Callaway debates Sex or Golf?

We frequently feature sports brand advertisements highlighting star athletes, new products and exciting campaigns. However, the below TV spot from Callaway Golf tackles a debate known by middle-aged men all over the world...Sex or Golf? Check out the funny Callaway commercial via Devil Ball Golf.

Jay-Z & Alicia Keys inspire Yanks win

On Monday we reported that Jay-Z and Alicia Keys would open Game 1 of World Series with a special Yankees-themed performance. However after being pushed back by weather and Cliff Lee's complete game gem, the duo performed their hit "Empire State of Mind" prior to Game 2 last night. The track has been a staple of Yankee home games during these playoffs.

The Yanks have been bumping Jay-Z all throughout their playoff run. Derek Jeter has "Empire State of Mind" as his at-bat song and Alex Rodriguez's theme songs have been "Already Home" and "Reminder." In addition, Robinson Canó's at-bat song is "Run This Town."

The special performance last night certainly inspired the Yanks as they tied up the World Series 1-1 with a 3-1 victory. Check out the full performance below.

(via SI's Morning Buzz)

Minor league hockey team to sport MJ-themed unis

To honor Michael Jackson and the release of "This Is It," minor league hockey team Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL is hosting "King of Pop Jersey Raffle & Auction" Friday night when they face off against the Utah Grizzlies.

The Anaheim Ducks' minor league affiliate will rock King of Pop themed jerseys and one white glove, all which will be auctioned off after the game.

In addition to in-game MJ playlists and King of Pop themed promotions, fans named "Michael Jackson" or "Billie Jean" get in free.

Proceeds from the Condor sweaters auction will benefit Children's Miracle Network.

Dwight rewards one millionth Twitter follower

While some athletes use Twitter to criticize coaches, promote new iPhone apps or complain about referees, Orlando Magic C Dwight Howard's tweets literally connect him with fans.

Since joining Twitter a year ago, the 23-year-old Howard has become the poster boy for athletes using the social networking program. He gives his fans access to his everyday life by posting videos, photos and hosting "Where is Dwight?" contests. Howard leverages his sponsorships with EA Sports, adidas and McDonald's to host contests and give away prizes to his followers.

Howard wanted to do something special for the Magic's opening night last night and in September posted a tweet that announced his biggest contest yet. He would fly his one-millionth follower out to Orlando for the team's first home game versus the 76ers and provide hotel accommodations and game tickets.

Stephanie Fisher of Sacramento, CA joined Twitter and began following Howard without knowing about the contest. According to the Orlando Sentinel, she had no idea Howard was having a contest for his millionth follower until a man from Goodwin Sports, the agency that represents Howard, contacted her to tell her she won. After some research to make sure the man contacting her was legitimate, she got excited.

Fisher took her 21-year-old son with her to Orlando and the Magic got an opening night victory over Philadelphia. After the game, Howard spent some time with the winners, taking photos and signing autographs.

"It was just amazing because you never even think, you see it on TV, but to get up here actually in person, this close, it was just amazing," Fisher said. "We won," Howard said. "Y'all might be our good luck charm."

Sounds like an awesome experience for the Fishers and Howard will surely continue to be the king of social media this NBA season. Howard will be hosting additional contests, fan interactions and prize giveaway via Twitter and you can follow him at www.twitter.com/DwightHoward.

KFC hits the gridiron

Kentucky Fried Chicken has been trying to make a name for itself in the football this season and has now partnered with some huge NFL names for the company's next project. KFC announced yesterday the launch of the $5 Madden NFL Box, a combo meal inspired by the EA Sports video game.

The meal comes with one of four promotional drink cups featuring Lions WR Calvin Johnson, Chargers QB Philip Rivers, Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware and Eagles RB Brian Westbrook. The box includes a choice of one of six KFC favorites, a side item and a 32-ounce drink in a Madden NFL cup, all for only $5.

The four star footballers also serve as the voice-overs for upcoming KFC TV spots. In addition to the new combo meal, KFC has partnered with the NFL, NFL Players and EA to give away a total of 6,250 copies of "Madden NFL 10."

The football activation continues for KFC next week as the company will announce details of a Super Bowl giveaway exclusively on Twitter at twitter.com/kfc_colonel. One lucky follower will win a trip for two to Super Bowl XLIV in South Florida, including air fare and accommodations. Details on how to enter for a chance to win will be announced on the company's Twitter page during the week of Nov. 2.

Weezy drops Kiffin in new track

Tennessee head football coach Lane Kiffin is all for talking smack. The SEC has twice reprimanded the first year coach for his off the field comments, but now he has some urban street cred via hip-hop superstar Lil Wayne.

In Weezy's newest track "Banned From TV," the sports-obsessed rapper includes Coach Kiffin in a verse:

"Rock my hat to the side like I paint pictures. / Smoke weed, talk [expletive] like Lane Kiffin."

As he is known for unusual tactics (ie. his shirtless yell sessions), Kiffin will no doubt use this lyric in his future recruiting. Although the university can't be happy about the mention, Kiffin already acknowledged the Weezy name-drop today on Twitter.

@LaneKiffinUT: looking forward to another great practice today and a huge game Saturday ... also a huge shout-out to Lil Wayne for boosting our street cred!

Make sure you have headphones, because Lil Wayne's song is very NSFW. Enjoy the entire track or fast forward to the 1:13 mark.

(via Dr. Saturday)

Rose taking game & name to next level this season

Reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose is ready to take is game and his name to the next level this season. After leading the Bulls to the playoffs and to the brink of upsetting the #2 seed Boston Celtics in one of the most exciting series in recent memory, Rose had a very busy summer off the court.

John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote a nice profile on Rose today that spoke about his busy offseason getting healthy, improving his game and extending the D.Rose brand. However the soft-spoken and shy Rose's main focus is becoming the best point guard in the league. ''I just want to be the best at my position. Just compete every time I go out there and win games.''

