Photo By Ernest Dove
The St. Lucie Mets have announced the team has set a new attendance record with 108,057 fans. The record breaking number will continue to grow with the Mets still having 13 home games remaining this season.
The singular figure many will point to for an explanation in the rise in attendance will be Tim Tebow.
Certainly, there was a similar effect when Tebow player in the South Atlantic League. According to The Post and Courier, the Fiteflies saw a close to 40% in attendance boost in the games Tebow played in a Fireflies uniform. It wasn’t just the Fireflies who saw an increased attendance, but the entire league with the other franchises selling out games when Tebow and the Fireflies visited.
As noted, the increase in attendance has happened again in St. Lucie. According to the TC Palm, the Mets have seen their average attendance rise from 1,722 fans per game to 3,406 fans per game. Tebow was a similar effect on the road with some teams selling out when St. Lucie comes to town.
Tebow has been more than a side show in the Florida State League. In 35 games, Tebow is hitting .271/.348/.458 with five doubles, a triple, five homers, and 24 RBI.
Still hard to explain the atmosphere with Tebow. I mean there were folks trying to give back their tickets when they found out seats weren’t assigned at Roger Dean and they couldn’t sit close enough to the field to see him. Fans were treating him like their son out there. It was a world series win whenever he made contact and when he messed up they yelled out encouragement. I mean its something to behold.
It is almost as if Tebow is a team on his own, fan attraction wise. I’m certainly okay with that.
People have all sorts of odd interests, whether they be movie fandoms or video game obsessions, that rarely go questioned. Those are not strange phenomena to us. The Tebow following doesn’t equate the same way… but perhaps it should? Perhaps it doesn’t need to be judged as good or as bad… maybe it can just be accepted for what it is. Which is harmless, entertainment.
His on the field performance has proven that he can at least hold his own as a minor league baseball player. Hopefully he will have to prove whether or not he is someday worthy of a major league promotion and it won’t be gifted to him for his fame and the attention it would bring the organization. If he earns it though… I am all for it.
For now I am happy that there is this symbiotic relationship between Tebow and the Mets and between Tebow and his fan base.
Fresh116s