Bringing Sexy Back.....to the course

Is there anything this man can't do or won't try?

Justin Timberlake is at it again, trying to revitalize a brand that is slowly becoming background noise in the market. This time, he is taking the post of Creative Director for the Callaway Golf Company to revitalize the Big Bertha RAZR line.

Ever since Tiger Woods stepped foot on the silky greens at Augusta more than ten years ago backed by a Nike endorsement, Callaway has been losing ground in the golf game. Less and less pros are playing exclusively with Callaway clubs and even less are using their golf ball. As I see it, Callaway has become more of an amateurs brand. There is nothing wrong with that but in a game where aspiration is key, you want to be and play with the best equipment. Justin has a difficult task ahead of him but from seeing his other ventures he has the will, desire and most importantly the talent to pull this off.

If he can make Callaway relevant again in the golf world while bringing back the much loathed MySpace, we should start referring to him as the Frank Sinatra of the 21st century.

As an avid golfer and a style junkie, I am very excited about this and just may be in the need for some new clubs in the next year. Those of you with your precious million dollar homes on the side of the fairway watch out, I will soon be back to break your windows and dent your front doors.

One last thing, JT should start his own advertising agency. I will be in need of a job come May 2012 and would gladly work for him.

Dip in Congress

Leave it to capital hill to try and dictate sports and how it affects our lives. A recent article on ESPN.com discussed the efforts some US Senators are going to to try and ban smokeless tobacco from major league baseball games, most notably the World Series. First off, I want you to know that I am not a smoker and think tobacco is a nasty habit but I don't see the value in our elected officials trying to ban it from a professional sport. 


This ideal defines the argument that government has too much control over our lives. We elect these officials to go to Washington and work to improve the economy, decide on taxes and promote the welfare of our entire nation. Not hold meetings about how fat of a dip a ballplayer has in his lip while sitting in the dugout. DON'T REGULATE FATTIES.


Dipping is a rampant habit in the game and is not attractive to the eye but I can't wrap my head around the connection that if a kid watches the World Series he will start dipping. How about we educate the parents and show them how to influence their kids? That's a novel idea. Dip is part of the game, albeit not the best part but the players should have the right to put whatever they want in their mouth. It is not like the tobacco companies are sponsoring the teams or there is  a huge dip can logo shaved into center field. 


Like previously stated, elected officials should stick to doing what they do best and that is finding ways to help our economy, fighting wars and protecting the people of the US. Stay out of baseball. 


Here is an idea, why don't we all write letters to our elected officials to tell them to get back to work and quit worrying about the World Series. On the other hand our economy is miserable. FIND A WAY TO FIX THAT.  
Click on this link to read more

More sneakers

You all know by now, and if you don't know you will, that I love sneakers. I'm not 100% loyal to any sneaker brand as I buy based on design and colors. My favorite brands are Nike, Jordan, Onitsuka Tiger and Puma. Today I found how sneaker design can be put to other uses. Specifically a dog sculpted out of Nike shoes. How badass is this? A Japanese website called Beams is responsible for creating these dog sculptures. I would love to get one of these in my house, would definitely be a talking point for people when they visit.

Gone are the days of stuffed animals for kids, I will be giving my kids animals made out of sneakers. This is how you build a creative mind. Check them out. Beams

Premature celebration

I used all day Sunday to try and calm down from the rage that ensued on Saturday afternoon while I was watched the Oklahoma State - Texas A&M football game. As glad as I was to see the Pokes actually hold on for a much needed victory, I could not help but turn the channel with such a bad taste in my mouth. If you didn't watch the game you probably are thinking I am 100% crazy so I will describe the situation for you in detail. It was in the 3rd quarter and OSU was losing yet driving for a much needed score. Justin Blackmon, quite possibly the best receiver the in country, had been complaining all game due to a lack of catches and receiving yards. He got his opportunity to make a play and as he was running uncontested into the opponents endzone he held the ball with one hand and started to celebrate prematurely. Well, as hard to believe as this sounds it is actually true, the ball hit his leg and he fumbled it into and out of the back of the endzone causing a touchback and loss of the ball to A&M. Undoubtedly the most embarrassing celebration play I have ever seen on a football field. Luckily OSU played well the rest of the game and held on to a narrow margin for victory.

