Starter or not, networks can't wait to give us looks at NY Jets' Tim Tebow ad ... - New York Daily News

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The networks want to show as much as Tim Tebow as possible ... even if he is doing nothing.

When he is not in the game Sunday, how many times will CBS put Tim Tebow’s mug on the air? How many times will we see the Jets backup QB?

The answer to these questions will start revealing the importance of Tebow to the NFL’s network partners even when he’s not playing.

And if Mark Sanchez picks up where he left off last week, Tebow won’t get much playing time.

To a lesser extent, this resembles the Tiger Woods factor. Even when he was out of contention, CBS or NBC would focus on him because the casual fans still wanted to see him â€" badly.

It’s different with Tebow. CBS isn’t going to give viewers a close-up of Tebow when Sanchez is dropping back to pass against the Steelers. Still, as was proven last week, CBS wants to show as much of Tebow as it can â€" even when he’s not playing.

Last Sunday, it bordered on ridiculous. CBS may have broken a record for providing close-ups of a player staring into nowhere from the sidelines. And when Tebow sat with Sanchez, getting instructions from offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, Tebow was the main focus of the shot.

This wasn’t done accidentally. It has been determined the unwashed masses want to see Tebow, whether or not he’s playing. Sunday, with most of the country getting Jets-Steelers, the game will air in Tebow friendly precincts. An even larger portion of the audience will want to see him.

Something else to look for: If those Tebow shots begin dwindling it’s a signal his star is fading too.

Don’t look for that to happen. At least not this season.

NBC’S WAITING GAME

Does anyone still watch NBC’s “Football Night In America,” the one hour, 15 minute pregame show?

This has nothing to do with the quality of the program. It’s just that live game action on Fox or CBS is still going on when “FNIA” airs. Last season, and last Sunday, games went deep into the NBC show, which begins at 7 p.m. The late afternoon Fox or CBS game is followed by a postgame show that eats further into “FNIA.”

NBC’s competition wants those eyeballs glued to their NFL product. The NFL doesn’t care. Roger Goodell & Co. have moved late afternoon starts back to 4:25 p.m. There’s no reason to believe the situation will change.

It’s reasonable to ask: At some point, will NBC consider cutting “FNIA” to a half-hour show?

T-MAC’S FUTURE

If incumbent Fox comes away with a big chunk of MLB’s new TV deal, speculation about Tim McCarver’s future will begin.

T-Mac, less than a month shy of 71, is still going strong but can’t go on forever. The next term of his employment will likely depend on the length of any deal Fox might sign with MLB.