Release Info:
Theatrical Release: April 4, 2008
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $18.99 Blu-Ray for $26.95

I was interested in seeing Leatherheads from the moment I saw the first promos for this movie. I like most of the movies that George Clooney is in and some of the movies that feature Renée Zellweger. I also like the vast majority of movies about sports, especially ones that verge on historical. The latter reason is the main reason I wanted to watch this movie.

While Leatherheads isn’t the greatest movie I’ve ever seen or even the greatest sports movie period, it is entertaining. I’m not a huge comedy fan. I’m more into sports dramas. Still, there is a certain charm about this film that made me compelled to watch it. I’m assuming that a major part of this is the excellent acting, because the actual script isn’t as strong as the acting warrants.

Don’t get me wrong. I liked this movie. The plot was quite strong in the beginning. It fizzled slightly in the middle, nearly stopped near the end, but picked up again to finish the movie off nicely. Despite the plot bumps, there was never a point where I wanted to turn the movie off. That being said, this isn’t a movie for  every sport fan.

There is a certain kind of audience that is going to like Leatherheads. Luckily, I fit into this audience. Those who like George or Renée will want to check this out. Those who enjoy period style movies might just want to check this out. Those interested in sports comedies, especially comedies about an earlier time period in America’s history will definitely want to watch this. Otherwise, I’m not sure you’ll like this movie. This is a major reason why I consider Leatherheads a rent before buying kind of movie.

Leatherheads Plot
One of the best things about Leatherheads is all of the realistic, American Football action. I always wanted to see the way Football used to be played. It was so much more dangerous and quite feral compared to today. The outfits are so different with extra padding for less chance of injury not available back in the day. The leatherhead helmets certainly emphasize the dangerous nature of the sport and how far Football truly has come.

Jimmy “Dodge” Connolly (George Clooney) is the captain of the Duluth Bulldogs team. It’s the 1920s and he’s one of the most experienced players in the professional American Football league. Dodge is trying to do all he can to keep his Bulldogs team going. Rumor has it, the character of Dodge is based on real life American Football player, Johnny “Blood” McNally. Dodge has to save not only his team, but pro Football seems to be going down the tubes. Before he retires, he wants to make sure the game is sure to continue onward. This isn’t easy when the sponsor for the players steps out and the league is about to dismantle.

Surprisingly, Dodge is able to convince a college football star and World War I hero, Carter “the Bullet” Rutherford (John Krasinski) to join the Bulldogs. This is just the publicity the team needs to renew interest in American Football. Carter is a decorated war hero who was awarded for singlehandedly capturing a group of German soldiers. Of course, not everyone believes this story and he becomes a target of renewed interest now that he’s not only helping the Bulldogs win their games, but he’s bringing money and sponsorship back to the pro league.

When Lexie Littleton (Renée Zellweger) shows up to shadow and profile Carter, this Chicago-based newspaper reporter has more than just an interest in Carter and his career as an American Football player. She wants to break a major story concerning Carter and his alleged war “heroism”. She vies for his affection, as well as that of Dodge, who knows she’s on a witch hunt, but doesn’t tell Carter of her true intentions. Of course, when Carter makes light of the situation, confessing to Lexi that his heroics were more accidental than purposeful, everything hits the fan, causing Carter to reevaluate his place on the Duluth Bulldogs team.

In the meantime, with Dodge renewing interest in the game of pro Football, his worst nightmare happens when the game changes with rules and regulations becoming a normal part of the game. This means that several of the things that made playing football fun have been taken out of the game. Dodge is sad, but his career is nearly over. Ultimately, what it all comes down to is the game of Dodge’s life and this time, he’s about to take Carter, a much younger, faster and skilled player on, head to head.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for Leatherheads is excellent. The anamorphic widescreen image looks clear. The color palette is bright and vibrant. The skintones look realistic and there is no glare or other blatantly obvious visual problems. The video is displayed at a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Overall, there were only minor visual errors if any, at all. This was one of the most impressive aspects of the movie. Not only is the movie good, but it looks good, as well.

