Five Myths About Tebowmania, and Why Jockey Just Popped Myth No.2

As Tebowmania faces its biggest on-field test come Sunday, when the surging Denver Broncos host the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots, five myths have emerged about the Tim Tebow phenomenon. Brand marketers might want to pay attention.

There is no bigger marketing vehicle in America than the National Football League, and the Broncos' second-year quarterback is the biggest story in the NFL this fall. Consider the mileage that ESPN is getting today with a viral remix tribute to Tebow, "All He Does is Win," by DJ Steve Porter.

Myth No. 1: Tebow is doing it all alone. While the quarterback has emerged as a leader nonpareil of fourth-quarter comebacks this season, he's getting loads of help from the Broncos' defense, rushing game, offensive line and even special teams. They have all stepped up their games concomitant with Tebow's tenure as starting quarterback. They feed his success and vice versa. And at least for now, Broncos General Manager John Elway — who knows a thing or two about fourth-quarter comebacks — has warmed up to this winning formula.

Myth No. 2: Tebow's insistent God talk is undermining his commercial potential. Tell that to Jockey. The venerable underwear brand just doubled down on its year-long marketing relationship with Tebow, announcing this week the brand's first $1 Million 'Super' Challenge. The contest: Jockey will give away $1 million worth of its products to 40,000 people if Tebow leads his team to Super Bowl XLVI and the Broncos win the contest.

"We believe he's got a real shot at winning the big game and we wanted to put our money where our mouth is," Jockey CMO Dustin Kohn told brandchannel. The brand signed Tebow as a TV endorser of its Stay Cool line last year, long before he grabbed the national spotlight this fall. "Right now he's the hottest athlete on the planet, with a magnetic personality, and his popularity has been skyrocketing."

Jockey isn't alone on the growing Tebow bandwagon. Rick Perry, who at this point can't afford to make a big mistake in his Republican presidential campaign, was quick to associate himself with Tebowmania during the GOP candidates' debate on Fox News on Thursday night. "I hope I am the Tim Tebow of the Iowa caucuses," Perry declared.

Myth No. 3: Tebow thinks God cares who wins and loses NFL games. He's no theologian, of course, but in fact Tebow has said he doesn't believe that the Almighty actually has a preference for who wins on the field. What Tebow does believe is that he should credit God with any football success he might happen to enjoy. And God hasn't gotten so much attention on the gridiron in years.

Besides, it's entertaining to see the media grapple awkwardly with the faith aspects of the Tebow phenomenon — whether it's the New York Times' Frank Bruni chalking up the quarterback's success simply to charisma and grit, or Stuart Varney's Fox Business segment about the "mixed blessing" of religion on Tebow's personal brand, or ABC's World News doing a segment on Tebow where the only interviewee was some kind of leadership expert from the spiritually attuned University of California at Berkeley.

Myth No. 4: He's become an unwanted embarrassment to the NFL. Are you kidding? However the game's principals feel about Tebow's beliefs and the so-called Tebowing controversy, they exult over his results. "You don't think the NFL loves this?" writes sports columnist Drew Sharp in today's Detroit Free Press. "There's no doubt that New England vs. Denver on Sunday will be the most watched regular-season game this year, if not one of the most watched nonplayoff games of all time."

And does Chicago Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo shy away from the elephant in the room in the cover story on Tebow in this week's Sports Illustrated? "There isn't anyone like him," Angelo said. "I believe there is some divine intervention associated with what's taking place." Those remarks came before a Bears running back made an inexplicable late-game mistake on Sunday that helped set up Tebow to lead the Broncos to an overtime victory over Chicago.

Myth No. 5: The era of the athlete as role model is over. Such is Tebow's approach and character that he's drawing praise from unlikely places. As Star Jones noted this week on Today, "He didn't shoot himself in the leg" like fellow NFL-er Plaxico Burress. And, "He's not with any underage kids" like Jerry Sandusky, the alleged child abuser from Penn State.

"Tim Tebow is Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington," writes Chuck Ross on TVWeek.com. "He's Tom Laughlin in Billy Jack. He IS Rocky."

Or as the dean of NFL scribes, Peter King, writes in Sports Illustrated this week: "Tebow is one of the most interesting stories I've covered in the 27 years I've covered the NFL." And it's not just because the kid is a winner.