Following the lead of young stars such as Dwight Howard, the NBA and adidas have made the 21-year-old Rose the center of their 2009-10 marketing campaigns. Rose filmed a TV spot for "NBA on TNT," featuring "The Office" actor Rainn Wilson. The campaign also stars Howard, Deron Williams and Gilbert Arenas.

adidas launched the brand's start of season campaign "It's On Me" a few weeks ago and Rose was front and center, joining established stars Howard, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Chauncey Billups.

The brand has teamed up with Eastbay to host a live online chat with Rose today at 7 p.m. ET. Fans will have the opportunity to ask the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year questions and view his live responses via video at www.eastbay.com/adidas. The live chat is in conjunction with the launch of Rose’s TS Cut Creator shoe and new additions to the TechFit apparel line, which will all become available on Eastbay.com during the session.

Expect Rose to blow up this season with an Eastern Conference All-Star spot and another Bulls playoff run on the horizon.

Sanchez donates hot dogs

NY Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez got caught snacking on a hot dog during the 4th quarter of the team's 38-0 victory over the Oakland Raiders, but has turned the media criticism into an opportunity to help the less fortunate.

ESPN's Shelly Smith reports that Sanchez has donated more than 1,000 hot dogs and hamburgers to the Community Soup Kitchen of Morristown, NJ.

Sanchez wasn't feeling well in the 4th quarter on Sunday, so he discretely chowed down on a Oakland Coliseum hot dog drenched in mustard. After receiving some criticism, he issued an apology.

Check out ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike in the Morning" chat about Sanchez hot dog controversy

FNL Finally Kicks Off Again!

The big day is finally here! "Friday Night Lights" returns to TV for season 4 tonight on DirecTV Channel 101 at 9pm ET. The very tumultuous off-season is over and thankfully NBC and DirecTV picked up two 13-episode seasons back in March.

Fearing cancellation after last season, FNL tied up several loose ends with the main characters and introduced the major cliffhanger of Dillon High firing Coach Taylor and the re-opened East Dillon High hiring him to rebuild their football program.

Creator Peter Berg and several cast members have been making the rounds this week promoting the new season. Check out a few preview articles and interviews below.

Peter Berg and Kyle Chandler interview with Los Angeles Times
Connie Britton interview with Wall Street Journal
Connie Britton on NBC's "The Today Show"
FNL review in USA Today

FNL review in New Jersey Star-Ledger
FNL review in New York Daily News
FNL review in Houston Chronicle

Kia starts engine again for NBA season

As the NBA season officially tipped off last night, league sponsors are launching their start of season marketing campaigns. Kia is in its second year as presenting partner of "NBA Tip Off Week" but first as the league's sole automotive partner. Last night the company aired its first-ever NBA-themed TV spot, featuring pre-game team huddles, player celebrations and highlights.

Kia's marketing campaign for this season features TV, print and online activation and the new TV commercial will air on ESPN, TNT, NBA TV and regional cable programming. In addition, the company will launch a NBA Tip-Off sweepstakes on ESPN.com, with the grand prize of tickets to the 2010 NBA Finals.

The new commercial claims that the Kia Sorento is the "Official Car of the NBA," however Lakers C Andrew Bynum doesn't agree. USA Today's Game On! blog reports that Bynum, who turned 22 yesterday and received his first NBA Championship ring, treated himself to a $50,000 Camero modeled after the "Bumblebee" character in Transformers.

(via Sports Business Daily)

Connie Britton previews FNL on Today Show

With only one day until the season 4 premiere of "Friday Night Lights," the anticipation is at an all-time high. Principal Taylor (Connie Britton) was on NBC's "The Today Show" this morning to promote the new season, preview the Dillon vs. East Dillon rivalry and give insight into the inner workings of the FNL set. The new season kicks-off Wednesday night on DirecTV Channel 101 at 9 pm EST.

(via FridayNightLightsFan.com)

Artest's opening night 'do

Ron Artest and his head of hair are now officially ready for his regular season debut tonight with the defending champ Lakeshow. Ball Don't Lie posted these amazing photos via one of Artest's many Twitter pages. According to Artest's @ThugRaider37, the characters on the left say "champion" in Chinese. Incredible!

NBA on ESPN RV Tour starts engine again

For the third straight season, the “NBA on ESPN RV Tour” will embark on a national road trip across the league. The program is a marketing promotion for ABC and ESPN’s NBA coverage and will be on-site at more than 20 regular season games this year, the NBA All Star Weekend and the NBA playoffs. The tour kicks off tomorrow at the San Antonio Spurs home opener vs. the New Orleans Hornets.

At each tour stop, NBA fans will have the opportunity to tour the RV and participate in activities such as free throw contests, vertical jump challenges and souvenir photo stations. Fans can track the RV’s progress online and view photos and videos of tour stops via the RV’s Facebook Fan Page and Twitter feed.

The best part of NBA on ESPN RV program are the comical TV spots. Over the last few seasons, viewers have been treated to a few laughs from ESPN talent Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Mike Breen along with NBAers such as Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce and Kevin Love.

To kick-off the '09-'10 season, NBA on ESPN has launched a new commercial featuring Van Gundy, Love and #1 draft pick Blake Griffin of the Clippers. Van Gundy better watch out for an ESPN curse, because Love (broken hand) and Griffin (stress fracture in knee) will spend an extended amount of time on the injured list.

LeBron Pledges his heart to new NBA season

It was quite an off-season for NBA MVP LeBron James. After a disappointing Eastern Conference Finals defeat to the Orlando Magic, the Cavs signed a possible Dwight Howard-stopper in Shaquille O'Neal and finally feature a capable outside shooter in Anthony Parker. In a very competitive Eastern Conference, Cleveland is the obvious favorite.

Off the court, James had an incredible off season as the story of his childhood is being played on movie screens across the country. "More Than A Game" is still in theaters and if you haven't seen it yet, please run to the nearest screen!

