This issue is sponsored by Chris Meyer, author of Life in 20 Lessons: What a Funeral Guy Discovered About Life, from Death and The ‘Wood, who is excited to announce his upcoming book, Four Months … And A Lifetime.
Four Months … And A Lifetime is the touching true story of a father who coached his son’s basketball team from kindergarten through eighth grade, a remarkable nine-year journey with the same boys.
Their final march to the eighth-grade season Championship is interspersed with Chris Meyer’s own journey of falling in love with basketball in early-seventies New York, filled with anecdotes of Dr. J, sneaking into Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium, and playing pickup in Larry Bird’s home state of Indiana. This is not only a love story about a father and his son, but of a coach who strived to teach his team the greatest game of basketball and, hopefully, a few life lessons along the way.
You can purchase your copy of Four Months … And A Lifetime anywhere books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books. The audiobook is also available on Audible and iTunes.
Issue 118: Baffling NBA Player Endorsements and Sponsorships
For as long as there have been sports, there have been athletes hawking products.
Sometimes, the pairings make sense. Michael Jordan and Nike. Shaq and Papa John’s.
Other times? Not so much. Let’s look at some bizarre endorsement deals.
Anthony Davis and Mobil 1
ExxonMobil signed Anthony Davis back in 2018 to promote their Mobil 1 line of synthetic motor oil. Here’s what Davis had to say about the partnership:
“I use Mobil 1 because just like I take pride in my defense on the court, ExxonMobil engineers take pride in ensuring that their motor oil provides outstanding performance and protection for a vehicle’s engine. I hope everyone enjoys our new commercials – they will certainly raise some eyebrows.”
Kudos to Davis for embracing the brow. But I have more questions than answers.
Why is Anthony Davis so tiny here? Why are his claps so ridiculous? How many games of chess has he played?
I think I like these commercials. I just don’t understand the connection between a tall NBA player and motor oil.
Wilt Chamberlain and Fletcher’s Castoria for Children
If you’re not familiar with Fletcher’s, perhaps you have a strong bowel game.
But sometimes, you need a little extra push. And Wilt Chamberlain — with an assist from his mom — delivers just what we needed.
The best line in here comes from Mama Chamberlain:
“When Wilt was sluggish and needed a laxative, I always gave him Fletcher’s Castoria. And soon he began to feel like himself.”
Hedo Turkoglu and Pizza Pizza
Earlier in this email, I said the partnership between Shaq and Papa John’s makes sense. Shaq is an enormous man that likes pizza, and Papa John’s needed a universally beloved figure after their OG founder decided to make some terrible comments.
But this pizza pairing? It kind of didn’t work out.
Hedo Turkoglu only utters three unique words in this commercial with Pizza Pizza, a Canadian pizza chain. And it summed up his time in Toronto nicely.
Turkoglu signed the largest contract in franchise history at the time, a robust $53 million over five years.
Instead, he gained weight, clashed with management, and had a rough season.
He was even a healthy scratch from a game after people saw him out at a nightclub immediately after sitting out with a stomach virus.
After that one ill-fated season, he was traded.
At least this commercial was accurate about his pregame meal.
That’s all ’til next time. Thanks for reading!
Joey
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