Charleston RiverDogs GM issues apology for team's Tim Tebow jabs

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- 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 RiverDogs -- who list comedian Bill Murray as co-owner -- took several jabs at the Heisman Trophy winner, who is playing his first full season of pro baseball. The RiverDogs mascot wore eye black with the Bible verse John 3:16, like Tebow did when he played quarterback for theFlorida Gators.

There were more playful digs, as well, such as putting "Not Tim Tebow" under Columbia players' pictures on the scoreboard during the announcement of the Fireflies' starting lineups.

Echols said in a statement to the Post and Courier newspaper 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 wrote in the statement.

"Of the many promotional pieces that we executed, there were a handful on Friday's game that some construed as in poor taste, and we made it a focus to remove those elements and celebrate Mr. Tebow the remainder of his time in Charleston."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.