While Tim Tebow might not have any influence on the football field at the moment, he still has influence on the lives of sports fans everywhere. The former New York Jets quarterback currently has the attention of millions as people sit and watch what his next move will be. In a recent survey by Forbes.com, Tebow was named the most influential athlete in sports in 2013.
Forbes released the results to the poll on Monday. The website uses Nielsen and E-Poll to conduct the survey. It determines which athlete has the most influence among fans in the United States. The "influential" is used in a fluid sense and could mean anything. 29 percent of respondents named Tebow the most "influential." Forbes.com did not say how many people actually participated in the poll, only to say it was over 1,000. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps placed second on the survey, while sprinter Usain Bolt was third.
While Tebow's influence might not be getting him far in the NFL, it could land him a job on television. If Tebow is at all interested in a job in front of the camera, he has plenty of suitors. Currently, both ESPN and FOX are pursuing the quarterback as a possible college football analyst.
ESPN is cemented in the college football broadcasting arena as FOX is in the process of launching its own 24-7 network to compete, titled Fox Sports One. Their current college football broadcast consists of Erin Andrews, Eddie George and Joey Harrington. The ratings for the show are rarely discussed, but adding Tebow could give them a big boost into the spotlight.
It is only natural for ESPN to be interested in adding Tebow. The network is in the process of launching a new SEC Network in 2014. Tebow would be the perfect presence for the new project considering he is considered one of the SEC's best football players in history. They could also place him alongside Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Desomond Howard for their already successful "College GameDay" show.
It remains to be seen where Tebow's career will go. The quarterback is getting few options to actually play football, but could still be involved in the sport off the field. America clearly still loves him.