Camp Opens: Tebow First to Arrive

First Bronco in the building at 8:01 this morning? Tim Tebow. Of course.

-- ESPN's Adam Schefter, via Twitter.

Tim Tebow's Starting Job To Lose

"Game on," as Tim Tebow tweeted yesterday afternoon. The NFL is back.

And with today's frenzy of player movement, the most intriguing storyline might be out of Denver: The Broncos are reportedly shopping erstwhile starting QB Kyle Orton.

That clears the lane for Tim Tebow to pick up where he left off last year: Starting at quarterback.

(The hours after new coach John Fox was hired last winter, when it seemed like he was down on Tebow, feel like years ago.)

The Broncos are going to give Tim Tebow a chance, from the start. That's all anyone can ask for.

Tim Tebow Grants "My Wish"

Here is the full story.

Tim Tebow to Start? His Job To Lose

NFL.com's Steve Wyche has done some reporting and thinks that the Broncos starting QB job is Tim Tebow's to lose.

ProFootballTalk did the transcribing of Wyche's podcast and the major conclusion was this: "I have talked to enough people . . . to comfortably say that unless Tim Tebow gets hurt in training camp or is absolutely awful, the starting job is his to lose. They want to find out if Tebow can play."

Two Years Ago Today, TimTeblog.com Launched

Two years ago today, I launched TimTeblog.com, promising obsessive coverage of the Tim Tebow phenomenon. (Here is that opening post.)

In part, it was because as a journalist, I thought Tim Tebow and his story throughout the 2009 season -- from trying to repeat as national champ to the NFL Draft -- was the most compelling story in sports.

In part, it was because as someone immersed in the media industry, I wanted to see if I could create a popular destination not about a sport or a team, but a single topic -- a single player. I thought that there was a fan appetite for that and was curious about the larger implications.

In part, it was because I was a huge Florida fan and -- in particular -- a huge Tim Tebow fan. I don't think I could have dedicated the time and energy to the project if I wasn't personally passionate about the topic, while still able to maintain a journalist's eye for good stories and analysis.

That stretch from July 2009 through the end of the season in January 2010 (really the SEC title game the first Saturday of December 2009), then the sprint from January through the NFL Draft in April 2010 remains one of the most memorable stints of my career.

I am grateful for the readers who found the site interesting. I am grateful for the community of people who commented and emailed. I am grateful that my hypothesis was right -- Tebow WAS the biggest story in sports that fall and spring; it led to a never-ending source of material.

Since the Draft, posting on the site has been spotty -- partly, that's because Tebow didn't play a whole lot in the fall of 2010 (and things really slowed down these past six months of 2011); partly, it's because I launched my company and its first product (Quickish.com). That said, I still update the site whenever interesting things happen (say, the "Through My Eyes" book launch and subsequent vault up the bestseller lists) and certainly when Tebow and the Broncos return to the field next month for training camp and the season.

If I have a regret, it is only that during a window of opportunity from December 2009 through the fall of 2010, I didn't take all the notes I had compiled -- both published on the site and never published on the site -- and write the book about Tebow I really wanted to. Obviously, it would be a bit different than "Through My Eyes" -- actually, it would be about Tebow through my eyes, the eyes of a fan and someone who "obsessively covered the Tebow phenomenon."

I thought that was a story worth telling -- I still do, and I think that in the same way you can today read something like Nick Hornby's classic "Fever Pitch" about an English soccer season of 20 years ago with complete enjoyment, I will someday write that Tebow book in a way that is as much about the universal lessons of that 2009 season and of fandom as it is about anything.

I'm excited to take this blog into Year 3 and I'm excited about trying to nip and tuck at the margins of my life in order to make that book a reality someday. If you really want to have fun, look at the Archives section on the right side of the site and take a trip back to that July of 2009 when the insanity of that season really began. It feels like a hundred years ago yet it still feels like last week. It was that much fun.

Thanks for joining me on the ride. More to come.

-- Dan

Tim Tebow's No. 15 Worn by WHOM?

Here's a name to know: Luchiez Purifoy. He is a freshman cornerback for the Gators this year who has made the mistake of picking No. 15 as his jersey number.

I will call it right now: This will become a big deal -- Florida fans (and media) will not be happy that Tim Tebow's jersey number was simply given away to any random frosh who wants to claim it. And, frankly, I don't think Purifoy really wants that kind of pressure.

