Van Heusen Big Game in Style Contest
At the start of the football season, Van Heusen launched the Institute of Style at VanHeusen.com. The Institute of Style is challenging dudes everywhere to spiffy up their fashion selections. If you use Van Heusen to transform yourself from schlub to swagger, you could win a trip to the Super Bowl. Not just tickets to the big game either. If you win this thing, you and four of your friends will be flying the Indy in a private jet and watching the Super Bowl in a suite with Steve Young, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders.
To enter, visit then Van Heusen website and submit before and after shots of you looking like a schlub (sans Van Heusen) and you looking like a super dapper swagger (after the Van Heusen touch). You can see examples of different looks and style tips on the website.
Your before and after shots will be judged by the three aforementioned NFL Hall of Famers, Van Heusen’s fashion director, an editor at ESPN Fashion and an the market editor of GQ magazine. Here are the judging categories/requirements:
- Use of Van Heusen Clothing and Merchandise (33.33% of score)
- Extent of overall transformation between photos (33.33% of score)
- Level of personal style (33.34% of score)
You don’t need to purchase anything to enter. Five entries allowed per person and per email address. All entrants must submit their photos by 12/31/2011. The approximate retail value of the grand prize has a not to exceed prize of $22,900. That grand prize includes:
- Round trip private air transportation on a G4 airplane for five (winner and (4) guests)
- A total of (2) standard hotel room accommodations, each for a total of (4)-nights
- Five (5) tickets to the Big Game being played in Indianapolis, IN
- Five (5) tickets to the ESPN Next party
- Five (5) tickets to the GQ party
- Five (5) tickets to the NFLX Experience
- Van Heusen Wardrobes for winner and each guest, with a maximum total retail value not to exceed $1,000
- 5,000 in cash
So yea, enter this thing, dude.
Sep 28th
Help Us Select Our Jim Beam Bold Choice!
A couple weeks ago, we posted about our partnership with Jim Beam and our participation in the Jim Beam Bold Choice campaign. It’s a pretty exciting opportunity, man. Jim Beam is giving us $2,500 to experience a Bold Choice that we’ve always wanted to make. I narrowed down the options to three Bold Choices, but it’s up to you, loyal reader, to vote on which Bold Choice you’d like us to experience.
The first option was diving in the Great Barrier Reef. I hear it’s on of those must-do bucket list time things, and I’ve always wanted to go to Australia to check out the largest reef system on the planet.
The second option is to hike a volcano in Hawaii. This probably won’t entail any sort of life-threatening close distances to actual lava or anything. I just think it’d be fun to see the fury of Mother Nature’s wrath all up close. Plus, I’ve never been to Hawaii and I always wanted to check it out.
The third Bold Choice option is a combination of skydiving in Austria and experiencing Oktoberfest. Seems like a pretty sweet pairing of things I really want try. I mean flying in Austria and checking out the Alpine scenery while freefalling from the clouds sounds amazing. The added Oktoberfest bonus is just another bucket list style item that I’d love to cross off my Bold Choice checklist.
Thanks to everyone who already voted. We’re going to tally the final votes up at the end of the week, so there are only a couple more days to chime in with what you think we should do! Just use the email form below and let us know if you want us to choose option 1, 2 or 3.
Sep 28th
Accell MHL to HDMI Adapter Review
We receive a lot of tech items to review on the site. The last thing we got was an MHL to HDMI Adapter from Accell. Basically, this adapter is used for connecting specific phones and tablets to your TV. Why would you want to do this? Well let’s say you have family over and you want to show off some photos or videos or play some music from your phone or other handheld device. Instead of passing around a tablet or smartphone, you can just hook your device up to your TV and showcase audio, video or photo in full, easy-to-access high definition.
The adapter works with any MHL or USB Micro-B devices. Depending on the device you’re connecting, you may need to use a power adapter as well. The adapter supports digital audio and HD video resolutions (1080I/60Hz or 1080p/30Hz). If you have a Samsung smartphone on an HTC smartphone or tablet, this thing will be real easy to connect. Here’s the list of products that support MHL:
- Samsung Galaxy S2
- Samsung Infuse 4G
- HTC Flyer Tablet
- HTC Sensation
- HTC Evo 3D
Sep 26th
Win Original Newcastle WTDD Artwork from Ron English
This past Saturday was the first annual Newcastle Walk the Dog Day in Los Angeles. Five different venues across LA participated in the celebration of the tasty Brown Ale. We had a good turnout at Finn McCool’s in Santa Monica. Thanks to everyone who came out and enjoyed a pint (or more) of free Newcastle!
