Tim Tebow climbed up on his high horse Friday, joined First Take from what I assume is a golf course in his backyard and went on at length about why student athletes should’t get endorsements. And he made one of the dumbest arguments against athletes profiting off their likeness that I’ve ever heard.
Check this goober out:
OK Tim, calm down, we get it, you wanted to make sweet, sweet love to the University of Florida…metaphorically. I hope.
The crux of Tebow’s argument is that players currently all choose schools they’re passionate about and that’s what makes college sports great. Allowing them to get paid would somehow ruin that.
Setting aside the fact that athletes choose schools for any number of reasons — facilities, coaches, playing time, the best route to professional sports, the weather, etc. — it’s clear Tebow has no idea what he’s talking about here. The bill passed in California allows student athletes to profit off their likeness, it does not allow schools to pay athletes.
All this bill would do is allow collegiate athletes to hire agents who could negotiate deals for them to profit off their likeness. So they can endorse products, sign autographs for money, etc. Basically it allows them to do what the NCAA and its member schools have done for decades.
Additionally, not every college athlete will have the kind of support system Tebow did. Many of them could really use the money, so I’m not sure he’s the guy to argue against this. Get me a former college athlete who didn’t have the family support Tebow did to argue against it and I’ll start paying attention.
