Sports
Dick Vitale March Mayhem Challenge
Bragging rights on the line as Dick Vitale goes up against Joel, the Fort Worth Herd longhorn as they make NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship picks at the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District.
Dick Vitale, ESPN college basketball analyst and one of the sport’s most famous and recognizable icons, is putting his NCAA® bracket to the test against Joel, the Fort Worth Herd’s lovable longhorn, as part of the Allstate March Mayhem™ Challenge.
Last year, fans were reminded that anything can happen during the NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship after witnessing Dick Vitale narrowly edge out a bracket victory against the Georgia Aquarium’s sports-prognosticating dolphins.
This year, Allstate, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, has challenged the legendary television analyst to put his college basketball expertise on the line again against an unlikely opponent – a 1,795-pound Texas longhorn. From inside the Fort Worth Herd steer pen, Vitale will go head to head in a bracket contest and reveal his team picks before Joel makes his selections in an attempt to beat the broadcasting legend at his own game.
From improbable upsets to come-from-behind victories, Mayhem is everywhere, making it difficult for even the most respected and knowledgeable basketball analysts to predict what will happen.
If Vitale loses to his NCAA March Madness® arch-nemesis, he’ll have to work as Joel’s personal ranch hand, helping to prep him and the rest of the herd for their daily cattle drive down Exchange Avenue, while the triumphant longhorns earn ultimate bragging rights.
In the spirit of good sportsmanship, Allstate will make donations to both Friends of the Fort Worth Herd and the V Foundation for cancer research.
Mar 19th
adidas Boost 2.0
BOOST provides you with more energy return than any other foam cushioning material in the running industry. Ever. To give your feet a BOOST go to www.adidas.com/boost.
Whether you hit the roads, tracks or trails, adidas BOOST cushioning technology delivers you the Energy Running solution that you’ve been waiting for. adidas knows that today’s runners are seeking more from their runs and more from their running shoes.
To answer the call, adidas developed BOOST foam cushioning which uses thousands of energy capsules that combine the benefits of comfort and responsiveness to provide you with a running experience unlike any other.
Mar 18th
Bud Light Mini Hoops Challenge Game Giveaway
Now through March 23, consumers 21 and older across the country have the chance to win a trip to Dallas by initially participating in Bud Light Mini Hoops Challenge tournaments at their favorite local bar or restaurant (so keep a look-out for these tables when you’re out and about this weekend). Mini Hoops Challenge players have 35 seconds to bounce as many mini basketballs through the basket as possible. The winners of these tournaments will earn the Ultimate Hoops Experience, including a trip to Bud Light Hotel Dallas. Fans of legal drinking age can also attempt to win prizes by playing a virtual version of the Mini Hoops Challenge on Anheuser-Busch’s Fan Zone smartphone app.
In addition to sending skilled basketball fans across the country to Dallas, since the Bud Light Mini Hoops Challenge game itself is just downright good fun Man Jr. is giving one of these table games away to a lucky reader. All you have to do to make this mini game a permanent entertainment addition to your home, office, man cave is by following MANjr. on Twitter and filling out the contest form.
Mar 17th
SOUL Helping You Take It To The Hole!
You think you know all there is to know about March Madness. Well MANjr and SOUL Electronics wants you to prove it. Enter the SOUL March Madness Bracket Promotion to see if you can talk the talk and walk the walk.
Simply follow these simple steps to enter:
- Follow @SOULElectronics on Instagram, repost the Challenge picture and tag #MarchMadness and #SOULMadness
- Visit www.soulelectronics.com/marchmadness and click ENTER NOW
- Return to the SOUL March Madness page to make your selections for the Second Round starting on March 17, 2014 and before each round to continue playing.
Mar 14th
5 Iconic #ReignOn Moments in Chicago Bulls History
No matter the sport every fan has their own beloved moments that they will always cherish when they think about their favorite team. For me I feel I grew up in the right era as a Chicago Bulls fan. In the 1990’s I was living in a suburb outside of Chicago. As a kid I loved pretending I was like Mike when I was playing hoops with my friends.
Besides having Air Jordan on the team, I also got to watch Scottie Pippen, John Paxon, Horace Grant, B.J. Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Stacy King, and many more. Once Jordan knew that he needed others to help him get a title, the Bulls were hard to beat. Chicago was able to three-peat not once, but twice. They won Championships from 1991-1993 and also in 1996-1998.