Beyond that, I think it was a judgment error by the coaching staff (or equipment manager) to let him have it at all, and they will quickly backtrack once it becomes a "thing."

Via Alligator Army, check out the jersey assignments for '11-12 in the new Florida football media guide.

(On an unrelated note, I love that a new star player claims the No. 1 jersey whenever it opens up -- Chris Rainey takes it from the exiled Janoris Jenkins. And I love that the expectation is that whoever wears it has to try to live up to the standard of Percy Harvin (and Reggie Nelson) when they wore it.)

Tim Tebow's "Through My Eyes" Debuts at No. 6 on New York Times Best-Seller List

Tim Tebow's new book "Through My Eyes" debuts at No. 6 on the New York Times best-seller list this week, its first week of eligibility.

(Coincidentally, the new ESPN history is No. 5, after debuting at No. 1 last week. But where the ESPN book likely has peaked its sales, it feels like Tebow's book sales will only grow through the summer, particularly with Father's Day coming up next weekend. You can be sure tons of folks will be buying Tebow's book for their dads.)

"Through My Eyes" is currently No. 18 on the Amazon Top 100, but it carries an "up" arrow for trending momentum.

Tim Tebow Book Signing At Gainesville Wal-Mart

Tim Tebow Tees Off

via Angel Gonzalez

Tim Tebow On the Daily Show

Fun little segment:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Tim Tebow
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Tim Tebow Meets Jon Stewart

Don't forget to watch Tim Tebow on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" tonight at 11:00 ET on Comedy Central. The interview portion usually starts after 11:15 or so. I'll have the clip here as soon as it is available online.

Tim Tebow Hits Amazon Top 25

What were we saying the other day about Tim Tebow's book cracking the Amazon overall Top 25? He's there already, one day after the book released. Let's set the over-under at No. 3, with zero surprise if he hits No. 1.

(via Angel Gonzalez on Twitter)

Tim Tebow's "Through My Eyes" Released Today

Tim Tebow's much-anticipated memoir "Through My Eyes" is releasing today -- you can pick it up at any bookstore or order it online, as many already have. It is currently No. 8 on the Amazon ranking of sports books, but I anticipate it will surge to No. 1 -- and eventually into the Top 20 of all book sales. Full book review coming later this week.

Tim Tebow on His Motivations

From the essential Alligator Army:

"Being a role model is huge. That’s so much more important than scoring touchdowns or trying to win championships because at the end of the day, that’s just a game. If you can encourage someone, inspire someone and put a smile on their face, that’s actually meaningful. That actually changes peoples' lives, and that’s what I’m in it for."

-- Tim Tebow, from a speech at the Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Award banquet.

Tebow's new book comes out Tuesday. Already getting emails from folks who pre-ordered the autographed version and it has arrived at their houses. Full review and coverage coming all next week.

Tim Tebow "Through My Eyes" Book Trailer

A Brief Statement about Judgment Day

Tim Tebow's book comes out in 11 days. There is no way the world ends tomorrow.

Tim Tebow In New York City

Tim Tebow is in New York City today, at an event at Macy's in Herald Square for Jockey. Should be a lot of fun.

I got invited to attend, but it is my older son's 5th birthday party today.

Consequently, Tim should consider this an open invite to drop by -- our apartment in Brooklyn is only a 25-minute drive from Macy's.

I mean, as long as he is in New York City....

(In the photo, that's Gabe to the left, with his little brother Jonah to the right, in the glasses.)

Tim Tebow Book Tour Dates

Tim Tebow's autobiography "Through My Eyes" is coming out on May 31. The dates and locations for his book tour have been announced:

5/30 in Jacksonville at Books-a-Million on Marsh Landing Parkway.

6/4 in Denver at the Tattered Cover (one of my favorite bookstores in the world).

6/5 in Colorado Springs at Sam's Club on Woodman Rd.

6/9 in Gainesville at Walmart on Archer Rd.

6/11 in Orlando at Barnes and Noble on Colonial Drive.

Expect big crowds, but should be a great scene at each stop. Presume that there will be a lot of media appearances and availability around the release.

More details here at the bottom of the TT website.

Tim Tebow Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic

Today and tomorrow are the first Tim Tebow Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic. Check out the details here.

Maybe next year I will get an invite as a "celebrity" participant -- although I don't golf, so where I really would add value is as a guest commentator. Get on that, XV!

