One Year Anniversary!

A year ago today, I launched EhrlThePearl.com in hopes of creating a platform to showcase entertaining sports content, but I had no idea it would be this much fun! I am sure my friends are so thankful that I stopped sending out numerous emails everyday featuring interesting articles, photos and videos and instead posted them here.

When I started the blog last March, I couldn't imagine being linked to by such sites as ESPN.com, SI.com, USAToday.com or Yahoo! Sports. Thank you so much to my dedicated readers and Twitter followers for the continued support.

Special thanks also go out to Icarus Kids who designed the site and to my look-a-like consultant for the guidance.

Here's to another year of EhrlThePearl.com!

-Ehrl
ehrlthepearl@gmail.com
www.Twitter.com/EhrlThePearl

Jennings' new Under Armour spot

Although Under Armour has not released basketball shoes for Bucks PG Brandon Jennings, the brand continues to showcase the rookie sensation in marketing campaigns.

Jennings was featured in Under Armour's NFL Combine commercial with draft prospect WR Dez Bryant, UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and 14-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps.

Over the weekend, UA launched their newest TV spot starring Jennings that tells the story of his journey from high school to Europe to the NBA. Take a look at BJ protecting this house.

Sampras/Agassi rivalry lives on

Although they are retired from the professional circuit, the rivalry between tennis legends Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi continues. At a charity event over the weekend, a few jokes led to some personal attacks between the rivals.

Sampras was paired up with Roger Federer and Agassi played with Rafael Nadal in a doubles match for the "Hit for Haiti" charity fundraiser at the BNP Paribas Open. All of the players were wearing microphones and late in the match, the crowd was treated to a comical and awkward exchange between the two long-time rivals.

Check out the video below. The best parts are Sampras mocking Agassi's pigeon-toed walk and Agassi calling out Sampras as a bad tipper. Federer and Nadal definitely look a little uncomfortable with the jokes. Hat tip to ST for the story.

(via NESW Sports)

Packers go oldschool for 2010

At their annual Fan Fest over the weekend, the Green Bay Packers revealed a throwback uniform for next season that will honor the 1929 World Championship team. The team will wear the special jersey for one or two games in 2010, but it hasn’t been decided which ones yet.

Thankfully, the Packers don't have crazy striped socks like the Broncos. Take a look below at LB Brad Jones and WR Jordy Nelson modeling the new unis and check out a full slide show here.

World Exclusive trailer for NBA Jam

On Friday, we posted a short teaser video for the upcoming EA Sports release of "NBA Jam" for Nintendo Wii and over the weekend Spike TV's "GametrailersTV" premiered the World Exclusive trailer.

The extended look shows off player details, game graphics and new catch phrases including "the bigger the shove, the bigger the love." Take a look at the HD trailer below.

Lampley goes Bang Bang

During the 8th round of Saturday night's Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight, HBO's Jim Lampley got a little excited about Pacman's punching combination and threw out 16 "bangs" in 22 seconds. The best part was Max Kellerman trying to interject but Lampley continuing his "banging." Although ridiculous to hear, it was nice of Lampley to try and excite viewers during the otherwise boring fight.

"There you go. Four-punch, five-punch, six-punch combination. Body shot, body shot, bang, bang, bang. Bang! Bang! Bang! Try and stop it! Bang! Bang! Here I come. Bang! You want to throw some time? Bang! This is the Manny Pacquiao who has dominated boxing for the past three years. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! You want to throw back? Bang!"

1800 Tequila creates Lakers bottle

Back in August, we reported that 1800 Tequila signed a multi-million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Lakers for TV advertising and on and off-premise logo rights.

The company announced today that they have created a special edition bottle of its premium silver tequila to honor the Lakers sponsorship. The bottle swaps the brand’s traditional blue and silver for the Lakers’ purple and gold.

The bottles will be available in L.A. starting this week for a retail price of $24.99

“Coach Cal Edition” Ford Mustang

A week and a half ago, we reported that Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari would literally be the face of a new Maker's Mark bottle. Now that Wildcat fans have a drink of choice for March Madness, Miller Ford in Lexington is producing the perfect car for UK designated drivers.

The dealership is selling five Ford Mustangs customized and labelled as the “Coach Cal Edition.” Here are the car details:

-A 2010 Mustang, either a Roush 427R or GT version, is given a UK blue paint scheme, similar to the “Bill Keightley” jerseys the team wore last season.
-A “C” is added to the rear of the vehicle, which obviously stands for Calipari
-Each of the Mustangs are then autographed by Coach Calipari himself

According to the Herald-Leader, the cars will probably all be driven by the coach. He's driving the first one now, dealership GM J.P. Miller Jr. said, and "he told me last night that as soon as you sell them, just keep bringing them to me and I'll drive them until you sell them out from under me."

The Roush version of the "Coach Cal Edition" sells for a little more than $71,000, and the GT version will be just less than $40,000. Special alley-oop to Hot Clicks.

Cops poses with Roethlisberger before assault complaint

The photos above were first posted by the Milledgeville Union-Recorder and are defintely going to spark some debate in the sexual assault investigation of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. The man photographed with Roethlisberger is Sgt. Jerry Blash, who initially investigated the sexual assault complaint against the Steelers' signalcaller.

These pics were taken an hour before Roethlisberger's accuser filed the complaint. The Union-Recorder reports:
Police Chief Woodrow Blue said he was not troubled by the photographs, adding that his officers handled the case correctly from the onset.

“The photographs did not and have not affected the investigation at all,” said Blue.

And while Blash, an eight-year veteran of the Milledgeville Police Department, was the officer approached by the alleged victim and the officer who wrote the incident report, Blue said Blash had little involvement in the subsequent investigation.

Even if Blash isn't involved in the ongoing investigation, his interaction with Roethlisberger prior to the complaint might become a factor in the case.

Dwight & DWade in "Just Wright" trailer

The official trailer for Fox Searchlight's "Just Wright" launched yesterday and features a few NBA stars. The film stars Queen Latifah as a physical therapist who falls for a NBA All-Star (hip hop star Common) while he is rehabbing a knee injury. Although it looks like Common can pull off the role as a basketball player, it is hard to believe that the Nets actually have an All-Star.

Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade and Elton Brand make cameos in the trailer below and according to IMDB, Rashard Lewis, Kenny Smith and Jalen Rose also appear in the flick.