The audio for Leatherheads compliments the wonderful image for the movie. The soundtrack is dynamic. I didn’t need to fiddle with my volume because the sound was even and consistent. The music, dialogue and (infrequent) use of sound effects don’t overwhelm or override each other. The main track is English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. This track is wonderfully dynamic. There are two other Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in Spanish and French. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, and French.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are a series of bonuses on the Leatherheads DVD. With so many bonuses, let’s get right into it. The first bonus is a featured commentary with George Clooney, the director and star of Leatherheads and producer, Grant Heslov. There is plenty of information presented as the two examine the scenes, pal around, and discuss what went into creating this film. George Clooney talks about CGI elements added and how he changed specific scenes from their original drafts. There is also a lot of back patting, which is the only negative thing about this commentary.

Up next is nearly 10 minutes worth of deleted scenes. It’s clear why every single scene was deleted. These scenes didn’t fit with the rest of the film, but aren’t entirely horrible. There is a making of featurette called “Footballs Beginning: The Making of Leatherheads”. This is over five minutes in length and is your standard making of featurette. I liked how information was provided about the history of the film and the actual film making process. The cast and crew members (including Clooney, the writers and Heslov) weigh in on their thoughts. For a short featurette, this was quite interesting.

The next featurette is nearly double the size of the making of featurette. This featurette is called “No Pads, No Fear: Creating the Rowdy Football Scenes”. There were many, rather realistic football scenes and this featurette looks at how they were created. This was especially difficult to accomplish because the crew had the task of keeping the actors safe without pads and other gear that is worn today. The featurette talks with both George Clooney and one of the experts hired to help with the film, football historian and high school coach, TJ Troup.

There are more features and the next one is another featurette. This one is called “George Clooney: A Leatherheaded Prankster”. This one is a very short featurette and it looks at the prankster that George Clooney is known for being on set. While cast members are shocked he hasn’t pulled any pranks, this looks at George planning one and the outcome of his trickery.

Finally, there is a five minute long featurette, “Visual Effects Sequences”. This is a look at the extensive CGI effects that were used. Many of these effects were used to create the extensive 1920s look and feel that made the movie even more realistic. These effects also were used to create the spectacle of the football scenes, especially the crowds.

Bonus Features: 4 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
If you like American Football, well acted movies and quirky comedies then Leatherheads is going to be right up your alley. This isn’t brainless, mindless entertainment. It’s not an action thriller. It’s a funny, sports inspired story with plenty of old fashioned Football style fun. I like the historical aspect of the film, even if it’s only loosely based on the story of two different Football players from the era. While I liked this movie, it won’t be for everyone. I recommend you rent before buying. Otherwise, this film is highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 4.21 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Leatherheads, DVD Review, Universal Studios, American football, George Clooney, Renée Zellweger, early 20th century, Duluth Bulldogs

I’ll tell you, it wasn’t easy growing up a Wolverines fan in a home full of Buckeyes. I grew up in a small town right outside Toledo, Ohio. For those who don’t know much about Toledo, it’s home to the fiercest UM-OSU rivalry between Ann Arbor and Columbus. Located about 53 miles south of Ann Arbor (1 hour’s drive) and 140 miles north of Columbus (2.5 hours drive), Toledo is the biggest city between the Big House and the Shoe, making it the ideal place for a fierce UM-OSU rivalry. Nearly half of the city and surrounding area root for the Wolverines and the other half root for the Buckeyes. Considering this is the greatest college football rivalry of all time, things can get kind of crazy!

It’s funny because you’d think they’d be crazy in Ann Arbor and Columbus. Not so. The vast majority of people living in Ann Arbor are for UM. The vast majority of people living in Columbus are for OSU. There is no major rivalry going on in the cities, unless the opposing team and all their fans make their way to said city. It’s not like Toledo. Toledo is special if for no other reason than that it epitomizes how NCAA football and this massive rivalry have made their way into the lives of the people who consider themselves fans. NCAA football is huge in the Midwest and this rivalry can pit father against daughter, brother against brother and even wife against husband. There is no better (or worse) time in Toledo then in November, on Saturdays, especially *that* Saturday.

