Tag: Detroit

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Unique Opportunity

Listening to ESPN Radio in the lead-up to Sunday’s Super Bowl, I heard several former players talk about their career experiences. The Patriots’ All-Pro linebacker Teddy Bruschi mentioned playing in five championship games over 12 years. When he said it was no fun losing two of the Roman numeral classics, an ex defensive tackle – who never got there in a decade of chances – said, “I’m not feeling sorry for you.”

The Super Bowl, of course, is the biggest thing in American sports, with the nation – and many around the world – stopping to watch the plays, see the halftime performance and check out the new commercials. It’s become a tradition to gather with family and friends each February for cheering, celebration and critiquing… and a lot of good food.

My personal brush with greatness that is the Super Bowl happened 30 years ago this month. As a 21-year-old producer of sports at a local television station in Dallas, my heart was ripped out when Dwight Clark out-leaped Everson Walls to beat the Cowboys in the NFC Championship and send the 49ers on to Detroit where they won the first of their five titles. I was standing just yards away when he made what came to be forever known as ‘The Catch.’ Unfortunately, that’s the closest I’ve come to making it to football’s summit.

So when you watch the Super Bowl, regardless of which team you’re rooting for, think about all the players who will only have this one opportunity to perform on that stage. It takes years of hard work and dedication to make it in the NFL, and a few athletes will never again experience such lofty heights. Here’s hoping it’s a great game… and some unheralded player turns in the performance of his life.

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Like a Rock

‘Giddyup giddyup 409’… ‘And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye’… ‘I remember when rock was young’… ‘We’re going racing in the streets’… ‘Baby you’re much too fast.’ These lyrics are from songs – by The Beach Boys, Don McLean, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and Prince – that pay tribute to a manufacturing icon: Chevrolet. From the BelAir, to the Corvette, to the Camaro, Chevy exemplifies the ‘heartbeat of America’ to multiple generations of car enthusiasts.

When Dinah Shore sang, “See the U.S.A in your Chevrolet” in the 1950’s, she popularized the brand with millions watching on the emerging technology of television. Sponsorships of Bonanza and Bewitched solidified the company in the minds of parents. Then the 1963 redesign of Corvette into the Stingray and the 1967 introduction of the Camaro made Chevy the envy of teenagers and sports car lovers. Things were good for decades in Detroit. As the famous commercial noted: “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.”

Like all companies, Chevy has its share of legacy clunkers. In the ’60s, Ralph Nader took the company to task for the faulty rear suspension of Corvair. The Vega’s engine problems and overall poor quality in the ’70s signaled the beginning of the end of America’s reign as automobile manufacturing king. The SSR – released in 2004 – tried to capitalize on the ‘retro’ movement. Time magazine described it as a “putative performance machine, heavy, underpowered and unforgivably lazy.” Then there was that whole bailout and bankruptcy at GM three years ago. Don’t look for that episode to be featured in any Chevy historical film.

It’s been a long journey for the company French racecar driver Louis Chevrolet started a century ago today with ousted GM founder William C. Durant… and there is reason to be excited about the future. Silverado is the number two selling vehicle in the country. Equinox and Cruze rank among the top 15. The plug-in hybrid Volt, released last December at a manufacturer’s suggested price of $40,000, is the most fuel-efficient car on the road with an EPA rating of 93 mpg. Like any organization, Chevy proves innovation and stick-to-it-ness are essential for long-term success.

Happy 100th birthday, Chevrolet.

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Ho Hum

You would think a Super Bowl that came down to the final minute before the Packers were assured of victory over the Steelers would be memorable; however, last night’s game didn’t seem as suspense-filled as the past three close contests.

The halftime show with the Black Eyed Peas disappointed, thanks to poor audio and over-production. Going forward, maybe it would be better to stick to the normal 12 minutes and skip the entertainment.

As for the commercials… well, it’s clear the golden age of ‘Did you see that one?’ spots is past. Most these days are average, a few are entertaining and some are obvious examples of ad agencies wasting clients’ money. Note to E-Trade: Time to retire the talking baby.

The best ad of Super Bowl XLV was a freebie: the NFL spot in which all the sit com stars of old were outfitted in team gear. (No, they didn’t really wear those back in the day. It was, as my father used to say, ‘trick photography’ thanks to computer animation.)

