As I was perusing ESPN.com, I came across an interesting installment on their Page 2 Power Rankings. For the uninitiated, Page 2 Power Rankings is a light-hearted ranking of the top sports-related stories grabbing headlines over the previous week (or two, or three, I’m not sure of the frequency). As a Minnesotan and an NFL
Often Imitated, Never Duplicated: The Quizzical Case of Celebrity Look Alikes
While I was perusing ESPN.com shortly after the Masters, I came across an interesting article about a Tiger Woods lookalike. The article was a bit dated, and was probably recycled because of Tiger’s upcoming Master’s appearance, but it sparked interest nonetheless.
My first question was, “How big of a market exists for the celebrity lookalike
Sportscaster Speech Slaughter And The Need For Distinction
Now that my blood pressure has returned to near normal levels after my beloved Blue Devils barely eked out the NCAA basketball title (and I do mean barely), now feels like a good time to reflect on the daily bludgeoning the English language receives from sports telecasts.
Seriously, is there any class of professionals
Tiger’s Personal Brand of Apology?
Putting aside the questions of whether Tiger Woods needed to or should have made a public apology, the timing of it, and even the content of it, now that Brand Tiger made the decision to do so and did so last Friday, I’m interested more with how Tiger conveyed it and the likely impact it will have on
Who Owns WHO DAT?
— Karen Brennan, Attorney
In light of the recent Super Bowl victory by the New Orleans Saints, I think a brief discussion of the recent squabble over ownership of the phrase “who dat” is in order.
In case you have not been following the story, the phrase “who dat” is commonly used by football
Shaq is Attacking to Protect His Likeness
You may have heard the phrase “Shaq Attaq” referring to the famous NBA player and gold medal winner Shaquille O’Neal’s basketball skills. While he played basketball in Arizona for the Phoenix Suns, the Arizonians nicknamed him “The Big Cactus” and “The Big Shaqtus” in reference to the combination of Mr. O’Neal and an Arizona cactus
A Plural New Year’s Resolution For ESPN
Apparently I’m rapidly fading from ESPN’s target demographic. This became painfully clear to me over the holiday season, with ESPN’s Bowl Week promotion, featuring Atlantic’s hip-hop artist B.O.B. performing "I Am The Champion":
It’s not that ESPN is promoting an up and coming rapper, I understand that marketing decision. It’s the title and lyrics of
The Freezman Cometh?
Worries about having a white Christmas in Minneapolis and elsewhere have been quiet this year. Thus far, we have spent far more than our typical time shoveling some especially heavy wet snow this holiday season, but don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.
I do have snow on my mind, however, because each time I think
Supreme Court Asked to Review Washington Redskins Trademark Case
Back in May, I wrote a piece entitled “Re-Branding Madness in Washington” Overlooks Obvious: The Washington Redskins,” discussing the trademark cancellation action that I filed on behalf of seven prominent Native American leaders back in September 1992 (Harjo et al v. Pro-Football, Inc.), and calling for the football team to “hire a branding