MOBILE, ALA. — Florida quarterback Tim Tebow came to the Senior Bowl to show he can be an NFL quarterback, but he has found himself at the center of a controversy over his appearance in an ad for Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family.
Tebow said Wednesday he still expects the ad to run on Super Bowl Sunday. It is a 30-second spot that is expected to include an anti-abortion message. It features the Heisman Trophy winner and his mother, Pam.
“Yeah, I’m definitely surprised it’s had that much buzz,” Tebow said after the South team’s practice Wednesday. “But it’s something that I believe in, and I’ll stand up for it.”
Asked what people can expect to see if the ad airs, Tebow said: “It was just me and my mom showing our love for each other. And that’s pretty much what it’s about.”
A coalition of groups, including the National Organization for Women, quickly questioned CBS’s decision to accept the ad. In light of those criticisms, CBS announced Tuesday it had eased restrictions on similar advocacy ads and would review any that are “responsibly produced” for any of the remaining slots during the Feb. 7 Super Bowl broadcast.
According to several media analysts, the price of a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl is expected to be about $2.5 million. A spokesman for Focus on the Family said this week donations had paid for the spot and the money did not come from the not-for-profit organization’s general fund.
Tebow was asked Wednesday if any of his potential employers in the NFL have asked him about his participation in the spot during his interviews with team representatives this week. He said, “Not really, no,” and added that his devout Christian beliefs were going to be something football teams or any other employer would have to accept with him.
“I think if anything, they like that I took a stand with what I believe,” he said. “If they don’t and that’s something that would make them hesitate from bringing me on, it wouldn’t be a good fit for me in the first place.
“Because I’m never going to, you know, deny what I believe in and things like that just for a game.”
Asked to describe the spot Wednesday, Tebow said; “You will probably be watching the Super Bowl, so you’ll have a chance to see it.”
Tebow was also asked if he believed the spot would still run Super Bowl Sunday, and he said, “That’s why we filmed it, so hopefully it will.”
