Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Anonymous Sources Tell ESPN That Tebow Is Really Good at Baseball (LA Dodgers may offer contract)
Mediaite.om ^ | 3:01 pm, August 23rd, 2016 | by Joe DePaolo

Posted on 08/23/2016 2:28:19 PM PDT by drewh

Tuesday morning, the front page of ESPN.com — which has long been the most valuable piece of Internet real estate in all of sports — featured a story on the baseball exploits of ex-NFL quarterback Tim Tebow.

According to the article, more than two-thirds of all MLB teams apparently have at least some interest in the Heisman Trophy winner, who last played baseball in high school — where he was an all-state selection in Florida.

ADVERTISING

Just how did ESPN manage to land this scoop? Let’s break it down.

Here’s the first line of the report:

Tim Tebow is scheduled to hold a workout for Major League Baseball teams on Aug. 30 in Los Angeles, a source told ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick.

The very next line cites a (different?) source talking to another ESPN reporter.

More than 20 MLB teams are confirmed to attend the workout, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Two paragraphs down, a third ESPN reporter gets in on the anonymous source fun.

Tebow had a tryout with the Los Angeles Dodgers before this season, sources have told ESPN’s Darren Rovell. A scout was present for the workout, and the team showed interest in Tebow afterward, the sources said.

Three anonymous source citations from three different reporters in five paragraphs is already problematic for a report that hardly qualifies as being Watergate-level in terms of the public’s need to know. What further complicates matters is that Tim Tebow is currently under contract with ESPN. And this report, save for one brief mention of the “mixed reaction” surrounding Tebow’s desire to play baseball, basically reads as PR fluff.

The Rovell-reported passage is clear in what it implies. A major league team actually saw Tebow play baseball, and is still interested in him. That anonymously sourced information is very clearly communicating that Tim Tebow can still play baseball. And its placement on the ESPN homepage makes it essentially a commercial to the MLB teams not already ticketed to attend Tebow’s workout on Aug. 30 (which exists, a source told Jerry Crasnick, and will have 20 teams in attendence, a source told Adam Schefter).

Hey, you’d better get in on the frenzy. Tim Tebow is here, and he can help sell a bushel of tickets for your Double-A team!

And ESPN is looking to capitalize on Tebow-mania too, which it, of course, is helping to create. They want people tuning in to whatever broadcast he pops up on during the baseball offseason. As it stands now, ESPN will almost certainly profit off of Tim Tebow’s baseball exploits. He’s back in the news, at the top of people’s minds.

Tim Tebow is immensely popular. There’s no getting around that, whether one is a fan of his or not. So the revelation that he’s pursuing a baseball career is news, and ESPN is justified in running it, and featuring it high up on the website.

But when ESPN gets an anonymously sourced scoop about an employee, then runs a puff piece off of which they will profit, they’re wading into murky journalistic waters.

At the very least, ESPN should sever its ties with Tebow for as long he’s pursuing his baseball career. Otherwise, ESPN’s journalistic integrity may take a hit.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: tebow; timtebow
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 last
To: Bullish

Yep. The train has left the station. And well, that’s it for Tebow because the next train won’t be coming.


41 posted on 08/23/2016 4:28:34 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Bullish

Do your ember Jim Morris who went to a tryout camp, he was a high school coach, and made a major league team at 35 around the year 2000?They actually made a movie about it.

Not saying Tebow will even be signed butt it is possible.


42 posted on 08/23/2016 4:34:08 PM PDT by georgiarat (Obama, providing incompetence since Day One!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: GreenHornet

Yeah, but Chuck Conners did the sports thing before he went into acting. Not the other way around.


43 posted on 08/23/2016 4:34:58 PM PDT by Bullish (That establishment heads from both sides are exploding over Trump is the very best part.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Fiji Hill

Also Kirk Gibson, as well as a few others.


44 posted on 08/23/2016 4:44:29 PM PDT by Spartan79 (I view great cities as pestilential to the morals, the health, and the liberties of man. Jefferson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: georgiarat

Morris could throw a 98 mph pitch. Morris had somewhat of a natural arm and was quite the novelty because of his age. He was drafted earlier in his career when he was much younger and played some minor league ball without much success. His entire “career” consisted of less than 20 MLB appearances and his career pitching stats were 0-0 with a 4.80 era and only 13 total strikeouts.

