Charleston RiverDogs general manager Dave Echols has apologized to those offended by the team poking fun at Columbia outfielder Tim Tebow last weekend.
On Friday in the first game for Tebow and the Fireflies in Charleston, the RiversDogs -- which lists comedian Bill Murray as co-owner -- took several jabs at the Heisman Trophy winner playing his first full season of pro baseball.
The RiverDogs mascot wore eyeblack with the Bible verse, John 3:16 like Tebow did with the Florida Gators, and he took a knee the same way Tebow has done. The team also played the Hallelujah Chorus every time Tebow came up to bat.
There were more playful digs, too, like putting "Not Tim Tebow" under Columbia players' pictures on the scoreboard during the Fireflies starting lineups.
Echols said in a statement to the Post and Courier in Charleston that the promotions were meant to play off Tebow's celebrity.
“While we believe that our promotions were poking fun at Mr. Tebow's celebrity status rather than his religion or baseball career, our intent was not to offend anyone, and for the fact that we did offend, we are sorry,” Echols told the Post and Courier.
VIDEO: @ChasRiverDogs top @ColaFireflies (and Tim Tebow) 3-0 tonight at The Joe. Charlie T. Tebowing, Tebow bat-flipping, it was a good one. pic.twitter.com/dxhRQm1Ban
— Daren Stoltzfus (@DarenStoltzfus) June 18, 2017
Someone almost had a hell of a souvenir...fumble recovery goes to a lucky fan from @TimTebow @SportsCenter #NotTopTen pic.twitter.com/rOFAFzHPpO
— Charleston RiverDogs (@ChasRiverDogs) June 18, 2017
