Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said that Broncos QB Tim Tebow “already has had an effect” on ticket sales for Sunday’s Broncos-Dolphins game at Sun Life Stadium, according to Ben Volin of the PALM BEACH POST. Dee said that "nearly 20,000 tickets have been sold since Tebow was named the starter eight days ago -- 10,000 tickets by the team and nearly 10,000 in the secondary market on websites such as StubHub.” The game is not yet an official sellout, but Dee said that he is “optimistic that the club will be able to meet the deadline” of 5:00pm ET tonight to avoid a blackout on local television. Dee: “It’s trending that way. Clearly this matchup, and the buzz that’s out there, has helped with tickets.” Volin reports the Dolphins “could use the buzz” as they have “struggled to sell tickets this season; the Week 2 game against Houston would have been blacked out if the Dolphins and sponsors had not purchased 10,000 tickets at the last minute.” Sunday's game will include a celebration of the Univ. of Florida's '08 national championship team, which Tebow was a part of, but Dee said that the promo is for the entire team, "not simply a salute to Tebow” (PALM BEACH POST, 10/20). In Ft. Lauderdale, Craig Davis notes there also is “considerable excitement and anticipation in Denver.” GameDay Merchandising COO Martin Garafolo, whose company runs the Broncos’ team stores, said, “Tim’s definitely won this town over. His popularity is just unbelievable here” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 10/20).
