Chris Stout
Chris likes not having any free time. +Chris Stout Email: cstout76@gmail.com
Homepage: http://www.manjr.com
Posts by Chris Stout
Attention Dudes: AXE Cares About Your Face
AXE has been making dudes smell better for years now, but the Unilever brand is now branching out into other men’s care products that’ll help you fix your face, man. A few weeks back, AXE sent the MANjr team a huge bag of AXE Face Care goodies, and after testing the stuff out, we’re ready to report our findings.
I should start by saying that I’m a sensitive guy. I like heartwarming films, I have a soft spot for Enya and razor burn is a problem for me and my sweet manchild babyface. Okay, glad I got that out of the way.
So needless to say, I gravitated towards the sensitive skin line of the AXE Men Face Care products. And this stuff is awesome. The AXE Shield Shave Gel for sensitive, ultra-smooth skin is fantastic. It’s a gel, but it’s not some fluorescent neon color that comes out smelling like a tropical lady drink that you’d order in the Caribbean. It’s a gel that foams up like there’s no tomorrow and actually feels and smells like men’s shaving cream. What a novel idea!
AXE has partnered with Schick and Norelco for a co-branded line of razors and electric shavers. I’ve used both shaving tools before and I have no complaints there. I probably lean more toward the Schick Hydro, but that’s just me.
So after the Schick and sensitive shave gel routine, I moved on to the sensitive AXE Shield Face Hydrator & Post-Shave Lotion. Stuff worked like a dream. Seriously, I usually have some level of post-shave irritation on my baby-soft face skin. It either happens right away or shows up in the evening or the following morning. But not with this stuff. The lotion left me non-irritable and good-smelling. That’s what it’s supposed to do, right?
Before you can get your shave on though, you need to clean up that face of yours, dude. Being a sensitive fella, I’m not opposed to a little exfoliation every now and then. I usually reach for some St. Ives apricot scrub (or a generic equivalent), but I still like face wash that foams up and leaves your skin oil-free without being too dry and harsh. This is what AXE Controil Oily Skin Face Scrub can do for you. Foamy, a little bit of exfoliation action and a nice, smooth, non-dry skin finish. Go get some.
There’s a bunch of other AXE Face flavors available. Check out AXEFacescore.com to learn more about the product line and vote on user uploaded photos using Facescore.
Mar 12th
Hines Ward Interview
Hines Ward is a lot of things. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer whose ferocious blocking skills redefined what it meant to play wide receiver in the NFL. Always camera-ready, Ward is a man of a thousand smiles. He just seems to have fun doing whatever it is he’s doing. Since retiring from football in 2011, Hines has made appearances on The Walking Dead, Dancing with the Stars, The Dark Knight Rises and Football Night in America. Dude knows how to stay busy.
Now Hines is looking to add one more title to his already impressive list of accomplishments: IRONMAN. Ward has partnered up with REFUEL | got chocolate milk? and has been training to prepare for the 2013 IRONMAN® World Championship triathlon that will take place in Hawaii this October. But Hines isn’t doing all this by himself. He’s taking three everyday athletes with him.
The journey will be featured in a new documentary web series called BECOME ONE, which will air on www.gotchocolatemilk.com. The three everyday athletes who will accompany Hines were announced at the 21st Annual Endurance LIVE awards gala presented by REFUEL | got chocolate milk?:
- Captain Eric McElvenny is a 29 year old marine from San Diego
- Joshua Kalb is a 24 year old medical student from Denver
- Chrisann Dalton is a 39 year old stay-at-home mom from Bedford, New Hampshire
Ward and company will be training with an elite group of athletes, sports dietitians and coaches, including eight-time IRONMAN triathlon champ Paula Newby-Fraser. After their strenuous workouts, they’ll be refueling by drinking low fat chocolate milk.
You know, I have to admit, that the first time I heard that chocolate milk was a good post-workout recovery beverage for triathlon-level athletes, I was a bit surprised. I mean, I love chocolate milk and all, but I have absolutely zero plans of training for the IRONMAN World Championship, a 140.6 mile triathlon that includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon.
But there’s science behind it, man. Low fat chocolate milk is a natural source of protein that can help exhausted muscles recover while also providing essential fluids, electrolytes and calcium, potassium and magnesium. Who knew?!
