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Tim Tebow signed a minor league contract with the?New York Mets?on Thursday and?will begin his professional baseball career in the?fall instructional league on Sept. 19 in Port St. Lucie, Florida.Mets general manager Sandy Alderson insisted that signing Tebow, a former NFL quarterback, is not a publicity stunt.While I and the organization, I think, are mindful of the novel nature of this situation, this decision was strictly driven by baseball, Alderson said on a conference call with Tebow and agent Brodie Van Wagenen on Thursday to announce the agreement that includes a $100,000 signing bonus. This was not something that was driven by marketing considerations or anything of the sort. We are extremely intrigued with the potential that Tim has.He has demonstrated over his athletic career that he is a tremendous athlete, has got character, a competitive spirit. Aside from the age (29), this is a classic player-development opportunity for us. As an organization, were going to provide that development opportunity for Tim.The decision nonetheless was made at the highest levels of the organization -- by Alderson and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon -- and did not intimately involve the teams baseball-operations personnel. The Mets were one of 28 teams to attend Tebows showcase last week in Los Angeles.Tebow acknowledged his upcoming baseball journey is not one that will be necessarily easy.I know this is a tough game, Tebow said. But Im looking forward to putting in the work and I felt like this was the best fit.Tebow, who hasnt played organized baseball since his junior year at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, in 2005, has been working out with former big league catcher Chad Moeller in Scottsdale, Arizona, since Memorial Day. Tebow spent almost two hours last week at the Southern Californias Dedeaux Field running a 60-yard dash, shagging fly balls, throwing from the outfield and taking swings against former major league pitchers David Aardsma and Chad Smith in his audition for clubs.Tebow won the Heisman Trophy for the Florida Gators in 2007 and helped the team take two national championships.?He played professionally for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets from 2010 to 2012. He spent training camps with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles in 2013 and 2015, respectively, but never played in the regular season for those teams.Since 2013, Tebow has been a college football analyst for ESPN.?Alderson said Tebow will be excused a couple of days each week from fall instructional league to fulfill that commitment.Tim is committed to his role at SEC Network and ESPN this fall, Stephanie Druley, ESPN senior vice president, event and studio production, said in a statement. We have always been supportive of Tims athletic pursuits. His new schedule will allow him to continue as a college football analyst on SEC Nation this fall.Former major league pitchers Dallas Braden, who is now an ESPN analyst, and C.J. Nitkowski questioned how serious Tebow was about playing baseball based on the arrangement to give him excused days off each week.After Tebow participates in the fall instructional league, which primarily is for teenage prospects, Alderson is not ruling out sending Tebow to the Arizona Fall League or a winter league. First, the Mets want to better gauge Tebows readiness and determine whether it would be more beneficial to receive individual instruction during the offseason.Even if Tebow never reaches the majors, Alderson insisted this is a win for the Mets because of the example Tebows work ethic and character will set for the minor leaguers.Still, Alderson insisted Tebow has on-field potential.Any player evaluation starts with tools, Alderson said. From that standpoint, without grading everything out, suffice it to say Tim has been a great athlete. He has demonstrated more than rudimentary baseball skills. We think, with his commitment to success, that this is an opportunity that is worthwhile.In terms of power, in terms of arm, in terms of foot speed, all of those things, we think he can be a baseball player. I think that is underscored by his competitiveness and his determination to succeed and to improve. From our standpoint, this is another opportunity for us to develop a player and see where it goes. We understand most players dont make it to the major leagues.Alderson said theres no guarantee Tebow will be invited to major league camp during spring training. He also added Tebows signing is a standalone proposition and unrelated to Van Wagenen representing other Mets clients, including Yoenis Cespedes -- who has an opt-out this winter -- as well as Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom.Brodie represents a number of players on our team, Alderson said. But in the course of our conversations regarding Tim, none of those players were mentioned, none were in mind. I think Brodie is professional enough to keep all of those things separate.The Mets will not be able to capitalize on Tebows fame from a marketing standpoint, either. For that to happen, Tebow must be added to the teams 40-man roster and sign the group licensing agreement. MLB.com and Mets.com, in fact, are rejecting any fan who tries to make a custom Tebow jersey through the website.Tebow said he came close to pursuing baseball