Heat G Dwyane Wade stars in a new Budweiser commercial that was "created to capture Wade’s off-court impact" throughout his career, according to Anthony Chiang of the MIAMI HERALD. The ad "takes Wade’s season-long jersey swap ritual to another level, with Wade coming face-to-face with five people he’s impacted most." Among those who "surprised Wade in the commercial is his mother, Jolinda." Filmed at AmericanAirlines Arena, Wade thought he was "showing up to meet fans for the commercial." He learns that they are "actually waiting with items to swap with him, and they tell the story of how Wade has impacted their lives through those items." The spot is scheduled to air on FS Sun and at AmericanAirlines Arena during the Heat’s home regular-season finale against the 76ers tonight (MIAMIHERALD.com, 4/9).
HEART OF THE MATTER: Twitter commentators were quick to remark on the ad's emotional pull. The Undefeated's Kelley Carter: "Well this made me cry all the tears this morning." NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark: "I’m not crying. You’re crying." BallIsLife.com: "This @budweiserusa video might make your eyes sweat!" Dallas-based KRLD-FM's Troy Hughes: "If you're a Dwyane Wade fan, you will get emotional watching this." The Action Network's Darren Rovell: "Budweiser delivers the most non-traditional tribute video. It's a must watch."
EXPENSIVE GOODBYE: The HERALD's Chiang reported as of yesterday afternoon, the "cheapest 300-level resale ticket on Ticketmaster" for 76ers-Heat tonight was "listed at $225, the cheapest 100-level resale ticket was listed at $362, and the cheapest 'standing only' resale ticket in the 400 level was listed at $107." Average ticket prices are "about four times higher than a usual Heat home game." The Heat announced there "will be an AmericanAirlines Arena viewing party" for tomorrow’s Heat-Nets regular-season finale in Brooklyn, which is "likely to be Wade’s final NBA game" (MIAMIHERALD.com, 4/9).