As part of the event, Newcastle teamed up with renowned artist Ron English. English produced original artwork that was available on the t-shirts that were handed this weekend. An original canvas of the Ron English Newcastle WTDD design was also on hand, and we’re giving that canvas away to one lucky reader.
Here’s what the canvas looks like:
To enter the giveaway, just use the form below. Send us an email and tell us why you love Newcastle. We’ll pick a winner at random next Monday.
Good Luck!
Sep 26th
Week 3 NFL Picks
At Cincinnati -2.5 San Francisco
AJ Green’s a big time, game-changing threat and Andy Dalton’s looking pretty comfortable at the helm. The Bengals D is a bit underrated as well. I still like the Niners though. They came damn close to upsetting the Cowboys and they’ve held opponents to a league-low 54.5 yards per game through two games this season. I’m going San Fran again this week.
Pick: Niners +2.5
New England -8.5 At Buffalo
Make no mistake, the Pats defense is a huge liability. All this talk about Brady throwing for over 7,000 yards this season hides the fact that New England’s defense has been one of the worst units in the NFL through two games. They’ve allowed an average of 479 per game, and they’re about to face a hot Buffalo team coming off a big comeback win. I think the Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and company are going to be able to move the ball well, but the Pats will still be able to answer. Start your Bills in fantasy, but keep your money on New England.
Pick: Pats -8.5
At New Orleans -4 Houston
If Houston can find a way to win this game, they have to be considered a top contender in the AFC. This game just feels like a shootout that the Texans won’t win. The Saints have a high-octane offense, and the Texans defense has been one of the toughest units in the game so far. Expect tons of scoring opportunities and look for the home team to hang on for the win.
Pick: Saints -4
At Philadelphia -7 NY Giants
Will Vick play? The NFL’s really stressed this whole concussion awareness thing, but Vick has practiced throughout the week, so look for him to suit up against the Giants. DeSean Jackson is also hurting, but even with the injury cloud hovering over these playmakers, I’ll take a hobbled Eagles team over a battered Giants squad any day of the week.
Pick: Eagles -7
At Cleveland -2.5 Miami
The Dolphins are 0-2 in a division where every other team is 2-0. It’s must-win time on Sunday, especially against a relatively weak opponent. Dolphins play desperate and get their first W.
Pick: Dolphins +2.5
At Tennessee -6.5 Denver
The Titans came out strong against the Ravens, but Kenny Brit’s hamstring may be acting up again. Hasselbeck has played sneakily well so far – 51 of 76 for 621 yards, three TDs, two picks and a QB rating of 94.2 through two games – but there have been plenty of plays where he’s just tossing the ball up for Britt and hoping for the best. If Britt’s slowed mb a nagging hammy, the Titans will need to get a lot more production out of Chris Johnson. CJ2K has a measly 77 yards through two games and he’s averaging 2.3 yards per carry. Yikes. The Broncos have a lot of injuries, but they should be getting back some key starters this week. D.J. Williams, Elvis Dumervil, Knowshon Moreno and Brandon Lloyd were all back at practice this week. I think Denver keeps it close, but the Titans pull away at home.
Pick: Titans -6.5
Detroit -3.5 At Minnesota
What’s this? The Lions are favorites on the road? You’ve seen what this team did in the first two weeks; steady defense, an explosive offense, playmakers on both sides of the ball. After an abysmal performance in Week 1, the Vikings seemed to right the ship last week. Then they let the win slip away. If Percy Harvin is not on the field for a majority of the team’s offense plays this week, someone should get fired. Either way, the Lions prove too much for the Viking to handle.
Pick: Lions -3.5
At Carolina -3.5 Jacksonville
No one expected the Panthers to be this good on offense, but the team is still struggling to establish the run and maintain momentum on both sides of the ball. One way to get things right is to host a rookie QB starting his first NFL game. Pick the panthers to get their first W.