I met up with Hines Ward at Club Nokia in LA just before the 21st Annual Endurance LIVE awards gala. We talked about the refueling properties of chocolate milk, his training schedule, the current state of leadership in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room, athletic QBs, player safety, Ward’s Hollywood and political aspirations and a whole lot more. Here’s the interview:
And here’s the trailer for the upcoming BECOME ONE documentary series:
Mar 7th
MANjr Crown Royal XR Happy Hour Recap
The MANjr team closed out the month of February in fine fashion with a little help from our friends at Crown Royal. During the holidays, we participated in a blogger gift exchange program called Pass the Crown. Having experienced the thrill of Pass the Crown the previous year, we knew what we were getting into, and we knew what we wanted to get out of it.
25 bloggers participated in Pass the Crown this time around and there were some pretty sweet gifts in the rotation. Everything from iPad Minis to cameras, guitars, Kindle Fires, watches, it was a pretty strong set of gifts this holiday season.
The first time we participated in Pass the Crown, we scored a Crown Royal Happy Hour and it was a really fun event. Good times with good booze and good people. So when it came time for us to open our purple bag this year (or choose to steal a previously opened gift), we knew what decision had to be made.
This was the purple gift bag that we had to ponder this time around:
We decided to pass. And instead, we targeted another Crown Royal Happy Hour as the gift that we want to steal. Having experienced a kick ass sponsored happy hour and having tried XR on multiple occasions, there was really one choice. So we liberated the Crown Royal XR Happy Hour from the poor fellas over at The Roosevelts (who ended up with two pairs of TOM sunglasses). We scored a bottle of XR for ourselves and one for you, our lucky readers.
The happy hour was a hit. With the Oscars on in the background, MANjr friends and colleagues enjoyed sips of the good stuff at Q’s on Wilshire. Not surprisingly, the XR went quick. That’s what happens when you invite too many Australians. If you haven’t tried this batch of Crown Royal XR yet, get on that. It’s really silky smooth stuff, not too spicy, not too stiff. Just full of subtle aromas and palate-pleasing sweetness.
Thanks again to Crown Royal for setting us up with such a great event. During the gift exchange, Crown sent out a purple gift bag of goodies to our troops for every tweet that included the hashtag #PassTheCrown. Over 1400 gift bags were sent out as part of the Crown Royal Heroes Project. So all good fun for a good cause. Can’t wait to swipe another happy hour next time around!
Mar 7th
NBA All Star Weekend 2013
Thanks to the awesome folks at Crown Royal, I got to attend my first NBA All Star Game this weekend. The trip was a reward of sorts, a prize for winning the Capture the Crown scavenger hunt in Indy last year. Team Win (Myself, Nick Evans from Straitpinkie.com, David Dennis from The Smoking Section and Brittany Edwards from Taylor) totally dominated the competition. We had a lot of help from Miss Edwards, who knows a thing or two about NASCAR, and we all got to bask in the glory of our victory during this weekend’s festivities.
Crown Royal Reign On Event
Crown Royal is rolling out a new set of TV spots around the message “Reign On.” Featured in these spots is NBA legend and all around great storyteller Dr. J. He’s a new ambassador for the brand and he really fits this new “Reign On” message.
So on Saturday night, when the skills competition, three point shootout and slam dunk contest were going on, me and the Indy crew got to attend an exclusive event that introduced the new Reign On spots and featured Reign On stories from Terrence J and Dr. J. The night also included a solid set of tunes from hip-hop producer 9th Wonder (hat tip for including “Glow of Love” by Change, seriously who doesn’t love old Luther Vandross jams?) and a whisky tasting hosted by all-around badass Master of Whiskey Stephen Wilson.
Take a look at the Dr. J Reign On TV spot:
And here’s a behind the scene’s video to check out as well:
Meeting Dr. J
Julius Erving was all class, man. Just super affable, upbeat and approachable. When the Dr. entered the room, he had a certain grace and presence. An arrogance-free gravitas.
When I shook the guy’s hand, he almost reached by elbow. Even at age 65, he’s still an impressive physical sight. Huge wingspan, hands big enough to pick up a Buick, with a swagger of a guy who’s more familiar with greatness than you are, but he doesn’t need to remind you about it. He knows and so do you. Meeting Dr. J was definitely a highlight of the weekend.