Now that you know a little about my history as a Michigan Wolverines fan, I want to talk about the Michigan legacy. I’ve heard “winningnest-shminingnest” Michigan is over”, “Michigan has no hope” and a variety of other negative comments concerning the newly re-formed Michigan team. I never gave up hope that the Wolverines would come back and make me proud. They did just that, beating rival Wisconsin 27-25 in last Saturday’s game. There is no doubt Michigan has a long way to go, but we’ve been able to get just a small peek into what new Michigan Coach Rich Rodriguez is capable of accomplishing with these guys!

I know there have been naysayers about Rodriguez, but I’m not one of them. I like him. I think he’ll be excellent for this team. I’m glad he’s the new coach. Sure, they could have hired within Michigan, but after last season, the school needed a boost; something fresh and new. The Big Ten, as a whole, is becoming stale. We’ve seen the same ol’ same ol’ from schools like OSU. All of these schools need a makeover and now it just happens to be Michigan’s turn.

For those who don’t like Rodriguez, but like Michigan, I say give him a chance. He obviously knows what he’s doing. Look at how exceptionally well West Virginia played last year. He is the first to say converting to a spread offense takes time, but the Michigan team (many of whom are freshman) seem to be doing enough to have won two games, the latter of which was the comeback of the century! If you recall last year, we were run over by spread offenses. That was part of our problem. Now I’m seeming a lot of dynamic things going on that I haven’t seen (very often if at all) in Michigan throughout the years.

These things include:

-QBs making long dashes for first downs and more (Steven Threet’s 58 yard rush)
-RBs breaking through the line for large gains (Sam McGuffie is going to be a force to be reckoned with after he’s more comfortable with the spread - Brandon Minor also impressed on Saturday)
-Interceptions leading to TDs
-Punters running before they kick, just in case they can run for a first down - very clever I might add

So, while Rodriguez isn’t 100% certain how well these guys are going to play each week, he’s certainly doing all he can to make sure the team improves. I welcome Rodriguez with open arms and hope we get a few more wins this season!

I do believe Michigan is entering a new era. New traditions are being made while old ones are respected, some of them resurrected. Football is getting played in a new, modern way that is going to allow Michigan to truly compete with other teams in and out of the league again. I couldn’t have asked for more for this team. Neither could you. Give Rodriguez a try. If he doesn’t work out in a year or two, then complain. Otherwise, give the man a chance. He deserves it.

Technorati Tags: College Football, NCAA, Rich Rodriguez, Michigan, Wolverines, Ann Arbor, Toledo

Week One NFL Football Picks - 5-11
Week Two NFL Footbal Picks - 7-8
Week Three NFL Football Picks - 9-7

Here’s my current picks!

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Cleveland vs. Cincinnati

Winner: Cincinnati

Houston vs. Jacksonville

Winner: Jacksonville

Atlanta vs. Carolina

Winner: Atlanta

Denver vs. Kansas City

Winner: Denver

San Francisco vs. New Orleans

Winner: New Orleans

Arizona vs. NY Jets

Winner: NY Jets

Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay

Winner: Tampa Bay

Minnesota vs. Tennessee

Winner: Tennessee

San Diego vs. Oakland

Winner: San Diego

Buffalo vs. St Louis

Winner: Buffalo

Washington vs. Dallas

Winner: Dallas

Philadelphia vs. Chicago

Winner: Philadelphia

Monday, September 29, 2008

Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh

Winner: Pittsburgh

Technorati Tags: NFL, Football, Picks, Week Four, Jacksonville, NY Jets, NY Giants, Patriots, Chargers, Steelers, Sport

I (and my commentary) will soon be back with all the sarcastic wit an snarkiness you love to hate.

