CORTLAND â€" Tim Tebow doesn’t have to leave his dorm room to help out the city of Cortland. The famed do-gooder’s mere presence is enough.
Most attending the Jets’ morning practices like having Tebow around for his Wildcat threat and winning attitude, but business owners on Main St. â€" Jets fans or not â€" see Tebow as an economic asset.
“We’ve been extremely busy,†said Mark Braun, owner of Doug’s Fish Fry. Braun said his restaurant is always filled when the Jets are around, but Tebow himself “without a doubt†has increased business.
“Tim Tebow brings a different fan base,†he said, adding that the additional media members in town have helped as well.
“I knew it was going to be big,†said Steve Wineburg, president of Bernard’s Custom Logo & Trophy Source. “I never thought it was going to be this big.â€
Wineburg sells T-shirts, mostly Tebow shirts, and business is hopping. A 6XL T-shirt that reads, “This is TebowTown, Cortland, NY†greets customers to his store as they walk in. His best-selling top features a silhouette of the quarterback “Tebowing†with New York behind him. He has sold hundreds of Tebow items since camp began â€" as he spoke a fan came in to buy two for $25 â€" and Saturday sold 60 in two hours, he said. He also sells over the Inter net.
While the former Bronco is undoubtedly a draw , some questions remain as to how the new practice schedule will affect the local economy. Under the new CBA passed last year, teams have only one practice per day open to the public, as opposed to two-a-days in the old system.
Theo Feliz, who works at the Blue Frog Café on Main St., said under the old system, fans would stop in for coffee or a sandwich between practices. Now, there's no such luck, and “we've had a lot less business,†he said.
Anyone driving in from neighboring cities, such as Ithaca, heads home at 11 a.m. when practice ends. Timothy Sandstrom, who owns Rooster Valley Farm and runs a booth at the Cortland Main Street Farmers Market, also said he expects fewer out-of-towners to pop over to the market.
Braun, too, was concerned before training camp started that the absence of two-a-days would hurt the lunch crowd. But any business lost there has been made up by the addition of No. 15, he said.
But Wineburg had a different perspective. He thought that with just one practice per day, more fans would be inclined to stay overnight for a second practice â€" a benefit not only to his business but also the hotels and restaurants.
Tebow hasn’t ventured into town yet and likely won't; he said Monday it is probably best to order in. But seeing some of the other players around is part of the Cortland experience. Fourteen players, including Darrelle Revis, dined at Doug's Fish Fry on Monday, Braun said. Mark Sanchez and Nick Mangold were out at Harry Tony's on Main St.
“As pleasant as Cortland is to them, they are to us,†Braun said.
Tuesday’s day off was all about recovery for the Jets, including Tebow. Through the first four practices, Tebow is 12-for-26 in pass attempts during 11-on-11 drills, with three scrambles and one sack. On Monday, coach Rex Ryan said that in a game situation, Tebow probably would take off running on more of the looks he has seen.
Just not into town.
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