Tebow sells out

Michael Kruse (St. Petersburg Times): The virgin preacher quarterback is the official face of Jockey underwear. He's a cover boy for EA Sports video games. The first limited-edition release of his own line of Nike shoes sold out earlier this month in five minutes in the middle of the night. His new No. 15 Denver Broncos jersey is the biggest seller in the National Football League, bigger than Peyton Manning, bigger than Drew Brees, bigger than Tom Brady.

Tim Tebow is a backup. He's a backup to a backup.

Yet companies that do surveys that measure the marketability of celebrities and athletes say the former Florida Gator football folk hero is more known, more appealing and more of a trendsetter in the eyes of the general public than most of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL and the stars in other sports.

The guy the Broncos call their third-string quarterback is the same guy E-Poll Market research calls the third-most influential athlete in America.

It's almost football season.

The question is worth asking.

In the history of sports marketing — the business of turning success in stadiums into the ability to pitch products outside of them — has there ever been anything like 23-year-old Timothy Richard Tebow?

-eddie