebow fan. That comes from being a Bama fan. Tebow, Urban Meyer, and those Florida teams were the first dragons to be slayed in order for the Saban era to reach the level of dominance that was promised when the University first shelled out all that money to lure Nick Saban away from the Miami Dolphins.
I’ve never unabashedly hated Tim Tebow either. I never thought he was a good quarterback, but it was always clear that he was an exceptional athlete and locker room presence. I got why a coach would want the guy on his team and would invest a lot to help Tebow succeed.
Now though, it is time for Tebow’s newest team to hold his feet to the fire. It is time for ESPN to look the Heisman Trophy winner in the eye and say “What is going on here? Are you a broadcaster or are we still cosplaying as an athlete? It is a little hard to do both well.”
First, the network made exceptions and worked around schedules so it was possible for Tebow to sign a minor league contract with the New York Mets. Now, after “retiring from baseball,” the 33-year-old wants to go back to the NFL, only this time he plans to listen to scouts that said he should have converted to tight end more than a decade ago. And hey, wouldn’t you know it! His old college coach just so happens to be the new coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. What a happy coincidence!
Don’t be surprised that Tim Tebow got a tryout with the team. You can be annoyed by it, like FOX Sports Radio’s Rob Parker was. Just don’t be surprised by it. Tim Tebow has a way of getting what he wants.
Remember, this is a guy that had an entire state change its laws to allow him to play football at a public high school even though he was homeschooled. He got signed to play professional baseball at age 29, after not having played the sport since he was 16. Tim Tebow has never really had to learn what disappointment feels like. Sure, his plan was to be an NFL quarterback, but that didn’t work out and he keeps finding very comfortable ways to cushion that particular fall.
When Parker talked about this on FOX Sports Radio, he didn’t mince words. He called Tebow “a FAILURE on the pro level” and “a loser”. He said Tim Tebow even getting to try out for a tight end role at age 33 is “the ultimate “White Privilege.”
I sent Parker an email to ask him why he thought the Mets didn’t tell Tebow they weren’t interested in having him as a baseball side show. Why did he think the Jaguars weren’t willing to say that they weren’t interested in developing a tight end that at best could give them maybe three seasons.
“It seems unfair that opportunities are always open for Tebow and not other athletes, especially when he’s getting chances after being far removed from sports,” Parker told me. “He hasn’t played in NFL since 2012 and has never played tight end, but Jacksonville has a spot for him.”
It also seems unfair that Tebow gets to jump from sports fairytale to sports fairytale while holding down a job most former college football players not on NFL rosters would be willing to devote their whole lives to.
ESPN made a major investment in Tebow after his NFL days were done. It made a lot of sense because it coincided with the launch of the SEC Network. Paul Finebaum was going to be the network’s anchor, but Tim Tebow was going to be its face. And what better face could you find really? This is one of the league’s biggest stars of the last decade and he was available.
The problem is Tim Tebow is as good of a broadcaster as he was an NFL quarterback. I get that the guy is a cult of personality. I just don’t ever feel like I am learning anything when he is speaking. Whereas guys like Dan Orlovsky, Kirk Herbstriet, and Desmond Howard are great at telling me why plays are run or decisions are made, Tebow just sort of delivers platitudes. Is that really worth making concessions for?
Lauren Brooks, who co-hosts The Frangie Show and Helmets and Heels at Jacksonville’s 1010 XL disagrees with me.
“I think Tebow is an excellent college football analyst,” she told me. “He brings a tremendous amount of energy and you can tell he is very well-prepared. I always enjoy his work on TV.”
Brooks is a Florida fan. I asked her if the constant flirtations with “getting back in the game” had ruined Tebow’s reputation with a fan base that holds him up as something of a second mascot (third if you count Alberta Gator and fourth if you count Steve Spurrier).
She told me that it doesn’t change her opinion of Tim Tebow at all, but the timing feels odd.
“I would have loved for Tebow to switch to TE when he was still on an active roster so we could see whether he would have a penchant for the position. I wasn’t surprised that he wanted to try his hand at baseball since he had played that before, but I was very surprised to hear he wants to play football again, especially that he’d be willing to play TE since he is involved in many philanthropic efforts and also works for SEC Nation.”
Parker also isn’t surprised and he isn’t so sure that ESPN should be upset about Tebow being interested in playing again, even if it means that he isn’t always available to them.
“Tebow bouncing from TV to the field isn’t new. A lot of former athletes/executives go there and wait for a chance to get back in the game,” he said.
That is true. Just look at coaches alone. In its history, ESPN has lost Mack Brown, Herm Edwards, Jon Gruden, Chip Kelly, Urban Meyer, and Bob Davie to the sidelines. That’s a lot of guys and that is just what popped into my head.
I get that coaches that enter the media usually come into their first job with the idea that it is only temporary. TV or radio is a waiting room until the next “real” opportunity comes along. That never felt like what ESPN was selling with Tim Tebow.
Look, I think if Tim Tebow were operating with just his brain, he would devote himself to broadcasting. He has natural charisma. Remember when Clay Travis asked him if he was a virgin at SEC Media Days in 2009? The dude handled it better than anyone would have ever expected a 21 year old to. If he put in the time and took the coaching to heart, he could be an absolute super star.
Unfortunately, we don’t always think with our heads. Most people, particularly those that are über-competitive, tend to let their hearts get in the way. In his heart, Tebow is still a football player and he wants another shot to suit up on Sundays.
“If the story had broken any other day/time, it would have been gigantic; however, it broke around 3 pm on Draft Day, a.k.a. Trevor Lawrence Day in Jacksonville,” Brooks told me when I asked how Jacksonville reacted to the idea of Tim Tebow in black and teal. “Plus, right after the Tebow tryout news came out, the news broke that Aaron Rodgers doesn’t want to play for the Packers anymore and swallowed up the story that the former Florida QB could possibly switch to TE at age 33. Local sports radio is still discussing the story since additional comments have been made that lead many to believe that Tebow will at least be practicing with the Jaguars at training camp, especially since the Jaguars didn’t draft a pass-catching TE in the Draft.”
Tim Tebow has painted himself into an odd corner right now. He is 33, so while Florida fans and college football fans may want to see him make the Jags’ roster, it feels like a long shot at best. He also treats TV like a part-time job, so if ESPN wants to play hardball, he is expendable.
In football years, 33 is ancient and Tebow is starting from zero in this new venture. In broadcasting years, 33 represents the sun just beginning to peak over the horizon. Tebow has shown that while he still has plenty of room to improve, he has the tools to do it. The choice should be obvious.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
