SoutheasternOhioPreps.com

Athletes have practiced self-marketing with their eye black for years, so Tim Tebow Bible verses were nothing groundbreaking. We saw Reggie Bush’s area code digits while at USC, the occasional shout-out to a hometown or Terrelle Pryor’s ill-advised ode to Mike Vick?

But isn’t the timing a little more than coincidental that the NCAA is banning eye-black messages right after Tebow leaves the college game?

It’s clear the college game benefitted greatly from the interest garnered by Tebow, who forced more than 90 million to Google John 3:16 after Tebow wore the verse during thee 2009 national title game. And perhaps if the NCAA took action during Tebow’s playing days, backlash from Christian coalitions would have followed. It was easier to implement this bylaw now, with Tebow gone, than last year.

Taking effect in the 2010 season is the banning of all words, logos, numbers or other symbols on the players’ eye black. This aligns with the NFL, which won’t allow Tebow or any other player to express themselves with eye black during games. Tebow’s last chance to sport a Bible verse in game action might have been at the Senior Bowl on Jan. 30, when Tebow wore James 1:2-4.

Florida coach Urban Meyer once said he didn’t scan his locker room as a “eye-black cop.” Now he doesn’t need to police anything.

kantuckyII wrote:With what they pay the pros though, they're going to have to start putting ads on them

kantuckyII wrote:With what they pay the pros though, they're going to have to start putting ads on them

Burg_Grad_77 wrote:

kantuckyII wrote:With what they pay the pros though, they're going to have to start putting ads on them

I can just see it now......

"There goes Tomlison down the sidelines for a TD, in his new Viagra uniform. Man, he's really running HARD today."

Burg_Grad_77 wrote:

kantuckyII wrote:With what they pay the pros though, they're going to have to start putting ads on them

I can just see it now......

"There goes Tomlison down the sidelines for a TD, in his new Viagra uniform. Man, he's really running HARD today."

farmer wrote:

Burg_Grad_77 wrote:

kantuckyII wrote:With what they pay the pros though, they're going to have to start putting ads on them

I can just see it now......

"There goes Tomlison down the sidelines for a TD, in his new Viagra uniform. Man, he's really running HARD today."

As Chris Berman says, "He could go all the way, but wait he gets tackled and comes up short on scoring a TD."

my2cents wrote:I know high school players have to cover up their tatoos. I agree that players should not be allow to advertise or place slogans or logos on their uniforms or bodies.

XandOs wrote:

my2cents wrote:I know high school players have to cover up their tatoos. I agree that players should not be allow to advertise or place slogans or logos on their uniforms or bodies.

They do? I've never heard of such a rule, unless it is put down by individual schools.

dimedrop4 wrote:

XandOs wrote:

my2cents wrote:I know high school players have to cover up their tatoos. I agree that players should not be allow to advertise or place slogans or logos on their uniforms or bodies.

They do? I've never heard of such a rule, unless it is put down by individual schools.

I know of several local schools that enforce the covering up your tattoos rule. However, as I have watched some of these teams advance farther in tournaments, I've saw players on teams from up north that don't have theirs covered. So I'm guessing it's just a school rule thing???

my2cents wrote: ↑Wed Feb 17, 2010 3:46 pm I know high school players have to cover up their tatoos. I agree that players should not be allow to advertise or place slogans or logos on their uniforms or bodies.