As the NBA season tips off this evening, Nike has released a new ad campaign "Play With Heart" featuring James pledging his heart to play the game with passion. Check out the short video below.

James, O'Neal and the Cavs open the new season tonight versus a healthy Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics at 7pm EST on TNT.

Jay-Z to open World Series

The New York Yankees will have extra inspiration before Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday as Brooklyn native Jay-Z will perform with fellow New Yorker Alicia Keys prior to the first pitch against the defending champ Philadelphia Phillies. The duo will sing their hit "Empire State of Mind," which has been a staple of Yankee games during the playoffs.

"First of all, the new [Yankee] Stadium — it's the Yankees and it's game one of the World Series. I'm beyond excited about it, and on top of that, it's a New York record. It's a record that pays homage to New York. The timing of that couldn't be better."

The Yanks have been blasting Jay-Z all throughout their playoff run. Derek Jeter has "Empire State of Mind" as his at-bat song and Alex Rodriguez's theme songs have been "Already Home" and "Reminder." In addition, Robinson Canó's at-bat song is "Run This Town."

Following "Empire State of Mind" performance, Keys will sing the national anthem. Both performances will air on FOX at 7:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday.

Sanchez gets caught eating hot dog

CBS TV cameras caught NY Jets QB Mark Sanchez eating a hot dog yesterday in the 4th quarters of his team's 38-0 against Oakland. Apparently, the rookie signal caller was feeling ill and the obvious medicine for a tummy ache is a Oakland Coliseum frank covered in mustard. The Raiders' rushing defense was the sick one, especially after giving up 312 yards and 4 TDs on the ground.

So how did Sanchez even get the hot dog? Did the water boy run up to concessions and buy one? Do the Raiders provide snacks for opposing teams? Regardless of how he got the snack, after the game Sanchez apologized for eating the wiener during the game.

"I want to apologize for that. I wasn't feeling very good and didn't eat much before the game, so I was feeling a little queasy. Toward the end of the game, I probably should have eaten one of those bars or something, but someone offered (a hot dog), so I grabbed it and tried to be discreet about it, but obviously not discreet enough. So I shouldn't have done that, and it won't happen again."

Montoya a good sport in "Taco-Gate"

ABC's college football analyst Bob Griese provided a quick lesson in race relations over the weekend with a comment about NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya during Ohio State's 38-7 victory over Minnesota on Saturday.

ABC was promoting its broadcast of Sunday's NASCAR race in Martinsville, VA while showing on screen the top five drivers in the Sprint Cup Series standings. Fellow analyst Chris Speilman asked where Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya was (Note: Montoya dropped from the top five after finishing 35th last week at Charlotte). Griese replied and giggled, "He's out having a taco."

Such a stupid comment by Griese, that was immediately blogged about on Saturday by major sports sites including Deadspin, SportsbyBrooks and SBNation.

Towards the end of the game, Griese offered a perfunctory apology:
"Juan Pablo Montoya, he's one of the best drivers in NASCAR. Just want to apologize for the comment I made earlier in the ballgame."

The best part of "Taco-gate" was that Montoya played it off and actually made fun of the whole situation. After finishing in 3rd place at Martinsville on Sunday, Montoya answered a few questions at a post-race news conference and of course Griese came up:

"I don't even know who he is. Somebody mentioned it to me. I don't really care to tell you the truth. I could say I spent the last three hours eating tacos, but I was actually driving the car."

At the press conference, fellow driver and three-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson got in on the fun by telling Montoya to "save me some tacos. I love tacos."

Lakers introduce new bench ritual

With the NBA season tip-off just a few days away, teams are putting the final touches on their preseason adjustments. The defending champs have looked solid in their warm-up games and have introduced a new wrinkle to their sideline etiquette.

As per the new NBA rule this season that says players on the bench must sit during games, the Lakers have tweaked their first basket ritual. During Thursday night's exhibition versus the Denver Nuggets, the Lakeshow bench introduced their new program.

It looks like back-up forward Josh Powell could use some extra work. He should check out "Major League" or any girl's high school basketball game from the late 90's.

(via Ball Don't Lie)

The Parkers star in London Fog campaign

NBA fans, get your jokes ready for Tony Parker this season. The Spurs star point guard and his wife, actress Eva Longoria Parker, will appear in a holiday marketing campaign for London Fog. The multi-media campaign will debut in December issues of fashion and lifestyle magazines such as Elle, Marie Claire and Gotham, and on outdoor billboards and online.

According to London Fog, the Parkers were featured because they epitomize the modern, romantic and aspirational London Fog lifestyle. "Eva and Tony are a gorgeous couple and look stunning in the campaign," Dari Marder, CMO for London Fog, said in a statement. "We are honored that they selected London Fog for their first fashion campaign together."

The San Antonio Express-News reports that at the photo shoot last month in Los Angeles, the couple snuggled and got cozy in the brand's outerwear and accessories and in one special shot, Eva seems to be wearing only a handbag as Tony's trench-coated arms strategically cover her.

Major anticipation for NBA season

In anticipation of the start of the 2009-10 regular season, the NBA has launched a new "Where Amazing Happens" spot featuring voice over by Kobe Bryant and footage of Joe Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Durant and others as they get ready for the season tip-off on Tuesday.

(via Ball Don't Lie)

Fathead goes old school

Everyone needs a Fathead right? Well now the older generation of NBA fans can decorate their walls with their favorite ballers. Fathead has announced that the company is launching a new line of officially licensed life-sized wall posters featuring stars of NBA past.

The NBA Legends line includes Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Clyde Drexler, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Dominique Wilkins Scottie Pippen and Patrick Ewing.

Each of these Fatheads also comes with seven additional pieces, including a limited edition ticket and Hardwood Classics logo.

"These extraordinary athletes and legends conjure up timeless moments that have inspired fans around the globe," comments Patrick McInnis, CEO, Fathead. "We are honored to produce these NBA Greats just in time for the 2009-2010 season."

