Tim Tebow vs. Michael Jordan: Better athlete?

Tim Tebow is a massive two-sport success. Michael Jordan was pretty good in basketball, but atrocious in baseball. Who is the better athlete?

On Wednesday, Tim Tebow began his professional career as a baseball player with the New York Mets. On the first pitch he saw, Tebow smashed a home run with a swing reminiscent of the great Ken Griffey Jr. It was a majestic blast, with the announced crowd of 269 making enough noise to bring a ringing to your ears.

Tebow finished 1-for-6 on the day, but that’s besides the point. Nobody is concerned about his .167 average, because he’s already on pace for 162 home runs and 162 RBI in a full-length MLB season. With those kinds of numbers, Tebow would eclipse the home run record held by Barry Bonds in just over four seasons. Considering Tebow is tearing up the instructional League to such a degree, he will likely get called up to start the 2017 season in Flushing.

At age 29, Tebow has more than enough time to eclipse the 762 home runs that Bonds crushed in a lengthy career.

After such an impressive debut, it’s fair to wonder if Tebow has already proven himself superior to Michael Jordan. Following the 1993 NBA season and his third consecutive championship, Jordan went into the Chicago White Sox’s minor league system. Once there, he posted a .202 average with three home runs and 30 stolen bases.

Clearly, Tebow has Jordan licked in the national pastime. He’s also the much better football player, having won two national championships and a Heisman Trophy, along with finishing in the top five of voting two other occasions. No other college football player can match that total.

So, do Jordan’s accomplishments on the hardwood supersede Tebow’s brilliance in two sports? It’s hard to give Jordan the nod here. Yes, he won six NBA championships, but he was propped up by Phil Jackson and B.J. Armstrong, not to mention Randy Brown. Tebow had no help with the Denver Broncos, New York Jets or Philadelphia Eagles, let alone the New England Patriots.

After Tebow walked away from the NFL, it seemed as though this comparison would always be an argument. Both sides had their ammo. Tebow threw for 316 yards in a playoff game and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Jordan was one of the better players in NBA history.

Now, with Tebow proving to be a superstar in baseball, Jordan has no choice but to settle for second-best.