"Through My Eyes" Out Soon

Thanks to Teblog reader Kat for sending me a note about pre-ordering "Through My Eyes" on Barnes and Noble's website. She noticed something on the page, and I'll try to explain it:

Apparently, you can get a signed edition, and it's only a dollar more than the standard hardcover price. It also appears to come out a week earlier (5/24) than the standard edition (5/31).

Sometimes bookstore web sites can get these little details wrong, but it certainly seems like something interesting to look into, if you were planning on getting the book.

One Year Later: Tebow vs. the Draft

Remember the intrigue last year on the day of the first round of the NFL Draft? It was led by this simple question: Where is Tim Tebow going?

There were plenty of contenders: Bills? Jaguars? Patriots? My pick was the Vikings. It ended up being the Broncos, and in hindsight it all seemed so obvious.

A year later, it is clear that Tebow can be a starting QB in the NFL -- he proved that as a rookie, against all the nay-sayers.

The irony is that if the Bills had taken Tebow last year instead of rookie non-factor CJ Spiller, they would be entering the 2011 season with a talented QB with a year of starts under his belt and probably a similar draft slot, where they could have grabbed any number of super-talents: Von Miller, Marcell Dareus. Even a game-breaker like AJ Green.

The Jaguars could have used the instant injection of fan enthusiasm Tebow brought to Denver.

And as the rumors swirl that they are ready to use the No. 12 overall pick on Jake Locker, the Vikings could have had Tebow in the 20s a year ago, then used the No. 12 pick on their other needs, knowing they were set at QB (even as Tebow sat behind Brett Favre for his rookie year). Locker feels like "Tebow Lite." At best, Locker is nothing better than a year behind where Tebow would have been now had he gone to Minnesota.

But mostly, I remember this day a year ago for the excitement I and a lot of you felt when Tebow was drafted in the 1st round, just like we all had insisted for years -- Tebow is a first-round NFL talent -- and directly in the face of the draftnik haters who insisted he could NEVER be a first-rounder.

There was a satisfaction there that I think is worth remembering, no matter what happened in the year since.

-- Dan

Happy Easter from Tim Tebow

From Tim Tebow's Twitter feed this morning:

It's time to celebrate the greatest victory of all... He is risen! Have a wonderful Easter everyone! 1 Peter 1:3

Happy Easter to all.

Tebow Talks to Woody Paige

Denver Post columnist (and Tebow-backer from Draft Day 2010) Woody Paige did a Q&A with Tim Tebow that was published today. The most interesting answer came after Paige asked Tebow for his strengths and weaknesses:

"I'd say the strength I'd look at is it's still football, and I still have the ability to play quarterback, run around, make things happen, improvise, and it wasn't too fast for me. It felt the same as high school and college. It wasn't anything like "Oh, shoot, this is the NFL, this is hard. I can't do this." If anything, by playing, it gave me that much more confidence because I thought, "Wow, I can really play at a high level." I'd done it successfully before, and these were the same guys I had been doing it against in college.

"My biggest weakness was the timing of certain plays. For instance, I had two "go" routes against San Diego, one on the left to (Brandon) Lloyd, one on the right to (Jabar) Gaffney, and on the first I was too late with the play-action, and Brandon already got out of his break and was too close to the sidelines. So we had a 15-yard route for a first down, but I didn't make the throw. I had the same play on the other side, and my timing wasn't there. It wasn't because of my arm strength, delivery or lack of understanding of the plays, but a lack of reps. I also found out that while I can use my athletic ability to scramble, I can't take too many hits. We were doing whatever we could to win because they were two crazy games, but it's not good to play too recklessly."

Really like the level of nuance Tebow applies to his weaknesses, remembering precisely what he did wrong and why it went wrong. (Hear that, Coach Fox? MORE REPS.)

See the whole interview here.

Tebow Nearly Went to Alabama

"My whole high school career, I thought I was going to Alabama because Urban wasn’t at Florida at that time, and they had Coach Shula — I loved him, I respected him as family, I loved the passion Alabama fans had for the game. That was something, you watch me play, I love it, I’m passionate about it, and seeing those fans, I loved it, I was in to it. And they had great players and I had become friends with a lot of their players, so most of my high school career I honestly thought I was going to Alabama."

See the rest of his radio interview (via Sports Radio Interviews) through the fine folks at Alligator Army.

Tim Tebow: The Statue

I think it's kind of understated and awesome. What do you think?