As part of Philips Norelco’s “Go With A Real Pro” NHL Playoff’s campaign, Jeremy Roenick stopped by ESPN studios in Bristol for a part of the media tour.
Check out the video below to see the legendary JR give ESPN’s, Doug Gottlieb a lesson in how to win a hockey fight!
Ray Lucas’ satellite media tour included an interview with the New York Times and FOX.
Click here for a link to the rest of the New York Times interview.
FOX:
MAXX Client Brandon Tierney, host of 95.7 The Game’s Afternoon Drive, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Oakland A’s game on May 9, 2012.
Check out the video below:
MAXX Client Jeremy Bloom will be one of the celebrity contestants on Fox’s new celeb driven dating show, The Choice. The show will premier June 7th.
See below for more details on the show, via EW.com:
Fox’s upcoming celebrity dating show The Choice has lined up a list of famous bachelors and bachelorettes to audition sexy singles in prime time.
EW.com has the complete list of celebrity contestants, the first photo from the set and some behind-the-scenes insight from Fox’s alternative series guru Mike Darnell.
The Choice has cast singer Joe Jonas, actor Dean Cain, fashion model Tyson Beckford, former American Idol star Taylor Hicks, Jersey Shore stars Pauly D and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, chef Rocco Dispirito, TV personality Rob Kardashian, former NFL star Warren Sapp and more (full list below). The female celebrities include actress Carmen Electra and model Hope Dworaczyk.
In each episode, four celebrities sit in spinning chairs and listen to non-famous prospective dates pitch themselves. Over the course of three rounds, the contestant pool is paired down until each celebrity has chosen their date for the evening (more details on the show’s origins and concept here).
“What started out as a goof ended up being a ridiculously good format,” says Fox’s Darnell, who was on hand during The Choice‘s recent taping. “It really feels like a hit. It was charming and funny… [The show] works beautifully. It’s going to sell all over the world.”
Five of the episodes will feature male celebrities; one episode puts women in the power seats. The contestants were unaware who the celebrities were until moments before they went on stage, but that didn’t stop the sparks. “The [female contestants] took it ridiculously seriously, like they were getting married,” Darnell says. “A couple of the setups really had chemistry.”
Though none of the celebrities bombed with the contestants, Jonas, Cain and Beckford were particularly sought after, as was Suburgatory actor Parker Young and, somewhat surprisingly, Dispirito.
The Choice is hosted by Cat Deeley, who Darnell says turned out to be a “perfect fit” for the show. The series will be paired with Fox’s other new dating show, Take Me Out, on Thursday nights starting June 7.
[EW.com]
NEW YORK — Ray Lucas still has his share of bad days, when his body aches and his mind wanders to the dark place he once thought he’d never leave.
The former NFL quarterback is a recovering addict. And, he cherishes the chance to open his eyes in the morning. After all, for Lucas, dying once seemed a lot easier than living.
“I live day by day and one day at a time,” Lucas said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. “I still have a lot of pain that I deal with, but I relish in the fact that sometimes you’ve got to walk through hell to get to heaven.”
Heaven is being the husband Lucas knew he wasn’t. It’s being the father to the three daughters who just wanted a minute of his time. It’s being the son, brother and friend that everyone missed.
“I’m living a dream now,” Lucas said, “and it’s a far cry from where I was before.”
The 39-year-old Lucas struggled for years with an addiction to prescription painkillers. He shares his story as a cautionary tale to NFL rookies and veterans alike — and to help people struggling with addictions. He wants them to know they can get their lives back, starting by using the website www.TurnToHelp.com.
The site, sponsored by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, offers people the chance to find doctors who specialize in dealing with opioid addictions for discreet office visits — rather than treatment facilities that might require lengthy stays.
“The hardest thing for an addict to do is ask for help,” Lucas said. “We don’t want anybody to know who we are or what we think we are. It’s, ‘I’m ashamed of myself,’ or, ‘I’m embarrassed.’ For stuff like this website to come out, it’s game-changing for people who suffer from addiction.”
Lucas appeared to have it all a few years ago. He was a popular quarterback who had stints with the Patriots, Jets, Dolphins and Ravens during a seven-year NFL career that ended in 2003. He stayed in the game in retirement by becoming an Emmy award-winning studio analyst who’s not afraid to speak his mind about the Jets for SportsNet New York.
But, he harbored a dark secret that was gradually tearing his life apart. He was addicted to prescription painkillers after suffering severe neck injuries while playing football. Lucas was popping pills like candy — about 800 a month — and wondering where it all went wrong.
“When I was going through the throes of addiction, I would pass by mirrors and didn’t know who I was looking at,” Lucas said. “It was pretty tough to look at yourself in the mirror, especially when you wanted to punch the guy you were looking at.”