That being said, I was disappointed with my:

Week One NFL Football Picks where I went 5-11
Week Two was better when I went 7-8

Now, on to my week three picks. I hope you enjoy them and please feel free to post your own picks in my comment section! I’m looking to award a gift of some sort to the person who posts the most accurate picks this NFL season, so to win that prize, get posting!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Carolina vs. Minnesota

Winner: Carolina

While Carolina almost didn’t make it last week, I’m sticking with em!

Kansas City vs. Atlanta

I’m betting my money at Atlanta. The Chiefs suck and Atlanta has seen some success with their QB pick, Matt Ryan.

Winner: Atlanta

Oakland vs. Buffalo

I underestimated both Buffalo and Oakland last week. Buffalo beat a semi-decent team while Oakland took on another sucky team. Guess who wins?

Winner: Buffalo

Tampa Bay vs. Chicago

Tough pick considering both seem to be mediocre teams.

Winner: Chicago

Houston vs. Tennessee

Though I don’t like either teams, this one is a no-brainer.

Winner: Tennessee

Cincinnati vs. NY Giants

I’d love for the Bengals to prove me wrong, but I’m going with the “smart” choice.

Winner: NY Giants

Miami vs. New England

The Patriots managed to hang on for just long enough to win without Tom Brady the last game, but their luck will run out when they face the Chads.

Winner: Miami

Arizona vs. Washington

Eh, I dislike Arizona.

Winner: Washington

New Orleans vs. Denver

I know I might regret this, but I’m sticking with the Saints.

Winner: New Orleans

St. Louis vs. Seattle

Winner: Seattle

Detroit vs. San Francisco

I know Detroit hasn’t won a game, but I have faith they’ll win this one.

Winner: Detroit

Cleveland vs. Baltimore

I hate both teams, but I think Cleveland might just win its first game.

Winner: Cleveland

Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia

I think Pittsburgh is going to have a good year.

Winner: Pittsburgh

Jacksonville vs. Indianapolis

With Indianapolis not playing especially well, it’s time for the Jags to pull it all together.

Winner: Jacksonville

Dallas vs. Green Bay

Let’s just hope Jessica Simpson isn’t in the crowd!

Winner: Dallas

NY Jets vs. San Diego

I don’t like Favre, but the Chargers suck.

Winner: NY Jets

Technorati Tags: NFL, Football, Picks, Week Three, NY Jets, NY Giants, Patriots, Chargers, Steelers, Sport

That being said, let’s get to my picks!

Note: I don’t have much time to write about each team. Just know I haven’t underestimated those teams that made something of themselves last week.

Sunday, Sep 14

Tennessee vs Cincinnati

Winner: Cincinnati

Buffalo vs Jacksonville

Winner: Jacksonville

Oakland vs Kansas City

Winner: Kansas City

Indianapolis vs Minnesota

Winner: Indianapolis

Chicago vs Carolina

Winner: Carolina

Green Bay vs Detroit

Winner: Detroit

NY Giants vs St. Louis

Winner: NY Giants

New Orleans vs Washington

Winner: New Orleans

Atlanta vs Tampa Bay

Winner: Atlanta

San Francisco vs Seattle

Winner: San Francisco

New England vs NY Jets

Winner: NY Jets

San Diego vs Denver

Winner: Denver

Miami vs Arizona

Winner: Miami

Pittsburgh vs Cleveland

Winner: Pittsburgh

Monday, Sep 15

Philadelphia vs Dallas

Winner: Philadelphia

byes - Baltimore, Houston

Technorati Tags: NFL, Football Picks, Week Two, Teams, Buffalo, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Bills, Saints, Cowboys, Broncos

Thursday, Sep 4

Washington vs. NY Giants

This is an interesting one. I like Mario Manningham. He played for the Wolverines, but he’s been out and Manning has suffered for it. Manning has a lot to prove, and Washington went 3-5 in the pre-season. If Eli’s backup is still out, which they might just be, Washington has this one nailed.

