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Dr. Saturday

Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:06 pm EDT

Because Earth can only benefit from more exposure to Tebow ...

By Holly Anderson

One of the Internet's favored sons, Dan Shanoff, now of the Sporting News, has taken the fever and fervor surrounding Florida's sainted starting quarterback to its logical (if faintly horrifying) conclusion with the launch of TIMTEBLOG: The Tim Tebow Blog.

This is no joke. Dan's been quietly posting there for close to a year in anticipation of the 'official' launch. And though the Tennessee fan in me loathes the Florida Gators with every fiber of my shiny black heart, I have to admit -- if there were ever a player whose very existence commands the kind of attention that would make this sort of undertaking a viable business proposition, Tebow's it. The media theory behind the site is pretty interesting:

Everyone has heard of the growth of “hyper-local” blogs dedicated to covering very specific geographic areas. This is an experiment in “hyper-topical” blogging – one very specific (if well-known) topic – covered comprehensively. If successful, it could be a template for more “hyper-topical” blogs.

How to measure success of that experiment? First: If this blog’s community and readers are satisfied. But more quantitatively, based on: (1) Audience reach, (2) distribution – including links from other blogs, “passed links” through Twitter and Facebook and accessibility through search – and (3) signals of traction as a self-sustaining business.

The site itself is your standard Shanoff fare, which is to say it's poppin' fresh and reliably entertaining, and that he uses the word THE a lot in ALL CAPS. Taking a cue from highbrow British television, Shanoff's also got a stopping point in mind:

May 3, the day after the 2010 NFL Draft. It will be the end of what will be a two-act drama for Tebow over the next nine months: Act I runs from now until the national championship game – with or without Tebow and the Gators. Act II continues from the end of the college football season until the NFL Draft, where Tebow’s status will be the biggest X-factor of the year.

As hostile as I may be to the subject matter (for the record: very, very hostile), I'm intrigued by the concept of a blog as a self-contained, intentionally finite entity. As for what this means for humanity as a species if this thing succeeds -- well, surely the Tebow Child wouldn't mind if we began leading the animals two by two into some sort of large, boat-like apparatus.

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  1. Kyle p
    1. Posted by Kyle p Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:39 pm EDT

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    Go gators!!! go tebow!!!
  2. Kyle p
    2. Posted by Kyle p Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:39 pm EDT

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    Tebow is an incredible leader and human being!
    GO GATORS!
  3. Holly
    3. Posted by Holly Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:10 pm EDT

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    I think we got your drift the first time, there, champ, but your enthusiasm is noted.
  4. the_scrobocop
    4. Posted by the_scrobocop Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:44 pm EDT

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    Good god. What's the over/under on how many days until Shanoff gets slapped with a restraining order? You need to get LSUfreek to whip up a .gif of Shanoff as De Niro in "The Fan".
  5. cantcatchuf
    5. Posted by cantcatchuf Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:12 pm EDT

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    If you put that picture on posters, prints, and t-shirts, you would never have to work another day in your life...
  6. Cowboys Are 5 Time World Champs
    6. Posted by Cowboys Are 5 Time World Champs Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:29 pm EDT

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    tebow (another system quarterback that will fail in the NFL) dont get me wrong hes a good guy and all but he will struggle in the NFL, thats if he even gets to play in the NFL, good backup in my opinion! Hook em!
  7. Travis
    7. Posted by Travis Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:31 pm EDT

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    Oh man, I hate Tebow and everything about the guy. Makes me hate the Gators. Does anyone, anyone in the sports world stop for one minute to question the ethics behind mission trips? This guy's ego is frighteningly nearing LeBron status.
    Here's hoping some blitzing outside linebacker knocks the Christianity right out of him. He's got little hope for an NFL future and I would never want him spitting clichés in my huddle, nor would I want him around my kids.
  8. Travis
    8. Posted by Travis Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:32 pm EDT

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    ...not that I have kids, but you get my point.
    Keep it critical, Holly.
  9. DRS
    9. Posted by DRS Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:49 pm EDT

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    Do you think it is the same group that kept telling everyone how Oklahoma(60 plus per game) was going to crush the Gator Defense that are now saying Tebow won't make it in the NFL?
    Go Gators!
  10. eyeraiseu
    10. Posted by eyeraiseu Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:50 pm EDT

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    Travis you need to get a life...why would you want someone to intentionally harm another person? Too bad you don't have a tensy bit of Tebow's character.
  11. Scott W
    11. Posted by Scott W Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:09 pm EDT

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    Tim Tebow stands for what is right in college sports. Only the jealous idiots hate him. He is a great person and leader. I look forward to next years Heisman speech. Go Gators!
  12. hillary_821
    12. Posted by hillary_821 Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:24 pm EDT