Hearing his Reign On moment was a treat. The Doctor talked about his entry into professional basketball, when he was an alternate Olympian who made the squad and overheard all these guys saying how much they were going to make playing professional basketball. Erving, who hadn’t really considered a pro career, absolutely dominated this group of would-be professionals. That’s when he knew he was going to do some damage in the game of basketball. Just a great story to hear from him.
The 2013 NBA All Star Game
Drinking great whisky while meeting NBA legends was good times, but watching the 2013 NBA All Star Game live wasn’t too shabby either. Here are some general thoughts on the game:
Lob City Represented Well
I was looking forward to cheering for the West. It was basically Kevin and the Clakers. Sure, there were some garbage minutes played by San Antonio players and the like, but the starting all-LA plus Durant squad was just awesome. Blake had some monster lob city moments and a ferocious off the backboard jam near the end of the 4th quarter. Chris Paul just kept feeding people all night, and his 20 points and 15 assists earned him MVP honors. Lob City was in full effect in Houston.
Joakim Noah Is a Kind of a Punk
This guy. I mean he kept running around the court begging for the ball and whenever he got it, he usually missed. He was often out of position and out of control. At one point, things started to get a little chippy between Noah and CP3. Noah got a little physical and even ended up hitting CP3 in the mouth with his slop. Paul responded by draining a big three point shot in Noah’s face. It was sweet justice.
Kevin Durant Is a Freak Show
It’s not like this guy needs more hype, but man, there’s not enough superlatives to describe his level of play. He’s got such effortless hops and he finishes so strong. It seemed like he played half the game multiple feet above the rim and the other half draining jumpers. He finished with a game-high 30 points.
Kobe Only Took High Degree of Difficulty Fade Away Jumpers and Showcased His D
Kobe refused to take easy buckets all night. Whenever he did shoot, he opted for long distance fade away jumpers over unsuspecting opponents. He also showed off his defensive skills with not one, but two blocks on LeBron James.
Russell Westbrook Made the Most of His Minutes
He may have been a reserve guy, but whenever Westbrook was in, he just dominated. He created his own opportunities, and just scored points in bunches. I’ve never seen him play in person and of all the non-starters on the floor, I thought he was the most impressive.
Alicia Keys Is Kinda Awesome
I’ve never seen Alicia Keys perform live before, but man, she can bring it. She had the whole arena fired up with piano skills, a booming voice, some sweet dance moves and an all-around lovely skillset that may have catapulted her to my number one music crush. Watching Ne-Yo perform and then seeing Alicia was like watching a JV high school basketball team compete against the Miami Heat. Just total entertainment domination.
Thanks again to Crown Royal for an amazing weekend. Good times were had by all and it was an experience that Team Win from Indy won’t soon forget!
Feb 19th
Know Your Beer – Hangar 24
If you drive about an hour east of Los Angeles, you’ll find an up and coming craft brewery nestled in an old Norton Air Force Base building right across from the Redlands Municipal Airport. The Hangar 24 Brewery offers daily tastings from 11am to 10pm every day. Guided tours are available on Sunday from 11am to 6pm.
To understand Hangar 24, you need to know about the brew’s Founder and Master Brewer Ben Cook. A Biology major from Cal State San Bernardino, Cook took his love for beer to a whole new level and completed the Master Brewers Program at UC Davis. After finishing the program and putting in 6 years as a QA/QC guy at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Van Nuys, Cook searched for a place to launch his own brewery. The spot next to the Airport was where he landed, and that drove the name of the beer, Hangar 24.
The brewery has a solid selection of year-round craft beers, seasonal favorites and some other specialty releases. Orange Whet is the flagship brew. It’s an American Wheat Beer “brewed with whole, pureed, 100% locally grown oranges added throughout the process.” Think of it as a rich man’s Shock Top, with more of a full-bodied, silted/textured taste. They use the whole damn orange in there, man.
The other beers in the signature collection are they types of brews that you enjoy as standalone options. There are German classics like the light Helles Lager or the roasty Alt-Bier Ale. Hangar 24 brews a variety of Pale Ales like the Amarillo Pale Ale with a dry hoppy American touch, the unfiltered explosively hoppy Columbus IPA and the more citrusy-sweet Double IPA. A rich Chocolate Porter rounds out the year-round offerings.