Winner: Washington

Sunday, Sep 7

Cincinnati vs Baltimore

Winner: If Troy Smith is starting or if Troy Smith isn’t starting Baltimore is still going to lose. The former nut (OSU Buckeye) isn’t having as much success at starting in the NFL as his former Wolverine opponent, Miami Dolphin’s Chad Henne. So, I wonder what Troy’s busy doing with that Heisman? Maybe he’s using it as a paperweight!

Winner: Cincinnati

NY Jets vs Miami

With the improved offensive players, (Chad and Jake have great chemistry and play great together) including two solid Chads in the QB position I’m thinking Miami just might win this week! Here’s hoping after their hard work during the pre-season it can pay off during the reg. season.

Winner: Miami

Kansas City vs New England

I think that Tom Brady is going to be back. It’s crappy that Tom’s the only one who can make the plays, but thems the breaks. If he’s in its a Patriots win.

Winner: New England

Houston vs Pittsburgh

This is a tough one considering Pittsburgh actually lost to Buffalo in the pre-season. Otherwise, they seem to be doing okay and Houston is just doing so-so so far.

Winner: Pittsburgh

Jacksonville vs Tennessee

With Collier out fighting for his life, the Jags are either gonna be on the ball, playing for him with conviction or will be totally distracted. This is pure emotion on my part, but I’m giving it to them.

Winner: Jacksonville

Detroit vs Atlanta

Atlanta is sh!t this year, just like last year. Detroit isn’t playing like any Lions team I’ve seen in the past 10 years. They actually look like a team!

Winner: Detroit

Seattle vs Buffalo

It’s hard to give Buffalo a win in any game. Seattle seems a bit more prepared than the Bills. The Bills are a nice team, but just not very good at winning.

Winner: Seattle

Tampa Bay vs New Orleans

With Gustav messing with the lives of the NOLA players, I find it hard to say they’re going to win. Still, I’m a Saints fan. I just can’t say they’re going to lose. Maybe their struggles will make them play extra hard, just like they did after Katrina.

Winner: New Orleans

St. Louis vs Philadelphia

Neither team is particularly good and the Rams were beaten by the Ravens. Ouch.

Winner: Philadelphia

Dallas vs Cleveland

If Jessica Simpson is at the game, Tony Romo is doomed. Then again, Cleveland sucks worse than Miami did last year.

Winner: Dallas

Carolina vs San Diego

All my instincts as saying the Carolina just doesn’t have what it takes to take on the Chargers and actually win.

Winner: San Diego

Arizona vs San Francisco

Wow. Of all the games, this is the one I just really don’t care about. Both teams stink, but which one stinks more?

Winner: San Francisco

Chicago vs Indianapolis

Neither Chicago nor Indy have showed off anything impressive this season. This game is going to be close and even then, it’s anyone’s game.

Monday, Sep 8 Indianapolis

Minnesota vs Green Bay

This is a no brainer. I know that Brett Favre is gone. Green Bay sucked with and without him. Their transitional period is going to put them amongst the ranks of Arizona this year.

Winner: Minnesota

Denver vs Oakland

Both teams suck. Both teams are hated by me. I don’t know who to pick. I’ll just have to go with the team I hate the least.

Winner: Oakland

Technorati Tags: NFL, picks, football, teams, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Miami, Dolphins, Saints, Jaguars, Patriots, Browns, Ravens, Falcons, Rams, Broncos, regular season

Feel free to browse our old articles, our new and upcoming articles, comment and leave your thoughts for what we have to say. We look forward to hearing from you!

Technorati Tags: NFL, MLB, Literary Illusions, NCAA, NASCAR, Our Home Team Advantage, HTA, sports, blogging, posts, articles

Brandon Inge isn’t playing baseball to help a team. He’s playing baseball for himself. He’s consistently made comments about how it “doesn’t matter what position he plays” as long as he gets to play every day. That’s all that matters to Brandon. I highly doubt he’s having a hard time dealing with the loss of Pudge. This means he gets to play a lot more frequently, so good riddance to Rodriguez, right?