Fathead products are high-definition images and designed with a special adhesive backing that allows fans to move the poster from wall to wall with no damage to the surface. Consumers are also able to create their own poster using the new Fathead Custom option.

LeBron wants to dunk on George W.

For those readers who have seen "More Than a Game," you can attest that the footage of LeBron James dunking in middle school was one of the most entertaining clips of the documentary.

In the November issue of Maxim, James was asked about the one person he would like to dunk on and it wasn't anyone in the NBA or even the sports world.

The NBA MVP got political with his answer: "If it doesn’t have to be a basketball player, George W. Bush. I would dunk on his ass, break the rim, and shatter the glass."

Very interesting answer for James, who is a strong supporter of President Obama. During the campaign, he contributed funds, took part in an early-voter registration rally and even hosted a free concert with Jay-Z to support Obama.

The Maxim interview also reveals the first time James was starstruck, discussion of the groupie situation as a teen and his thoughts on steroids. The full interview appears in the November issue of Maxim on newsstands now.

As one of the biggest names on the planet, have you ever met anyone who made you feel starstruck?
The first time I met Michael Jordan. I was a sophomore in high school, and it was an unbelievable experience for me. It didn't even feel like he was on the face of the Earth. This guy was more like an angel, like an alien or something

This month's documentary More Than a Game—about all the hype surrounding you and your high school teammates—doesn’t really show how you dealt with the groupie situation that comes with being a star at such a young age.
None of that stuff happened. That's all a facade. When people talk about girls coming up to their hotel rooms at 16 years old, that's a fantasy.

Why does basketball seem like the one sport that hasn't been rocked by steroid scandals?
It's something that's not done. I think it’s hurting baseball, because it wasn't banned and now it is 
banned, so it's hard to flush out completely. It's just something in the NBA that hasn't been done, so no one’s going to start. I wouldn't expect to see anybody taking steroids in the game of basketball. That would be kind of crazy.

KG to guest star on "Family Guy"

Anything is posssssssssible! Boston Celtics F Kevin Garnett will make an appearance on FOX's "Family Guy" on November 22 when Peter and the guys interview potential friends to fill the vacancy left by Cleveland.

According to The Futon Critic, things don't look so good for KG when it's discovered that Quagmire hates him. Should be an entertaining guest role, especially if Garnett does some yelling.

KG is not the first pro athlete (or Boston baller) to appear on "Family Guy." Pats QB Tom Brady made an appearance on the episode “Patriot Games” which originally aired on January 29, 2006, leading up to Super Bowl XL.

(via First Cuts)

Only 1 week until FNL!

With only one week until the much anticipated season 4 premiere of "Friday Night Lights," diehard fans are counting down the hours until kick-off on DirecTV Channel 101.

This season will be all about change in Dillon, TX. Most of the main characters have graduated, Dillon High School has fired Coach Taylor and the new school East Dillon has hired him to rebuild their football program. The town is now split into two new school districts and a intense rivalry has been born.

For a quick plot review and a behind-the-scenes look at the new season (no spoilers), check out this video below featuring Coach Taylor, Mrs. Taylor, Riggins, Landry, Julie and Buddy Garrity.

Terps & Gamecocks to honor vets with camo unis

The Maryland and South Carolina football teams will wear camouflage uniforms during their games on November 14th to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project, which acts as an advocate for injured service men and women in Washington and provides services and programs for them.

The black with tan camouflage uniforms, designed by Under Armour, will have a Wounded Warrior logo on them and instead of players' names, the backs of the jerseys will have words such as COMMITMENT, COURAGE, LOYALTY, INTEGRITY and SERVICE.

The 23rd-ranked Gamecocks play No. 2 Florida that day, and the Terrapins face No. 15 Virginia Tech. The two schools scheduled wearing the special uniforms around Veterans Day, which is Nov. 11.

"We're honored to be associated with these brave men. I like that word courage. We're trying to encourage our football players to play with a little more courage like the way these guys do for our country," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said at a news conference in Columbia, S.C.

These camo jerseys will be auctioned off after the games on the university Web sites, with all of the money being donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

NFL PLAYERS Launches YouTube Channel

NFL Players, the marketing and licensing arm of the NFL Players Association has announced the launch of the NFL Players YouTube channel. The channel features behind-the-scenes video of NFLers, player-generated videos, highlights from NFL Players' "Helmets Off" TV series and other NFLPA-themed material.

"The opportunity to circulate our unique player content through a highly trafficked channel like YouTube helps raise awareness and visibility for our players. It also provides an opportunity for partners and fans to engage our athletes on a much more personal (off-the-field) level," said Keith Gordon, Acting President, NFL PLAYERS.

The channel echoes the "Strength in Numbers" theme of this year's NFL Players brand campaign and the page offers links back to NFLPLAYERS.COM where fans can experience the interactive campaign and check out additional behind-the-scenes content related to their favorite players.

Here is an example of the featured contest on the NFL Players YouTube channel, a clip from the "Helmets Off" series featuring Ravens DB Samari Rolle as he travels to the Bahamas to trace the lineage of his family.

Ochocinco launches iPhone app

Although he isn't the first professional athlete to launch his own iPhone application (We featured Raptors F Chris Bosh's app back in June), Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco continues to be on the cutting edge of technology and social networking.

The outspoken and Twitter-obsessed wideout recently launched his own iPhone application that was created with the help of teammate, Bengals backup quarterback Jordan Palmer.

According to the AP, for $4.99 Ochocinco fans can follow his daily updates in photos, videos and tweets. There are sound bites in English and Spanish; a “What Would Ochocinco Do?” section; a place to post fan pictures; videos; a “Where’s Ocho?” section that tracks his travels; a place for news and more.

“It’s going to parallel what Chad does on the field,” Jordan Palmer said. “The app is a glimpse into his life. It’s got a little bit of everything.”