Recently while watching the Bulls take on the Miami Heat I was reminiscing about my favorite moments of the Chicago 
Bulls. To relish that moment even more I was enjoying Crown Royal Extra Rare Whisky. It is the second edition in the series. It is an exquisite blend crafted to include a small reserve of the final batch of whiskies that were saved from the renowned LaSalle Distillery (located on the island of Montreal), opened in 1924 by the Bronfman family. The distillery was closed in 1993, but LaSalle remained a bottling facility until 2003 and to this day still operates as a warehouse for many fine Crown Royal whiskies.
Just like the Bulls in the 1990’s, Crown Royal XR has become legendary. The aroma of this Crown Royal XR has hints of pear with complimentary floral bouquet notes. The honeyed pear maintains upon first taste and is joined by tones of dried apricot and raisins mid palate. The finish is exquisite with an elegant touch of cocoa and brown sugar.
So with that here are my five iconic #ReignOn moments from the Bulls during the 1990’s.
5. Scottie Pippen Posterizes Patrick Ewing. 
When Jordan left the Bulls to pursue a career in baseball, Scottie Pippen took over as the main man in the Windy City. During Game 6, 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals Pippen met up with New York Knicks All-Star Patrick Ewing. In that moment Pippen won that battle over Ewing by slamming home right over the big fella.
Pippen recalls that moment by saying, “It was one of those games where we were playing against the Knicks and we were frustrated and tired of them holding and pulling and doing things of that nature. I think that after that dunk, I sort of overreacted, almost trying to push [Ewing] into the stands,”
He might have overreacted after the dunk, but he sure threw it down at that moment.
4. Completing the Three-peat In Dramatic Fashion.
MJ knows how to close out a game. Even more he knows how to finish out an NBA Finals series. In Game 6 of 1998 Finals the Bulls were trailing the Utah Jazz by one point. Could the Jazz hold on and force a Game 7? The answer was no.
MJ stole the ball from Karl Malone which set up one of those memorable MJ moments. Everyone in the building knew that Jordan would take the final shot. MJ brushes by Byron Russell and pulls up for what is known as “The Shot.” The ball goes in and the Bulls are once again NBA Champions.
3. He can Fly!
In their first appearance in the NBA Finals the Bulls were looking to knock off the Los Angeles L
akers from the top of the NBA mountain. In Game 2 of the 1991 Finals MJ rocked one of the craziest moves. As if to almost make things harder than needed Jordan drove the lane and looked to make an easy dunk.
Then what seemed to be like an eternity MJ was hanging out in the air and decided to change his scoring attack from a dunk to a very difficult left handed lay-up. As he was in the air deciding what to do he passed by teammates and opponents like it was nothing. He moved the ball from his right hand to his left hand, the ball went off of the backboard and went in. It was almost as if Jordan wanted to send a message to Magic Johnson by saying we are now taking over the NBA.
2. John Paxon is Clutch.
The Bulls were always lead by Jordan and Pippen. Some fans do forget that the Bulls has a strong supporting cast. One of those guys was guard John Paxon. In Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals the Bulls were down by two points against the Phoenix Suns. As the Bulls brought the ball up the court the Suns looked to double team Michael and eliminate Scottie as scoring threats.
When you double team someone that will always leave a guy wide open. With excellent passing by the team, Horace Grant found an open John Paxon behind the three point line. With ice in his veins Paxon took the role of hero and scored the game winning basket. That Bulls completed their first three-peat by defeating the Suns.
1. MJ is Sick…no I mean Flu-like Sick!
One thing a champion must have is heart. No matter what lies in their path they look to find a way to win. Right before Game 5 in the 1997 NBA Finals reports were coming out that Michael Jordan had flu-like symptoms. Doctors told him that he shouldn’t play. He didn’t listen.
All he did was score 38 points to help the Bulls win that game, in which three of those points was the go ahead three pointer to secure a victory. Now known in NBA lore as “The Flu Game,” that moment will always stick out to me as one of my favorite games in all of Bulls history.
So what are your favorite #ReignOn moments from your favorite NBA team? How does it stack up against mine? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Mar 10th
Clay Matthews Interview
Last week we met up with All-Pro linebacker Clay Matthews at the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition. Matthews and Campbell’s Soup were making a donation of 5,000 cans of Campbell’s Chunky as part of the Soup for Sacks program.
Last season, each time Matthews sacked an opposing team’s QB, Campbell’s donated 1,000 cans of soup to a local food bank in the opposing team’s city and 1,000 cans to the local food bank in Green Bay. In total, Campbell’s has donated over 40,000 cans of soup to food banks across the nation and they’ve helped raise $18,000 for Matthew’s charity, the CM3 Charitable Fund.
