Home › Webified › › Blogs Iliana Limón's Wolf Tracks
Super scoop: The story behind Urlacher's Vitamin Water moment
I have been remiss in not sharing all the details I know about former Lobo Brian Urlacher's decision during Super Bowl XLI media day that earned him an infamous $100,000 fine from the NFL. I stuck to Urlacher like glue during his entire one-hour media day public appearance, and here's what I saw:
The star players, including Urlacher, sat at their own dais constructed out of wood. They were surrounded by mobs of reporters and cameras ready to fire questions for 60 minutes. The Bears went first and were in uniform for the event. Urlacher's teammates who chose to wear hats during the event all were wearing Chicago Bears caps, usually with some variation of the Super Bowl XLI logo.
Urlacher's agent and long-time friend Bryce Karger and brother Casey Urlacher milled around waiting for him to enter the media area along the sidelines of Dolphin Stadium. They huddled briefly with Urlacher and handed him a brand new Vitamin Water hat and bottle of Vitamin Water at the last second before he took his seat.
Urlacher fielded questions for about 10 to 15 minutes when a group of NFL representatives huddled nearby. One stepped up and whispered to Urlacher that he had to remove the hat. Urlacher grimmaced, then handed it back to Karger and his brother. One of the reporters asked Urlacher if he endorsed Vitamin Water, and Urlacher proudly said he had a deal with the company.
A few minutes later, the NFL representative returned to tell Urlacher he could not have his Vitamin Water on the dais either. Urlacher reluctantly handed the water off to Karger and his brother. When the same NFL staff member offered Urlacher a bottled water, he slapped it off the dais with the back of his hand and said something like "I don't drink that."
Urlacher told the Dan Patrick Show when he returned to his locker, there was a notice he would be fined for violating NFL rules. Players were instructed about they were allowed to wear and what products were allowed before all Super Bowl events. Vitamin Water, a competitor of big-time NFL sponsor Gatorade, certainly wasn't allowed.
Vitamin Water offered to pay the fine, but Urlacher refused and said he would rather pay it himself since he knew the rules and violated them anyway. The company matched te fine with a $100,000 donation to the United Way, hoping to smooth relations with the NFL by giving to its top chariity. Urlacher also has been active with the United Way throughout his career.
Despite the heat and glare from cameras, Urlacher never put on another hat or drank anything during the final 35 minutes of his mandatory media day interviews.
Contrary to what he has said, I think displaying the Vitamin Water items was a calculated move by Urlacher to make a splash for a company that has enjoyed attention money can't really buy since the fine was imposed. Perhaps it's Urlacher's charm or the massive excess of corporate sponsorship during the Super Bowl, but I don't think Urlacher made an especially sinister move. I think it is kind of admirable that he is fiercely loyal to the companies who have supported him, granted he does get paid well for such loyalty. Those same companies have provided a lot of donations to New Mexico and helped make Urlacher a lovable, friendly household name. Vitamin Water has used an array of humorous commercials to show his softer side.
Posted by ilimon at 09:58 PM | Permalink
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below -- responsibility lies with the relevant reader alone. Read our privacy agreement.
Posted by: ThickLobo | May 11, 2007 06:15 AM
AndrewLeoLopez is now demonstrating his chauvinist tendencies in addition to his ignorance of Lobo Women's Basketball. Alas, if he was as good at his job as is Iliana . . . (no need to explore his professional woes).
No offense to Morgan who is a hard-working good kid and deserves a chance to play with a lesser program, but why would Flan need to replace height that rarely saw playing time? Once again, your logic is tainted by your jealousy of a man whose intelligence and grace you will never understand.
Posted by: August | May 11, 2007 01:31 PM
Vitamin Water is not even very good for you - I don't know why a sports figure would promote it. One bottle alone has 150 calories in it. For some reason most people assume it has zero!
Posted by: AndrewLeoLopez | May 13, 2007 02:56 PM
Dense Lobo demonstrates the circular reasoning of the cerebrally bereft.
----
The Saso story says, replace height, but with more talent. I agree. The reason Saso was used so little is that Saso had little else to put on the floor, but her height.
