Man, this sure sounds crazy? Are they going to start covering up all the tattoos some have on their arms? As one writer said, 'Isn't it the job of the coach to make sure someone isn't wearing something inappropriate?'
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.