A deep depression led to suicidal thoughts. He told HBO’s “Real Sports” last year that he tried to end it all one day by planning to drive his car off the George Washington Bridge.
“That’s the public version, but there were many other times where I tried to do it myself by taking 50 pills a night and praying that I wouldn’t wake up because life wasn’t worth living,” Lucas said. “I wasn’t living. I was killing myself from the inside.”
Lucas doesn’t blame the NFL or the game he played for so long. Professional football is violent by nature, he said, and taking painkillers is all part of it.
“I don’t think the NFL is turning out addicts,” he said. “I’m not saying that. This is bigger than the NFL. What I’m saying is that when you have prolonged use of a certain narcotic, your tolerance level goes way through the roof, and when you need medication, it’s going to take 10 times more pills than the normal human being needs to take.”
He spoke of his plight as news broke about the death of former All-Pro linebacker Junior Seau, who was found shot to death at his home Wednesday morning in what police said appeared to be a suicide. Lucas made no comments about Seau, whose death was still under investigation.
“For two years, I was in a black hole,” Lucas said. “I was in an abyss. It was like being in a hole and people reaching out their hands and you’re trying to reach them, but you’re an inch away and you can’t grab it. Every day, that hole gets deeper and that arm that you’re looking to grab gets farther and farther away where you just don’t care about everyday life anymore.”
He grew distant from his wife, Cecilia, and three daughters. But they never gave up hope that they’d get back the man they loved.
“I was blessed,” Lucas said. “There were a couple of times where I told my wife, ‘Get the hell out, I don’t even want to see you. Take the kids. Bounce.’ And she didn’t leave. She’s always been there. My kids have always been there, and so have my parents and my friends.”
The first step to recovery came when he sought out Pain Alternatives, Solutions and Treatments (PAST), a New Jersey medical group that performed neck surgery on him in 2010. A few months later, Lucas headed to drug rehab in West Palm Beach, Fla., and chronicled the experience on Facebook while gaining thousands of well-wishing fans in the process.
“During the first five days of detox, I wished I had driven off the George Washington Bridge,” he said. “That was hell that I can’t even put into words, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. But every day after the fifth day, I got better and I wanted to keep getting better.”
He did just that, eventually returning home to his family and to the television job he loved. Lucas knows if he’ll have a bad day as soon as he wakes up, but refuses to give in to the temptation of painkillers.
“This disease is a cunning disease,” Lucas said. “I’d be lying to you if I told you that if I have a bad day my mind doesn’t wander and say: ‘Hey, listen, man. You can take two. You’ll be OK.’”
He shuts out those thoughts by going swimming or getting a massage. The conversations with Cecilia help a lot, too, and listening to his kids talk about school — and all those other moments he missed out on for so long.
“Back then, I wasn’t even sitting at the table,” Lucas said. “People ask if I’m embarrassed or they say, ‘Why do you speak on TV? Don’t you think people are going to judge you?’ I don’t really care because I am a survivor. I am a soldier. I made it to this point and now I’m trying to help others and give the gift I received back.”
MAXX Client, Jeremy Roenick is partnering with Philips Norelco for their “Go With A Real Pro” Sweepstakes during this year’s NHL Playoffs.
For more on the campaign, and JR’s playoff beard competition with Mike Modano, see the press release below:
The playoff beard has been a hockey mainstay for fans and players alike since the 1970s. Ask any die-hard fan. They’ll tell you it’s right up there with not washing your jersey; a beloved ritual that connects fans with their favorite team in a sign of solidarity. This season, Philips Norelco, the leader in electric shaving and grooming, is partnering with five professional hockey teams — the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators — to celebrate the playoff beard and help guys gear up for the games.
Leading the pack are two hockey legends, Jeremy Roenick and Mike Modano, who will face off in the ultimate rematch to show once and for all, who reigns supreme. A sneak peek of what’s to come can be viewed at http://youtube.com/philipsnorelco.
“For decades, we have engineered game-changing electric shaving and grooming products worthy of hockey’s most notable beards,” said Kristi Crump, Marketing Director, Personal Care at Philips Consumer Lifestyle. “It takes a pro product to stand up to the playoff beard and Philips Norelco groomers and shavers can get the job done – from the last shave before the first game starts, to a momentum-shifting trim during the series.”
Philips Norelco is giving pro hockey fans a chance to win 2012-2013 season tickets through the “Go With A Real Pro” Sweepstakes.
MAXX Client Bram Weinstein, a 1995 graduate of American’s School of Communication, recently returned to his alma mater to speak with students and spend a day on campus.
Check out the “Eye on the Eagles” segment that follows around Bram.
