Top 10 List

Top 10 Sports Commercials:

With Super Bowl Commercial Sunday coming up, we at the Sporting Itis decided to put out 10 of our favorite sports commercials. Here we go:

10. Terry Tate - Office Linebacker (Reebok)

The first time I saw this commercial, I was literally rolling on the floor laughing. The subsequent times I watched it, the concept of an office linebacker beating the hell out of his fellow employees for not refilling the coffee or making long distance phone calls got a little old, but I still found myself laughing pretty hard.

9. This is Sportscenter - Lance Armstrong (ESPN)

While Dan Patrick is working on his computer, the power goes out, and he goes to the source to investigate what happened. As he opens the door, he sees that Lance Armstrong - who is powering ESPN - had momentarily stopped riding his bike because he thought everyone had left. I love the line where Patrick asks, "Can I get you an energy bar? How about some water?"

8. Nike Basketball Dribbling (Nike)

The famed freestyle dribbling segment done by Nike has the star power of Vince Carter, Lamar Odom, Kevin Garnett, 'Sheed, and Jason Williams, among others to create one of the more noteworthy sports commercials. The fact that the commercial uses only the sounds of a basketball hitting the floor and the squeak of a basketball shoe to create a catchy rhythm is a testament to its uniqueness.

7. Tiger Woods Bouncing Ball (Nike)

I remember when I first saw Tiger bouncing the ball off of his club so effortlessly, I thought he was the coolest guy ever, golf was not as boring as I'd once thought, and I suddenly had this urge to wear my orange Nike shirt whenever I went golfing. That, I say, is good marketing.

6. Michael Jordan vs. Larry Bird (McDonalds)

MJ could easily have his own set of commercials for his several excellent ones over the years. In this particular commercial, Bird and Jordan compete in a game of horse to win a Big Mac. Bird is up in years at this point, and he sets the rules: "First one to miss watches the winner eat...No Dunking." What's especially great is Jordan's clothing attire. It was popular back then...

5. This Is Sportscenter - Y2K (ESPN)

The Sportscenter commercials really could have their own top 10 list. This commercial in particular is my favorite because it incorporates all aspects of the ESPN community - the Mascots, the athletes, and the anchors - running amok as they think the world is going to end because of the threat of Y2K. Mark McGwire smashing the computer with his bat is priceless, and who can forget Charlie Steiner looking into the camera and yelling, "Follow me, Follow me to Freedom!"

4. Lebrons (Nike)

People may think I'm biased being a Cleveland fan, but this commercial featuring the many characters of LeBron is one of the best productions in sports commercial history. The minute-long segment features the ongoing storyline of Lebron's pursuit of beating the powers of the east and winning an NBA Championship, as well as high comedic value when the "pretty boy" LeBron does an extraordinary dive into the pool - all of which is going on as Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness" plays in the background. LeBron James at his best.

3. Jordan XXI (Jordan)

Seeing young kids and teenagers emulating some of Jordan's best moves and famous moments definitely grabbed my attention. When one of the young basketball players pulled the same crossover move as Jordan so beautifully performed against Byron Russell in his last game as a Bull against the Jazz, I got the chills. I could watch it 50 times, and every time I would still get that same feeling.

2. Mean Joe Greene (Coke)

This is one of my sentimental favorites. A little kid offers Mean Joe a Coke and says "See ya around" and walks away. A few seconds later, when Mean Joe yells "Hey kid!" and throws him his jersey, I couldn't help but smile at the look on the kid's face. This scene the ultimate dream for any young boy who had an athlete like Greene as an idol growing up.

1. Michael Jordan vs. Michael Jordan (Gatorade)

In terms of its realness and entertainment value, this commercial takes the cake. Michael Jordan, who at the time playing for the Wizards, is shooting around on the court and the younger version of him during his best years on the Bulls emerges from the darkness to play a game of one-on-one. What's great about this commercial is the realness of the one-on-one matchup, and the trash-talking coming from each side. My favorite line is after Old Jordan blocks Young Jordan's shot:

Old MJ: "That's ugly."
Young MJ: "I coulda dunked."
Old MJ: "You shoulda dunked."

The UNC version of Jordan even makes a cameo at the end. What more could you ask for?


Honorable Mentions: Bo Knows, Powerade Commercials (Vick, LeBron), This is Sportscenter - Gheorghe Muresan, Spike Lee and Michael Jordan - Mars Blackmon, Chicks Dig the Longball

Dishonorable Mentions: Peyton Manning 1, 2, and 3.
"Cut That Meat!"