March 27, 2009

Tebow's Tearful Speech Immortalized at UF

As every college football fan knows, Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow is like E.F. Hutton - when he speaks, everybody listens, especially when he is choking back tears following the 2008 home loss to Ole Miss.

And - since Tebow speaketh - Florida has immortalized his words on a plaque outside the front entrance to the new football facility at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Knute Rockne's "Win one for the Gipper" speech may seem old and faded now, but it stands the test of time. Tim Tebow's inspirational speech apparently will go down in history as well. Florida recently put up a plaque outside the front entrance to the new football facility at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with Tebow's speech inscribed on it. Tebow's speech, of course, was the emotional promise he made after the Gators were upset by Ole Miss last season. Fighting back tears, Tebow vowed no one would work harder than him and his teammates for the rest of the season. The quarterback and the Gators kept the promise, with UF running the table and winning the national championship. The speech has become famous — and you can see it, word for word, when you walk by the football facility.

With all due respect - and I'm saying all due respect - can we just tap the brakes here, Gators? Tebow is a college senior.

I'll readily concede that he's going to be a legendary Florida player. (After all, I've already said that the Heisman Trophy doesn't deserve Tim Tebow.) But can we at least let the kid... I don't know... GRADUATE... before we retire his jersey and rename the Florida Field in his honor?

This is just my two cents, but it really seems that UF is trying to manufacture history. If Tebow's speech is an inspiration to future Gator players years from now, then it will have stood the test of time and probably deserves to be memorialized, but... crap, dudes... let's not throw it up there 15 minutes after the season over. Sheesh.

Update

I missed Meyer's quote on the plaque. Here's Meyer's words on why he decided to put the plaque up.

Urban Meyer said after Florida's first spring practice on Wednesday that it was his idea to put a plaque on a wall outside Florida Field's entrance built last year to help recruiting with the words from Tim Tebow's "promise" made after the Gators' loss to Ole Miss last season.

"I'm not interested in 10 years from now because who knows where or if I'm going to be toes up somewhere?" the Gators head coach said of wanting to honor his Heisman Trophy quarterback. "I'm not a big fan of 'Hey, let's wait down the road.' And I think it was a speech that Gator Nation has a right to see on the side of the building."

Tebow's emotional speech gained fame after UF went undefeated the rest of the way and won the school's third national title. The display mysteriously showed up without explanation. But is now a permanent part of the southwest corner of the stadium, named the Heavener Football Complex after its major donor, Bill Heavener.

Tebow hasn't seen it yet because of his ministry work, but said it was "cool" that Gator fans liked it.

Comments:

Tebow's Tearful Speech Immortalized at UF
As every college football fan knows, Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow is like E.F. Hutton - when he speaks, everybody listens, especially when he is choking back tears following the 2008 home loss to Ole Miss. And - since Tebow speaketh - Florida has immortalized his words on a plaque outside the front entrance to the new football facility at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Knute Rockne's "Win one for the Gipper" speech may seem old and faded now, but it stands the test of time. Tim Tebow's inspirational speech apparently will go down in history as well. Florida recently put up a plaque outside the front entrance to the new football facility at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with Tebow's speech inscribed on it. Tebow's speech, of course, was the emotional promise he made after the Gators were upset by Ole Miss last season. Fighting back tears, Tebow vowed no one would work harder than him and his teammates for the rest of the season. The quarterback and the Gators kept the promise, with UF running the table and winning the national championship. The speech has become famous — and you can see it, word for word, when you walk by the football facility.
With all due respect - and I'm saying all due respect - can we just tap the brakes here, Gators? Tebow is a college senior. I'll readily concede that he's going to be a legendary Florida player. (After all, I've already said that the Heisman Trophy doesn't deserve Tim Tebow.) But can we at least let the kid... I don't know... GRADUATE... before we retire his jersey and rename the Florida Field in his honor? This is just my two cents, but it really seems that UF is trying to manufacture history. If Tebow's speech is an inspiration to future Gator players years from now, then it will have stood the test of time and probably deserves to be memorialized, but... crap, dudes... let's not throw it up there 15 minutes after the season over. Sheesh.
Update
I missed Meyer's quote on the plaque. Here's Meyer's words on why he decided to put the plaque up.
Urban Meyer said after Florida's first spring practice on Wednesday that it was his idea to put a plaque on a wall outside Florida Field's entrance built last year to help recruiting with the words from Tim Tebow's "promise" made after the Gators' loss to Ole Miss last season. "I'm not interested in 10 years from now because who knows where or if I'm going to be toes up somewhere?" the Gators head coach said of wanting to honor his Heisman Trophy quarterback. "I'm not a big fan of 'Hey, let's wait down the road.' And I think it was a speech that Gator Nation has a right to see on the side of the building." Tebow's emotional speech gained fame after UF went undefeated the rest of the way and won the school's third national title. The display mysteriously showed up without explanation. But is now a permanent part of the southwest corner of the stadium, named the Heavener Football Complex after its major donor, Bill Heavener.
Tebow hasn't seen it yet because of his ministry work, but said it was "cool" that Gator fans liked it.