Rolex: The BCS College football rankings are quickly gaining mainstream media attention, so much so that the NCAA now allows Rolex watches to be given to Heisman Trophy contenders such as Tim Tebow of the University of Florida, Chase Daniel at the University of Missouri, and Dennis Dixon at the University of Oregon.
The prestigious Davey O’Brien award, named after the famed TCU (Texas Christian University) football player, includes a $10,000 tuition scholarship and a Rolex watch. Tim Tebow was the winner in 2007 and former winners include Troy Smith of Ohio State University, Vince Young of the University of Texas, and Jason White of Oklahoma University. This year’s contenders will likely include Graham Harrell of undefeated Texas Tech University (TTU), Colt McCoy of the University of Texas (UT), and Mark Sanchez of the University of Southern California (USC) .
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback award, in its own words, “recognizes champions on the field..and encourages promising athletes’ academic and career success through scholarships and support.” So what exactly is this “support”? In Tim Tebow’s case the scholarship was $10,000 and the “support” was an engraved trophy and a Rolex watch! In a time where both Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo were accused of accepting gifts while playing college sports should we really be giving college football players Rolex watches?
The NCAA and BCS have been under a lot of heat for using the BCS bowl series (Rose Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Sugar Bowl, etc.) as a way to generate more tv advertising revenue and ticket sales versus using a traditional playoff system like in the NFL. Pete Carroll, head coach of USC, is furious about this as his USC Trojans went undefeated several years back, only to not make it to the BCS Championship college football game. Joe Paterno, head coach of Penn State University, and Charlie Weis, head coach of Notre Dame University have also spoken out about this. So does giving out Rolex watches as gifts to players only fuel the fire?
Ultimately, it may just be that a Rolex watch, in particular, is really the only appropriate gift in this instance. The Davey O’brien award, for example, is designed to commend a player for his leadership, accuracy, and enduring character. No other watch brand but Rolex is so devoted towards it accuracy and quality of its product. In fact, almost all other watch brands have resorted to using generic watch movements, over the years, whereas Rolex still uses hand-made movements after nearly 100 years of manufacturing. Rolex even donated a significant amount of money to Oklahoma State University, another BCS Championship contender, to help develop out a watch-making school at OSU and Rolex is the only watch brand that gives away 100% of its annual profits to charity every year, essentially operating the company like a non-profit. These ideals fit hand in hand with those of the BCS and NCAA and the Davey O’Brien award.
After all, can we really be that upset with Tim Tebow receiving a Rolex? Tim Tebow could have joined the NFL last year but stayed with the Florida Gators to try and take them to a SEC and BCS championship. In addition, he has made missionary trips to the Philippines, visiting schools, churches, and hospitals to help the poor and disabled find hope in their lives. Religious beliefs aside, it seems like he is indeed a selfless person and, if anyone deserves a Rolex because of his character, it is none other than Tim Tebow of the BCS Championship-contending University of Florida Gators.
- Rolex Luxury Watch Blog