Tim Tebow may be strapped for playing time as the Denver Broncos third string quarterback, but regardless of his lack of action on the field the first round draft pick has garnered plenty of attention off of it. Selected 25th overall by the Broncos in the 2010 NFL Draft, Tim Tebow solidified his position as an elite NFL talent and put the naysayers to rest. With a more than stellar career at the University of Florida, Tebow entered the league with an impressive resume and string of accolades that left apparel, beverage and various sport related entertainment companies and sponsors like EA Sports foaming at the mouth, waiting to cash in on this guaranteed cash cow that was set the hit the professional ranks with a bang.
Having garnered so much attention at SEC powerhouse Florida, the Gator "living legend" had an impressive list of on the field accomplishments that would have left any fan, scout, broadcaster or coach in awe. Tebow's long list of awards includes: 2× BCS National Champion (2007, 2009), 2× First-team All-American (2007, 2008), Second-team All-American (2009), First-team All-SEC (2007, 2008, 2009), AP Player of the Year (2007), Davey O'Brien Award (2007), Maxwell Award (2007, 2008), Heisman Trophy (2007), NCAA QB of the Year (2007), Manning Award (2008), and last but not least the William V. Campbell Trophy (2009). With a pedigree like this one would think that it would all go to his head, but this humble natured and well mannered Christian boy (Florida's very own knight in shining armor) has remained poised and patient in his first season as a back up to current franchise quarterback Kyle Orton.
Tebow's work ethic, sense of community and willingness to serve have made him into the ideal candidate for any marketing campaign, business venture or spokesperson role for so many organizations it's hard to believe that this guy has any time whatsoever to concentrate on the game he loves so much. I mean lets face it, what hasn't Tebow done that NFL scouts, the media and coaches have asked of him. He needs to improve his foot speed and drop technique, check! He needs to alter his point of release, check! He can't be a legitimate passer in the NFL, check! There is no way he will get drafted in the first round, and check! But with so much emphasis on his college career and current progress of his professional stint with the Broncos 0-0, 0 yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, I wanted to shed some light on his current off the field accomplishments and highlight why this kid is just so gosh darn marketable.
Tebow's first prime time spot aired as a nationwide ad funded by Focus on the Family that was broadcast during Super Bowl XLIV. The advertisement included two 30-second commercials focusing on Tebow's personal story as part of an overall pro-life stance. While there was a media firestorm surrounding this decision, Tebow held strong to his beliefs and was heralded for doing so. The second major development came from the NCAA and its establishment of "The Tebow Rule," which banned players from writing messages on their eye black during games as was so customary of the Florida QB over his career. So much so that in the 2009 BCS Championship Game, he wore John 3:16 on his eye paint, and as a result, 92 million people Google searched "John 3:16" during or shortly after the game. Additionally, when Tebow switched to another verse, Proverbs 3:5-6, there were 3.43 million searches of "Tim Tebow" and that verse together. Tebow stated of the searches "It just goes to show you the influence and the platform that you have as a student-athlete and as a quarterback at Florida".
Since his introduction into the professional ranks Tebow has also taken time to ad value to his brand through sponsorship and advertising endeavours with nationally recognized companies such as EA Sports and Nike. On April 8, 2010, Tebow was announced as the cover athlete for all three game platforms of the upcoming video game NCAA Football 11 and has recently premiered in a string of Nike commercials with 1st overall pick, and Portland, OR native Ndamukong Suh, Rick Ross and Manny Pacquiao. Quite the group for a guy that held off all promotional and marketing endeavours until after the start of the 2010 campaign as a way of devoting his time to crafting himself into an elite level QB in Broncos camp.
But the list doesn't stop there! The former Heisman Trophy winner, who's dominated NFL jersey sales with the number one selling uniform without taking an NFL snap, has now infiltrated the sneaker industry a well. In conjunction with EA Sports College Football 2011, Nike released the Tim Tebow Trainer 1.2 on August 6th. The sneaker features the Gators' blue and orange color scheme and commemorates Tebow’s “Promise” speech from Sept. 27, 2008. Now for the bad news. Nike only released 500 pairs of the shoe and they sold out in five minutes.
Tebow has also set his sights even higher through the implementation of his own non profit foundation, marketing company, and social media outlets designed to spread the Tebow way and encourage fans to ride the wave. Four days before his first NFL regular season game, the popular rookie launched a Twitter account and a new website, TimTebow.com. Tebow, who also started a Facebook page, drew thousands of followers in just a few hours after joining Twitter and in his first tweet stated,
"Thanks for all the years of support - I'm really excited about being able to keep in touch with all of you on twitter and facebook." The launching of the social media platforms is part of a coordinated unveiling of a new company, XV Enterprises, that will manage Tebow's marketing interests. XV Enterprises (Tebow's uniform number is 15) is run by Tebow's brother, Robby Tebow, and friend Angel Gonzalez.
On top of this, Tebow also launched the debut of the Tim Tebow Foundation, a non profit designed to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. The Foundation will utilize the public platform that God has given to Tim Tebow through media, publishing, speaking engagements, special events, and mission trips to inspire friends and supporters to work with the Foundation as a team in helping to make a difference.
