Praise the Lord!
New Yorkers were Tebowing from Times Square to Tarrytown yesterday, cheering the news that righteous quarterback Tim Tebow was delivered from the Denver Broncos to the Jets.
Tebow himself blessed the move saying how thrilled he is to be in the Big Apple.
“It’s a great city. I’m excited to be a Jet now,” he said.
“It’ll be a whole lot of fun playing for the Jets. I’m looking forward to how crazy a market it is in New York.”
The deal finally went through last night after eight hours of wrangling between the two teams.
It had appeared to be a done deal around noon, but almost turned into a trick play when a last-minute snag involving contract language threatened to kill the trade.
It called for the Jets to repay money the Broncos advanced to Tebow last summer — totalling $5.06 million — on his 2012, ’13, ’14 salaries. The Jets agreed to pay half of the money — $2.503 million — to get the deal done.
Thankfully, Jets brass didn’t end up botching the trade, which could have been their biggest humiliation since Bill Belichick resigned as head coach after just one day in 1999.
Gang Green — desperate to redeem themselves after a disappointing season and a subpar performance from starting quarterback Mark Sanchez — had been aggressively courting Tebow, known for trumpeting his Christian beliefs both on and off the field.
Tebow fans said they were keeping the faith that he could lead the Jets to the promised land.
“Hopefully, he’ll bring some character, some charisma to the team,” said Kasim Hush, 27, a cabdriver from Long Island who “Tebowed” — striking a Tim-like prayer pose — with pals outside the Jets Shop on Madison Avenue.
“We need to start winning some games. I believe in Tebow.”
And so do the Jets — on the field. But off it, they think Tebow — a teetotaler and virgin who is saving himself for marriage — will need to have his hand held.
Team officials were strongly encouraging Tebow to live in New Jersey to keep him as far away as possible from the temptations of New York’s nightlife, a source close to the Jets said.
“The team will encourage Tebow to live in New Jersey near the practice facility,” the source said. “They are not going to want him to be influenced and distracted in the city.”
Not that he won’t have enough distractions.
Between the Jets’ bickering locker room, loudmouth coach Rex Ryan and unforgiving fans, Tebow will have to step up his prayer game.
He was already blitzed by his own side yesterday.
“Y bring Tebow in when we need to bring in more Weapons for @Mark_Sanchez let’s build the team around him. We already signed to 3 year ext,” tweeted Jets star cornerback Antonio Cromartie just as the deal was first announced, referring to Sanchez’s recent $40.5 million contract extension.
Tebow also took a pounding on sports radio.
“I’m just sorry that I can’t agree with this situation,” Jets legend Joe Namath said on ESPN Radio. “I think it’s just a publicity stunt.”
And ESPN talk-show host Stephen A. Smith said, “This is a nightmare. I’ve got no problem with his Christian values. But what does that have to do with playing quarterback in the NFL?”
Despite Tebow’s wobbly throws and faulty footwork, Jets ticket prices could soar because of the team’s new acquisition.
The average price of a Broncos home game at the start of last season was $182.69 — before Tebow started — and shot up by 17.64 percent, to $214.64, by season’s end.
Last year, the Jets failed to sell thousands of personal seat licenses.
“At first, it will help,” said Chris Matcovich, of TiqIQ, a ticket-price tracker.
“But long term, it is all going to depend on how much he plays, how he is used in the offense and whether he wins.”
It’s also unclear how Tebow and his strict Christian values will fit in in the modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah.
Clergy members around the city were quick to rejoice.
“New York poses many challenges for anyone who is serious about his or her faith, but if Tebow gets connected with others who share and encourage his faith and loyalty to Jesus, he will thrive,” said the Rev. J.R. Vassar, lead pastor of the Apostles Church NYC in Manhattan.
“I’m excited about Tim Tebow coming to play for the Jets because I enjoy watching him play.”
But others are plotting to lure him away from his frequent charity work in favor of the Big Apple’s club scene.
“New York is a tough place for someone with a holy background, and I can see it corrupting him,” said Maria Katz, a hostess at Sapphire’s Gentleman’s Club on the Upper East Side.
“We love breaking the good boy. We hear it all the time, ‘I don’t want a lap dance, I’ve got a wife,’ and then they’re walking out at 6 a.m.”
Bar owners said they’d be happy to accommodate Tebow’s strong faith — as long as it gets him in the door.
Murray Hill sports bar Brother Jimmy’s has created a “No Sex on the Beach” drink for Tebow, a virgin version of the traditional “Sex on the Beach.”
At Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club in Midtown, workers said they would have sparkling cider on hand for Tebow.
“He goes out,” said one of Tebow’s University of Florida classmates. “He’s not a homebody. He [just] doesn’t need to drink to have fun.”
Tebow, who led the Broncos to an improbable playoff berth after a run of miraculous finishes last year, became expendable Tuesday after Denver signed prized free agent Peyton Manning.
Denver’s winning streak included a crushing come-from-behind victory over the Jets in which Tebow scored the winning touchdown.
Additional reporting by Todd Venezia, Bob Fredericks, Brian Costello and Rich Calder