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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Ten Product Endorsements You MAY see in 2011

Yesterday, The Daily Hat Trick covered ten product endorsements that you will never see. With the new year upon us, I retrieved my crystal ball and looked into the future in the year 2011. There is a good chance we may see the following right alongside beer, fast food, soft drink, and truck commercials.


10) Greg McElroy for Haterade

Traditionally, conference members tend to support one another in interconference matchups, particularly in college football bowl games. After all, when a member of your conference wins against a member of another conference, your conference is better positioned in the future for rankings, at-large bowl invitations, or (in other sports) tournament seeding. University of Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, prior to the Tostidos BCS National Championship Game, make it clear he wanted to see Oregon, of the Pac-10 conference, beat fellow Southeastern Conference member and in-state arch rival Auburn.


The secret to McElroy's success 1
Being an LSU man, myself, I sympathize with McElroy’s frustration of watching a rival school be in position to claim the prize that all football teams covet and strive for during the season. But, news flash, Greg: you are not there! All SEC schools benefit in the future by an SEC team bringing the ADT Trophy home for a fifth consecutive season (Florida, LSU, Florida, Alabama, Auburn). Don’t hate the player; hate the game!


9) The New Orleans Saints for the Heimlich maneuver

When a team chokes this badly, it needs to be promoting this life-saving first aid maneuver. The defending Super Bowl Champions, with an 11-5 record, had to travel to 7-9 Seattle for the opening round of the playoffs because of the NFL playoff structure. The Saints were a 10 ½ point favorite, making the Seahawks the biggest home underdog in NFL playoffs history. Drew Brees and the offense did their jobs, putting 36 points on the board in the cold on the road. The defense? It could not stop a runny nose, let alone Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch put the nail in the Saints’ coffin with a multiple tackle breaking run so impressive that we are sure to still see the highlight in trailers for playoff broadcasts 5, 10, or even 15 years from now.

The Saints 2011 schedule could be printed with this background.


8) Jim Caldwell for Timex

Indianapolis Colts Coach Jim Caldwell, during a playoff game with the New York Jets, decided that he would call timeouts late in the game because wanted the Jets to snap the ball as much as possible before attempting what would be a game winning field goal. The Jets were in position to rest the hopes of their season upon a 50+ yard field goal attempt by Nick Folk, a low percentage play, but, at the time the Jets’ best chance. Obliging Coach Caldwell, the Jets did continue to snap the ball. As they snapped it, they moved the ball closer and closer to the red zone and Folk was able to attempt a much more manageable kick from under 40 yards and eliminate the Colts from the playoffs.

With clock management like this, Coach Caldwell should have as much exposure to timepieces as possible.

3
7) Aaron Rodgers for the NEW Zoo of Brown County (in Green Bay, Wisconsin)

Rodgers and the Packers earned an impressive victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field this past Sunday. If I had a quarter for every time I heard about Rodgers “getting a monkey off of his back” I could have a really nice lunch today. Personally, I think the notion that Rodgers, in his third season as a starter, playing in only his second playoff game (he threw for over 400 yards in his first playoff game in an overtime loss), had any monkey to get off of his back is ridiculous. But since the label has stuck, his agent should take advantage and work it into a zoo endorsement for A-Rodg with some kind of “monkey” catch phrase.

Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers 2010 End Zone Bobble Head


Sure to be a best seller at the gift shop. 5


6) Andrew Luck for charity…any charity

Stanford junior quarterback Andrew Luck had been blessed with God given football talents in concert with hard work and a gifted coach in Jim Harbaugh. By all mainstream media accounts, Luck would be the first pick in the 2011 NFL draft…IF he were not going back to Stanford for his senior year. Luck said he wanted to complete his degree in architectural design and enjoy one last year of the college experience, which he cannot get back.

Being a Stanford student, I am sure Andrew Luck is well read. He should add this to his reading list. 6


Regardless of what happens with the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement in 2011, Luck would likely guarantee himself earnings of no less than $20 million as a QB being picked first in the draft, more than he could earn in 20 years in an occupation related to his major. Anyone so willing to give away future earnings is a perfect spokesperson for charity. I am confident that Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley or whomever occupies the #1 overall spot in Luck’s place, will be very grateful for Luck’s charity.


5) Tramon Williams Tackling Dummies

Sports equipment is big business. Endorsement opportunities are often about striking while the iron is hot. Green Bay Packers defensive back Tramon Williams intercepted a Mike Vick pass in the end zone in the closing moments of Sunday’s first round playoff game, sealing the win for the Packers. Williams made the catch, hit the ground, got up, and skipped out of the end zone in a celebratory manner, holding the ball like a loaf of bread.

Gives a new meaning to "get down". 4
So what? Williams was never touched while he was on the ground and the officials never blew the play dead, meaning Williams was skipping around while loosely holding a live ball. Williams’ defensive teammates immediately recognized the potential peril and pounced on Williams like a family of bears on fresh honey. There are so many “take it from a dummy” angles that marketing people could use from this incident that it would be a waste for Williams not to cash in on the near miscue.


4) FIFA for winter swimwear

FIFA, the international soccer organizing body that oversees the World Cup, is tinkering with the possibility of playing the 2022 World Cup in winter instead of summer, according to USA Today. So…let’s see. A game played in shorts and short sleeved jerseys, competitively requiring as little clothing as necessary on the participants, is going to move its signature event to a time of year in which kids may go outside and build a snowman after the game is over? REALLY? If FIFA can pull that one off, their executives should be consulted by department stores everywhere for strategies to quickly sell out of season garments.

Just because it looks good does not make it a good idea. 7

3) Derek Anderson for The Funny Bone Comedy Club

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson was seen cracking a smile while speaking with a teammate during a loss to the 49ers on Monday Night Football on November 30, 2010. After being repeatedly being pressed about the sideline laughter in the face of a very lopsided defeat, Anderson erupted into a tirade about not laughing and nothing being funny about the loss. One may have thought, momentarily, that if Anderson were a sheriff in the Old West, he may have shot violators on sight for the crime of “laughter”.

The Best of Comedy Central Presents: Uncensored

Anderson’s anti-laughter tirade is one of the funniest sports moments that I witnessed in 2010. I am going to go out on a limb and guess that when he is not fuming over a bad loss, Anderson has some sense of humor. If so, some type of laugh oriented product endorsement is in order for him.

Why tell you when I can show you? (source: You Tube)


2) Herman Edwards for AT&T

Herman Edwards gave sports fans of the world a priceless sound bite while coach of the New York Jets. Following a loss, Edwards said to reporters, “HELLOOOOO! You PLAY to WIN the games!” While the “play to win the games” portion of the quote has lived on in sports media lore, the opening “HELLO” was as impressive. And in what situation do Americans often use the word “hello”? On the telephone, of course! AT&T: sign that man up!

"HELLO!" (source: You Tube)


1) The Cecil Newton Athletic Scholarship Fund



Anybody capable of raising $180,000 under the table for an amateur athlete to attend a university could work wonders in legitimate fundraising. Whenever life give you lemons, make lemonade!


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For sponsorship opportunities, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info .
1) Image from technorati.com
2) Image from twinsupply.com
3) Image from midwestsportsfans.com
4) Image from freedomeden.blogspot.com
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