With all of this off the field action I feel that I have broken a sweat just trying to get it all into words, yet again it could be the all time record 113 degree Los Angeles heat that is seeping into the office, but non the less the list of accolades of off the field action seems limitless for the first year pro. Yet with all this action and all of the attention it is amazing to me to see a guy with so much poise and dedication to his craft. All of his moves have been well thought out and meticulous planned and executed. But would you expect anything less. Sure I will admit I was a Tebow hater during his days in college, but if there is one thing this guy is good at its turning doubters into believers. Tim Tebow is a model of character, good sportsmanship and class and will undoubtedly have a bright future ahead regardless of what he does on the field. His off the field excellence will surely carry him to a level unmatched by any athlete in light of today's standards and I look forward to seeing how he progresses as a professional in the future.
*Here's a direct quote by Head Coach Josh McDaniels in regards to the acquistion of Tim Tebow in the 1st Round: "We want players who are tough, smart, have great character, love football and are passionate about coming here and helping the Broncos win a championship. I think both players fit that role and I think that’s something that we’re looking for in all of our players. What we’re trying to build here is team chemistry and a team that cares about winning and winning a championship, and that’s it.”
*You can catch Tim Tebow in the new Nike Boom! Ad by clicking on the title of this article
Boom-shaka-laka!, From Downtown!, SWISH! If you haven't already heard its that time again and as NBA Jam hits the market for Wii, the anticipation is building for what could be the release of the year when the game hits shelves for XBOX 360 and PS3 during the holiday season. With so much fan fair and with an incredibly strong following, the developers at EA Sports decided to kick things up a notch when it announced a slew of secret characters to be unlocked during game play just a few days ago. Returning yet again, having debuted in the original Sega Genesis version of the game back in 1993, the music industry has once again dipped its hands into the pile with the Beastie Boys headlining as the most noteworthy team to enter the 2010 title. The Beasties Boys, known for their unique and timeless hip hop style, will be featured alongside a handful of our nations finest politicians as well.
With the likes of President Obama, Joe Biden, Al Gore, Bill and Hillary Clinton on one side, with Republicans George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, John McCain and Dick Cheney taking the court on the other, expect this game to be used for more than deciding who's doing the dishes tonight. While I can honestly say I didn't see this one coming, I have to give credit where credit is due and EA Sports once again upped the ante with its array of outlandish unlockable content and featured game play. My only hope in terms of game play is that the music in the game would transcend well into the game itself. How nice would it be for you to unlock and Beastie Boys and play to the tune of Brass Monkey, while Mix Master Mike takes it to the hole on your boys from school, or catching fire while Mike D posts up in the corner ready to rain 3's on your way to another blowout victory against your 13 year old cousin (I'm not kidding, the kid can ball and I've been playing since '93...can't lose!)
One thing for sure is that this title will surely set the bar high in terms of content and its ability to sell. With commentators, players, fans and gamers having adopted the characteristic and often slapstick sayings from NBA Jam, its almost as if over night this game transcended the way in which we look and think about sports. While the image of Barak Obama doing three front flips, while on fire, and taking it to the rack against George Bush would be absolutely ridiculous, yet awesome at the same time, its the idea that a video game could have such an impact on multiple platforms and across industries that truly makes NBA Jam a one of a kind experience for those who play.
Creator Mark Turmell said in an interview that, "The thing about it is it hit mainstream. A billion dollars, one quarter at a time in 1993. It did 5 million copies on the Super Nintendo and the Genesis. It was pretty much on every platform in 1993 and 1994. It is a mainstream game and that is the exciting thing. It's not a sports game made for sports gamers, at its root its just a great video game." That in my eyes is the beauty of the game, its ability to transcend time. Almost 17 years later, NBA Jam still carries with it that mythical element that when you grab the sticks and its about to go down, its 2 on 2 full on basketball mixed with a splash of character and creative zeal. Regardless of what system you played or arcade you you spent hours at honing your skills, reality is that NBA Jam has withstood the test of time regardless of the industry because it afford us the ability to relive simpler times and truly experience gaming at its best.
But what about the players? What are we looking at in terms of character appearance, game play and authenticity? NBA Jam was a game that felt so raw and intense, regardless of the 2D graphics because you could identify with the players and for the first time you felt like you were controlling the team. NBA Jam allowed gamers, for the firs time, to identify with the teams that they liked and with a graphics that afford them to ability feel like they were playing as their favorite NBA stars. In this years title the developers held true to the franchise and decided to keep some of that old school flair. "We used the digitized faces as our inspiration for our art style," says the game's Creative Director Trey Smith. "That was a big thing for us: How do we, 17 years later, still capture that vibe that NBA Jam was. It was groundbreaking in so many different ways. It was first game where you're players weren't just a bunch of blobs on the screen. It was the first game to use digitized faces where you actually could recognize them."
From the looks of it EA hit the nail on the head with its rendition of the NBA Jam atmosphere. Players faces are actual photos that have been digitized for clarity, yet will remain 2D as a way to add a collective balance with the new 3D environment. The crowd will also boast a 2D appearance, but this combination of old world style with new age technology is sure have fans raving if they have not yet seen video of the next installment of NBA Jam. For me personally, I can honestly say that I will be a first day buyer. As someone who currently has an original SEGA Genesis at home with NBA Jam still in the game slot, I can tell you that I have been practicing and waiting patiently for the game to come out on XBOX 360 for months. Yet while I won't be able to hoop it up with Mugsy, Zo, and Grandmama, the Charlotte Hornet machine in the 1993 version, I am sure that Mike D, Barak and B Roy will do as I anticipate the release of NBA Jam later this holiday season and can't wait to here, "Obama... Jams It In!"
*For a complete look at NBA Jam, check out the release trailer online by simply clicking on the title of this article