The Green Bay Packers linebacker, who’s a native of Southern California and played college ball at USC, was on hand in West Hollywood with his mom, because, you know, that’s what Campbell’s Chunky Soup is all about. As the face of the Campbell’s Chunky Soup “Mama’s Boy” campaign, Matthews and his mom were on hand for the donation and we got to spend a few minutes with him talking about the Sacks for Soup program, his football family heritage, Matthew’s path to the NFL, Pete Carroll, Kevin Greene, Green Bay’s injury woes and draft needs and a whole lot more. Check it out:
Mar 7th
adidas Unveils Made in March Uniform System for NCAA Basketball
adidas today unveiled the Made in March Uniform System for the 2014 NCAA basketball postseason. The collection was created to provide teams with adidas’ most advanced uniform system and basketball apparel technology so they can take on the challenges and intense play of March.
Baylor, UCLA, Cincinnati and Louisville will wear short-sleeve Made in March uniforms and Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Wisconsin will wear sleeveless versions.
Made in March uniforms feature a functional perforated print pattern along the leg of the stretch woven short to enhance breathability and ventilation, keeping players cool as the clock winds down. adidas’ quick-drying jersey technology found in current NBA uniforms along with ClimaCool zones on the chest, back and side, move heat and moisture away from the body to keep the jersey light and dry as players sweat.
To rally fans and spark team unity and pride, several uniforms feature team name logos across the chest, while all jerseys have school mantras selected by the team printed on the inside collar. Several schools will wear new colors exclusively designed for March. Baylor will wear army green as homage to the school’s strong military history, while UCLA dons navy blue and gold inspired by the Los Angeles night skyline. Indiana will suit-up in cream as a nod to the program’s traditional school colors and basketball team’s “crimson and cream” nickname.
The Made in March Uniform System debuts on-court beginning with conference tournament play and fans can grab their Made in March gear at adidas.com and campus bookstores.
Stay tuned to the adidas Basketball Facebook page, and follow on Twitter and Instagram @adidasHoops with #teamadidas , #MadeinMarch.
Mar 7th
Shaq, Iverson, & Kemp star in Funny Reebok Classic Ad
The latest and final episode of the Reebok Classic “The Retro Shop” features a true all-star lineup of Shaq, Kemp, Lil’ Duval, French Montana and the one-and-only Allen Iverson. Watch as a heated discussion blows up at The Shop over old school vs. new school fashion. Some things never go out of style.
Lightning Struck every tim
e Shawn Kemp stepped on the court. His larger than life persona set a new pace for basketball, and his groundbreaking athleticism inspired a shoe just as bold: The Kamikaze I. Shawn Kemp and the Kamikaze I, A Cut Above Since 1994.
Reebok Classic will bring back very limited pairs of the Kamikaze I OG black/red on Friday, March 14th at key retailers Foot Locker, Finish Line, Champs, Jimmy Jazz, DTLR, Shiekh, and Reebok.com for $115.
Check out the hilarious commercial below. Like to see Iverson poke a bit of fun at himself.
Mar 3rd
Crown Royal to Rename NASCAR Race After American Hero
Imagine seeing your name all over one of the country’s largest sports venues, and having an event officially renamed in your honor. For the eighth year, Crown Royal will make that dream a reality, as they rename one of the season’s biggest NASCAR races after an adult consumer.
The brand is teaming up with Phoenix-based charity Packages From Home, which is dedicated to sending care packages to active-duty troops stationed overseas, this weekend to launch their annual “Your Hero’s Name Here” program. The program honors a deserving American hero by re-naming the July NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at 
Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his or her honor.
Packages From Home and Crown Royal will treat a group of local heroes from Luke Air Force Base to a VIP experience at this weekend’s NASCAR race. In addition to sending 20 military members to the race, two individuals will be recognized as the inaugural program nominees and will have the chance to have the legendary Indianapolis race named in their honor.
Consumers 21+ can visit CrownRoyalHeroes.com to nominate their own heroes, for a chance to win naming rights to the race. Nominations will be accepted through April 13th, with finalists being announced at the end of April.
Feb 28th
Cole Whitt Interview
Last week we had a chat with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year candidate Cole Whitt as he was preparing for the Daytona 500. Whitt is just 22 years old, but the guy’s been racing for years. HE started racing when he saw one of his cousins with a go kart. He moved from go karts to midget cars to sprint cars and trucks and made his NASCAR debut in 2010. He has 11 top ten finished in the World Truck Series, 18 top ten finishes in the Nationwide Series and now he’s driving the No. 26 Toyota Camry car for Swan Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. Men’s Speed Stick GEAR will serve as Whitt’s new NASCAR sponsor, and the brand will be featuring a documentary series on Whitt’s journey to the Daytona 500 starting in March on the Speed Stick Power YouTube Channel. After overcoming a bit of car damage adversity to make the race, Whitt finished 28th overall at Daytona.