Lets examine Justin's mindset. What the hell happened to holding the ball with two hands or at least in the appropriate football position and running over the goal line waiting to celebrate until the touchdown had been confirmed on the field. Now I am not saying players shouldn't get excited when they score but give me a break, enough of the showboating and bragging. If I were a referee on that field I would have thrown a flag on that play for unsportsmanlike conduct just because he was TRYING to showboat.

This should be a lesson to all you kids out there who watch and admire college players. Be the guy who's play speaks for itself on the field. You can do all the bragging you want in the locker room and back at home but there is no place for it on the college field. Instead be like the great OSU Heisman trophy winning RB Barry Sanders who even when he was in the NFL would graciously hand the ball to the referee after he scored a touchdown. Humility makes you an MVP.

Here is a shutout to head coach Gundy, you should make Justin Blackmon carry a girls backpack around campus this week so he never forgets what an idiot he made of himself.

Click on the link to check out the video clip.
http://newsok.com/justin-blackmons-goal-line-fumble-an-embarrassing-situation/article/3607489?custom_click=headlines_widget

NFL Success

Finally a success story from the NFL that envolves a player retiring and actually making wise decisions with money and his career. Jason Wright, special teams captain for the Arizona Cardinals, had money and was a few pen strokes away from being able to provide for his grandchildren someday. Instead he and his wife decided to walk away from the game in order to reach his goal of helping inner city and underprivileged youth in and around the Chicago area.

Jason is no dummie, he received a scholarship to the U of Chicago to pursue an MBA, which puts him in elite company to begin with. He and his wife understood that the only reason to keep playing football was to achieve more fame and fortune, not a eternal goal. His motivation came from a higher calling and was rooted in making sure others have the same opportunities that he had as a child and student.

I applaud Jason and his wife for their decision. I know it must have been tough to walk away from the money and from a sport that he has dedicated more than half of his life to. That makes the story that much more special.

The NFL should be applauding this guy and have him come talk to all incoming players at the Rookie Symposium  Players and fans hear too much about ex players with money problems. Just last week we read that a defensive back from the Ravens was completely broke and living at home with his parents after he had squandered ALL of his $45 million dollar career earnings.

To wrap this up, Jason is a true source of inspiration for those of us that battle to do the right things in life and are called away by a true conviction. GOD SPEED SIR.

App yourself.

Apps are not limited to brands only. Ask Kelvin Taylor, son of famous NFL running back Fred Taylor. Kelvin is a junior in high school and one of the top rated RB's looking to land a coveted scholarship at a football powerhouse. Instead of sending out videos of his play he and his dad teamed with a development company out of Florida to create a smartphone app that chronicles his fast-rising football career.

Kelvin's app is only available for the Andriod market but word on the street is that the iPhone app is coming soon. For a kid with a famous dad and some football skill he has seen a quick rise in the social media sphere. Since the app went to market two weeks ago, he has more than 180 downloads. That is more hits than I get in 2 months on my blog.

I see this personal app as the wave of the future. Gone are the days of personal resumes after graduating college. Now recruiters will be searching the iTunes store trying to find the next best tallent shown through user experience.

These guys crack me up

I know this is just a a web series for DirectTV but I wanted to go on record and say that I would not only watch this show if it were made into a mainstream TV series but I would DVR it if I thought there was a chance I may miss one episode.
This is the first chance I have had of watching Eli act but obviously he has it in his blood. His brother, Peyton, is the funniest athlete endorsers and one of my favorite hosts on Saturday Night Live. I believe to this day that if he weren't one of the best QB's to ever play in the NFL he would definitely have a career in Hollywood.