Carson's little brother burst on to the technology scene during training camp, when HBO's "Hard Knocks" featured a clip of him explaining his genius iPhone app "Run Pee," which suggests the best time to use the restroom during movies and summarizes the missed scenes.

In June, Palmer and two of his friends formed Rock Software, a company that creates applications for athletes and entertainers and the Ochocinco program is their highest profile app so far. #85 is doing his own part to drive sales by promoting it like crazy on Twitter today.

So now that his star teammate is a client, what is the obvious next move for Palmer? He has announced that another vocal NFL WR has signed a contract with Rock Software to get his own app. Be on the lookout for a Terrell Owens iPhone application in the near future.

JT mentors future NFL rookie dancers

During NFL Sunday Countdown, ESPN ran a clip from Kenny Mayne's online series, "Mayne Street," that featured Justin Timberlake mentoring future NFL offensive lineman in preparation for their rookie talent show performances. An akward segment, but it is nice to see the USC Trojans o-line get some much deserved coverage, even if it is just of them tearing up a rug.

(via USCRipsIt)

H.S. team takes foot out of football

Ever wonder what it would be like to play on a football team that doesn't kick...ever? Pulaski Academy High School of Little Rock, AR and coach Kevin Kelley always goes for it on 4th down and never kicks field goals.

The only kicking done by the Bruins is on kickoff, where 75% of the time, the squad team attempts and onside kick and they use 7 different formations to get the ball back. The Bruins have only punted 3 times in the last 3 years!

Kelley chatted with Jay Crawford on ESPN's "First Take" yesterday and explained his unique strategy. As crazy as it sounds, the Bruins have won 2 Arkansas state champions in last 7 years and last year won the 5A title.

FIFA 10 hits stores hard

Back in August, we previewed the North America cover for EA Sports' FIFA 10, featuring Frank Lampard of Chelsea FC, Cuauhtémoc Blanco of the Chicago Fire and Sacha Kljestan of Chivas USA. Today, the game hits stores for multiple platforms to rave reviews.

The Boston Herald's Mike Hammecker gives the game an A+ and writes, "the movement of ball and player is more thoughtful and realistic than ever." In addition, G4TV.com's Sterling McGarvey writes, "FIFA 10 renders the Beautiful Game more beautifully than ever before."

FIFA 10 features the first-ever true 360° dribbling system that gives players full control of the ball. For all your die-hard MLS fans, Blanco's patented move the "Blanco Bounce" (when he jumps with the ball held between his feet to escape defenders) is a featured skill move in the game.

EA announced today the launch of a nationwide, 15 city, five-week long program to promote the game. Two EA vehicles outfitted with 13 TVs along with PS3 systems will travel the East Coast while another team will visit West Coast cities, giving fans the opportunity to test out the game and win prizes from EA. The tour will be supported by an integrated marketing campaign, including live Twitter feeds, Facebook fan page updates and content on PlayStation.com.

EA celebrated their biggest European game launch in the company’s history two weeks ago, as more than 1.7 million copies of FIFA 10 sold during the first week of release. It will be interesting to compare the North American sale numbers starting today.

Although we won't see the full version of the below FIFA 10 commercial in the U.S., this UK TV spot is surely worth a viewing. "How Big Can Football Get?" stars Wayne Rooney of Manchester United, Karim Benzema of Real Madrid and Xavi of Barcelona and highlights just how popular the game is worldwide.

Griffin makes his grand entrance

Clippers #1 draft pick Blake Griffin made his grand entrance to the NBA stage last night in a preseason loss to the defending champ Lakers. The 6'10" power forward completely posterized Lakers' backup center DJ Mbenga in the 4th quarter with a viscous slam dunk that was all over ESPN's "Sportscenter" last night.

In a NBA.com survey, close to 80% of the league's GMs picked Griffin to win rookie of the year. He is certainly on his way, scoring 13 points and 12 rebounds in the loss last night. After the game, he was his typical understated (boring) self when speaking about the dunk.

"It was a good pass, I just tried to go up and finish," Griffin said. "I don't keep track of a personal highlight film. Something like that was fun. Still gotta get better."

Enjoy the video below and in the words of Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy: "Pretty spectacular. You know it's good when the Lakers bench reacts to it."

(via Ball Don't Lie)

Blue Devil basketballers are film buffs

On Friday, we posted the ESPNU TV schedule covering the tip-off of the NCAA men's basketball season, "March Madness" and one perennial powerhouse launched a special team poster for the upcoming season.

Duke unveiled its 2009-2010 team poster Friday night and on its official Twitter page this weekend. The News & Observer covered the Blue Devils' "Midnight Madness" event minute-by-minute and called the new poster "a mild surprise." Entitled "GoodFellas" and inspired by the 1990 Martin Scorsese film, the team is depicted gathered around a nightclub table in dark suits instead of basketball uniforms.

Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and the historically goofy-looking Duke basketball squad is the one team in the NCAA that is not intimidating in photos. Check it out via Yahoo! Sports' The Dagger.

In addition to the above poster, at Duke's "Midnight Madness" event the below video which features Blue Devils reenacting famous scenes in various films was a huge hit. Assistant Coach Steve Wojiechowski and Guard Nolan Smith get Academy Award recognition for their performances.

(via The Dagger)

Limited edition MJ rookie Bulls uni hits stores

The best holiday gift for your favorite sports fan? A week from today, retro jersey specialist Mitchell & Ness will release a limited edition Michael Jordan rookie home Bulls jersey. The launch date (Oct. 26th) is the 25th anniversary of Jordan’s first NBA game.

According to Darren Rovell of CNBC, the $375 collection features an authentic reproduction of Jordan’s 1984 Bulls white home jersey and comes in a black wooden box. The jersey is limited to 1,264 pieces, representing one jersey for the games he played in his 15-year NBA career. Each jersey is individually numbered and comes with a silver plated recap of the particular game that corresponds to that jersey’s number. The least exciting portion of the collection is probably the Certificate of Authenticity, signed by NBA commish David Stern.