Read his Wiki entry to see that he was kind of a major publicity stunt for the TB Devil Rays at the time because of his age, Morris was no phenom, he could just still throw in the high 90s at an old age, hence he helped sell tickets late in the season of a non contending ball team. They finished last in the AL east that season.


45 posted on 08/23/2016 4:50:39 PM PDT by Bullish (That establishment heads from both sides are exploding over Trump is the very best part.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: newfreep

Christianphobe ? I thought it was changed to Istanbul ?


46 posted on 08/23/2016 4:59:23 PM PDT by stylin19a
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: drewh
" Otherwise, ESPN’s journalistic integrity may take a hit."


47 posted on 08/23/2016 5:02:34 PM PDT by BwanaNdege
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: newfreep
You're quite idiotic but we'll just keep in mind that you like to profess being a “Christian” by calling other Christians “alleged” Christians and we'll give you a pass.

Way to go there pastor.

48 posted on 08/23/2016 5:12:26 PM PDT by Bullish (That establishment heads from both sides are exploding over Trump is the very best part.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Bullish

Supposedly his teammates used to call him ‘the Thespian.’ As in he would give these amazing double takes on supposed outside pitches called strikes that his manager couldn’t see. The idea was to make the manager think the ump made a bad call on an outside pitch when Chuck couldn’t pull the trigger on a strike on the black. Pretty funny!

Freegards


49 posted on 08/23/2016 5:19:19 PM PDT by Ransomed
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: newfreep

He could have played in the NFL if but he refused to switch positions.


50 posted on 08/23/2016 6:22:37 PM PDT by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Bob
If I am not mistaken, Jorden did play high school baseball.

Now, don't compare the athletic ability of Jordan to Tebow!

51 posted on 08/23/2016 6:25:05 PM PDT by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: fortheDeclaration
"Now, don't compare the athletic ability of Jordan to Tebow!

To be fair, baseball has not *nearly* as much to do with athletic ability as it does skill...

52 posted on 08/23/2016 6:27:19 PM PDT by WrightWings (Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: fortheDeclaration

My point was just that Tebow has shown athletic ability specifically for baseball. I’m not about to compare them on general athletic abilty. I’m not even sure how you could try to.


53 posted on 08/23/2016 6:40:58 PM PDT by Bob (No, being a US Senator and the Secretary of State are not accomplishments; they're jobs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: Bob
Tebow played baseball years ago!

He might make a minor league team, but he will never make a major league team.

54 posted on 08/23/2016 6:47:57 PM PDT by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: WrightWings

That is very true, but those skills have to be refined over the years, not neglected.


55 posted on 08/23/2016 6:48:38 PM PDT by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: alancarp

“No - word is that Tebow is looking for a corner outfield slot, not a pitching role. He will have holes in his swing, and not a lot of time to close them, given his age.”

Not a smart move if Tebow is trying to make it as an outfielder.

As a left handed pitcher Tebow can be there in two years or less for the Dodgers. There are 24 pitchers on the major league active and inactive roster; 12 of them are on the disabled list and only two left handers on the 25 man roster.


56 posted on 08/24/2016 8:54:29 AM PDT by chrisinoc
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: irish guard

>>Not a chance. I’d never let him take up space on one of my minor league rosters. He might be nice guy, but this is business.

Still have the same opinion? The Mets don’t!


57 posted on 07/15/2018 1:05:29 PM PDT by 1L
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: 1L
Pitching in the ‘Bigs’ is different than the minors. I’ll still bet he won’t make it.

on the other hand, he is dating Miss Universe

58 posted on 07/15/2018 4:53:19 PM PDT by irish guard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: fortheDeclaration
John Kruk was a good ballplayer and also a funny guy. Here are some of his quotes:

"Lady, I'm not an athlete. I'm a professional baseball player."

59 posted on 07/15/2018 4:58:59 PM PDT by Rome2000 (SMASH THE CPUSA-SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS-CLOSE ALL MOSQUES-GOD WITH US)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson