Launching D-Wade

Seems like a new athlete is launched as a brand every three years...

Well, the brand called of Dwayne Wade seems to be sticking upon the minds of consumers. Check out this article from BusinessWeek.

A lot of marketers don't believe that a superstar from a team sport can become a great brand marketer. However, basketball players are different cases. They're faces are seen throughout a game, and their highlights and performaces are shown more frequently than NFL, golfers, tennis, or MLB players.

Despite what Steve Zucker believes in the article, I believe Wade is aligning himself with emerging brands.

Converse has been rattling the cages in terms of re-marketing the Converse brand. Check out the site, here. Informative, simple and tasteful...yet solid. And, if Zucker hasn't noticed, T-Mobile Sidekicks are steamin' in the minds of teens and youth. (Personally, I love the Sidekick, and it's a damn shame that Verizon doesn't offer it. Right now, I'm stuck on the 'Q')

With that said, my original thoughts about Wade pulled me toward a Donovan McNabb comparsion. Great guy and team player from Chicago, who with a quiet demeanor, enters into the hearts of the mainstream crowd. Yet, as he grows older, he fades away from the edge.

However, with D-Wade's emergence in Miami and with his flashy game, I believe he's here to stay. He's a great guy with class, plus he has a game that could adapt to playing over 15 years. Bottom line - his game is nice!

Right now, I'm dying to see how Google aligns themselves with Wade by creating a site that will be easily targeted for "dialogue marketing." According to the article, fans will get a customized mix of e-mail, sports news feeds, flash games, and promotional messages.

My first thoughts are - why wouldn't it work?

If Google has the concepts and plans available for big-game advertisers, why not for an athlete who partners himself with major brands such as Converse, T-Mobile, Nike, or Apple. Is a hot athlete different than marketing a hot product like a MP3 player or a hot fashion brand.

A tool like UberChannel could easily aggregate all of the photos, videos, and info for a player, team, or entity, and believe me, for someone with my fantasy fix...I need the info...immediately.

Here's to hoping that the launch for Dwayne Wade is high, high...high. Not bad for a kid from the South Side of Chicago.



P.S. D-Wade knows how to 'mack, and he rocks the black chucks...That spread in GQ is tight-tight. I have mad respect for the Black Chucks with the grey sweatpants and sweater...Much respect.

South Side - Do or Die...,
IronDog

Fix the Celtics

After reading Harvey Araton's article on the demise of the Celtics over the past two decades, I have to admit...

The Celtics deserve it...Their troubles stemming from the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis and the lotto miss on Tim Duncan may not be their fault, but the organization's performance over the past decade has been pitiful.

I have to admit that I thought hiring Rick Pitino was a soild move. Yet, whoever is going to rule a storied and stellar historic franchise has to know that his super-ego will neither surpass the legacy of the franchise nor legends. I don't think Pitino could ever stomach that one.

As for now, they haven't done anything with their new line-up.

Paul Pierce may be a good face on the court, but he's a overpaid shooting guard, who is dead weight and unappealing as their star. They have Sebastian Telfair...'Bassy'!...running their offense. Not one player knows his role on that team. Not one...

Al Jefferson!...Al Jefferson is their most valuable asset out of all the moves that were made to push them into the future. Lastly, Doc Rivers is a moron as a coach, who doesn't have a clue about running a team-oriented offense.

What they have left are a bunch of slash-and-dash players, who really don't have a position. Not one player has a role. Right now, they probably couldn't win the Rucker League...I'm serious.

Their only hope is to re-build the team like the Kings did in the late '90s, or like how GM Bryan Colangelo has built the Raptors in the present.

The Raptors have mixed European passing big men who know the game and move the ball. Euro pick-ups from Jose Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa to first pick Andrea Barganani have blended beautifully with Chris Bosh and T.J. Ford.

The Celtics should take the same formula.

First, ship Paul Pierce or a package deal for Pau Gasol. Gasol would be a perfect fit for them. He's still young, and he could be a fresher Vlade Divac for the club. They could run a lot of their offense through him like the Kings did with Divac.

Second, pick up either Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, or Brandan Wright through the draft. Either one of them would be fine there.

Durant could be a lot like Luol Deng. A slasher, who could be a superstar by his third year. Then again, with his weight, he could be thrown into the third row every night. (By the way, I'm torn on Durant. Is he Reggie Williams, or is he Luol Deng?...Discuss.)

Third, they need an under-30 designated team-oriented shooter. And yes, Wally Szczerbiak is not it. Find someway or somehow to pry away Andres Nocioni, Mike Dunleavy, Mike Miller, or just keep Delonte West. Give the guy a ton of confidence, and maybe you could develop a stalwart gun like Peja Stojakovic. Then, start piecing together veterans who can play team ball.

They currently have the 20th ranked payroll right now, and they could pick-up a veteran or two on the cheap to mentor a few of their young guys like Delonte West or even if they were to keep an Al Jefferson. One move may be to pick-up an aging Grant Hill for a year. Let him run the point to just to re-set the tempo and tutor a couple of guys on how to run a team-oriented offense.

A lot of people love Jefferson. Yet, I think the only reason why he has emerged is because they have no one else to go to. Kind of like how Gerald Wallace appeared to be the Bobcats superstar. They have no one else. So, of course Jefferson is going to look good.