Brandon went out as the catcher in the Tigers’ last game against Cleveland (which they had to fight to win), and he had a cocky attitude as if to say “I deserve to be catching”. It’s kind of funny because he boggled pitches repeatedly, couldn’t calm pitchers down and he already made his first error at the position. In just one game, he sucked at catching. While its nice he’s currently able to hit the ball (that won’t last - he’s only hitting .227), if he can’t perform well in a defensive capacity as a catcher, he’s no good to the team.

“I wan to play every day not matter what position, so I’m pumped,” Brandon said in a recent interview about the situation.

“Did I learn a lot from Pudge? He’s a future Hall of Famer, so watching him makes everybody better. I’m not Pudge, I’ll just go out and do what I can.”

That makes fans feel better I’m sure. Brandon will do what he can, but damn skippy he’s not Pudge. I hope DUMBrowski and Leyland have to eat their words. When Pudge becomes a free agent at the end of this year he might just end up back in Detroit. This is, if he’s willing to accept those who beg him to come back. I wouldn’t if I were Pudge, but that’s just my take on the matter.

This just goes to show Pudge truly is a team player. He knew New York needed a catcher and Detroit needed better pitchers, so he did what he had to do for what he thought was the betterment of all involved. This doesn’t mean that Farnsworth is going to work out in Detroit. In fact, I’d laugh if he goes out and doesn’t do his job. What an acquisition!

The point of my article is Brandon Inge is only out for himself and that isn’t good for any team. He still won’t get to play every day (with Dave Sardinha called up from AAA Toledo) and he isn’t that good in the catcher’s position anyway. So, is Brandon Inge overrated? Yes. Do I think he’s not good for the Tigers? Yes. Do I hope he gets traded? Yes.

Go home Brandon Inge! Let’s bring home Pudge Rodriguez.

Technorati Tags: Pudge Rodriguez, Ivan, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Brandon Inge, Catcher, Dave Sardinha, MLB, Baseball

Pudgey is a 13-time Gold Glove winner and 14-time All Star. Pudge is currently batting with a .295 average. He has 5 home runs and 32 RBIs. This is the guy the Tigers traded for a relief pitcher. We don’t need a relief pitcher quite as much as we need a whole new pitching staff, but c’mon. We couldn’t get anyone better than Kyle Farnsworth? That’d be like trading A-Rod for Edgar Renteria. It’s just plain stupid and the Tigers are going to suffer because of their blatant stupidity.

Kyle Farnsworth is 1-2, with a 3.65 ERA. He’s had 1 save and has given up 17 walks. This year alone he’s given up 18 earned runs and 11 home runs. Farnsworth played in Detroit in 2005. We traded him to Atlanta for a reason. He’s just not that good of a pitcher. I hate the fact that he’s being traded for Pudge. It’s a disservice and a huge slap in the face not only to Pudge, but to the Tigers fans. I can see many fans getting angry about this. Instead of getting rid of the biggest problem in the Tigers lineup, Edgar Renteria (hitting .261 and with more errors than I can count), they sacked the most awesome player on the team (next to Magglio Ordonez).

According to the AP, Pudge wanted to be traded. I can hardly blame him with how he’s been treated this last year by a team he once said “he hoped to play with until he retired”.

In the AP article, his agent was contacted and this was his comment:

“Pudge had a no-trade clause and he waived it today to go to New York,” Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras, told The Associated Press on Wednesday afternoon. “Pudge has always wanted to play in New York and Detroit felt it needed a relief pitcher, so both sides were able to get what they wanted to some degree.”

On the other side, Dave “Dumb-ass” Dombrowski said the need for a pitcher is bigger than the need to keep Pudge Rodriguez. The Tigers didn’t “want” to trade him, but they had no choice.

Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said the team didn’t want to trade Rodriguez, but had bigger needs in the bullpen.