The only way I can sum this up is I WANT MORE FOOTBALL COPS.

A haircut unlike any other

You want to see some team spirit from an NBA star? How does shaving the entire logo in your head sound? That is exactly what Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies did this past week. And I think it is working because they are making child's play of the #1 seed San Antonio Spurs who look a lot more like a bunch of grandpa's past their championship run prime.

My only question is how long will the glitter stay in his hair?

On the sweetness scale I give it a 8-10. Props goes to the barber who executed this magical design.

By the way, Tony Allen is a Ok-State grad. GO POKES.

How can you not love Gus Johnson

Just a quick note to CBS. It is not your fault that the title game lacked all the hype that it was built up to be. Who would have known that Butler wouldn't be able to hit a shot even if the rim was as wide as a hula hoop, but something has got to give with the announcers. Most notably, Mr. Jim Nantz. Now I love me some Jim Nantz, he has been a staple of sports broadcasting since I can remember but his voice is now best suited for golf. Nothing beats hearing him make the call of Phil Mickelson walking up the 18th fairway to win his first Masters golf tournament. I get chills when I think about it.

So, let Jim own the fairway chatter and give all the basketball announcing duties to my main man Mr. Gus Johnson. He is what makes the tournament great and the reason why I watch "one shinning moment" every year. His enthusiasm for the game is rivaled by none and his eloquent word choice is priceless.

With that being said, I would like to start a petition to make sure Gus Johnson is announcing the 2012 NCAA National Championship game. Even he could make a chess match exciting to watch.

Below are a few great clips from Gus. Hope you enjoy.



http://www.totalprosports.com/2011/03/25/gus-johnson-calls-the-greatest-moments-in-history-video/

Thoughts on the NBA Dunk Contest

I remember as a young child begging my parents to let me go over to my friends house to watch the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. That was a time when the dunks were original and you had the likes of Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins competing for the title with outrageous feats of talent.

These days the Slam Dunk contest has become so over-hyped and planned that I just wait for the top ten on Sportscenter to see who was crowned champion. But this year we as fans saw something that has never been done before. No, I'm not talking about an amazing dunk but rather a planned contest that included the making of a commercial during the final round. Blake Griffins dunk over a Kia was planned from the get go. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing to see such an athlete with such freakish skills jump over a car and dunk a basketball. That was awesome but the staging of it turns me off. Why call it a contest when we all know that he HAD to win. It's not like they just found a car in the Staples Center and decided to use it as a prop. Also, don't you think that if Blake was going to jump over a car of his choice it would probably not be a KIA. Come on, he can afford better.

Looking at it from a marketing and branding perspective, this was genius. For many people who are naive to marketing and advertising, this seemed like a crazy stunt and nothing like a future car commercial. What a great way for KIA to advertise directly to a captivated audience and get tons of brand mentions while not actually sponsoring the event, although I am sure they had to negotiate some financial deal with the NBA.

As a fan of the NBA and sports in general, I am concerned that we are giving to much power to brands while taking away from the authenticity of sports. I know it was just an All-Star event and those are publicity stunts to begin with but where does the brand pushing stop? There needs to be a line drawn for the sake of the sport. This stunt most likely won't turn away the casual NBA fan but those purists may see the NBA in a different light after this past weekend. And for that the NBA should be concerned.

If you haven't seen the commercial here it is.

NFL considering iPad

According to information released during Super Bowl week, some NFL teams are considering abandoning the old traditional way of using playbooks and screen shots to call plays in favor of digital tablets such as the iPad. It seems like such a revolutionary idea at first and then after I gave it more thought I realized that the NFL is currently using equipment from the dark ages for play calling. A team spokesperson for the Dallas Cowboys said that the switch to an iPad could save the team more than 5,000 pages of paper per game. Over a soon to be 18 game season, that's 90,000 pages. Al Gore Rejoice. Side note, didn't he also invent the iPad?

