Tim Tebow’s NCAA 11 cover spoofed in Alabama

By Adam Silverstein
July 16, 2010

Florida Gators fans across the country were excited to hear that Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Tim Tebow had been chosen for the cover of EA SportsNCAA Football 11 video game. Alabama Crimson Tide fans, on the other hand, probably did not care very much…until their local Tuscaloosa, AL, GameStop managers decided to spoof the cover with an alternate version.

Rather than sell the game as-is, these guys created a custom cover for the game featuring two pictures of Tebow crying when the Gators lost to the Crimson Tide in the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championship.

Successful marketing ploy or another attempt to add some insult to injury? You decide.

Image and details courtesy of SB Nation.

18 Comments

  1. John Shanks says:

    Pretty funny, I’ll give them that. You’d think that Alabama dominated Tim instead of going 1 and 1. Does anyone have the ability to photo-shop a Mark Ingram Heisman ceremony cover? Maybe with a smaller picture of his dad crying in his prison cell? Maybe Terrence Cody wasn’t available for a shirtless cover.

  2. G8R8U2 says:

    That’s probably going to turn out to be an expensive, childish stunt for somebody… somebody who’s probably making minimum wage, didn’t graduate from high school, and has no other job prospects. I’m no corporate attorney, but I think EA is going to have something stern to say to Gamestop about copyright and licensing laws. As one of many consumers from Florida, living in Alabama, I think it’s safe to say Gamestop has lost, at the very least, one person’s business.

    Not very bright, because nobody would have decided not to buy the game because of who’s on the cover… there’s a different college player on the cover every year, and fans of every team buy them just the same. But this year, with that stunt, the Gamestop employees have made sure that none of the thousands of Florida fans and UF graduates who work and live in the state buys the game from their stores.

    Can you imagine fathers taking their 8-10 year old boys to buy a game that they’ve been waiting for months to be released, with all this anticipation about Tim being on the cover; and the clerk handing the father and son one of those?

    Even my Tide girlfriend is embarrassed and ashamed. She said she remembers a time when Alabama football and its fans didn’t have to resort to such stunts to feel pride; the program’s accomplishments spoke for themselves, and they could win or lose with equal grace and tact. Guess this new breed of Tide fan hasn’t won enough, and simply doesn’t know how to act… that much is clear.

  3. O-town Gator says:

    My two cents? Poor sportsmanship on the part of those Bama fans involved. G8R8U2 brings up another good point – I’m not employed in the legal profession either, but whoever was responsible for that altered cover won’t think it’s so funny if they get hit with an infringement of copyright lawsuit over that stunt.

  4. orangebluegator says:

    John Shanks – your idea of Mark Ingram’s dad in a prison cell is hilarious. I love fighting fire with fire.

    It’s funny how Bama fans have such a short memory. Did we not kick their ass in the 2008 SEC championship game? With all the talk of them being the favorites for this year, I say Brantley’s gators will show them something in ttown. I have immense faith in the Gators.

  5. brlgator says:

    I think you are too worked up over this g8r8u2 but i do appreciated your fandom even in tide country. I am an attorney and my understanding is that EA wont be able to sue them because game stop is not profiting extra from selling the cover. If they charge more for the video game’s with the special cover then yes. Like I said, I don’t practice trademark or licensing law but that is my understanding. I have heard that OGGOA’s landlord however does know a little something about this type of law and maybe he can chime in.

    • I happen to agree with brl. I think some of you may be overreacting though there certainly are legalities to consider. Is this actionable for EA Sports? Probably not. Plus it is only benefitting them. But could they be legitimately upset about it? Certainly. And could those employees be reprimanded by corporate? Sure.

      If I was those employees, I would have had those alternate covers by the register and give them to any fan who wanted to change the game’s cover. Would not have put it on the shelf.

      And I do think it is disrespectful, but why should that surprise anyone? This is the SEC. Not Sesame Street.

  6. G8R8U2 says:

    Well, I would agree that this is the SEC, and not Sesame Street; which makes the Sesame Street stunt all the more disappointing. Like I said, old-school Bama fans like the ones with which I regularly associate, carry themselves with the kind of pride in their program that comes from winning on the field; and win or lose, they maintain that dignity… they’re not particularly accustomed to resorting to cheap shots and below-the-belt insults to try and earn respect. Their pride is derived from accomplishments, not photoshopping skills… some may be even more disgusted than Gator fans, because it reflects poorly on the fan base as a whole, and that is not the image they want to project. I understand their predicament, because after all Bama has accomplished in its rich history, you’d think they’d naturally be above such bush-league tactics. Oh well, rant off; if there’s any justice, it’ll provide a great story if the Karma Genie decides to show up this season.

  7. SC Gator says:

    As a fan I just laugh it off… it was clever and perfectly fitting for SEC stye football fandom.

    I do question the wisdom of putting it on the shelf that way, and wonder what corporate thinks about them doing that, but to me that’s a separate issue.

  8. Drew 4 Orange & Blue says:

    Sour grapes for a fan base who wet themselves dreaming about Timmy T when he was thinking about signing with Bama…it’s clear now he made the right choice

  9. O-town Gator says:

    Rivalry and the smack talk that goes along with with it won’t disappear from the SEC; as much as I think their gesture is low-class, it’s the possible legal issues that should be in question. If they don’t want to put themselves in that type of predicament or invite that kind of trouble, then they just do business the right way.

  10. UF_84 says:

    That’s just part of life in the SEC where the hate factor is off the chain. When you lose a big game and then cry about it, these kind of things are going to happen. It’s going to be laughed about for a long time. I’m sure there will be a whole line of assorted “Tebow Tears” T shirts in any Tuscaloosa book store this fall. Just as there would have been in Gainesville if the situations were reversed. No self respecting SEC rival is going to miss a chance to rub another rival’s face in a pile. As SC said, “Just luagh it off” I’m sure that’s exactly what Tim would do.

  11. G8R8U2 says:

    Little late with the T-shirt idea… those have been going around here since about 12 hours after the game. And the situations HAVE been reversed; I recall plenty of damp faces and jerseys on Bama sidelines after SECCG’s in the ’90’s, but I don’t recall any lame products with pictures of it in Gator stores or anywhere else. I watch old video from former Bama and Florida players who participated in those games, and there just seemed to be a lot more mutual respect back in those days… I don’t think it ever even occurred to anyone from either side to do something so pathetic.

  12. Charles says:

    Bring it Bama!!! Here’s to October 2, 2010. Will Hill lay some smack down.

  13. Charles says:

    I actualy enjoy it. Because if you can’t play Auburn every year, let’s get some hate going with the ones we are playing.

  14. alex says:

    It is just all in good fun. We get them again in October so no big deal.

  15. 305gator says:

    absolutely hilarious! props to alabama gamestop employees.

    Go Gators!

  16. wci347 says:

    It will be meaningless if we beat them this year in their home stadium.

  17. Brandon says:

    Roll Tide! 22 SEC titles. UF 8.

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