Tim Tebow: Pride of The Philippines

soxhop411

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Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has set his sights on a career on the diamond as an outfielder, as the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner plans to hold workouts for all 30 MLB teams later this month, according to reports on Tuesday.

Tebow, who will turn 29 on Sunday, hasn't played competitive baseball since 2005, his junior year at Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Verde, Fla., where he was a three-sport standout, also playing basketball and, of course, football.

The Angels reportedly considered drafting Tebow out of high school in 2006, but he never returned an information card at the club's request, and the team moved on.

"This may sound like a publicity stunt, but nothing could be further from the truth," Brodie Van Wagenen, co-head of the baseball division at CAA Sports, said in a statement. "I have seen Tim's workouts, and people inside and outside the industry -- scouts, executives, players and fans -- will be impressed by his talent. ... Tim's tool set is real. His physicality is unique in professional baseball. His work ethic is unprecedented, and his passion for the game is infectious. He knows the challenges that lie ahead of him given his age and experience, but he is determined to achieve his goal of playing in the Major Leagues."

Tebow wowed with his power as a high school prospect, hitting homers in batting practice reportedly just shy of 500 feet. He was touted as a five-tool player.

Tebow played left field in high school, and as a junior, he hit .494 with four homers and led Nease to the semifinal round of the state playoffs. He didn't continue with baseball his senior year, and instead enrolled at the University of Florida early to get started on his college football career, giving up the chance to follow up his all-state honors on the diamond.
More at the link.
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/194521252/tim-tebow-reportedly-to-seek-career-on-diamond/

Yes.. this is real…No this is not the onion
 

E5 Yaz

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It wouldn't surprise me in the least if ESPN itself has a hand in propping up this charade. They know the Tebow fanbase will follow "news" of him doing anything; and between the SEC gig and the homebuilding reality show, he has cozy relationship with the ABC/Disney folks. Is a reality miniseries about his "attempt" that much of a stretch?

If Disney still own the Angels, the synergy would be intense
 

YTF

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So on several occasions Tebow refused to change positions in sport that he excelled at in college as a means to possibly prolong his NFL career, but after pretty much four seasons away from the NFL he's willing to change sports for zero chance of any career at all?
 

CoffeeNerdness

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Agent Gary Sheffield says Tebow has "it". Expect glowing Cafardo praise in the near term future.
 

E5 Yaz

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So on several occasions Tebow refused to change positions in sport that he excelled at in college as a means to possibly prolong his NFL career, but after pretty much four seasons away from the NFL he's willing to change sports for zero chance of any career at all?
There's a story about Frank Gifford, who was a college quarterback whose NFL fame would come at other positions. An interviewer doing a profile started a question along the lines of "When you were a quarterback ..." and Gifford stopped him mid-question and said "I am a quarterback." This goes back and forth for a few, moments before the writer realizes how serious Gifford was taking it and changes subjects.

Quarterbacks are wired differently. And they're always a quarterback.
 

DJnVa

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So on several occasions Tebow refused to change positions in sport that he excelled at in college as a means to possibly prolong his NFL career, but after pretty much four seasons away from the NFL he's willing to change sports for zero chance of any career at all?
Uh, yes. That makes sense doesn't it? He finally accepted that he's not going to make it as QB and has no desire to play football at another position. That doesn't mean he doesn't want to try baseball because he likes the challenge and likes to play. If he's no good he'll wash out pretty quickly.

I mean, there are positions in my profession/place of employment that I wouldn't want to try even if people kept asking me. Does that mean that I can't quit that profession and try something else?
 

SoxJox

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I really don't get this persistent, continuous derision and visceral dislike being heaped on Tebow. So what if he flunked out in the NFL? No skin off my or most anyone's back (save those that spent money on him - just like all the other high draft picks that didn't quite pan out).

Why shouldn't he try baseball? I'll second DrewDawg's comment about the result if he's no good. I think just about everyone on this board wished they were in a position like this where a thought could even be given to taking a swing at it (pun intended).