a year ago, but the Eagles?interest tabled it.Its been something that Ive been thinking about for a little while and came close to pulling the trigger on last year, Tebow said. Then, actually, when I was in the middle of going through a day of training for baseball, [then-Eagles coach] Chip Kelly called and then I had to figure that out. ... We all know how that turned out.Former Broncos teammate Eric Decker, now with the New York Jets, said he expected Tebow to be signed.When you have 30 scouts coming to your workout, someone is going to sign you, Decker said. Well see how he does next spring in whatever camp it is. Best of luck to him.I believe Tim has a big heart and hes a good person. Hes such a competitor that this is an outlet for him. But from the outside, I can see how it looks as a publicity stunt. I mean, hes got a good gig right now with the SEC Network. Im sure he could do a daily talk show if he wanted. Hes well-liked. I think this is him being competitive, wanting to get that fire again.Asked about his preferred position, Tebow said hell take his cue from the organization. But he noted hes a lefty thrower, so theres a limit.My best position is whatever they feel like it is, he said. I feel comfortable in the outfield. I feel comfortable at first base.What would Tebow deem success during his baseball pursuit? Is it major leagues or bust?I would consider success giving everything I have, he said.Decker said thats the kind of teammate that Tebow has been in the past and what he expects him to be in the future.Guys will have to respect what hes done during his tenure in the NFL and who he is and the college football player he was. Theres going to be mixed emotions (among his new teammates), Im sure, Decker said. Hes going to be a good teammate. I think hes going to be very respectful.Hes not going to come in with a chip on his shoulder or (say), Im Tim Tebow, heres the red carpet. Hes not that type of guy in my experience. Guys will respect his work ethic and the person.ESPNs Darren Rovell and Rich Cimini contributed to this report. Air Max 97 Plus Cheap Wholesale . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. Wholesale Nike Shoes Clearance . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-lebron-james-shoes.html . The lawyers filed a 33-page amended complaint Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, expanding on the suit originally filed Oct. 3 in New York Supreme Court. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last week refused to compel Selig to testify in the grievance, and Rodriguez then walked out of the hearing without testifying. Nike Air Max Plus Tn Ultra Cheap . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Air Max 95 Clearance Sale . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. (STATS) -- Where has the regular season gone? Well, if November has snuck up on FCS fans, this weeks national schedule will get their attention.Theres nowhere for anybody, including Top 10 teams, to hide.Top-ranked Sam Houston State faces rival McNeese, last years Southland Conference champ.No. 2 Jacksonville State is at Southeast Missouri State -- potentially a tricky road game.No. 3 Eastern Washington visits No. 14 Cal Poly -- dangerous indeed.No. 4 North Dakota State hosts No. 15 Youngstown State.No. 5 The Citadel puts its unbeaten record on the line against No. 20 Samford.No. 6 Richmond and No. 7 James Madison face each other.No. 8 Charleston Southern? OK, its probably safe at home against Gardner-Webb. But not as safe as No. 9 Chattanooga, no doubt glad to be on a bye.No. 10 Villanova goes to surging Maine, the first team sitting outside the Top 25.Keep going? OK, No. 11 North Carolina A&T hosts perennial MEAC power South Carolina State. No. 12 Western Illinois hosts an Illinois State squad that just went into the Top 10 and won (versus South Dakota State).You know about Cal Poly, Youngstown State and Samford. Theres also tough conference road games for No. 16 North Dakota (Northern Colorado) and No. 17 Central Arkansas (Stephen F. Austin).The weeks will grow with importance, but within the FCS Top 25, the first Saturday in November is scarier than Halloween.---=FCS GAME OF THE WEEK=The Matchup: No. 7 James Madison (7-1, 5-0 CAA) at No. 6 Richmond (7-1, 4-1)Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET at Robins Stadium (8,700) in Richmond, VirginiaTelevision: Comcast SportsNet PlusSeries: Richmond leads 18-15 (most recent meeting: Richmond won 59-49 at JMU on Oct. 24, 2015)The Skinny: Last years game drew ESPNs College GameDay show to JMU, but the stakes are similar with this years matchup. The first-place Dukes are the lone unbeaten team in CAA Football play, but five teams are within one game of them. Last week, the Dukes scored 84 points against Rhode Island -- a record for a CAA game -- with quarterback Bryan Schor (FCS leader with 71.3 completion percentage) winning conference player of the week honors for the third time in five weeks. The Dukes rank in the national top 10 in 11 different offensive categories, and their opportunistic defense has helped them to a plus-13 turnover margin. Richmond had last week off to prepare even more for its rival. Freshman Deontez Thompson is the Spiders third different starting running back because of injuries, but hes rushed for over 100 yards in two of the last three games. Still, the offense revolves around the Kyle Lauletta-Brian Brown passing combo. Opponents have completed under 47 percent of their passes and the Spiders defense has 12 interceptions.Prediction: The bye week was important as Richmond healed up some more. But Schor in combination with running backs Khalid Abdullah and Cardon Johnson might give the Dukes too much offense. James Madison, 31-28.