“First let me say that Pudge has done an outstanding job for us. I’m sure he was very surprised by this, but for him this is a good situation. He’s going to New York City, and they are in contention.”

Dombrowski went on to say that Pudge would be replaced by Brandon Inge as the catcher.

“We think Brandon Inge can do a fine job at catcher and at the same time we’ve done some repair to our bullpen,”

Dombrowski is really thick if he thinks Brandon can replace Pudge. He’s only batting .225 and he can’t compare as a catcher. Pudge “feels” the pitchers in a way I’ve never seen a catcher become in sync with those he is working with, and that’s what makes him perhaps the greatest catcher of all time. It’d be like replacing Babe Ruth as a hitter (or even as a pitcher). You just couldn’t do it. Brandon may be a good player on 3rd base, but he’s no Pudge. I’m considering starting a “Go Home Brandon! Bring Back Pudge!” campaign. Does anyone else want to join?

Speaking of him, poor Pudge seemed to have been caught somewhat unaware of things happening behind closed doors. He showed up to take batting practice today and made an appearance in the dugout, before he disappeared from the field, for perhaps the last time. At least, in a Tigers uniform.

Technorati Tags: Detroit Tigers, Pudge Rodriguez, Baseball, MLB, trade, New York Yankees, Kyle Farnsworth, Stupid

Fans Can Win Once-in-a-Lifetime Trip to Ford 400 in Homestead; Dozens of Weekly Prizes

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (June 9, 2008) – M&M’S® Racing and NASCAR® announced today the re-launch of the popular “The Most Colorful Fan™ of NASCAR” contest, which encourages NASCAR fans nationwide to showcase their passionate love for the sport by uploading their most eye-catching photos to NASCAR.com for a chance to win big. The contest will run from June 8, 2008, through October 11, 2008, and will feature weekly winners who will receive an array of NASCAR-themed prizes.

Just like America’s favorite candy known for colorful chocolate fun, the M&M’S contest brings the excitement and revelry of the weekly NASCAR circuit to fans.

“‘The Most Colorful Fan of NASCAR’ contest allows fans a one-of-a-kind interactive experience to show off the fun side that defines the excitement of the sport,” said William Clements, vice president of Mars Properties. “Whether you’re a die-hard fan or new to the sport, M&M’S Racing is giving you the opportunity to compete just like the drivers, but among fellow fans.”

Five finalists will also win trips to the Ford 400 in Homestead, Fla., on November 16, 2008, for the ultimate NASCAR VIP experience courtesy of M&M’S, as well as $100 gift cards from The Home Depot for colorful paints. Kyle Busch, driver of the M&M’S No. 18 Toyota Camry and one of the sports top stars is even getting in on the action, as he’ll help judge the final competition in Homestead along with other top drivers.

“The Most Colorful Fan of NASCAR” will be awarded with an exclusive Tissot® wrist watch and a VIP trip for two to the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

“While all drivers are out to win week in and week out, we all have to remember that the sport is truly about the fans,” said Busch, winner of the recent Best Buy 400 Benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks. “That’s why the M&M’S Racing ‘The Most Colorful Fan of NASCAR’ contest is so cool – the fans get to compete weekly just like we do, as well as win some pretty amazing prizes.”

M&M’S has been involved with NASCAR for 18 years, but this year has been one of their most exciting to date, largely due to the success of Busch both on and off the track. With four Sprint Cup Series wins under his belt, plus several top-five finishes, Busch and the M&M’S Racing Team have held the number one spot in points for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for several weeks this season and are definitely in the groove.

For more information on “The Most Colorful Fan of NASCAR” contest or M&M’S Racing, visit www.mms.com/us/racing or www.nascar.com/mmsracing.

Technorati Tags: M&M, Contest, NASCAR, Colorful Fan, Judge, Photo Contest, MMS Racing, Richard Petty Driving Experience, Best Buy 400, Novemeber, Busch, Sprint Cup