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Post by James Dunne on Aug 24, 2016 8:38:15 GMT -5
In retrospect it's pretty embarrassing how much time and energy ESPN dedicated to making Tim Tebow a thing. Actually, it was pretty embarrassing at the time too. If it's working they don't fix it. He drove ratings through the roof. He's still the fifth most popular QB. The feedback loop is a real thing. Tebow has been promoted as someone who both maximizes his minimal talent (which is pretty laughable since he's been out of the league for years now), but also as sort of the athletic personification of the culture wars. His success is presented as a counter to intellectualism (those eggheads said he couldn't play!), and his personal life is presented as a counter to liberalism (what if he'd been an abortion?!). There is a certain cross-section of the population for whom the idea of Tim Tebow is something very appealing. Whether it makes sense for ESPN to promote him isn't really my call, but I will say it positions them as much more of a sports promotions/marketing organization than a sports news one.
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Post by jmei on Aug 24, 2016 8:43:58 GMT -5
This is getting meta, but you have to remember that the vast majority of folks who follow sports and watch ESPN don't do so in as in-depth a level as most of us. Frankly, we're the niche audience, and most folks are more interested in the surface-level broad narratives than the nitty-gritty Xs and Os. In other words, ESPN provided exactly the level of analysis that its audience wanted.
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Post by jrffam05 on Aug 24, 2016 9:04:21 GMT -5
Whether it makes sense for ESPN to promote him isn't really my call, but I will say it positions them as much more of a sports promotions/marketing organization than a sports news one. That's not true, remember the time they put together teams for every major sport made up of star wars characters? Classic sports analysis there with no connections to marketing.
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Post by jimed14 on Aug 24, 2016 9:46:57 GMT -5
In retrospect it's pretty embarrassing how much time and energy ESPN dedicated to making Tim Tebow a thing. Actually, it was pretty embarrassing at the time too. If it's working they don't fix it. He drove ratings through the roof. He's still the fifth most popular QB. So after baseball is over in about 5 minutes, onto politics. And hopefully I'll be on a different planet by then.
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Post by jimed14 on Aug 24, 2016 9:48:28 GMT -5
This is getting meta, but you have to remember that the vast majority of folks who follow sports and watch ESPN don't do so in as in-depth a level as most of us. Frankly, we're the niche audience, and most folks are more interested in the surface-level broad narratives than the nitty-gritty Xs and Os. In other words, ESPN provided exactly the level of analysis that its audience wanted. Kind of like what MTV did for music. And every news channel did for politics.
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Post by sox fan in nc on Aug 24, 2016 9:53:52 GMT -5
Don't let the same scouts who saw Rusney around Tebow.
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Post by azblue on Aug 24, 2016 10:42:04 GMT -5
What is Tebow's best position, minor league roving chaplain?
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Post by rjp313jr on Aug 24, 2016 10:49:35 GMT -5
Spike cleaner since he's always down on one knee anyways
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Post by jodyreidnichols on Aug 24, 2016 11:05:01 GMT -5
This is getting meta, but you have to remember that the vast majority of folks who follow sports and watch ESPN don't do so in as in-depth a level as most of us. Frankly, we're the niche audience, and most folks are more interested in the surface-level broad narratives than the nitty-gritty Xs and Os. In other words, ESPN provided exactly the level of analysis that its audience wanted. That is so unfortunately true.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Aug 24, 2016 11:16:27 GMT -5
Making the questionable decision to make a serious post in here, but apparently he was good enough in high school that teams did consider drafting him, but he was heavily committed to play football. If course, this also wouldn't have stopped them, so it's not like he was early-round good.
Hey, looking is free. Nothing is lovely to come from it, but a scout could easily see the workout and still go to whatever game that evening, so it's not even a diversion of resources.
In all seriousness, there could be a colorable argument that signing him rather than some other org guy who will never make it to AA makes sense to help generate good will with the affiliate who prospers in ticket sales, so long as he's just as good as that other org guy. He just needs to do his part in fielding his position cleanly and turning over the lineup often enough.
Is there any reason he couldn't be a more famous Brandon Magee, for example?
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Post by James Dunne on Aug 24, 2016 11:31:49 GMT -5
Can Tim Tebow be the good teammate slash punching bag that an org guy needs to be, though? Can Tebow defer when a more talented player takes his position or playing time? Can he deal with riding the bus to Hagerstown?
If he's willing to do those things then what the hell. But we're talking about a guy who was resistant to playing fullback. Going from that to being okay with being a three-times a week outfielder in the SAL seems tough to believe, but maybe he's grown up.
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Post by jimed14 on Aug 24, 2016 11:43:51 GMT -5
He's 29 and last played baseball in 2005. His signing will be strictly for media purposes, not for baseball reasons.
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jimoh
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Post by jimoh on Aug 24, 2016 11:46:44 GMT -5
Vid with some analysis of his swing. Looks like he'd be AWESOME at slow-pitch softball, and maybe even at HR Derby, but he looks awkward and muscle-bound.
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Post by sox fan in nc on Aug 24, 2016 12:24:53 GMT -5
Our So Cal scouts are Jim Woodward & Demond Smith....I assume one or both of them will be @ the "workout". I hope they bring in Kopech to throw.
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Post by jmei on Aug 31, 2016 10:49:55 GMT -5
Tebow had his tryout on Tuesday. The only two teams who didn't attend were the Cubs and the Athletics, which I found amusing. He apparently showed decent raw power but couldn't hit offspeed stuff. Someone will give him a minor league stint (as discussed above, there's every financial incentive to do so), but he'll almost certainly never be a real prospect.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Aug 31, 2016 11:09:01 GMT -5
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Post by James Dunne on Aug 31, 2016 11:35:30 GMT -5
Can confirm.
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Post by deepjohn on Aug 31, 2016 12:44:54 GMT -5
If this review of his hitting tool is accurate, teams will bid to sign Tebow. His 450 foot bombs will sell tickets and merchandise. The contract can be viewed as a percentage of revenue generated, which will be substantial. Michael Jordan got $4 million to play baseball, and it turned out to be a good deal for the team.
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Post by jimed14 on Aug 31, 2016 12:45:38 GMT -5
Was that a football scouting report?
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Post by congusgambler33 on Aug 31, 2016 16:18:39 GMT -5
I guess that could translate to baseball as well...right?
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Post by grandsalami on Sept 2, 2016 18:38:20 GMT -5
“@jonheyman: Braves are among teams interested in Tebow. @pedrogomezespn mentioned 1st”
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Post by semsox on Sept 8, 2016 6:44:37 GMT -5
Via Adam Schefter:
Imagine thinking Tebow could play in the AFL...
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Oct 4, 2016 15:44:04 GMT -5
Wow, Tebow now heading to the AFL.
If he's able to even keep his head above water there, I'll be very, very impressed.
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nomar
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Post by nomar on Oct 4, 2016 16:27:54 GMT -5
Wow, Tebow now heading to the AFL. If he's able to even keep his head above water there, I'll be very, very impressed. I want to say no shot, but I would have said the same thing to the idea of him even getting a shot in the AFL.
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Post by telson13 on Oct 4, 2016 22:53:47 GMT -5
This is getting meta, but you have to remember that the vast majority of folks who follow sports and watch ESPN don't do so in as in-depth a level as most of us. Frankly, we're the niche audience, and most folks are more interested in the surface-level broad narratives than the nitty-gritty Xs and Os. In other words, ESPN provided exactly the level of analysis that its audience wanted. Yes. Hence, the popularity of American Idol, the Big Mac, and Budweiser. Consumption-based production.
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