Cashing In On Tebow

How much is too much?



I am really ambivalent about this whole "Tebow" thing. Granted, I had my photo taken posing just like everyone else. I thought is was a fun alternative to planking; now that the Broncos have exploded onto the football scene with Tebow as the signal-caller, everyone is trying to jump on the bandwagon and proclaim him the Second Coming (at least, in football terms). But now, everyone is trying to cash in, like this artist featured today in Sports Illustrated who has for sale Tebow Christmas cards at 3 bucks a pop. That being said...
Tim Tebow is reputed to be a wonderful person, deeply religious, and an all-around good guy. I applaud that. There are far too few guys like him in the world, let alone in professional sports where many youngsters take their role models. I also love the fact that he has been dogged since he was drafted as not being the prototypical pocket passer, etc. and he HAS had some ugly passing stats. I'm all for the underdog. However, when sportswriters start writing things like "MVP" for the leader of an 8-5 team, it gets a bit silly.
And now, the next person in line is trying to use someone else's fame to score a cash windfall. I'm just jaded enough to hate that idea...and adding the religious context guarantees that not only religious folks but football fans might be snapping these up like they're in the two-minute drill.
If you are still interested, the remainder of this post is the article in SI.com as well as a few other tidbits. I, for one, will not be buying any...not because I hate Tim Tebow, the Broncos, or religious observances, but because I resent the fact that someone is trying to cash in on somebody else's talent (much like sports agents do!). And even though the artist claims that he will donate "a portion" of his profits to charity, I'm still jaded enough to wonder how big that portion might be! Also, claiming Tebow to be the NFL equivalent of Jesus might be just a bit too blasphemous for some.



"Looking for that unique gift idea for the Denver Broncos fan in your life, but have no clue as to what to get them? Your worries are over my friend, now that these Tim Tebow Tebowing Christmas cards are available for purchase on eBay. Where else can you find a drawing of baby Jesus and his full-grown, NFL quarterbacking equivalent on the same piece of paper?

For a mere $15 you get five of these glorious creations from an unknown Colorado artist, out of the 1000 that were produced. If you ask me, without sounding sacrilegious, I’m pretty sure God is the artist in question who designed and created these one-of-a-kind X-mas cards. Hey, even the big man in the sky could use a little extra cash for the holiday season."


From the eBay listing…

The cover of this card features Tim Tebow, the Heisman Trophy winner, dedicated Christian witness, and newly-chosen quarterback of the Denver Broncos, in his signature “Tebowing” pose, paying honor to the Child Jesus. The Star of Bethlehem illuminates the scene, and its light shining for all to see is a reminder of God’s Love: a love that embraces everyone, and that turns no one away, no matter their race, nationality, religion, orientation, income level, or disabilities.

Any football fan who reads the sports pages in newspapers today, or visits the leading sports websites, often sees an unpleasant scene filled with greed, out of control egos, and bad behavior. While Tim Tebow has never claimed to be perfect, his winning combination of athletic ability, determination, friendliness, authenticity, and a deep faith have won him many thousands, if not millions, of sports fans across the United States, and indeed, all over the world. Sharing these cards, with their simple image of a good guy who never fails to give glory to God, would be a great way to show your support for Tim and all he stands for.

That write-up may be the most Tim Tebow-ish thing ever.

On a serious note, the artist also says in the listing that he plans on donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the cards to “trustworthy Colorado charities which assist children in need and their families.”