The NFL likens itself to Radio Shack when it comes to team equipment. Only just a few years ago, radio's were installed in the QB's helmet so he could hear the play called from the bench. In today's digital age, the QB should be able to have a touch screen on his wristband that shows him the play or a screen on his visor. Come on NFL, catch up to the NOW.

If this iPad thing does get adopted by teams it should be nothing but beneficial. It will allow for players and coaches on the field to receive real time stats from the press box, be able to see videos of previous plays and also have access to the Internet for those times during the game when it's a blowout and all the backup QB wants to do is update his Facebook and Twitter status demanding a trade.

Back to the main point, we are in a unique time in sports history. The games have been played the same way using the same equipment for years now and that could all change very quickly once teams start understanding the benefits that these small tablets can provide.

In the future we won't see QB's sitting on the bench flipping through pages of screen shots like they are reading a case study or players receiving binders full with 500 pages of plays at training camp. Players will each receive an iPad with previously uploaded team content. This will make getting cut at training camp much more of a downer, not only did you not make the team but you have to give back your iPad of which you used more time playing Angry Birds than learning your assignments on the field goal kicking unit.

Bridging the divide

For those of you who are purists, you might enjoy this. These are newly designed NFL football jerseys replicated as if they were futbol jerseys. This is a very smart idea, for both the teams and sponsors. Especially since the NFL has very strict rules regarding the placement of logo's on players uniforms. Actually, strict doesn't come close to describing it. Many players have been fined for uniform infractions including Chad Ochocinco who had to pay $20K for wearing gold cleats during a game.

Hopefully these jerseys will be available to fans. They are more likely to respond to the advertising messages anyways as opposed to the players. As our world changes and media messages are ever more present in places we are not use to, companies will try and logo up every possible square inch of an athletes uniform.

The main benefit for the official sponsor is that their logo has the prime real estate on the jersey, where the team logo is not as easily recognizable. Seems like a no brainer in terms of brand building for both the team and the company.

As an aspiring brand strategist, I see the value that comes with reaching out to a sceptical audience and meeting them more than half way. The conversation between the NFL and futbol purists has to start somewhere and what better way then by creating team apparel that the fans are comfortable with and more importantly can identify with. I wouldn't be surprised if a few futbol fans wear these jerseys into their local pubs as the watch the weekly match. Question is, will anyone notice?

Chicago Bears, represent?

Click the title and let me know which is your favorite.

Where encouragement happens

Finally an ad done for the NBA that had a creative concept behind it and not just a video of guys making last second shots or ridiculous dunks. Goodby,Silverstein & Partners is the NBA's agency of record and with this ad may be able to build more of a younger fan base for the NBA.

These three ad's feature NBA superstars Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Kevin Durant as teenagers, shooting hoops in a what looks like a high school gym. It's like something from a Back to the Future movie where a fan is trying to have a conversation with the young kid telling him how in a few years he will be a superstar in the NBA. You can see the teenage innocence in the players face, they have the desire to be the best but I am sure none of them could ever imagine to what heights this game would take them.

Creatively, these ads are so simple, yet they show the emotion that is the NBA and allow the fans to see these now NBA superstars as young kids. The writing for these ads are what make them so special. We as the audience are able to understand the hard work and amazing talent of these superstars. For most of us, we have no understanding of what it is like to be Steve Nash or Kevin Durant, but these short thirty second clips give us a glimpse into what they were like as teenagers before they gained wealth and fame. For what it is worth, I feel now that I know Steve Nash on a more personal level and although that seems trivial, sometimes that is all it takes to get me to watch the NBA.

As far as sports ads go, these have to be some of the best I have seen. I am not a huge fan of the NBA and know a lot of people that feel the same way but with these new spots I can see young kids who idol these players becoming even more interested in the NBA.

Brain Protection

I came across this post today and found it very timely as we approach the Super Bowl. An industrial design engineer has designed a new prototype helmet that is said to significantly reduce concussions. Many attempts at this have been made but the players just refuse to wear the helmets because they are so ugly. As an outsider this seems ridiculous that a player would choose his looks over protecting his brain but you have to understand these are FOOTBALL players and they have "reputation" of badassness to keep up.