Whitt told us about his leisurely activities, his participation in the Red Bull Driver Development Search program, his favorite tracks and, after seeing this photo on his website, you know we had to ask the man all about bow season:
CS: So to start off, I was checkin’ out your website and it looks like you’re into hunting because you got a picture of you front and center with a bow and arrow. Can you explain to me what bow season’s all about?
CW: You know the bow hunting is just something that I’ve enjoy. It’s not so much going out and having to harvest something, but just the fact that bow season is kinda the opposite of racing. It’s nice to be able to slow down and relax. Bow hunting is all about getting close. There’s a whole other challenge to it. I enjoy the tricking part of it. Technically, I just spear hunt mostly, so tricking deer for the most part.
CS: Racing is kind of in your family – well, not kind of, it certainly is. When did you first realize you were going to be a professional race car driver?
CW: I don’t know. It’s in me right now, you know it can be taken away at any moment I know that that’s why I don’t take it for granted. You know I’m very blessed to be able to do this and to do it at the level I am right now and I’ve just been doing it. Even when I was racing go karting, we just never took it for granted and we always knew at any moment things could be taken away. And you know, there’s been many times where it has and things have always worked out to come back around for something else. Just staying focused with having a good family behind me and raising me the right way made a big difference and I think just being able to be this far is pretty exciting, regardless of what happens from here.
CS: Can you tell me a bit about your participation in Red Bull’s Driver Development Search?
CW: Yeah. That whole thing kind of came together last minute. They were doing that Red Bull driver search looking for actually an F1 driver and I wasn’t going to do it. I was actually just kind of racing go karts at the time with my family and just having fun. We were winning a lot of races and championships, but we were just having fun and clearly didn’t think anything of it. And the next thing you know someone’s like, hey you really need to go do this thing they’re going to let you go straight to a qualifying round. So alright, we go out there and have fun with it and after the whole thing was said and done, long story short, they wanted to meet and it progressed into a sponsorship. They’re actually probably the only reason why I’ve made it this far in the sport. It was a great partnership and it was great while it lasted. Just a great company. They did a lot for me.
CS: Their racing program has since shut down. How did that go down, do you know?
CW: Yeah, I don’t know the specifics on it but I think whatever they needed to do was for their best interests and I support every decision that they’ve ever made just because of how much they’ve done for me. You know, they were great people. They were great to me and took care of me well. I don’t know the logistics behind why or what they did, but I’m sure they had good reasoning.
CS: You’re a rookie of the year candidate this year, so you’re certainly holding your own and then some. Is there specific preparation that you go through or any kind of rituals or superstitious stuff that you do before each race?
CW: Nah, I’m not superstitious. I kinda feel like it’s going to be whatever it’s supposed to be. I’m pretty confident that everything will take care of itself. For the most part though, like you said, being in that rookie class, this is one of the biggest rookie classes they’ve had in the cup series and one of the most talented. To be part of that’s a pretty cool honor and to be able to say that we had a good shot of winning it is pretty cool also. It says a lot about me and what we stand for as a team and what we’re getting ready to build. I’m pretty excited to see how that turns out.
CS: What’s your favorite track ever? Go karts, sprint cars, stock cars, any of the above.
CW: I’d say my favorite track so far is either the Old Phoenix before they repaved it and then probably Kokomo speedway the dirt sprint car track in Indiana.
CS: Nice. Now I also saw that you’re pretty up on social media. How do you leverage social media to connect with the fans of the sport?
CW: Yeah, social media is pretty neat and I’ve actually gotten better with it over time because I really didn’t use it to connect with fans at first, but now I’ve been using it more to connect with fans. It’s been a lot more fun once you do that and you realize how much they enjoy it and I like that. You know there’s no reason why we can’t, it takes two seconds. You’re on your phone anyways probably looking at it or reading it and when someone posts something to you and you reply or talk to them or give them something they want to know or give them an inside look at something, that’s what gets people excited. And without those fans our sport would be nothing. Just having the gratitude and the mindset that these guys are paying for the seats and coming to watch us at the race track is what drives our sport in the first place.
CS: What would you say is your most anticipated race of the season?
CW: I’d say right now Daytona 500 is probably my biggest anticipation. There’s a lot riding on this and there’s a lot that could happen here. But at the same time if things don’t work out for the best there, I know I can pull through and look forward to Phoenix and other races down the road. I look forward to the whole season, but Daytona 500 right here is something I’m really looking forward to.
CS: I got one more question about your leisurely activities. How good is your golf game?
CW: (laughs) Um, not too well. I actually started playing more in the past little while (laughs), but not too good. I’m more into the cross fit training and a lot of fitness is what I probably do the most.
Feb 27th
