PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- After the New York Mets signed Tim Tebow to a minor league contract two weeks ago, general manager Sandy Alderson maintained the transaction was about scratching a baseball itch rather than cashing in on a phenomenon. Amid considerable eye-rolling, Alderson said the Mets saw baseball potential in Tebow, and their investment in him had nothing to do with marketing, publicity or any ancillary benefits the club might derive from the transaction.If that was indeed the case, you can file the events of Monday under unintended consequences.Tebow -- a University of Florida icon, Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback -- arrived at Tradition Field on Monday morning for his first day in the Mets instructional program. From an action standpoint, it was about as close as you can get to a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles. For the better part of two hours, he stretched, took part in baserunning drills, shagged fly balls and banged out line drives in batting practice under a scorching sun.But the interest level was something else entirely. About 70 media members dutifully took notes as Tebow nodded his head to an instructor here and stopped for a refreshing guzzle of water there. At the same time, more than 400 fans ringed the back fences and clamored for his autograph.Hey Tebow, do you know Peyton Manning? yelled one elementary school-age boy as Tebow stopped briefly to sign.Several fans made forays to an outdoor stand where Tebow No. 15 replica jerseys were selling for $120 each and Tebow T-shirts could be had for $28. And when the fans grew parched on the back fields, Mets employees were standing at the ready with bottles of water for $3 a pop.The Tebow shouts, cheers and buzz of activity were a stark contrast to the typical quiet of the Florida Instructional League scene.Its usually crickets, said Paul Taglieri, the Mets senior director of Florida operations. Its mom and dad or a couple of scouts watching. A lot of people dont even know what instructional league is. Obviously, this is going to add a lot of notoriety to the definition of instructional league.Tebow detractors who think his celebrity has outlived its shelf life probably cant relate to his popularity in SEC country, where his followers revere him for his faith, off-field charity work and the values he represents. Nine years after Tebow won a Heisman Trophy under Urban Meyer at Florida, he has a hold on the collective sports psyche in the region where he attained his fame. Gators fans will love him forever, and even Florida State fans, who are conditioned to dislike him, cant help but respect his achievements.Jo-Ann Walker, a New Jersey native, grew up as a Mets fan in the 1980s. She drove about 150 miles from Mount Dora, Florida, to Port St. Lucie and arranged several Tebow T-shirts in a minitribute along one of the cyclone fences. Shes a two-time cancer survivor who finds Tebow to be an inspirational figure, and she was overjoyed when he signed a copy of his 2011 book, Through My Eyes.I moved down here from Jersey, and I kept hearing about this football player with the scriptures, and I said, Let me take a look, Walker said. Hes very humble. Hes very real. I pray that he can be part of the public eye for his foundations and Gods kingdom.The Tebow love spans generations. Andy Favata, a Long Island native, is a Florida alumnus whos married to a Florida alumna and has a daughter currently going to school in Gainesville. Hes a lifelong Mets fan with vivid memories of the 1986 World Series, so it was a no-brainer to make the short drive to Tradition Field with his 13-year-old daughter, Bella, and check out Tebows debut.I grew up at Shea Stadium watching the Mets, Favata said. Two hours after the ball went through Bill Buckners legs, I was there screaming and hugging people I didnt know. Tim Tebow is one of our favorite Gators. So when you see him with a Mets jersey on, youve gotta come.Although it was hard to tell from the first day, it appeared the Tebow-related momentum increased as reporters spread the word of his appearance at Tradition Field on social media. So what happens Tuesday and the day after that? Will the interest wane, or will sports fans in the area continue to stop by for an autograph or picture or because of the curiosity factor?Its a mutually beneficial relationship for player and team. Tebows publishers were no doubt ecstatic Monday when a reporter at his news conference asked him to talk about his new book, Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Lifes Storms, which is scheduled for release in October. Tebow spoke with passion about the book and the message of encouragement hes trying to convey.Tebows book sales and Mets minor league ticket sales are likely to receive a boost next spring when he joins the low-A Columbia Fireflies, high-A St. Lucie Mets or wherever else the parent club chooses to assign him. Tebow is a natural magnet for attention, and hes going to sell tickets, hot dogs and bottled water regardless of how much those economic considerations factored into the Mets decision to sign him.In the grand scheme of things, the experiment will only pay dividends in New York if Tebow can shake off 11 years of baseball rust and prove he can hit a curveball. But charisma and name recognition alone should be enough to make turnstiles click in the minors. To no ones surprise, the Mets appear to have a cash cow on their hands. Oscar Robertson Jersey . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Marvin Bagley III Jersey .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling New York Islanders in tonights clash at the Bell Centre. http://www.nbakingsonline.com/Authentic-Jason-Williams-Kings-Jersey/ . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. Chris Webber Kings Jersey . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators. DeAaron Fox Jersey . The recently retired Stern was elected Friday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be enshrined with the class of 2014 on Aug. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Great Britains Adam Peaty was considered a near-lock to win the 100-meter breaststroke Sunday night and a near certainty to set his second world record in 36 hours, and yet delivering on all the expectation diminished nothing for him. That was sheer joy on his 21-year-old face, not relief, when he saw hed lopped another .42 seconds off the world record hed just set Saturday morning, the very first time he touched the water as an Olympian.And thats not a bad thing to be, he joked, admitting hed surprised even himself.But now that hed followed it up by winning gold? He slapped the water once, twice, then again. His cheeks were flush red from exertion and he stared at the scoreboard again, his mouth open in wonder. Then he sat on the lane divider, still staring at his winning time of 57.13 seconds and said Oh my god to no one in particular.Peaty seemed determined to just soak in the moment. To always remember this scene. He knew he was Great Britains first gold medalist of the Games -- its first medalist in Rio, period -- but he got some company a few minutes later when Jazz Carlin, who missed the 2012 London Games because of illness, followed him to the podium with a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle, behind American sensation Katie Ledecky.Carlin said watching Peaty race just before she did gave her goosebumps.You feel the pressure, even though you say you dont, Peaty said. You feel self-pressure because I want to perform, and I didnt want to let anyone down back home. Nothing means more to me than racing for my country, racing for the Queen and the Royal Family, racing for my family.ddddddddddddBut what about that time of his -- that amazing time he kept staring at? It absolutely blew me away, Peaty admitted, laughing now. Its always been in my mind I can achieve things that seem impossible ... [But] tonight I wasnt even thinking of a time. It was just, Get to the wall first. Get to the wall first. And I did.Cody King, the American who finished third behind Peaty, proudly noted it might have been the most stacked race in the events history. The silver medal went to Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa, who won this event at the 2012 Olympics. Van der Burgh seemed astonished at how fast his time was, too, happy to have been pulled along in Peatys magnificent undertow.But he and King were probably less thrilled at what Peaty promised next.I know theres more in there, he said. Well see. Ive got eight more years in this game. Maybe more.Peaty acknowledged he has come a long way since he was a child so terrified of water, I was afraid to take a shower. Thats how scared I was. He didnt have to be reminded he was the first British male swimmer to win Olympic gold since Adrian Moorhouse won this event in 1988, six years before Peaty was born.Historically, this means a lot to me, Peaty said.And hes not done yet. He said he planned to sit down and watch this race, analyze his mistakes and see what can be tweaked so he goes faster.We want to keep pushing the boundaries, he promised. Were obsessed. ' ' '