Tim Tebow – Most Influential Athlete 2013?

Forbes.com recently conducted a survey asking people who they thought was the most influential athletes of today. Surprisingly, Tim Tebow was No.1.

29% of respondents to the poll said Tebow had the most influence on fans. It should be noted that Forbes claims that roughly 1,000 people took the poll.

James Walker of ESPN.com says that Tebow popularity is actually hurting him in finding a new gig in the NFL:

One of the reasons Tebow doesn't have a job is the immense following and potential distractions he would bring to an NFL team.

This can be seen as truth. Let's face facts here, Tebow causes an uproar no matter where he is. With the Broncos he had some success after fans begged to finally have him at the QB position. The Broncos then took Peyton Manning and traded Tebow to the Jets, who kept him for one miserably weak season.

I get why he is No.1 on the most influential to fans but he has no influence on the field or  to the White House either. The website for the White House recently pulled the petition that asked President Obama to help get Tebow "home" to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The site claimed "because it is in violation of our terms of participation." The site requires that  petitions "address a problem, support or oppose a proposal, or otherwise change or continue federal government policy or actions."

Who else is on the list of influential?

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps (25%)
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt (23%)
New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (22%)

(Forbes / UPI)