Unlike others, this helmet looks legit and has panels where different colors can be swapped out. The design idea came from the old helmets of the 40's and 50's called MacGregor. That was back in the day where you kept playing as long as you could run and run straight. Safety of the brain ranked last in importance behind making sure the kickers shoelaces stayed tied.

Fans who have had their fantasy seasons ruined due to concussions from their players need to contain their excitement, this helmet is only in the design phase and has a lot of hurdles to navigate before it becomes field ready. But, this is the best designed helmet that has come along in the last ten years. If anyone is out there who works for Riddell or Schutt, give this guy a call ASAP.

The faster this helmet is put on the field the less we will see QB's and WR's walking off the field dazed and confused. Maybe then we can get rid of some of the ridiculous rules the NFL has for protecting the QB's. Or on a negative note, if Brett Favre gets a hold of one of these helmets he may play till he is 50. Watch out Jenn Sterger.

Gooday Power Balance

So the day has finally come. Power Balance, the maker of those rubber wristbands that are all the craze has finally admitted that their bands are a fraud. I am not surprised that the bracelets don't work, but what does surprise me is that they fooled people like myself for so long. They not only fooled the amateur athlete but many professionals such as Shaq and the rest of the Boston Celtics. That takes brains and a great sales pitch.

There are so many impostors out there as well, just last night I watched an infomercial for another wristband that claimed to increase balance and overall health. Sure looked like a scam but I am sure many people immediately called to order. What is unbelievable is the price for these rubber bracelets, $29.95, I mean are you kidding me? I can't even comprehend how much money this company made on this fraudulent product. They fooled so many consumers that even many sports stores such as Dicks Sporting Goods and Sports Authority were carrying the brand.

I have to admit that I did buy one. After wearing it for a week I couldn't tell a difference with my balance and assumed it was a fraud but I continued to wear it because it looked cool and I wanted to give it a chance. So I am writing this as a duped customer, not someone who is bragging about not falling for the gimmick. Please don't judge me.

What I am still puzzled about is those thick necklaces that MLB players were wearing this past year. Are they the same product and if so, when will the truth come out that they don't provide any added benefit. I guess only time will tell, if you don't see any players wearing those hideous necklaces this season then we can be sure that the entire category was a fraud.

What I won't forget about Power Balance is the image of two men pushing on each other while the man wearing the power balance stands on one leg. PRICELESS.

Logo competition

If you thought the competition on the field was going to be intense for tonight's BCS National Championship game, then buckle up because the most intense fighting is going on between two sporting rivals. Both Phil Knight and Kevin Plank have built giants from the ground, these two are pitting themselves against each other in the football gear war.

This past week it has been evident that both Under Armour and Nike are using the BCS festivities to promote their product and give fans an awesome experience. Under Armour, which represents Auburn and nine other teams needs to be more effective with these efforts because of the wide reach of Nike which outfits over 300 colleges and universities.

It's my opinion that Under Armour's football products are more superior than Nike. Clothing wise, UA cold gear is by far a better product but Nike has a strong hold on the shoe category. When talking about promotional material and advertising, there is no comparison between the two. Nike and W+K have done amazing work, some of my most favorite and inspiring ads have been for Nike. On the other hand Under Armour, which has done a good portion of their work in house, is less known in the advertising world and that I think keeps their brand less mainstream.

If Auburn is able to win the game tonight, UA should push all their marketing efforts towards a campaign that highlights the victory and how UA was a major part of the teams success. What a way to get right in the face of Nike with a message that is true and full of emotion.

As for me, I will continue to buy Nike clothing and equipment because like previously said, they have been able to speak to me directly with their ad campaigns and for that, I am loyal.

Let me know what you think. Can the BCS winner effect sales of Nike and Under Armour or is this pure hype?