Rovell describes that to honor MJ, the NBA Store in Manhattan will stay open an hour later, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on the 26th, coinciding with the tip-off time of Jordan’s first game. NBA TV will also air Jordan’s first game on the 26th.

In addition to the NBA store, the jersey will be available at NBAStore.com, the Chicago Bulls team store and the Mitchell & Ness flagship store in Philadelphia. Interesting to note that Mitchell & Ness was purchased in November 2007 by adidas, which is the official apparel supplier of the NBA.

NBA launches two new marketing campaigns

With only a week until the new season tips off, the NBA is launching two new marketing campaign to promote 2009-10. One project is a targeted Hispanic campaign called “enebea,” while the other is a new TV campaign called “Words,” which builds off the league’s popular “Where Amazing Happens.”

The Hispanic marketing campaign is called "enebea" (the Spanish pronunciation of NBA) and according to the Sports Business Journal, the league hopes to expand its reach among a demographic that makes up 15% of its fan base.

The new campaign includes increased TV and Internet exposure plus a Spanish-language Web site with news and features on Hispanic players. The NBA will also renovate basketball courts in Hispanic neighborhoods.

"I think that it's a great idea," said New Jersey Nets F Eduardo Najera, who is Mexican. "I think it's only going to help for Hispanics to identify with players besides the Hispanic ones, and overall I think it's going to be a great chance for them to feel included in the NBA. I'm happy about that." According to AP, Najera is one of 19 players in the NBA from six Latin American countries.

The "Words" TV campaign builds off the NBA's popular "Where Amazing Happens" project and is via ad agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. "Word" will consist of ten 30-second TV spots featuring voice-overs from current and retired NBA stars. The project will launch during TNT's coverage of Thursday's Nuggets-Lakers preseason game.

March Madness Kicks Off Tonight

ESPNU will officially kick-off the new season of NCAA basketball tonight as the network will air coverage of nine school's "Midnight Madness" events including defending champs North Carolina and Final Four participants Michigan State and UConn.

The nine powerhouse schools (besides N. Dakota St.) are the most "Madness" teams featured on the ESPN networks since they began covering the kick-off back in 1993. ESPNU's coverage will air from 9:00pm-1:00am ET, with ESPN2 simulcasting the coverage from 11:30pm-midnight.

ESPNU's Lowell Galindo will host the show alongside ESPN's Andy Katz and analyst Adrian Branch. Check out the full broadcast schedule below via Sports Business Daily.

NBA launches online rule book

Ever watch a NBA game and wonder what the difference is between a first-degree flagrant foul and a second-degree? The league today launched an online video rule book that brings to life more than 100 rules by using video clips from actual NBA games.

The site features several videos for each rule along with a written explanation. Rule descriptions include everything from traveling, charging, illegal screens and flagrant fouls.

Most of the clips are from the last two seasons and include some high-profile plays. The flagrant-foul section includes two clips from the 2008 playoffs: Hawks F Marvin Williams destroying Celtics PG Rajon Rondo on a breakaway and Wizards C Brendan Haywood shoving LeBron James in the air as he went to the hoop in Cleveland.

“It’s very difficult, unless you’ve played the game at a very high level, or better yet, officiated the game at a very high level, to understand the complexity of our rules simply by reading them,” said Stu Jackson, the N.B.A.’s executive vice president for basketball operations.

According to Howard Beck of the New York Times, the video rule book was conceived about a year and a half ago by Jackson, but was not inspired by the Donaghy case or by the ensuing study, known as the Pedowitz report, that assessed the state of the N.B.A.’s referee program.

This is the perfect time to educate fans on league rules as this season will feature replacement referees. Expect even more heckling of the refs, but at least vocal fans will now be correctly educated on the nuances of the NBA rulebook.

Kareem's UCLA education on display

Former Lakers legend and Andrew Bynum "tutor" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made a memorable appearance on last night's broadcast of "Jeopardy." The Double Jeopardy" round featured a celebrity edition and Abdul-Jabbar selected "I Went To UCLA" for $400.

Before reading the answer, host Alex Trebek said, "You're going to love it." The answer was, "Tell your old man to drag this '70s UCLA and Trail Blazer center (and Lanier) up and down the court for 48 minutes." Abdul-Jabbar answered "Who is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?" however the correct answer was, "Who is Bill Walton?"

The line is actually from the movie "Airplane" and was even said by Abdul-Jabbar's character. How did "The Capain" forget this?

Trebek gave him a little crap about it, but Jabbar was a good sport.

Trebek: "You're the one who delivered the line, but it was about Bill Walton."

Picking the next answer, Abdul-Jabbar said, "I Went To UCLA': almost. For $800"

(via The Baseline)

Another Super Bowl for MC Hammer and Cash4Gold

Cash4Gold announced today that the company is planning a Super Bowl party that will feature spokesman MC Hammer dancing in the vaults at their Pompano Beach, Fla headquarters. The three-time Grammy Award-winner and company spokesman MC Hammer broke the news via Twitter:

@MCHammer: "I'm throwing a party (invite only) inside the Vaults at the Cash4Gold HQ during Super Bowl Week!! Gold will be melted while we dance!!"

This will be the second Super Bowl in a row that Cash4Gold and Hammer have teamed up for activation. Last year, Hammer and Ed McMahon were featured in 30-second ad during the big game.

Cash4Gold CEO Jeff Aronson noted: "Our Super Bowl commercial with MC Hammer kicked off a long-standing friendship and business relationship which we look forward to continuing, whether we are working hard together, playing hard or giving back to the community through charitable work."

Cash4Gold's dance party at company headquarters will surely be a hot ticket during Super Bowl week. We can only hope that the NFL's best dancers will show up to shred the floor with Hammer. Who wouldn't want to see Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco or Ravens LB Ray Lewis in a dance circle with Hammer Time?

