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
Summer is officially over and now its time to head indoors, dust off those sweat pants and knock out a half gallon of ice cream to mark the beginning of your six month break from the beach, P90X and your flawless summer nutrition plan. Fall marks the start of football season which can only mean three things: tailgating, micro brews and hours of television. With all the great things that come with the game, so does poor nutrition, terrible workout habits and weekends that fly so fast you wonder if you will ever see the gym between the hours of Friday and sometime next week. Having wanted to pursue distance running for quite some time, the idea of training for a marathon seemed like a daunting, yet worthy investment. Having talked with a number of friends back home about their plans for the summer of 2011, the thought of putting together a team and running Hood to Coast back home in Oregon quickly became a reality.
While I for one am not the type of person to commit to something and back out, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to put my money ($120) where my mouth was and give it a go. Having named Hood to Coast as one of my three year long goals after watching the ESPN Films 30 for 30 documentary on Terry Fox, it looks like I am gearing up for eight months of long distance training. With a background in Exercise and Sport Science I am confident that I will be able to structure a schedule and maintain my nutritional fortitude as I prepare to embark on this great adventure, but without the proper equipment I feel as though my running progress might be hindered and went searching for a product that would meet my needs.
At the recommendation of my friend Andy, an avid outdoors men and college roommate, I decided to take a look at the Nike+ system. Having already purchased two pairs of running shoes that were designed of for the Nike+ "Experience," I figured I would do some research into the system and see if there were any changes that had taken place since its inception a few years ago. Lucky for me I came across the New Nike+ GPS App. With all the rave and attention today geared towards mobile devices and digital sports solutions, I wanted to share with you this new and exciting product that Nike unveiled a month ago(September 7th) via press release at nikebiz.com.
The new mobile running application is a revolutionary leap forward in running technology and allows users to seamlessly integrate their running pattern, distance, location and style all into one system, thus eliminating the hassle of google mapping your route or setting your playlist manually to play out your songs during your run. According to nikebiz.com the Nike+ GPS App is a,"New iPhone App for runners that uniquely motivates, maps, tracks and connects users to their 3 million Nike+ member community. The app is engineered to operate seamlessly between GPS and an accelerometer for an accurate, motivating and entertaining runner's tool."
Sounds great, but what else can it do? The New Nike+ GPS App also allows runners to digitally map every run while the system simultaneously tracks your pace, distance, time and calories burned. The App also features a 'Stay Motivated' feature that offers instant feedback during and after you workout from athletes like Paula Radcliffe, cyclist Lance Armstrong, and comedian Tracy Morgan. The network has also been integrated with the over 3 million active Nike+ users through a community link at www.nikeplus.com. As the largest running community in the world, those of you that try the new system are encouraged to chime in on your runs and share information with others across the country and around the world.
While I can definitely see the ROI as in pertains to my workouts and ability to track my progress, Nike executives are also buzzing about the possibilities this digital application software can afford users moving forward. “We are so excited to introduce the true ‘Runner’s App,’ for iPhone combining the dynamic power and community of Nike+ with the user-friendly functionality of GPS and accelerometry,” said Stefan Olander, VP, Nike Digital Sport. “We will continue to evolve the digital options we provide to runners so that their running experience is always unique and inspired.” While its great to see those associated with the product raving about the potential of the system, as a Droid user, I myself have without a doubt encountered a problem because the Nike+ iPhone App was not developed for my mobile device. While others out there may share in my unfortunate situation, there are other alternatives in the Nike+ arsenal that are sure to fit any runner's needs.
But all things aside the Nike+ system is forward thinking and affords users with an array of options as they work their way towards their individual fitness goals. While I do plan on purchasing the Nike+ system for my iPod in the coming weeks, I am looking forward to the new and improved digital technology options that are set to hit the market within the next few years. Products like these are a great way to inform athletes and users of the benefits of prolonged physical activity, and are a great resource for people just getting started, as well as seasoned distance running and tri-athlete veterans. Please feel free to check out www.nikebiz.com for more information on the New Nike+ iPhone App and how it can best serve you and your own personal needs. With an seemingly endless selection of uses including: Run Anywhere (Outdoor, Track or Treadmill), Map Your Runs, Challenge Yourself (Further, Farther, Fastest), Stay Connected (www.nikeplus.com) and Stay Motivated (receive motivation messages) look for the New Nike+ App to put it's best foot forward as running enthusiasts and beginners alike, lace up their Nike's and hit the streets, one mile, one song and one step at a time.
*For more information on the New Nike+ iPhone App visit www.nikebiz.com or simply click on the title of this article.
