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Year End

Did you see this?

"South Park" does the NFL; "Chevy Guy" talks "technology and stuff"

Breathe Right by a nose

California Chrome owners Steve Coburn (left) and Perry Martin
Photo by: Getty Images

Breathe Right nasal strips spotted a marketing opportunity right in front of its nose. California Chrome was vying for the Triple Crown and the horse had generated controversy for its use of equine nasal strips leading up to the event. Breathe Right seized the moment by going to the Belmont Stakes, co-sponsoring the race and handing out at least 50,000 of its nasal strips to adult fans.




Taking one for the team

General manager Andy Milovich of the Class A Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Pelicans offered to receive a prostate exam while singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during a game if the Facebook page of 10-year-old cancer patient Fallon Emery reached 10,000 “likes” from fans. The fans delivered, and so did a local doctor, who administered the check so that Milovich could pay up during the team’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Night.



Under Armour gets cold shoulder
Photo by: Getty Images

Under Armour saw the Sochi Olympics as an athletic showcase for its Mach 39 suits designed for the U.S. Speedskating team. But when U.S. skaters largely tanked on the ice, the team switched back to its older suits, which inflicted some serious frostbite on Under Armour’s credibility.

Liberty Mutual’s fleet-footed ad
When U.S. skier Heidi Kloser crashed and injured herself in a practice run a day before the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics, Liberty Mutual Insurance saw an opportunity to go real-time in its advertising. In barely more than a week, Liberty Mutual’s creative team signed Kloser and her parents, filmed a 30-second spot and got it on NBC’s prime-time coverage. The accolades came even faster.

Infectious coverage
An ill-timed eye infection got the best of NBC’s Bob Costas, who squinted through coverage at the Sochi Olympics before finally taking several nights off the air so that the stubborn condition could clear up. Matt Lauer filled in, summing up what Costas was dealing with: “I saw him in the hotel this morning. He looked a little like the loser in a prize fight.”



‘Chevy Guy’ an unexpected star
Photo by: Getty Images

As Chevrolet zone manager Rikk Wilde presented World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner with the keys to a new truck, Wilde sputtered with his prepared remarks, referencing the “technology and stuff” that highlights the Chevy Colorado. The awkward moment blew up social media. Even Chevy itself got into the act, tweeting: “Truck yeah the 2015 #ChevyColorado has awesome #TechnologyAndStuff! You know you want a truck.”




‘South Park’ does the NFL

The season premiere of Comedy Central’s “South Park” had fun at the expense of the NFL, as the Washington Redskins name controversy, the league’s domestic violence crisis and even Jerry Jones’ alleged personal behavior were mocked on the show.

The show focused on the boys’ efforts to name a new company Washington Redskins, only to be challenged by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder. Snyder at one point grumbles to Cartman: “Don’t you see when you call your organization the Washington Redskins, it’s offensive to us?”

Cartman replies: “We have total respect for you. When we named our company Washington Redskins, it was out of deep appreciation for your team and your people.”

The show also parodied the NFL commissioner, with a “Goodell-Bot” working for team owners. Jerry Jones is shown in his luxury box, with a blonde woman appearing suddenly nearby.



Patriots make fashion statement

Admit it, you’ve been there. You buy a jersey of your favorite player, only to see him traded to another team soon afterward. It’s those situations that inspired the New England Patriots to become the first NFL team to offer a jersey rebate for fans who buy a jersey of a player who is no longer under contract within a year of that jersey purchase.




Photo by: Getty Images
Drink up! Self-serve beer arrives

Target Field debuted self-serve beer machines called DraftServ. Fans buy vending cards and use them to dispense beer from the machines, choosing among four beers priced by the ounce. Now that’s one way to embrace technology.



Not on the front row
Photo by: AP Images

The Milwaukee Brewers honored one of their most iconic personalities by unveiling a statue of Bob Uecker. But in keeping with the classic Miller Lite commercials of the 1980s that made Uecker famous, the artwork was installed in the cheap seats — the very last row of section 422. That’s about the same spot Uecker ended up after using the now-famous tagline “I must be in the front row!”




Don’t poke the bear

When the Chicago Cubs introduced “Clark,” the team’s first mascot in modern history, reaction was swift and sometimes brutal. Deadspin even did a photoshop contest around the mascot that produced plenty of NSFW creations. The Cubs stood by their new bear, however, even as many fans called for an immediate hibernation.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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