Stafon surprises the Trojans!

24 hours after being released from a Los Angeles hospital, USC running back Stafon Johnson surprised the Trojans during their team meeting this morning. Pete Carroll orchestrated this exciting send off for the Men of Troy prior to their trip later day to South Bend, IN.

Johnson was hospitalized for 17 days after his freak weightlifting accident. The players and coaches were stunned by #13's appearance and cheered loudly before greeting their injured teammate. The Trojans will be wearing a special helmet sticker honoring Johnson starting this Saturday versus Notre Dame.

Pete Carroll just posted this video on his Twitter page and check out the official USC blog, USCRipsIt.com for additional photos and video.

(via USCRipsIt.com)

Orton is NFL's most environmentally friendly QB

While many NFL players cruise town in gas-guzzler luxury cars, Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton is very proud of his environmentally friendly Honda Insight. The first-year Bronco feels right at home in Colorado amongst the eco-friendly residents.

I've been driving a hybrid for four years now and I love it," Orton said. "Everybody has their choice, and it's a personal choice for me. I think it's easy for someone to do."

Although the Broncos have sported bright orange and blue uniforms (and even the disgusting mustard and brown throwbacks) this season, Orton is green all the time. He upgraded to his 44 miles/gallon Honda hybrid after trading in his Toyota Prius.

According to the Denver Post, Orton's environmentally friendly ways didn't just start when he was traded to the Broncos. While playing for the Chicago Bears, Orton emceed an Earth Day event at the Lincoln Park Zoo and joined Cool Globes, a group that raises money for environmental education in the Chicago public school system.

As a Bear, Orton even led the effort for the team to start recycling. The Bears now print their playbook on recycled paper. The Broncos of course have been recylcing for years.

So does being environmentally friendly result in clutch wins? Regardless of what he drives, Orton and the surprise Broncos are 5-0 and his play and beliefs have inspired teammates.

"Anytime a person is able to take up a cause or show their support for something, it shows they're secure in their thoughts and beliefs," Broncos right tackle Ryan Harris said. "I think that translates to how he plays the game. He's secure and confident in his abilities."

Bucs Ban Hip-Hop

With a record of 0-5, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could use inspiration wherever they can find it. However, Coach Raheem Morris has banned the popular hip-hop music from the warm-up portion of practice.

"We canned the music today. We've got to get back into it," Morris said. "We can't use music to motivate us. We can't go out and stretch and need music to help us. What's going to motivate you? How are you going to be motivated? We motivated ourselves today by reliving that sick feeling from Sunday that we've been having.

According to The Tampa Tribune, Jay-Z, Diddy, T.I. and T-Pain were the artists most frequently played at Bucs practice, but now the team must warm-up in silence and reflect on their losing ways. Morris believes that the time spent getting hyped up to music can be better used to focus on mistakes made.

"We can't wait until Sunday to feel bad about (a loss). You've got to feel bad about it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and that's when you get ready to deal with it. When you deal with it all those couple of days of the week, you're ready to deal on Sunday so you can come back in here feeling pretty good."

The Bucs are going to attempt to run this town on Sunday at home versus the 1-3 Carolina Panthers.

E:60 tells Ware family story

Dallas Cowboys perennial Pro Bowl LB DeMarcus Ware is no doubt a ferocious pass rusher and viscous tackler. But off the field, the soft-spoken Ware and his high school sweatheart wife have gone through an insanely heartbreaking journey to start a family.

ESPN's E:60 told Ware's story Tuesday night. The 12-minute video, narrated by Michael Smith is a must watch and highlights the incredible strength of the Ware family.

Regardless if you are a football fan, this segment will no doubt invoke plenty of emotion. Thankfully, the Ware family story has a happy ending. Check it out.

Zidane recruits Kaka for "Ultimate Team"

In preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, tournament sponsor adidas is releasing a series of graphic novel-type videos staring international soccer legend Zinedine Zidane as he searches the globe to assemble the "Ultimate Team."

In the first chapter of the series, an animated Zidane visited Liverpool where he recruited England's Steven Gerrard to be the team's "Powerhouse." Chapter 2 featured German footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger as "The Illusionist."

In the newest video below, Zidane travels to Spain to observe "The Maestro," Real Madrid star Kaká. Check out the full graphic novel here.

Chris Andersen is the Beardman

Although Denver Nuggets F Chris Andersen is known around the NBA as "The Birdman" for his gigantic wingspan, high-flying game and wing tattoos on his inner biceps, this season folks will be calling the 6'10" shot-blocker "The Beardman."

During his youth basketball camp in Denver, Andersen told the Denver Post he would not be shaving his beard until his wedding in June 2010. He should overtake Wizards G DeShawn Stevenson and Mavericks F Drew Gooden as having the largest facial hair in NBA history.

It was a huge summer for Andersen, who not only got engaged but re-signed with the Nuggets for a five-year deal worth up to $26 million. Will he be able to go an entire NBA season without shaving?

The Nuggets should make a strong playoff run this season, so there will be a good amount of perspiration under Andersen's scruff this year. His agent should definitely start setting up sponsorship deals with shaving products.

Dwight takes over Venice Beach for EA

After a defeat in the NBA Finals, Orlando Magic C Dwight Howard had an extremely busy summer off the basketball court. Whether it was making his feature film debut or shooting commercials for adidas, VitaminWater, TNT and EA Sports, Howard is going to appear on literally every screen this season.

The EA Sports coverboy shot a creative video this summer to promote the launch of NBA Live 10. Howard took over the famous Venice Beach, CA courts by blocking shots of little kids, dunking on local ballers, bench-pressing at Muscle Beach and placing NBA Live 10 stickers all over the place. Who doesn't enjoy watching a 7-footer play against a mariachi band or a group of mimes?