Pick: Panthers -3.5
At San Diego -14.5 Kansas City
The Chiefs are in full on panic mode. Cassell’s looked terrible. They lost their best defensive player in Week 1 and their most potent offensive weapon in Week 2. Travelling to San Diego to face a team that’s balanced on both sides of the ball isn’t going to help at all. Chiefs absorb another beatdown.
Pick: Chargers -14.5
NY Jets -3.5 At Oakland
I think this is one of the toughest games of the week to call. The Raiders aren’t going to be kicked around anymore. They’re playing good football and could easily be 2-0. The Jets had a gimmie last week, but the Cowboys did give them some trouble in Week 1. I’m going to go with the Raiders to cover at home. They may not win, but they’ll keep it close.
Pick: Raiders +3.5
Baltimore -3.5 At St. Louis
You better believe that Harbaugh’s going to have his team ready to throw down this weekend. That Titans game was a wake-up call, and the Ravens are going to come out looking to make a statement against a team that can’t really get things going on either side of the ball.
Pick: Ravens -3.5
At Tampa Bay -1.5 Atlanta
I know the Falcons play poorly on the road, and it’s always hard to pick against a scrappy Tampa Bay team that always finds a way to win games, but I have to go Falcons here. They have more weapons and they look more poised to make a leap to the next level.
Pick: Falcons +1.5
Arizona -3.5 At Seattle
Seattle is not a good football team. In Pittsburgh, the Seahawks never even saw the Steelers’ side of the field until the fourth quarter. This team can’t pass, can’t run and they can’t stop the pass or the run. Sure, the Cardinals lost to the Redskins and yea, their secondary is terrible, but they’re better this team is better than Seattle.
Pick: Cardinals -3.5
Green Bay -3.5 At Chicago
Evaluating the Bears is a seesaw exercise week in and week out. They looked dominant against the Falcons and looked totally outmatched by the Saints. The team is probably somewhere in the middle – good enough to be top tier, but not good enough to be considered elite. The Packers had a first half scare against the Panthers, but the better team won in the end. The Packers are an elite squad that will find a way to get it done on the road.
Pick: Packers -3.5
Pittsburgh -10.5 At Indianapolis
The Steelers cover easy and keep building their confidence.
Pick: Steelers -10.5
At Dallas -5.5 Washington
I don’t care what anyone says, I don’t believe in the Redskins. Grossman and company deserve some credit for not playing terrible, horrible football, but this team is due for a loss. I picked the Niners to beat the Cowboys last week, but I didn’t account for Tony Romo’s late game heroics. The Cowboys may be banged up, but they still have the pieces in place to beat the Skins.
Pick: Cowboys -5.5
Last Week: 9-6-1
Season: 19-11-2
Sep 22nd
Blue Mic Snowball Microphone Review
Sometimes you want to record professional-quality sound without having to be a professional sound engineer. For people with plug-and-play sound recording needs, it doesn’t get much easier than the Snowball USB Microphone from Blue Mic.
We received a Snowball mic to review and the thing is pretty impressive. It comes in at just over two pounds, sits sturdy on any flat surface and gives you crisp, clean sound straight from your USB port. The mic uses a proprietary condenser capsule and as a sample rate of 44.1 kHz. The Snowball features three different recording settings: cardiod, cardioid with pad and omni-directional. The cardiod capsule is ideal for recording speech and vocals. The cardioid with a -10dB pad is best for capturing live music and louder sound sources. The omni capsule is best used for interviews, conferences or any recording that requires the capturing of larger, more environmental sound sources. It works for podcasters, musicians and anyone who needs quick, clean and easy-to-use voiceover recording.
The mic is available in white, chrome or solid black. It comes with a sturdy swivel mount that functions as a desktop tripod. You can’t use the thing with a traditional analog mixer, but digital setup is quick and easy. You can also connect the Snowball Mic to an iPad using the Apple Camera Connection Kit.
Whether you chat, play music, conduct interviews or if you just need to record your voice on something, you can’t go wrong with the quality and ease of use that the Snowball Blue Mic provides. The MSRP for the mic is $99.00, but you can get in online for a lot cheaper than that.
