Tebow pays tribute to a real hero

It may have not been a C-130J Hercules Transport Aircraft that Tim Tebow arrived in yesterday to set off the next round of Tebow-mania but— even after a flight in the cushy seats of a fancy jet— the New York Jets new "backup" quarterback paid his respects to a real hero.

Tebow's wave of a hand as he was whisked away from Morristown Airport revealed that he was sporting a wristband bearing the name of U.S. Marine Cpl. Michael Nicholson— an amputee who lost both legs fighting in Afghanistan last year.

Tebow's subtle gesture left the real battlefield warrior stunned.

"Oh wow!  really?" Nicholson said after he found out the red wristband bearing his name was on the  newest member of Gang Green.

Tebow had three other wristbands wrapped around his right wrist— the other two honoring causes special to  the religious quarterback.

The 22-year-old former-Marine— who lost both legs while on tour of duty last year— had nothing but praise for the quarterback.  Tebow visited the corporal for about an hour after attending the opening of  a Tampa sports complex in which Tebow had invested.

"It was great that he came out and spent some time with me," Nicholson said.  "It meant so much."

Nicholson said they talked about Tebow's glory days at the University of Florida how they both played football for rival high schools around the same time.

Nicholson's portrait in Marines Dress Blue sitting with prosthetic legs adorns a poster which reads:

THIS IS A HERO

Not a sports player.  Not a politician. Not a faddish figure.

A hero faces death for others, with no thought of personal gain or glory.

This is the face of a true hero.

"The best word to describe Tim Tebow is he is humble," the former- Marine told The New York Post.

I can think of a lot better words to describe Cpl. Michael Nicholson.

Jets fan first to be buried in Tim Tebow Jets jersey

A lifelong New York Jets fan made a deathbed prediction last week that his favorite team would get Tim Tebow and then, sadly, passed away.


In a cruel twist of fate, Russell Francis, spoke those words to his wife before news broke that Tebow was headed to New York in a trade with the Denver Broncos.  A swap that nobody saw coming, according to The New York Daily News.


His family will now send the Jets fan into eternity on Friday sporting a brand-new, green-and-white No. 15  New York Jets jersey as Tebow-mania hits its most unlikely venue yet: a funeral home.

The ink isn't even dry on the new Tebow jerseys and they're making their way into heaven already.

Widow Wendy Tatum told the Daily News she recalled one of her last conversations with her husband Francis, 44, as he battled lung cancer.

"He kept saying, 'They're going to get Tebow.  They're going to get Tebow,'" she said after shopping for the jersey for the shirt on Thursday.  "This was a whole week before the trade."

It sounds like Francis wasn't much of a Mark Sanchez fan.

Francis may be headed to that great stadium in the sky, but other visionary words he left behind might excite fans of Gang Green.

"He said they're going to the Super Bowl this year," his wife said.

Tebow-mania touches down in New Jersey; Next stop: New York

Tim Tebow finally arrived in the New York area as either the New York Jets latest experiment or new backup quarterback.  The unannounced flight touched down at Morristown Airport by — what else— private jet at approximately 3:20 this afternoon before he was whisked away.

Tebow exited the jet, shook some hands and was driven off the runway in a black luxury SUV as news choppers circled overhead.

Tebow-mania has already started and he's still 30 miles west of Met Life Stadium.

Last night, Tebow had a chance to address the media in New York via phone after the trade with the Denver Broncos was finalized.

"I'm very thankful for the opportunity to to play for such a great organization," he said.

Tebow, who has spent a lot of time in the spotlight in the past year, was asked if he had any trepidation about life in the big city.

"Not really.  I'm excited about it," he said. "I think it's a great market.  It's a great city.  I'm excited to be a Jet now."

 The Jets have made it clear that incumbent quarterback Mark Sanchez was, and will be,  the Jets starter in 2012.  The new guy in town didn't seem bothered.

Tebow said he already talked with Sanchez on the phone after the trade and everything was fine between the two quarterbacks.

"We spoke on the phone yesterday.  Got caught up a little bit," said Tebow.  "Had a great conversation and looking forward to seeing him soon and working with him and, you know, we've been blessed to know each other over the last few years.  "I definitely have a lot of respect for him."

The Jets have not released the day and time of Tebow's official introduction as a Jets player, but expect a media crush.

If news choppers stalking a country airport is any indication— I think Tebow-mania is going to be bigger than ever.

Lin can't wait for Tebow-mania

If anybody knows sports hysteria it's Jeremy Lin.  The man who kicked off Linsanity in a New York Knicks uniform is thrilled that Tim Tebow is coming to town.

"It's awesome.  I'm just excited for him and to see what he does," said the Knicks point guard.

"We'll see what happens next year, but I'm excited obviously that he's going to be in New York," said Lin after dumping 16 fourth quarter points on the Philadelphia 76ers in last night night's 82-79 win.

Lin's rise to worldwide celebrity didn't come with the baggage Tebow-mania lugs into New York.  The journeyman NBA player was an anonymous benchwarmer crashing on his brother's couch when his star rose.

Tebow just doesn't want to end up being a couch— Tim Couch that is.

The expectations and questions surrounding Tebow's role as New York Jet are a lot more complicated than Lin's magical turn and the New York media is ready to pounce.

Tebow had his shining moments last season but now comes in with a $2.5 million, two second-round draft picks price tag.

Tebow-mania in Denver is being Cinderella — Tebow-mania in New York is the clock striking twelve.

Lin dealt handily with the few weeks of Linsanity and had some tips for the incoming quarterback/tight end/fullback/fill-in-the-blank to help cope with the distractions in his new city.

"Everyone gave me some advice— they said, 'Make sure not to read the papers,'" Lin joked with reporters.  "But I don't want to offend you guys.  But that's what I've been told.  I don't really read anything.  I think it helps me."

Lin said he did not talk with Tebow— who's #15 Jets jersey will soon replace Lin's as NYC's best seller— yesterday during the wild trade-talk frenzy between the Denver Broncos and Jets, but said he'd like to catch a few Jets games this season.

Both athletes are deeply religious men, and Lin revealed that he has never Tebowed with his fellow Christian.  That could all change once Tebow gets into the Jets dysfunctional locker room.

"I've only talked to him like once," said Lin. "But he's a great guy from everything I hear, and the conversation I had with him was great as well."

After Tebow meets Gang Green and the hungry media, he might want to keep a Bible handy and his phone's speed dial set to Linsanity.

Antonio Cromartie: No room for Tebow on Jets

Antonio Cromartie apparently isn't too keen on the New York Jets taking an interest in Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow in any capacity.  Cromartie tweeted about it after Denver signed Peyton Manning— all but ending Tebow's career with the Broncos.

The outspoken Jets cornerback used Twitter to express his feelings about pursuing Tebow.

"We don't need Tebow," Cromartie tweeted Tuesday.  "We sell out every home game let him go to Jacksonville Tampa or Miami."

Cromartie— one of the leaders of the mayhem in the Jets locker room— wasn't through trying to sway the Jets brass from bringing in the unorthodox quarterback.


"Our Wildcat offense can be run by (Jeremy) Kerley or Joe McKnight,"he tweeted.  "We have Mark_ Sanchez and just signed Drew.  Mark has taken us to 2 AFC championship game.  We need to build on the team we have right now."

Could introducing Tebow's ultra-religious character to the dysfunctional Jets locker room have something to do with Cromartie's rant.

Cromartie has a troublesome background and has fathered nine children with eight women in six states and doesn't exactly adhere to Tebow's beliefs.

The Jets cornerback does make some good points for not getting Tebow, but several people in the Jets organization have told the New York Daily News that he might be a good fit.

Many insiders believe the Jets new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano could put Tebow's abilities to good use in certain Wildcat schemes.  Sparano was the head coach for the Miami Dolphins when he began using the Wildcat offense to pump up the anemic offense.

There are a lot of pros and cons that come with bringing Tebow into the Jets family.

For one thing, Tebow's character could play a big role in bringing the fractured locker room together, but could just as well split the team in two.  The team isn't exactly a group of choirboys.

The media attention surrounding Tebow could distract the press enough to take the cameras away from oft-targeted Sanchez but, on the other side of the coin,  there is also the possibility that Tebow could wilt under the 24/7 New York media spotlight.  'Aw, shucks' only goes so far in New York— unless you win it all.

Just ask Eli Manning.

Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum hasn't commented on Tebow except to say that "Tim Tebow is a player under contract with another team."

Tannenbaum also avoided dumping any more negativity onto the tattered psyche of Sanchez— after the 'Peyton Manning to the Jets' stories and disappointing 2011 season— by saying he "feels good about" the quarterbacks on the roster, which includes Greg McElroy and Drew Stanton.

Tebow-mania and Linsanity in the same city might be a little too much anyway.

CBS Wants Tebow For Playoff Studio Show

Think you've seen the last of Tebow-time after the 45-10 thrashing of the Denver Broncos quarterback at the hands the New England Patriots?  Don't count on it.

Hoping to cash in on the Tim Tebow craze, CBS is trying to put the TV ratings-maker on television screens next Sunday even though he won't be playing in the AFC Championship game.

USA Today reports that the network has asked Tebow to appear as a guest analyst in its studio show.

"We've had conversations with his people,' said Sean McManus, CBS Sports chairman.  "We have a request in.  We haven't heard back."

CBS said they are expecting to get an answer from Tebow by mid-week.

The network may have to get on one knee and Tebow to lure in additional viewers.

The much ballyhooed rematch between Tebow and Tom Brady was, relatively, a ratings bust— probably due to the one-sided dominance by the Patriots.

While Tebow-mania was building over the past few weeks, so were the Nielson ratings until Saturday.

Early stats reported by USA Today that the audience for the Broncos-Patriots AFC divisional playoff game peaked early between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET, during the game's first half.  Viewers turned away as Tebow floundered and Brady helped the Patriots build up a big lead.

The blowout drew a 20.6 overnight rating, slightly behind the New Orleans Saints-San Francisco 49ers game it followed.  Still, the game was up 14% from the Green Bay Packers-Atlanta Falcons game in the same time-slot last year.

"If it [the game] had a chance to build [drama], it could have been a record rating," said McManus.  "But I'll take it."

CBS analyst— and former Broncos tight end— Shannon Sharpe said he thinks Tebow should take advantage of a national stage (pulpit?) while he can.

"The fans love this guy," said Sharpe.  "I don't know if (another player) can come in there and get an honest shake at beating him out for the starting job."

Not so fast says ESPN analyst Merril Hoge— a frequent Tebow critic.  He thinks that Tebow-mania will fade away like other trends.

"It's kind of like barbed-wire tattoos or bell bottoms.  (Tebow has been) a fad." Hoge said.

Doesn't Hoge realize that tattoos don't disappear and Jordache jeans are already making a comeback in hipster neighborhoods?