Amid rampant speculation that Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow will eventually supplant starter Mark Sanchez, the guy who signs everyone’s checks has provided a sound bite that’s encouraging for Tebow, and ominous for Sanchez.”I think you can never have too much Tebow,” owner Woody Johnson said during a Wednesday appearance on CNBC, via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
There definitely will be more Tebow if Sanchez were to get hurt. On Wednesday, coach Rex Ryan said that Tebow, not Greg McElroy, would replace Sanchez as the leader of the base offense if Sanchez can’t play. (That also answers the question of who would replace Sanchez if the coaching staff -- or the owner -- decides that Sanchez shouldn’t play.)
Meanwhile, our friends at MSNBC’s Morning Joe were discussing in the 6:00 a.m. ET hour rumors that the delegates at the Republican National Convention will be getting plenty of Tebow on Thursday night. With a surprise speaker slated for the final night of the convention, speculation has centered on Tebow and Clint Eastwood.
What’s that, you say? The Jets have a game tonight? Yes, but Tebow won’t be playing.
And while it would be more than a mild surprise for Tebow to abandon his teammates for the evening, Johnson is a major Mitt Romney supporter. So if the man with the ultimate power to make Tebow the starting quarterback asks, Tebow would be wise to comply.
That said, we’ll believe it when we see it. Michael Jordan remained staunchly apolitical throughout his career, explaining that Republicans buy shoes, too. Tebow would risk alienating Democrats if he becomes openly partisan.
Then again, Tebow already has become the ultimate red state/blue state sports figure. So maybe it makes perfect sense.
UPDATE 8:24 a.m. ET: Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that Tebow will be with the team tonight, not in Tampa. So unless he appears by videotaped message or hologram, he’s not the surprise speaker.