If he is good, hell think about shipping him to the Warriors or to the Grizzlies. Although they would take a major hit on a contract of over 9M, maybe, they can pry Jason Richardson away from the Warriors, or for Miller and Hakim Warrick of the Grizzlies.

Fourth, hire a veteran coach, who knows how to rebuild. A great hire would be to Rick Adleman and Pete Carrill to construct the NBA-oriented Princeton offense that Eddie Jordan runs. He did a great job of re-building the Kings. Let him do it again.

If they can't make that move. Then, hire away Geoff Petrie from the Kings to run the show. Hell, the Kings are booty right now. He has to be hungry to build a new team from scratch. Just find someway to re-hire Carrill to tinker with that offense. Look at what the Kings and Wizards did.

Most importantly, dump and trade all of that mediocre youth that they have through a garbage sale. Keep only Delonte West. And, maybe...they can salvage some semblance of a pick-up through a mid first-rounder this season to pick up Aaron Brooks of Oregon, who is a lot more than Telfair or Rajon Rondo.

The move to replace the black shoes with white ones may have been right on...Their guys don't deserve to wear the storied blacks....

The franchise right now is not just ridiculous...But shameful.




Re-Structure,
IronDog

Better Than That...

The only thing that I can say about last night's Super Bowl Sunday game is...

The Bears are better than that.

And no...That's not a bitter reply to the great play of the Indianapolis Colts and their ability to maintain long drives. I firmly believe if not for a couple of bad choices by Rex Grossman in the second half, the Lombardi Trophy is heading for a trip down a parade route in the South Loop.

Here are a few of my thoughts during the game.

* The Colts intro to the 'Who's' Baba O'Reilly...Nice choice.
* Peyton Manning has incredible presence.
* Brian Urlacher is a beast.
* The Bears are ready
* Devin Hester...The magic bullet...Goddamn, the guy can run. I firmly believe that no one has electrified the NFL like Hester has this season with his kick and punt returns. Yes, that includes Deion. He didn't do it like Devin has...Especially, with the pressure on each return. He has won games with them.
* A 'TO'...Now, we're moving.
* Man, is it starting to pour or what?

* Thomas Jones is my main man...Always will be. Please run TJ.
* TJ breaks loose. That's what I'm talking about. The fact that he and his brother roll around Miami in a orange blue Ferrari makes him even more of a bad-ass.
* Here comes Cedric Benson...As much as I've never trusted him and I've been down on him since his holdout, he is a banger...when healthy.

* I'm still not a Cedric Benson fan...After this fumble, will I ever be?
* Ruben Brown is a beast. Let's run.
* Cedric...Cedric...Your knee? I'm telling you about this guy...I'm not going to bang on him now. As much as I don't like Cedric, we need him. Without him, we could be in trouble. The Colts have the worst run 'D' in the league, we need him when TJ is tired.

* Is it me...? Or after watching numerous commercials this past weekend and the Snickers and Doritos ads, does every commercial these days make every white male appear either to be a complete duphus, push-over, moron, or guy who are afraid of their sexuality? Not that those traits are bad or funny for a guy...But it's getting a little tired.

Then again, the ads are for Super Bowl Sunday. Please discuss.

* A dropped snap...Reeexxxx...Not now.
* Will Phil Simms shut-up about the Bears being tired. These guys have rolled hard all year long, and they've had two weeks to rest. They're in shape. The ground is soaked, which slows everyone down. Yet, they're holding in the red zone.

Just because Phil is pissy over the Bears whooping that @$$ in January of '86 and on the Monday night in '88, he should stop the hate. Phil, you're a journ--...I mean commen...I mean a talking overr-...Whatever...He's out of his head.

By the way, you think someone from CBS wanted to clench his throat when he tried to deadpan David Spade's show. Nice try at being Madden or a tough guy. Snapper-head!

* Another drop...Again?
* Unbelievably, we're still in this one.
* Yet, of all the ways to go down...Joseph Addai and Rhodes are killing us.

* Prince is simply...'The Mack.' Man, that guy still looks like he's 30, but who the hell cares? Purple Rain too...Wow. My request: Sign o' The Times.

* Why for the love of God are we not running Thomas Jones? If I hear it's because of the O-line again, I'll send you four day old guac...
* 13 Carries...88 yards....Please run Thomas Jones.

* Nice call to 'Moosh' up the middle.
* What the hell was that throw for?...Wow. That was devastating.

* Run...Run...Throw?
* Where was Rex throwing that one? Talk about an underthrown ball.
* Now, you run Thomas Jones.
* With their first round selection, the Chicago Bears select...Offensive lineman...

* This is killing me...I'm out. Back to the papers.

Bears 2008,
Irondog

Bear Down

How ready am I for today's Super Bowl, you ask?...

Ready enough that I'm banging shopping carts at Weaver Street Market today during my weekly supply run.

Go Bears! And without further adieu, here's a tribute from Al Hoffman's lyrics from 1941...Bear Down!

Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
Make every play clear the way to victory!
Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly!

We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation,
With your T formation.

Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
And let them know why you're wearing the crown.

You're the pride and joy,
of all Illinois.

Chicago Bears, Bear Down!

Halas, Bill George, 'The Flying Dutchman', Johnny Lujack, 'Sweetness', Butkus, O'Bradovich, Covert, Urlacher, 'The Kansas Comet', Singletary, Ditka, 'The Galloping Ghost', Gallimore, Hampton, Marshall, 46 D,
IronDog