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    boo
  13. twalko1
    13. Posted by twalko1 Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:29 pm EDT

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    "why would you want someone to intentionally harm another person?"
    This is football were talking about right? For the record that self righteous "speech" they put a plaque up for was terrible, and nauseates me. I hope somebody breaks his leg this year.
  14. Rich
    14. Posted by Rich Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:32 pm EDT

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    Can we talk about the 'hyper-topical blog' thing instead of (destroying/salivating on) the guy?
    It seems to me the idea of hyper-topical blogging is more unlikely than likely, when it comes to people. The biographical blog is wildly common already - its auto biographical. Only the ugly bureaucracy of the NCAA keeps every player on your favorite team from having a 'hyper-topical blog' about himself. The rest of celebri-dom already has the twooter and the myspace and so forth...
  15. Rich
    15. Posted by Rich Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:33 pm EDT

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    (hm. I was hoping HTML would work - I wanted the "auto" in "autobiographical" to be italicized for emphasis. Nuts.)
  16. jak
    16. Posted by jak Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:49 pm EDT

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    someone should check his blood to see if it can cure AIDS
  17. Travis
    17. Posted by Travis Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:53 pm EDT

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    Rich: Aren't many blogs hyper-topical already? By definition? "Hyper-topical" is not a phrase circulating around new media theorists. Seems to be a bit of generic jargon (redundancy?) to legitimize a blog for salivating all over Tebow--which is why I went right into talking about how much I hate the guy. This doesn't seem to be a great forum for discussing the public sphere, but hey, I'm all for trying.
  18. Craig
    18. Posted by Craig Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:22 pm EDT

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    Tebow isn't half the man Bobby Boucher of the South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs is. That is where the hypertopical blog should be. Go Mud Dogs!
  19. William P
    19. Posted by William P Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:45 am EDT

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    Listen Haterz! Tim Tebow and the Mighty Gators is all I have to say!!! I predict they go UNDEFEATED NEXT YEAR!!! Yup that's right nay sayers UNDEFEATED!!!! It's time for the torch to pass Dynasties come and go and It's The Florida Gators time to Shine Now...So Haterz like T.O. says best "Getch'a Popcorn Ready!!!"
  20. Tony
    20. Posted by Tony Thu Jul 16, 2009 4:30 am EDT

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    Tim Teblow geez give me a break overated. Quite sick of hearing bout him much better talent than him in college football.
  21. GO GATORS
    21. Posted by GO GATORS Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:53 am EDT

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    Florida Gators undefeated this year???? You better believe it. Two in a row NATIONAL CHAMPS. Tebow is awsome but Urban Meyer is the coach and he gets it done. GO GATORS
  22. Michael F
    22. Posted by Michael F Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:14 am EDT

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    Yes yes, the Gators have a chance to repeat, Urban Meyer is a great coach, Tebow is an awesome quarterback, blah blah - even as an OSU fan who has a very justifiable hatred of of all things Florida, I will not argue with any one of those statements. But give the deification a break.
    I'm almost not surprised by this blog, as ESPN during football season practically already *is* this blog. I can't stand watching Florida games now because the commentators spend the whole time glorifying him like some of new football god. An actual quote from the commentary of a game:
    "If you're fortunate enough to spend five minutes or 20 minutes around Tim Tebow, your life is better for it."
    Seriously, wtf? The guy is a football player. He's a good football player, but that's all he is. There are also hundreds of other kids who are playing football who are good Christians, have good leadership, are really good people, blah blah but we barely get to even hear about their *football games* let alone their character, to the degree we hear about Tebow every [profane] night on espn. Give it a break, Gators - as long as this sells, they'll keep doing it.
  23. kevin
    23. Posted by kevin Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:16 am EDT

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    how can all u people hate tebow?? my guess is youve never met the guy! u dont like the media attention and hype he gets...kinda like tiger woods. both of these guys are probably the best athletes in their sport that we will see for a long time to come. oh yea travis... shaddup!!
  24. herbert e
    24. Posted by herbert e Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:49 am EDT

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    tim tblow is an above average qb. if he loses to another sec team at home will he go on tv and cry " let us play in the national chamionship game we wont wa wa lose another game sob sob". he is a crybaby. would that have worked for usc and mark sanchez. the longhorns would have cleaned tblows clock. they beat ou by 10 and texas beat ou by 10. if texas had a crybaby at qb maybee they would have played in the nc. no florida is the team that gives head.
  25. herbert e
    25. Posted by herbert e Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:51 am EDT

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    kevin is tblow an athelete he might make the top 100. i bet he is a good guy. best athelete in college football not even close.

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