Super Commercials
by alorb on Feb 8, 2010 1:53 PM EST
3 comments
Sure, the game was pretty great last night, but the commercials are always the stand out. While this year's batch didn't really wow too many (although that Dave/Oprah/Jay one was a bit of a shocker), our MVP (most valuable product) went to Google, for their simple and emotional ad that shows just what Google does.
But being that it was pretty un-sports related, here's the Google ad that should've run.
Enjoy.
Is Tiger Feeling Lucky Today? (via slatester)
3 comments | 0 recs |
Super Day Of Eating
by GrantC on Feb 7, 2010 4:17 PM EST
in Lookin Sharp
1 comment
>>>UPDATE 2<<<The final weigh in ended up being just under 163, so I only put on about 5.5. lbs during Super Bowl Sunday, but luckily by this morning I'm back down to the 150's and on my way to recovery. PS - the Jalepeno cornbread were really the big hit of the party (compliments to the wife).
>>>UPDATE 1<<< I just did a preliminary post game weigh in and came through at 162.7, definitely below expected but there is still a lot of beer to be drank.
I'm a fairly slender late 20's male (6ft, 155 - ding!) with a pretty high metabolism, so I have the ability to put on and take off weight very quickly. It's not strange for my weight to fluctuate by 3 or 4 pounds at different points in the day - and when I was training for a marathon last year I could literally take down a full In-N-Out double-double meal with a milkshake and be still quite hungry. However, my greatest display of eating weight gain occurred during the 2004 Super Bowl - in that game the Pats beat Panthers, but the most memorable part of the game was Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction" - where I put on approximately 8.7 lbs from kick off to the end of the game. Now most of this was probably water weight from the half dozen brews I took down, but there was a considerable amount of wings and seven layer dip adding to that mix.
For today's game, the wife and I are hosting a small affair for 10-15 friends and (given our inclination to root for the Saints) have taken on a "Southern" theme - think hurricanes, fried chicken, mac & cheese, cole slaw, shrimp po' boys, etc. We will also have a variety of more traditional items - chips & guac, beer, pigs in a blanket (ok thats not so traditional, but they are delicious) - and then are washing it all down with some Coca-Cola cake and ice cream.
I'm entering todays all day pig-out slightly heavier than normal and have just weighed myself and am tipping in at 157.4 lbs 2 hours before kick off and without having eaten anything today. The wife thinks I'm going to finish up this evening at 164, but I'm hoping to hold it together and stay right on 162. I guess it will depend on how good the game is (figure a better game means more engaged and less roaming in the kitchen) and of course how good the cake is - because a couple of slices of that business and I could be clearing 165 and nearing a new personal record.
Enjoy the game - and all of the eating!
1 comment | 0 recs |
Ask A Super Bowl QB
by GrantC on Feb 5, 2010 5:55 PM EST
in The Questions We Would Ask
3 comments
Just in time for the Super Bowl we were handed this report from some friends at Taylor PR about their client, the popular Q&A search engine Ask.com, which showcases the Top 10 searches that "sports fans" have been running about each of the teams' starting QB's in the days leading up to the game. Nothing too surprising, but the questions seem to be pretty general and more lifestyle focused - meaning its more of the casual fan and not as much of the die hards, which seems logical as its that draw of the masses that makes the Super Bowl the biggest game of the year.
Top Questions about Peyton Manning on Ask.com
1. Is Peyton Manning married?
2. How much does Peyton Manning get paid?
3. How old is Peyton Manning?
4. Does Peyton Manning have children?
5. Where did Peyton Manning go to college?
6. Where was Peyton Manning born?
7. Is Peyton Manning a Christian?
8. Is Peyton Manning gay?
9. What is Peyton Manning’s phone number?
10. What makes Peyton Manning sexy?
Top Questions about Drew Brees on Ask.com
1. How did Drew Brees get the scar on his face?
2. Is Drew Brees married?
3. How old is Drew Brees?
4. What does Drew Brees say in the huddle before each game?
5. Where did Drew Brees go to college?
6. How tall is Drew Brees?
7. Where did Drew Brees grow up?
8. Is Drew Brees Catholic?
9. How much does Drew Brees weigh?
10. What round was Drew Brees drafted in?
And for that last one, the answer is the Second Round, 32 picks behind the #1 overall selection Michael Vick… Another great example of a GM not quite getting it right!
