Charlie Crist says Tebow would boost ticket sales

[Matt M]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FBC_CRIST_TEBOW_FLOL-?SITE=FLJAJ&SECTION=SOUTHEAST&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[reednavy]

Now he just needs to STFU.

[JMac]

Crist should mind his own business.  Knowing what kind of politician he is, I'm sure this is a patronizing attempt to gain votes in NE Florida by saying what he thinks people in the area want to hear.

[Sportmotor]

No he is right, Tebow will boost ticket sales from loyal gator fans.
Id go to the Jag games to watch Tebow rather then watch them at home.
So would ALOT of other gator fans.

(not a fan of Charlie btw)

[reednavy]

It would, at first, but he is likely not going to be a starter, especially as a QB, if that is the route he goes in the Combine.

That said, if he does and they still lose, people will stop attending and we'll be right back to where we are now. It would be a tremendous waste of a pick. His style od play will get him on the IR list in one game.

Charlie needs to focus on the state right now and his possible Senate future, not the Jaguars wasting a draft pick.

[buckethead]

Good heavens!

[tufsu1]

just further proof that Crist is an idiot...and since he's hoping to run off to D.C. this time nex year, why would he care?

[tufsu1]

No he is right, Tebow will boost ticket sales from loyal gator fans.
Id go to the Jag games to watch Tebow rather then watch them at home.
So would ALOT of other gator fans.

so Gator fans will come out for Tebow...but not for Fred Taylor, Reggie Nelson, and Derrick Harvey?

[thelakelander]

An NFL franchise can't live on Gator fans alone.  If so, Gainesville would have a team.  Wasting draft picks will only continue to result in blackouts and a rapid move to LA.

[ralpho37]

tufsu1 and Lakelander:  very good points

Drafting certain players for the sake of selling tickets is a gimmick that never works.  That would be a foolish thing to do; not to mention it would go against everything Gene Smith has stood for in his tenure as our GM.

[jason_contentdg]

Good thing we didn't nab that Gator Percy Harvin in last years draft.

[Sportmotor]

No he is right, Tebow will boost ticket sales from loyal gator fans.
Id go to the Jag games to watch Tebow rather then watch them at home.
So would ALOT of other gator fans.

so Gator fans will come out for Tebow...but not for Fred Taylor, Reggie Nelson, and Derrick Harvey?

cant speak for everyone but I can speak for me! Correct.

[blizz01]

An NFL franchise can't live on Gator fans alone.

- True, but I remember in the mid '90s when the Bucs were still woeful, they made a concentrated effort to draft & obtain high profile players from within the state of Florida.  A couple that come to mind: Eric Rhett, Reidel Anthonthy, Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Warrick Dunn, etc.  They didn't try to hide their intentions, either as the mindset was that it made good business sense.  I do not, however, consider Derrick Harvey a high profile player (even when at Florida it seemed like the National Championship game was his "one game" ticket to the first round).  Players like Percy Harvin are in a class of their own .

[thelakelander]

All I'm saying is unless he is a part of a plan that actually helps win the team games, don't draft him under the belief that he will sell tickets.  To be fair, most of those guys were pretty highly rated at their positions coming out of school.  How high is Tebow rated as being an NFL quarterback?  In other words, they were not drafted as gimmicks. 

[copperfiend]

Would fans buy tickets to watch Tebow and the Jaguars lose? No.