It just seems that on this board, the mere mention of "Tebow" is like, "psst, moths, over here...a light. Let's go dump some dung."
 

finnVT

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I really don't get this persistent, continuous derision and visceral dislike being heaped on Tebow. So what if he flunked out in the NFL? No skin off my or most anyone's back (save those that spent money on him - just like all the other high draft picks that didn't quite pan out).
When you affiliate yourself with a group like Focus on Family, you're going to get this sort of backlash from a not small number of people.
 

YTF

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Uh, yes. That makes sense doesn't it? He finally accepted that he's not going to make it as QB and has no desire to play football at another position. That doesn't mean he doesn't want to try baseball because he likes the challenge and likes to play. If he's no good he'll wash out pretty quickly.

I mean, there are positions in my profession/place of employment that I wouldn't want to try even if people kept asking me. Does that mean that I can't quit that profession and try something else?
FWIW, I didn't say that he or anyone else couldn't quit one profession to try another and in effect, that's NOT what he's done here. He's pretty much been out of football for 4 years now. The whole thing is just odd to me. Tebow was a football player. He had his foot in the door and could have had a chance to have some sort of NFL career and now at age 29 he wants to make a run at a sport he hasn't played competitively since he was 16-17 years old. I wish him all the luck in the world.
 

mt8thsw9th

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When you affiliate yourself with a group like Focus on Family, you're going to get this sort of backlash from a not small number of people.
Hey, converting from a football player to a baseball player may be easier than converting gays to straights like his group loves to try.
 

DJnVa

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FWIW, I didn't say that he or anyone else couldn't quit one profession to try another and in effect, that's NOT what he's done here. He's pretty much been out of football for 4 years now. The whole thing is just odd to me.
Okay, maybe I misunderstood you. He's a competitive guy and is trying to scratch that itch. It is a bit odd, but if he has the connections and pull and the name to give it a shot, why not? It's not the first time.

 

mauf

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I really don't get this persistent, continuous derision and visceral dislike being heaped on Tebow. So what if he flunked out in the NFL? No skin off my or most anyone's back (save those that spent money on him - just like all the other high draft picks that didn't quite pan out).

Why shouldn't he try baseball? I'll second DrewDawg's comment about the result if he's no good. I think just about everyone on this board wished they were in a position like this where a thought could even be given to taking a swing at it (pun intended).

It just seems that on this board, the mere mention of "Tebow" is like, "psst, moths, over here...a light. Let's go dump some dung."
When you affiliate yourself with a group like Focus on Family, you're going to get this sort of backlash from a not small number of people.
I think it's Tebow's fans more than Tebow himself. Yes, the FotF thing was annoying, but nobody much cares about, say, Peyton Manning being a Republican.

It sticks in my craw, though, that Tim Tebow is the model of a Christian athlete to many people, but those same people wouldn't pay a whit of attention to Russell Wilson, who possesses all the same attributes as Tebow (except the weird virginity thing) and is a far better player than Tebow, despite being probably the less athletically gifted of the two men. It's not Tebow's fault that racists root for him, but it doesn't exactly make me want to root for him to succeed.
 

Ale Xander

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That's the second time you've said that. Why would he be better than the dozens of college running backs who are faster and stronger than him every year who didn't make the NFL?
Because he was a great running quarterback not truly a great passing quarterback and not a running running back.

His playing style doesn't scream rugby to you?

3/4 of his offense was option. A lot of similarity to Rugby

But don't worry, M fan, I think Denard would be good too.
 

SoxJox

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Thanks Mauf. As usual, a response in your typical level-headed style. I was actually hoping to see more of a discussion from others in the thread about the baseball part. Doh.
 

finnVT

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I think it's Tebow's fans more than Tebow himself. Yes, the FotF thing was annoying, but nobody much cares about, say, Peyton Manning being a Republican.

It sticks in my craw, though, that Tim Tebow is the model of a Christian athlete to many people, but those same people wouldn't pay a whit of attention to Russell Wilson, who possesses all the same attributes as Tebow (except the weird virginity thing) and is a far better player than Tebow, despite being probably the less athletically gifted of the two men. It's not Tebow's fault that racists root for him, but it doesn't exactly make me want to root for him to succeed.
There's an ocean of a difference between being a republican and doing political ads for FotF.
 

luckiestman

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I think it's Tebow's fans more than Tebow himself. Yes, the FotF thing was annoying, but nobody much cares about, say, Peyton Manning being a Republican.