---=STATS FCS TOP 25 SCHEDULE=Saturday, Nov. 5All Times ETX-Predicted WinnerGardner-Webb (3-6, 1-2 Big South) at X-No. 8 Charleston Southern (5-2, 2-0), 11:45 a.m. -- Charleston Southern is the best in the Big South in stopping the run, but Gardner-Webb has a formidable rushing duo in quarterback Tyrell Maxwell and running back Khalil Lewis.X-No. 10 Villanova (6-2, 4-1 CAA) at Maine (5-3, 4-1), noon -- The host Black Bears, on a five-game winning streak, are the first team sitting outside the STATS FCS Top 25. Their coach, 30-year-old Joe Harasymiak, wasnt born when Andy Talley started coaching at Villanova 32 seasons ago.Bucknell (3-5, 2-1 Patriot) at X-No. 24 Lehigh (7-2, 4-0), 12:30 p.m. -- The defensive Bison can still have a say in the Patriot League title race, but Lehigh is on too much of a roll, averaging 48.3 points during its seven-game winning streak. With a win, the Mountain Hawks would clinch a share of its first league title since 2011 and the first bid to the FCS playoffs.Columbia (2-5, 1/3 Ivy) at X-No. 23 Harvard (6-1, 4-0), 1 p.m. -- The Crimson are always strong at tight end. This season, senior AAnthony Firkser (34 receptions, 528 yards, six touchdowns) is among the best in the FCS.ddddddddddddSouth Carolina State (3-4, 3-1 MEAC) at X-No. 11 North Carolina A&T (7-1, 5-0), 1 p.m. -- Incredibly, A&T senior running back Tarik Cohen has won five straight MEAC offensive player of the week awards.No. 20 Samford (6-2, 4-1 Southern) at X-No. 5 The Citadel (8-0, 6-0), 2 p.m. -- If The Citadel can slow Samford quarterback Devlin Hodges and earn a win, it would clinch at least a share of its second consecutive Southern Conference title as well as the automatic bid to the playoffs. The unbeaten Bulldogs have never won nine straight games.Monmouth (4-5) at X-No. 18 Coastal Carolina (6-2), 2 p.m. -- The Chanticleers begin their final month in the FCS with the first of four straight home games. Their two losses are by one point each (Jacksonville State and Charleston Southern).X-No. 2 Jacksonville State (7-1, 4-0 OVC) at Southeast Missouri State (3-5, 3-2), 2 p.m. -- The Gamecocks defense leads the FCS in fewest yards allowed per game (259.6). Safeties Marlon Bridges and Siran Neal are their leading tacklers.William & Mary (3-5, 1-4 CAA) at X-No. 25 Stony Brook (5-3, 4-1), 2 p.m. -- The Seawolves seek to bounce back from a five-turnover loss at New Hampshire. Theyve committed 19 turnovers this season -- UT Martin is the only FCS team with a winning record that has more.Illinois State (4-5, 2-4 Missouri Valley) at X-No. 12 Western Illinois (6-2, 3-2), 2 p.m. -- These teams know close games: WIU is 4-0 in games decided by five points or less, while Illinois State has played five games decided by three points or less, winning two of them.X-No. 16 North Dakota (7-2, 6-0 Big Sky) at Northern Colorado (5-3, 3-2), 2:05 p.m. -- UND allowed a season-low 12 rushing yards against Weber State in its seventh straight win last week and leads the Big Sky in rushing defense for the third straight season (98.2 ypg).X-No. 21 Grambling State (5-1, 5-0 SWAC) at Alabama A&M (3-5, 2-5), 3 p.m. -- Tigers transfer QB DeVante Kincade has thrown for 19 touchdowns and only one interception.Missouri State (4-4, 2/3 Missouri Valley) at X-No. 13 South Dakota State (5-3, 4-1), 3 p.m. -- The host Jackrabbits seek to bounce back after being knocked from the Top 10 by Illinois State. Tight end Dallas Goedert (937) and wide receiver Jake Wieneke (909) are both on the verge of 1,000 receiving yards this season.No. 15 Youngstown State (6-2, 4-1 Missouri Valley) at X-No. 4 North Dakota State (7-1, 4-1), 3:30 p.m. -- Youngstown State is one of the nations best in rushing defense, but the power run game is an NDSU staple. The Bison will wear their alternate gold jersey, having gone 22-0 in it since its debut in 2011.X-No. 17 Central Arkansas (7-1, 6-0 Southland) at Stephen F. Austin (4-4, 3-3), 3:30 p.m. -- UCA quarterback Hayden Hildebrand (13 TDs vs. three interceptions) is having a strong season, protected by an offensive line that has allowed only five sacks.Idaho State (2-6, 1-4 Big Sky) at X-No. 19 Montana (5-3, 2-3), 7 p.m. -- The Grizs 135 points over a two-game stretch last month have been quickly canceled out by two straight losses, but Brady Gustafson and Co. should get back on track against the Idaho State defense.McNeese (5-4, 4-3 Southland) at X-No. 1 Sam Houston State (8-0, 6-0), 7 p.m. -- Credit top-ranked Sam Houstons offensive line. The offense has attempted 318 passes, but the Bearkats are tied for the third-fewest sacks in the FCS (three).No. 3 Eastern Washington (7-1, 5-0 Big Sky) at X-No. 14 Cal Poly (6-2, 4-1), 9:05 p.m. -- The nations No. 1 passing attack (EWU, 439 ypg) meets the nations No. 1 rushing attack (Cal Poly, 370.2 ypg). After they allowed at least 30 points to each of their first six opponents, the visiting Eagles have surrendered only 33 (versus Montana State and Montana) over the last two weeks.Idle: No. 9 Chattanooga (8-1, 6-1 Southern) and No. 22 New Hampshire (6-3, 5-1 CAA) ' ' '