Sep 21st
Capital One Mascot Challenge
Who doesn’t love college mascots? And who knew that all these goofy sports icons had such intricate back stories? Capital One’s putting on their 10th Annual Mascot Challenge this season. Sixteen college mascots from nine different conferences are going to go head-to-head throughout the season to determine who will be crowned the Capitol One National Mascot of the Year at the 2012 Capital One Bowl.
Check out this week’s head-to-head matchup featuring The Oregon Duck vs. Aubie from Auburn:
You can vote for your favorite mascot at CapitolOneBowl.com.
Sep 20th
Win Free Newcastle Stuff All Week
In anticipation of our Newcastle Walk the Dog Day event this weekend, we’re giving away tons free stuff all week. From now till Saturday, we’re giving away one Newcastle Cooler Bag and one Newcastle Bar Stool a day. How do you score this stuff? A few different ways. Here’s what you need to do:
- Post a Tweet to @MANjrcom and tell us about your favorite Walk the Dog story (sneaking out to grab a pint). Please use the hashtags #Newcastle and #WalkTheDog.
- Send us an email using the submission form below.
- Hit us up on Facebook and tell us why you love Newcastle!
And remember, if you want to attend the MANjr Newcastle Walk the Dog Day event in Santa Monica this Saturday, just email your Full Name and “Finn McCool’s” to WalkTheDogDay@gmail.com. Hope to see you there!
Sep 20th
Newcastle Walk the Dog Day Event
It’s no secret that we love Newcastle around here, so we’re all fired up about an event that we have planned with Newcastle on Saturday, September 24 at Finn McCool’s in Santa Monica. This weekend, Newcastle is celebrating Walk the Dog Day all across LA, and we’re proud to be a part of the festivities.
What does it mean to Walk the Dog? Glad you asked! Basically the phrase “Walk the Dog” is a classic excuse that British dudes give when they want to duck out and enjoy a pint with their mates. So instead of telling your lady that you’re heading down to the pub to put back a few rounds with your bros, you just say that you’re going to Walk the Dog (even if, you know, you don’t even have one).
So this Walk the Dog Day event is going to be pretty sweet. The Walk the Dog Day celebrations are taking place in five different spots around Los Angeles, but the MANjr event will be held on the Westside.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011
Time: 11AM – 3PM
Locations: Five Walk the Dog Day events will take place simultaneously at Finn McCool’s (Santa Monica), Villains Tavern (Downtown LA), Alex’s Bar (Long Beach), 2nd Floor (Orange County), The Echo (Silver Lake)
We’ll be posting up at Finn McCool’s, a “painstakingly dismantled” Irish pub that was brought over from the Old World in 2002. The owner, Geraldine Gilliland, packed up the entire contents of her late step-father’s pub in Ireland and reconstructed it on Main Street in Santa Monica. Finn McCool’s features 18 craft beers, over 200 whiskeys and some pretty decent grub.
But Saturday, September 24 will be a day for Newcastle lovers. Sure, there will be food served as well, but if you love Newkie Brown, you won’t want to miss this. The entry for the event is $1, a small price to pay for drinking a bunch of free Newcastles. That dollar is going to charity as well, so your low-low entry fee is actually going to support the Los Angeles Art Association).
The event will take place from 11am to 3pm and will feature live music by Hanni El Khatib, original art by Ron English, tons of t-shirts and giveaway opportunities and of course, delicious Newkie Brown Ale.
Guests will need to RSVP by sending their name and location preference (yea Finn McCool’s in Santa Monica) to WalktheDogDay@gmail.com. Make sure to get your name on the list cause they’re not letting just any old walk-in riffraff into the event. This is strictly for Newcastle lovers in the know.
We’re ramping things up this week in anticipation of the event, and that means tons of giveaway opportunities for you, loyal reader. Every day this week we’ll be giving away one Newcastle Cooler Bag and a Newcastle Barstool.
We’ll have more info on the giveaways and the original art that you can score from Ron English. Just remember to RSVP and stay tuned for more details!
Sep 19th
Tony Parker Shows Off the New Tissot T-Touch II
Tissot’s been making sick watches since 1853. The new Tissot T-Touch II is a luxury watch with some crazy touchscreen features. Here’s a video of Tony Parker showing off all the stuff you can do with the newest model from Tissot:
Sep 16th
