Tim Tebow was rumored to be headed to Cleveland — but not to backup RG3.
No sir — Big Time Timmy Jim (no — wait —t hat’s someone else) was supposed to be on stage. Not at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but at the Republican National Convention. The New York Times had the story, listing Tim as one of many celebrities that were slated to attend. Tom Brady, master of pocket awareness, had the foresight to slide left and not attend. Tebow, apparently, did not.
But wait! An audible! Per his own Facebook post and Pro Football Talk:
"I just got back from the Philippines and I wake up this morning to find out I’m speaking at the Republican National Convention. It’s amazing how fast rumors fly, and that’s exactly what it is — a rumor."
Well! That clears it up then. Pay no attention to the fact that Tim is very clearly reading this message via a teleprompter, much like he would do at the RNC! He won’t be speaking there.
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In truth, we have no reason to believe that Tim is lying. He has a history of telling the truth about himself and what he wants. He’s never deviated from his intent to be a quarterback at all costs, and he’s never been involved in any sort of scandal to make him seem dishonest. There is, however a more likely scenario than a simple rumor.
The story about Tebow speaking at the convention was posted yesterday. The backlash was nearly instantaneous. His denial was posted more than 24 hours later — after he had plenty of time to weigh his decision to speak at the RNC, view the backlash, and change his mind. There’s no guarantee that happened, but it sure does make sense that he might have dropped out after he saw how negatively the move would be viewed by his previously adoring public.
For a guy who is incredibly conscious about his image and who is obsessed with finding a way back into a league that has essentially discarded him, it probably wouldn’t make a lot of sense to speak at one of the most polarizing events of the summer. We may never know if Tim ever said yes to speaking at the RNC, but even if he originally did, it was a smart move to call Omaha and hot route himself into a more favorable check-down. He may just make it to the NFL yet.
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