Check out this great EA Sports video promoting NBA Live 10.

adidas Launches New Campaign for NBA Season

With the NBA tip-off two weeks away, adidas is launching the brand's 2009-10 basketball campaign titled, “It’s On Me for My Brotherhood” featuring Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups, Tim Duncan and other NBA stars.

The new campaign officially tips-off October 15 in conjunction with the re-launch of http://www.adidasbasketball.com/ and “It’s On Me for My Brotherhood” tells the story of the gear that adidas' NBA stars use to improve performance and strengthen the brand's Brotherhood.

The revamped site will feature athlete films, interviews and behind the scenes footage from various events. Check out this clip of the top adidas ballers sharing what “It’s On Me,” means to them.

The adidas Youtube page features individual video clips staring Derrick Rose, Chauncey Billups, Josh Smith, Michael Beasley and Tim Duncan.

"The Band That Wouldn't Die" debuts tonight

ESPN's "30 for 30" film series kicked off last week with Peter Berg's "The King's Ransom," which highlighted how Wayne Gretzky's trade from Edmonton to Los Angeles influenced the game of hockey in general and the NHL in particular. The next film in the series debuts tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson's "The Band That Wouldn't Die," showcases the Baltimore Colts marching band that continued to perform after the team moved to Indianapolis in 1984.

Levinson, who won an Academy Award for “Rain Man,” was a passionate Baltimore Colts fan and through the sights and sounds of the team's marching band, he shows how a city copes with losing a beloved team.

Check out the extended video clip below and be sure to take a listen to a new podcast from "30 for 30" Executive Producer Bill Simmons and Levinson as they discuss tonight's film, "The Natural," "Rain Man" among other topics.

Sactown Mayor KJ Robbed in SF

Former NBA great and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson was one of the best point guards of the last 20 years, but over the weekend the former Phoenix Sun star gave out one too many assists.

The Mayor was reportedly robbed on the streets of San Francisco over the weekend while helping an elderly man get into a cab. Johnson's garment bag was stolen as he was being a good samaritan, losing a suit, a pair of shoes and some personal items.

Johnson detailed the incident on his blog: "The real crime was the vulnerability of it all, the idea that I could leave my bag on a crowded street, turn my back for 30 seconds and have my stuff stolen."

KJ also had some words for SF Mayor Newsom:
"Next time I see San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, I'll tell him the story and give him my word nothing like that will happen to him in Sacramento. And I'll hope I can make good on the promise."

Looks like the Sactown/SF rivalry continues. They should really settle this on the hardwood. A special KJ story assist to ShanYe.

Shaq vs. Baby Shaq

LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and the Cleveland Cavaliers took on former Atlanta Hawk Josh Childress and Olympiakos of the Greek League last night in an intriguing exhibition. This was a nice preseason test for the Cavs, as James matched up against the former NBAer Childress and O'Neal battled Sofoklis Schortsanitis, the 6-10, 310-pound center who was nicknamed "Baby Shaq" prior to the 2003 NBA Draft. Schortsanitis was drafted in the 2nd round by the LA Clippers, but never left Greece. Smart move big man.

On paper this seemed like a good match up, but the Cavs look as if they are in mid season form. The real Shaq looked very comfy in his Cavs uni and scored 12 points and had five rebounds in 21 minutes (including two huge dunks. James matched Shaq with 12 points and had seven assists and two steals in 23 minutes. Check out the highlights below.

Another awkward "NBA on TNT" commercial

Last week, we posted the first TV spot for TNT's "NBA on TNT" campaign, featuring "The Office" actor Rainn Wilson as an unfunny cab driver and Magic C Dwight Howard as Superman.

The newest commercial to hit the tube again features Wilson, but this time Wizards G Gilbert Arenas takes a ride. Another short, awkward and unfunny commercial for TNT's NBA broadcast.

There is one more spot in the campaign tht will launch shortly featuring Bulls G Derrick Rose. This should be the least funny of the three as Rose doesn't nearly have the personality of Howard or Arenas.

If they wanted a few chuckles, TNT really should have cast Kevin, Toby or Creed over Dwight.

(via Ball Don't Lie)

Ochocino gets rocked, pleads to Commish

Which was the bigger surprise yesterday, that Carson Palmer and the Cincinnati Bengals drove the field for a game-winning TD versus the Baltimore Ravens, or that WR Chad Ochocino survived a bone-crushing hit from LB Ray Lewis?

During the game-winning drive, Bengals QB Carson Palmer sailed a pass over the head of Ochocinco, who jumped into the air trying to make the catch. As the ball passed him, he was destroyed by Lewis, causing his helmet to pop off. Ochocinco immediately got up from the turf looking for a penalty and Lewis was flagged for unnecessary roughness. The drive continued and ultimately Palmer found Andre Caldwell for the winning TD. Skip to 3:43 to check out the Lewis-Ochocinco hit.

Surprisingly, Ochocinco didn't have any hard feelings for Lewis after the game. He literally had the exact opposite. The outspoken receiver spoke his mind on Twitter.

OGOchoCinco: Beautify game, Ray knock my head off, all part of the game, I love my big brother Ray Lewis, hope you all enjoyed thee event !!!!!

#85 even sent NFL Comish Roger Goodell a message via Twitter suggesting not to punish Lewis:

OGOchoCinco: @nflcommish please don’t fine Ray Lewis Mr. Roger Goodell, it was a clean hit, it’s part of the game, save the fines for me, Esteban out.

The most ironic aspect of this story is that on Saturday, Ochocinco Tweeted a video link of Lewis destroying him in a 2007 game, with the message:

OGOchoCinco: this will not happen to me again, I’ve gained 15 pounds since this play!!!

Regardless of Ochocinco's plea to Goodell, Lewis SHOULD be fined for his brutal helmet-to-helmet hit yesterday. The league is obsessed with protecting star QBs, but it should really take a stand against over aggressive hits across the middle of the field.