----
We could sure use another Jana Francis, but we do not have one. Saso was supposed to be Jana's replacement. Not hardly.
----
Phlanagan had no other choice at the time of Saso's recruitment, but to take her. Phlanagan cannot consistently recruit the really good tall timber. Three years of scholarship used for a benchwarmer. Yeah! Phlanagan.
----
Last recruiting class Ole one and done got smoked even by Wyoming and San Diego State for the tall timber.
----
Fortunately for the Lobo women's basketball team every other program who wanted Ansley was already loaded with tall timber. So she came here and might just bring her teammate too.
----
Having brought Saso here, Phlanagan should have let Saso keep her scholarship and finish her degree in nursing at UNM. Similar to the favor done for Wande.
----
The adults around Saso should have helped her realize that basketball was a closed chapter in her life and not part of her future.
----
As for that mystery recruit, I recall the trophy from New York. Le Moan and the Phlanagan Phlack Claque swooned over the New Yorker who was gone before the first official practice.
----
I believe in Santa right there with impact players hanging around for the Phlanagan and the High Schoolers to sign late. Yeah! Right!
----
Go Lobos!
Posted by: ThickLobo | May 14, 2007 11:08 AM
If AndrewLeoLopez, a.k.a. Scarecrow, knew anything about the LL program and the people in it, he would know that homesickness played a role in Morgan's decision to transfer to a school in CA. That and she still wants to play, which she may be able to do with a lesser program. He would also know that the coaches have been discussing the possibility of transfer with her for over a year.
And apparently, Scarecrow does not recall what were the contributions of Jana Francis during her frosh and sophomore campaigns. She improved dramatically and adequately filled the very productive sneakers that Melissa Forrest filled for the extremely productiive Jordan Adams.
Scarecrow can keep slinging his swill and distorted facts all he wants. Everyone knows his rants are ficticious ramblings born of an intense jealously of a superb coach, professional and human being (Don Flanagan who is a member of two halls of fame).
Posted by: AndrewLeoLopez | May 16, 2007 06:23 AM
Jana played in her freshman and sophmore years and did not red shirt to help develope her game.
----
Jana had footspeed evident from her first moments on the court. In contrast, Saso has no footspeed even today after three years of trainging.
----
Jana had coordination and moves from the beginning that Saso to this day does not have.
----
Jana developed to be the starting center and waited her turn until the more experienced Melissa left the program.
----
Jana reasonably could expect to be the starting center and played decently on some pretty good teams.
-----
There has never been any hope that Saso would ever play the center or start. She just was not a D-1 basketball player.
-----
Phlanagan did her and the team a gross disservice by recruiting her. I wish she had stayed and finished her degree from UNM. To me it was not only the decent thing, but also the wisest thing to do.
-----
Dense Lobo with his hysterical rantings proves himself qualified to join the High Schoolers in some coaching capacity.
-----
Go Lobos!
-----
Posted by: ThickLobo | May 16, 2007 07:15 AM
Keep trying, Scarecrow. Even a blind squirrel will find a nut once in awhile, but your last post demonstrates why you are dubbed "Scarecrow" - you thrive on straw-man arguments. It doesn't help that you also lack a brain.
Please enjoy the lyrics to Scarecrow's theme song:
I could while away the hours, conpherrin' with the phlowersConsultin' with the rain.And my head I'd be scratchin' while my thoughts were busy hatchin'Iph I only had a brain.I'd unravel every riddle phor any individ'le, In trouble or in pain.With the thoughts you'll be thinkin'you could be another LincolnIph you only had a brain.Oh, I could tell you why The ocean's near the shore.I could think of things I never thunk bephore.And then I'd sit, and think some more.I would not be just a nothin' my head all phull of stuphphin'My heart all phull of pain.I would dance and be merry, liphe would be a ding-a-derry,Iph I only had a brain.
Here is an excellent link to the background music so you can sing it out loud:
http://wendyswizardofoz.com/ozmidi/Ifionly.mid
Post a comment
Posted by: AndrewLeoLopez | May 10, 2007 11:33 AM