12
Nov
2009
League tells Captain Morgan to walk the plank
Brent Celek and his rum-loving counterpart (Image: SportsbyBrooks.com)
The NFL struck a blow against corporate shilling on the playing field today, in response to Eagles TE Brent Celek striking the Captain Morgan pose as his endzone celebration on Sunday night. As it turns out, Celek’s pose was the first in a larger marketing campaign planned by the popular spiced rum brand.
The promotional wizards at Captain Morgan were planning to announce that they would donate $10,000 to NFL Charity “Gridiron Greats” every time they got an NFL player to strike the pose on camera.
Unfortunately (and not surprisingly) for them that the NFL frowns on such guerilla marketing tactics from non-sponsors, and rained on the Captain’s parade before it even had a chance to get going:
“A company can’t pay a player to somehow promote it’s product on the field,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Yahoo! Sports this week. “Every league has the same rule. … It’s come up before, companies trying to use our games and then players for ambush marketing purposes.”
So I guess that means Geico will have to scrap their plan of having the googly-eyed money stack call plays for the St. Louis Rams. Which probably would have actually helped them out.
[Via Yahoo!]
16
Jul
2009
Tony Romo makes with the funny
It’s good to see that Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo isn’t spending any time sulking in the wake of ending his relationship with Jessica Simpson. I’m sure he’s out nailing all sorts of hot young ass, and enjoying not having to worry about the watchful eye of papa Joe Simpson. Good for him!
Romo also took the time to film this piece for FunnyorDie.com, where he takes the piss out of the ridiculous amount of endorsement deals he (along with other high-profile athletes) has these days:
Not bad, Tony.
Now let’s see if this new care-free lifestyle will help keep Romo from choking in the clutch. Probably not.
10
May
2009
I Hate Jimmy Buffett’s Phins Song
We can only pray that the Landshark will choose his next victim wisely
As much as it pains me to post this, it only seems appropriate in light of the recent news that the Miami Dolphins’ stadium is being re-named Landshark Stadium after corporate partner (and Jimmy Buffett’s beer company), Landshark Lager [South Florida Business Journal]. So, even though it’s only a one-year deal, and even though Buffett probably has no clue about pro football, it only makes sense that he would bastardize one of his “hits” with Dolphin’s-oriented lyrics, to maximize the marketing push behind the sponsorship.
So anyway, here’s this song … it was originally called “Fins”, so thankfully Buffett didn’t have to hurt himself trying to re-work it too much. I didn’t make it past the 1:35 mark because my ears started bleeding, so you’ll have to let me know if it’s any good. All I know is Jimmy couldn’t be reading the lyrics off of the floor and more obviously, and there’s a poor woman in the front row dressed as a parrot, but she looks WAY more like Toucan Sam.
But at least there are cheerleaders jumping around in there, so you can turn down the volume and just watch the girlies shake if you prefer:
Is it over yet? Ugggh.
As awful as this whole thing is, it really comes as no surprise. Buffett has been more about marketing than music for decades now, and would give Gene Simmons a run for his money as biggest sellout in music history.
And the marketing machine is already in full gear, planning “Margaritaville” pre and post-game parties in the parking lots, with Landshark lager for all and this “Phins Song” blasting through the air on repeat, blanketing the tailgate in a thick stench of mediocrity. So now people will be getting sick before, during and after the game from the barrage of nauseating football, beer and music.
Dolphins/Landshark/Parrothead Fever … CATCH IT!
27
Mar
2009
NFL going the way of Nascar
In further money-grubbing news from the NFL owners meetings, sponsorship logos may be coming to NFL practice jerseys.
photo credit: withleather.com
From USA Today:
… the league is exploring the possibility of having sponsor logos worn unobtrusively on practice jerseys. In addition to receiving a four-year, $4 billion extension from DirecTV and investigating relaxing rules against liquor and lottery sponsorships, the practice jersey sponsor logos were addressed at the three-day owners’ meetings that concluded Wednesday. Further discussion will be held at the league’s May meetings in Fort Lauderdale.
“It would be similar to logos worn on pro soccer jerseys,” …
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti goes on:
“We’re talking about something unobtrusive that when the guys are being interviewed, people can can see the sponsor logo on their jerseys. But it’s no bigger or more obtrusive than the patches worn for the Super Bowl logo …
Players would not wear the logos on their jerseys during games, even in the preseason. And teams might be able to rotate sponsors at different times of the year.”
I hear them saying its just practice jerseys, and that logos won’t be worn in games. That’s what they’re saying.
Preview of a typical NFL Jersey in 2015
But you just KNOW that if the league makes any money off of this (and they will), they’re going to gradually expand it until we’re eventually seeing Wonder Bread logos subtly inserted behind player numbers, Tide logos splashed across shoulder pads and Gatorade one-pieces replacing traditional uniforms.
As a reminder, these are the current NFL Europe Jerseys (see the tiny Cardinals logo under the collar?) … it’s only a matter of time, my friends. Only a matter of time.