ESPN980 TO LAUNCH “INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM WITH DOC WALKER AND BRIAN MITCHELL
Media Release:
Washington D.C. (March 23, 2012) - RED ZEBRA BROADCASTING announces the launch of a new program on ESPN980. “Inside the Locker Room with Doc Walker and Brian Mitchell” will debut on Monday March 26 at 2pm. The show will team former Washington Redskins Doc Walker and Brian Mitchell along with veteran talk show host Scott Jackson. Doc Walker has been with WTEM for the last 15 years and just completed a successful run as co-host of The John Thompson Show. Brian Mitchell returns to 980 after a four year absence. Brian has hosted “The Brian Mitchell Show”, on various outlets, for the last six years. Brian also co-hosts a nightly television program on Comcast Sports Net. Scott Jackson, Brian’s co-host on “The Brian Mitchell Show” worked at WTEM for seven years in the early 2000s. Jackson served in many roles, including the stations NBA insider and analyst.
Vice President of Programming, Chuck Sapienza said of the new show “With Doc & B-Mitch, ESPN980’s lineup includes the two most prominent former players in Washington DC media today. Listeners of the show will receive opinions and insight from professional athletes that is rarely offered on local radio. In addition, Jackson gives the new show a point guard that every successful program needs”. Brian Mitchell said “I am thrilled to be back at ESPN980 and look forward to partnering with Doc Walker for what we believe will be the best early afternoon show in the DC market. Having my buddy Scott Jackson as part of the team will only enhance the listener experience. I plan on continuing to be outspoken and telling it like it is which is something the fans have come to expect from me.” Scott Jackson said “I am very excited to be going home. The most enjoyable years of my radio career took place at WTEM. The opportunity to be part of the an already strong weekday lineup is very exciting. The icing on the cake is being able to once again work with BMitch and Doc.“ Rick Carmean, C.E.O. said “This has been an exciting process. We have interviewed dozens of fantastic candidates, in the end, Scott and Brian stood out, above the rest. We are extremely excited to get started.”
Inside the Locker Room can be heard 2pm-4pm, Monday-Friday on ESPN980 WTEM, 92.7FM and 94.3FM and streaming live on ESPN980.com.
BUCCANEERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH
CB BARBER ON ONE-YEAR DEAL
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that they have agreed to terms with CB Ronde Barber on a one-year contract.
“I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be back for my 16th season as a Buccaneer,” said Barber. “Coach Schiano, Mark Dominik, and the Glazer family have been terrific throughout this process. I’m really excited about the direction of the team, the moves we’ve made, and I can’t wait to get back to work.”
This past season Barber started in all 16 games for Tampa Bay and finished with the fourth-most tackles on the team (77). He also recorded five tackles for loss, three interceptions, 11 passes defensed, one sack, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble, as he was one of only two players on the Buccaneers to record a statistic in each of the respective categories. In Week 3, Barber was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the ninth time in his career, including the postseason.
Barber has spent his entire 15-year career with the Buccaneers, and currently holds the longest active streak for starts in the NFL with 199, starting every game for the Buccaneers since Week 10 of the 1999 season. His consecutive starts streak is also the longest by a cornerback in NFL history, while his 224 consecutive games played is tied for the second-longest streak by a defensive player in the NFL since 1970. Barber has 43 career interceptions and 27 career sacks, making him the only player in NFL history to have 40 or more interceptions and 25 or more sacks in a career.
His 1,337 tackles rank second in team history behind only LB Derrick Brooks and his 11 touchdowns on fumble/interception returns ranks fifth in NFL history. The five-time Pro Bowler is also the only defensive back in the NFL since the merger (1970) to start each of his team’s games for 12 consecutive seasons.
MAXX Client, Brian Mitchell, along with co-host Doc Walker, will be replacing John Thompson at ESPN 980. Below is the article from Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s D.C. Sports Bog:
Since John Thompson announced his pending retirement from ESPN 980 several months ago, there was one notable opening on the D.C. sports-talk radio schedule.
That opening will be filled this week, when 980 is expected to name Thompson’s replacement in the 2-4 weekday slot. The new show will be called “Inside the Locker Room with Doc Walker and Brian Mitchell,” and will feature, you guessed it, Doc Walker and Brian Mitchell. Longtime D.C. sports-talk host Scott Jackson will be the third member of the broadcast team.
ESPN 980 declined to comment on the move, but a formal announcement is expected on Monday, and the show will debut next week.
Walker was Thompson’s latest partner and has been manning the time slot since the coach’s departure. He’s worked for WTEM for 15 years; the station announced last week that it had re-signed Walker to a three year deal.
“When Doc Walker talks sports, Washington D.C. tunes in to ESPN 980 to hear what the D-O-C has to say,” VP of Programming Chuck Sapienza said in that release
Mitchell, meantime, is a former Thompson sidekick and the co-host of SportsTalk Live on Comcast SportsNet. Like Jackson, he had been doing radio for 980’s rival, 106.7 The Fan. This also means that, with LaVar Arrington starting at 2 on The Fan, that timeslot will have three former Redskins on-air at once.