3 comments | 0 recs |
Manning's Great, But He's Not the Best
by aramnath on Feb 4, 2010 3:43 PM EST
7 comments
I hate the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl because to this day I think it's ridiculous for there to be a two week build up to a game that everybody in the country already knows about. It also increases the chances of players being caught coming out of clubs in the wee hours of the morning (good work Reggie Bush) or trying to solicit oral sex from an undercover police officer as Eugene Robinson did in 1999, the night before the big game.
This year though what has really irritated me has been the non-stop discussion over whether the Colts' Peyton Manning is the greatest quarterback of all-time. I disagree on that point though I admit he's in the discussion, but today I finally read something that I had to respond too. Unfortunately it comes from somebody who's far more knowledgeable about football than I could hope to be, ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Schefter is far and away ESPN's best football insider which he combines with an excellent knowledge of the game from the time he's spent covering the NFL. Today however he led off his article with an argument that the only athlete to compare Manning too now is Michael Jordan because of their sheer dominance and pure ability.
Okay buddy. Hold the phone.
There are many that will argue that Manning is not even the best quarterback of his generation and that New England's Tom Brady is superior to him. If we expand this list to greatest quarterbacks of all time you'll hear numerous arguments for Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, Otto Graham and Brett Favre among others as the greatest at the position.
The point is when it comes to the greatest quarterback of all time there is a great debate that continues to rage on.
The problem right now is that we are so focused on the here and now and how Manning has dominated it that we are failing to recognize the past. In an article on ESPN just two years as the Patriots prepared to face the Giants, a game which everyone expected them to win, many believed that Brady would become the greatest quarterback of all time.
For Schefter to anoint Manning as the greatest quarterback of all time and then compare him to the most dominant player in the history of the NBA and maybe sports is not smart.
He points out that in basketball is easier for one player to dominate than it is in football which accounts for the difference in Jordan's six championships, to Manning's one.
No debate here, so let's compare their regular season and playoff numbers. Regardless of their teams we can see how they individually responded to the pressure of the playoffs.
7 comments | 0 recs |
My Fan Flash - It's not a dance...
by GrantC on Feb 4, 2010 1:00 PM EST
in Showin' Some Love
0 comments
We made some new friends this week over at My Fan Flash, which is a new site that lets super sports fans create a free account, then pick their favorite teams and basically get all of the info from around the sports blogosphere that they would care about served up on a nice shiny platter. They already have Front Office Fans tied into their service and they will be adding on our team to their lineup when we get them on the field. Here's a little blurb from them professing how amazingly rad their site is:
What is MyFanFlash.com? It's a sports revolution. News, columns, blogs, video, Twitter and podcasts about your teams, players and coaches delivered directly to you. It's about having sports information at your fingertips, including some new content you've probably never found before. It's about adding and improving sources along the way. It's changing the way you follow sports (and doing it all for free).
We're not convinced any governments will actually be overthrown by My Fan Flash, but it does seem to be a cool concept, created by some cool people, so we're trying to help spread the news... check them out at www.myfanflash.com
And for the record, when I get down in the stands I'd like to think it looks like this - if it was being done by a far more handsome and athletic individual:
0 comments | 0 recs |
An Update on Project Franchise's Favorite Pitcher
by doron on Feb 4, 2010 10:12 AM EST
in Showin' Some Love
0 comments
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of discussing Blue Jays reliever Dirk Hayhurst, who has been doing an incredible job promoting donations to relief efforts in Haiti and connecting with his fans through Twitter. Through that, he's gotten tons of fans awaiting the release of his upcoming book, "The Bullpen Gospels", which has received enormous amounts of praise just off early reviews.
As the Blue Jays have stockpiled relief pitchers this off-season, most recently adding possible-closer Kevin Gregg, the team's blogosphere has been frequently concerned with having spots for all their favorites. A lot of fans wonder if some giant trade of relief pitching is coming up to clear room for all these additions, but another common concern has been whether they'll be a spot for Dirk Hayhurst - the minor league veteran of seven years who had just made it to the Majors last season.
Through his Twitter page, Dirk has recently been hinting at some bad upcoming news, which was learned of yesterday when it was revealed that Dirk would be undergoing exploratory shoulder surgery on Friday. This will take him out of the mix for the opening day roster, and with any exploratory surgery, the extent of the injury and repair are still unknown.
Dirk spent time yesterday afternoon letting fans know a bit about the way the injury has put his career into perspective. He allows us to see an athlete not caught up in the fame, the money, and the accolades, but about the ability to have a platform to do good, to live out a dream, and even to make just a modest living. From his Twitter account (@TheGarfoose):
Obviously it's unnerving because it's not just my arm on the operating table. It's my house payment, my grocery bills, my whole future.