The seasonal selections include Hullabaloo, a hoppy Scottish Winter Ale; Oktoberfest, malty-amber German lager; a tart Belgian Summer Ale and California Spring Beer, a warm weather wheat ale with a brisk hoppy finish.
So where can you get this stuff? If you don’t want to tour the Hangar 24 Brewery (which, you know, you probably should do), you can visit one of the 2,342 on and off-premise locations from San Diego to Sacramento that carry Hangar 24. You can also grab the stuff in bottles and cans. Hangar 24 is the first craft brewery in Southern California to provide quality craft beer in can form (I say start with the Helles Lager). Prost!
Feb 15th
Top 7 Models From the 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue – Mankind Unplugged
Our friends over at Mankind Unplugged are lookin’ out for you, man. The 50th Annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is available at newsstands everywhere, but if you’re too lazy to pick one up, just check out Mankind Unplugged’s Top 7 Models From the 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue post for some sweet photos and highlights. Such as…
You get the idea. Go check out the rest!
Feb 12th
Super Bowl XLVII Pick
After all the Harbaugh brother hype, we actually get to watch a game on Sunday! The last of the football for a really long time. It’s a bittersweet moment; you get the culmination of a long season and the end pre-planned Sundays. Weekends will be wide open now.
I don’t really have a rooting interest in the Big Game. Not a big fan of the Ravens and not a big fan of 49er fans (where were you guys during the Shaun Hill era?). But rooting for injuries is just bad form, so I figure I’ll root for the team who gets in the whole first. I just want to see 60 minutes of interesting football.
Now as amazing as Joe Flacco has been throughout the playoffs, I think he could have a monster game in the Super Bowl and it still won’t be enough. The 49ers defense is younger, quicker, more physical, and one thing no one’s talking about, is the fact that this superior defensive squad will be playing on the fast track in New Orleans. A colleague of mine called this out and I think it’s pretty important.
The Ravens are grinder squad, built to play grinder games in the wintery conditions of the AFC North. The 49ers are younger, yes, and full sunshine and speedsters. From the QB to the D, and most skills players in between, San Francisco is going to play quicker on the turf.
I think it’ll be a pretty tight game. Low scoring to start. As the jitters settle, a back and forth scoring battle should unfold. We made our final prediction awhile back and sent it off to the fine folks and Crown Royal who’ve been in New Orleans throwing fun parties and stuffing Crown Royal bags ful of goodies to send off to our troops as part of the Crown Royals Heroes Project.
One of those Crown bags featured our prediction. Here’s Playmate Tiffany with the final reveal:
Photo Credits: AP on behalf of Crown Royal
If for some crazy reason we guessed the correct outcome of the game, we’ll get a bottle of Crown Royal XR, which is damn tasty, folks!
Enjoy the game!
Championship Week: 1-1
Season ATS: 136-120-5
Feb 3rd
Patrick Willis and Michael Oher Talk Some Smack
Back in October, we interviewed Patrick Willis and he told us all about the Duracell Trust Your Power program. He also told us that Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson were the two toughest guys to tackle in the NFL. During that same interview session, WIllis also fielded a call from Michael Oher, you know, The Blind Side guy. Well these guys were teammates at Ole Miss and both dudes faced a lot of challenges when they were growing up. As they get to square off against each other this Sunday, it’s worth sharing this surprise conversation they had when Oher called in to chat with Willis during his Duracell time:
Feb 1st
NFL Championship Week Picks
I like the favorites, but the spread’s too damn high for the second game. Niners -4.5 and Ravens +10.
Jan 20th
Nokia Lumia 920 Baseball Challenge
Anyone who’s ever been on Reddit knows that Nokia phones have developed a bit of a reputation for being indestructible. But that reputation doesn’t just apply to the old Nokia phones (like the 3310). New Nokias, like the Nokia Lumia 920, are also built to withstand physical stress from even the clumsiest of cell phone users.
I’ve dropped a phone or two in my day. Who hasn’t? Well if you want to know how the Samsung Galaxy S III stacks up to the Nokia Lumia 920 in a physical stress test, this video is for you. It shows the before and after results of both phones taking on a high speed baseball from a pitching machine. Take a look:
Not convinced? If you want to suggest a more dramatic physical challenge, send a tweet to @NokiaUS using the hashtag #lumiachallenge. Come up with something clever and you could see your idea on display in the next Outrageous Challenge video!
Jan 18th
