Tim Tebow cut a special deal so you can buy his Mets jersey
In case you hadn't heard, Tim Tebow is playing baseball now.
The former NFL quarterback and college football star attended his first instructional workout Monday with the New York Mets, who signed Tebow earlier this month. And, of course, it marked the Mets' first opportunity to sell Tim Tebow jerseys, which hit online stores this past weekend.
But the fact of the matter is, these jerseys wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Tim Tebow.
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Tebow is currently playing in the fall instructional league, often used to judge high school prospects, which ends on Oct. 8. Teams typically can't sell a player's merchandise until they crack the 40-man big league roster, which Tebow likely never will.
But Tebow and jersey supplier Majestic signed a "bridge agreement" which allows the sale of Tebow merchandise even if he doesn't make the majors, MLB spokesperson Matt Bourne told USA Today. So Tebow is essentially an exception to the rule.
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said earlier this month that signing Tebow was not simply a jersey-selling tactic.
"I have to tell you, the notion that we're going to spend $100,000 on a bonus for a player so we can sell a couple hundred dollars' worth of T-shirts in Kingsport [Tennessee, where the Mets have a minor league team], those economics don't work," Alderson said, per ESPN. "This was not about making money."
Even if it's not a publicity stunt, it's paying off. Tebow's jersey is already listed as a top seller on MLB's online shop.
Not that the Mets are actually cashing in much, though. Online jersey sales are split between all 30 ball clubs. The Mets don't have to share revenue from in-person sales, which explains the push to sell Tebow gear at his workouts. But Alderson is right — jersey sales from a minor league training camp won't amount to much.
Adding more fuel to Tebowmania, Monday's workout drew hundreds of fans and 70 media members, two absurd figures considering September instructional workouts don't tend to feature top talent and therefore aren't that popular.
Even if Tebow isn't earning the Mets dollars, he's bringing them plenty of attention.