Here is my analysis, based on the reactions of those around me:

Best

“Hack Job” – The game’s first spot about a kitchen remodeling that consists solely of placing a six-pack of Bud Light on the counter tops the list. Simplicity at its finest.

“Young Darth Vader” – Everyone loved the little kid trying to find his ‘force.’ The shock on his face when dad remotely starts the VW was a terrific finish.

“Detroit” – The teenagers at our party unanimously felt Eminem’s third quarter Chrysler spot was the highlight of the game.

“You Gonna Finish Those?” – There was great laughter when the Doritos lover licks the fingers of his co-worker. Pulling off another’s pants and smelling them… not so much.

“Dog Party” – There weren’t a lot of animal spots, so this Bud Light commercial where canines put on a blowout while master is out of town stood out.

Worst

“Godzilla” – Outstanding animation in this Coke spot but it left our room saying, “What was the point of that exactly?”

“Compact” – After much build-up in the playoff teaser commercials, the multiple Hyundai spots were big letdowns.

“Cram It in the Boot” – I have no idea what Mini was trying to accomplish with this ad.

“Shape Up” – The night’s last spot in which a beautiful woman tantalizes her hunky trainer missed the mark. Oh, that’s Kim Kardashian?

“Tibet” – Something tells me a few folks are getting fired this morning at Groupon for making light of a serious situation. Timothy Hutton should look for a new agent.

Noteworthy

“1984 Redux” – Thought Apple had hit a home run with this sequel to their legendary Super Bowl XVIII ad. Then it turned out to be Motorola Zoom. Talk about stealing your competitor’s thunder. Nice surprise.

“Product Placement” – This Bud Light spot spoofing how filmmakers allow advertisers to impact storylines was a hit. Everyone should take a lesson from Bud Light: terrific ads throughout the game.

“Just Send” – Faith Hill is always worth watching, although a few executives at TeleFlora are asking right now, “Who approved that?”

“Reply All” – Good comment by Bridgestone on the perils of e-mail. I also liked their commercial where the beaver pays back a driver six months later.

“Joan Rivers” – I thought it was hilarious when the new Go Daddy celebrity turns out to be the face-lift queen. Then one of the teenage boys near me said, “We were getting all excited until she showed up. Then we were just grossed out.”

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Thinking Young

So I guess this is the way it’s going to be from here on out. Having turned 50 in June, I have received at least three direct mail offers in the last few months from AARP about joining their organization. Really? I have 10 more consecutive years of kids’ college tuition to pay – having only completed the first two. Plus, after the ‘lost decade’ of investment earnings, any thoughts of retirement aren’t circling around my head.

The good news is I can still run five miles in under 43 minutes – and my endurance continues to increase in the swimming class I began 10 weeks ago. I had a heart CT scan two weeks ago that came back perfectly fine, and later this month there’s that wonderful procedure us older folks get to enjoy called a colonoscopy. Ah, the fun that comes with the changing of the calendar.

At the recent Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony, the first speaker was former Detroit Lions defensive back Dick LeBeau, who started his playing career the year before I was born and retired form the NFL in 1972. He’s spent the past 38 seasons as a coach and earned two Super Bowl rings this decade as defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dick LeBeau will be 73 years old in a few weeks. He looks 20 years younger, and so far this year has shot his age on the golf course 18 times. The final minutes of his induction speech really impacted me… and I repeat them here in hopes they’ll touch you too:

“Life is for living, folks. Don’t let a number be anything other than a number. Don’t let somebody tell you that you’re too old to do this or too old to do that. Stay in life. Life is a gift. It’s a joy. Don’t drop out of it. Don’t let somebody else tell you and don’t let your mind tell you.

If I would have gotten out of my life’s work at 65 or 67, when they say is the age of retirement, here is what I would have missed, folks. I would have missed not one but two World Championship football teams that I got to be a part of…. I got to be a part of a number one defense that statistically had the lowest numbers in the last 35 or 40 years. I had my number retired from my high school. Had a building named after me in my hometown. I made the Detroit Lions all 75-year team. I was accepted into the Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Now tonight I guess when I sit down, get off this speaking, which I’m gonna do, I’ll be in the NFL Hall of Fame.

My mother always said, ‘Onward and upward, age is just a number.’ God love y’all. Thank you.”

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