It sticks in my craw, though, that Tim Tebow is the model of a Christian athlete to many people, but those same people wouldn't pay a whit of attention to Russell Wilson, who possesses all the same attributes as Tebow (except the weird virginity thing) and is a far better player than Tebow, despite being probably the less athletically gifted of the two men. It's not Tebow's fault that racists root for him, but it doesn't exactly make me want to root for him to succeed.

Tebow is arguably the greatest college football player ever and won most of his fans as a college player while playing in the Bible belt. What's the racism angle?
 

WayBackVazquez

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Because he was a great running quarterback not truly a great passing quarterback and not a running running back.

His playing style doesn't scream rugby to you?

3/4 of his offense was option. A lot of similarity to Rugby

But don't worry, M fan, I think Denard would be good too.
Spread option. He threw for about 3,000 yards a year and his running game (which was almost solely up the middle from the shotgun) was made possible because of the threat of the pass. I know you've become an expert in rugby having watched 7-on-7 for at least the past three days, so you've probably discovered the forward pass is not legal in that game. There's no reason to believe he'd be a particularly good rugby player.
 

Tyrone Biggums

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Gary Sheffield calls him a "Natural". I wonder what Wade Boggs thinks? Wouldn't be the first endorsement hes given to a prospective ball player!

 

mauf

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Tebow is arguably the greatest college football player ever and won most of his fans as a college player while playing in the Bible belt. What's the racism angle?
At the peak of Tebowmania, most of his fans weren't folks who rooted for Florida when he played there. Those are the fans I was talking about above.
 

Ale Xander

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Spread option. He threw for about 3,000 yards a year and his running game (which was almost solely up the middle from the shotgun) was made possible because of the threat of the pass. I know you've become an expert in rugby having watched 7-on-7 for at least the past three days, so you've probably discovered the forward pass is not legal in that game. There's no reason to believe he'd be a particularly good rugby player.
Almost solely? Think again

Point remains that he was an expert on knowing when to pitch and when to hold and which gap to go through and is smarter than 99% of running backs.

And I'd say the passing yards were more a function of the threat to run than your point
 

Spacemans Bong

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I'm not really seeing Tim Tebow working out too well as an inside centre in space. There's calculations he'd have to make in a nanosecond that you don't learn overnight.

Also, can he kick at all? Because a centre needs to learn to kick into space.
 

mauidano

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Have at it Tim. Most of the guys who play Minor League Baseball never make it to The Show. They are there to fill out rosters and provide competition to those who will. It is very difficult to hit a baseball being thrown at you with high speeds, change of speeds and movements. Most of us here love the game so much we would take a shot at it if we could too. I'm not betting on him but the what the heck, no one's getting hurt...yet.
 

Philip Jeff Frye

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I really don't get this persistent, continuous derision and visceral dislike being heaped on Tebow. So what if he flunked out in the NFL? No skin off my or most anyone's back (save those that spent money on him - just like all the other high draft picks that didn't quite pan out).

Why shouldn't he try baseball? I'll second DrewDawg's comment about the result if he's no good. I think just about everyone on this board wished they were in a position like this where a thought could even be given to taking a swing at it (pun intended).
I have no issues with Tim Tebow's personality or religion or quarterbacking ability or whatever, but its reached the point where he's famous for being famous. In the midst of the Olympics, baseball pennant races, pro football training camps, etc..., why does ESPN need to spend 10% of SportsCenter talking about whether or not Tebow will make the majors?
 

SoxJox

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mauidano said better what I intended. I'm neither a Tebow fan nor critic and had thought the discussion could have - at least momentarily - given the appearance of looking at the pros/cons/likelihood of success, etc. of Tebow's effort, and not immediately turn into the shit show of drive by comments.
 

Ramon AC

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What?
I'm not a fan of the patently political religiosity for which Tebow was the avatar for a couple years. But I do like a good public reinvention, and I love improbable, inspiring baseball stories. I wish him well.