Yes, It's true, I may only get 15 minutes of fame, but it's not the length of the fame.
I may never have great career numbers, or big time accolades for baseball. But I've tried to make the most of my little platform.
A few Dollars for Haiti, a few goofy smiles on faces, a book that may help thousands understand more about players, and themselves...
I can't guarantee it'll last long, or it will effect everyone, but I'm trying my best with what I got, even if it's only 15:01
Since I was extremely grateful to have Dirk check out the blog the last time I wrote about him, I hope it will reach him again when Project Franchise wishes him the best of luck on Friday. And hopefully he knows that when those fifteen minutes or fifteen years are up, Project Franchise's team would love to have him aboard.
0 comments | 0 recs |
Seeing Red
by alorb on Feb 4, 2010 3:00 AM EST
2 comments
Quick...what's the name of the Eastern Washington football team? We weren't sure either. Apparently it's the eagles. And when you think eagles you think red, right? We'll assume you answered no, unless your eyes are literally bleeding.
But if you don't normally associate eagles as red, you definitely soon will. If the University of Eastern Washington and alumni and current Tennessee Titan Michael Roos have their way (and it looks like they will), they'll soon be playing on an all red synthetic playing surface (think Boise State, but um, not blue).
Here's the info from the UEW website - which is in dire need of a makeover...
Eastern Athletic Director Bill Chaves, who is working with associate athletic director for development Marc Hughes on the project, said EWU needs to secure additional funding through private contributions before actual replacement can be started. It is hoped that the project can be funded and completed in time for the 2010 season.
"There is no doubt that one of Boise State's claim to fame has been their blue turf and like it or dislike it, it has certainly brought them a tremendous amount of notoriety," said Chaves. "In a similar vein we have a tremendous opportunity at Eastern to do the same by differentiating ourselves with the red turf while providing a superior playing surface."
It's one thing to get new turf because your stadium needs it and it'll improve the gameplay, but it's another to copy another school's idea just to draw attention to your team. Get creative, Chaves.
It works for Boise State (maybe we're just used to it at this point) but to be honest it gives us a bit of a headache seeing it on TV. It's just SO much blue. And red is just so much harsher on the eyes.
Our opinion? EWU's marketing initiative should start with their website. IT'S HORRIBLE! It easily could've been made in the early 90's. Once that's taken care of, maybe then we'll let them install red turf.
Oh, and you gotta watch their "Red Turf Trailer" video on the homepage. I want that voice-over dude to be the official voice of OUR team. We need to make that happen.
Personally, we're afraid this is the start of something very, very bad. What's your take?
2 comments | 0 recs |
Sign On The Dotted Line
by GrantC on Feb 3, 2010 8:23 PM EST
1 comment
For college football fanatics who have a desk job, like myself, today is sort of like the first round of the NCAA hoops tourney, where you spend way more time sneaking peeks at TV's, sports sites and (in the case of me waiting for a client lunch today) video footage from ESPNU on my Blackberry. While recruiting is a year round job, the growth of online interest and major media coverage in recent years has turned signing day into the ultimate crescendo where a host of top players "officially" declare where they will be headed by putting on their teams hat and signing their life name on the letter of intent.
Unfortunately for my team, The U, today was similar to our last football season - highly anticipated and hyped to start, then disappointing when it was all over. For the other two Florida schools it was a darn good day - with some already saying that the 2010 Gators may be the greatest class of recruits in college football history.... Do you think we may be getting ahead of ourselves?!?
A pair of recent high profile Miami recruits help illustrate how little weight we can put into recruiting - Kyle Wright, the all-world QB and Arthur Brown, the super stud LB - as both of them had underwhelming careers at Miami and now Wright is probably coaching a high school team somewhere back in NorCal and Brown is now back home in Kansas after just two years and not even 20 total tackles.
Of course, thats not to say that all recruiting is BS, as you need to have the top recruits to have a top program (see the Larry Coker years at Miami), but frequently when you look back at these much hyped days of yesteryear the "major signings" dont seem to be nearly as important as we treated them when they happened.... So, for fans of Miami or Ohio State, have no fear, todays lack of big activity doesnt mean you have been mathematically eliminated from the BCS - and, for fans of Fla St or Tennessee, savior the flavor, enjoy today but recognize there is a whole lotta work between now and the end of the 2012 season.
1 comment | 0 recs |
Secondary Sidebar
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
