Doing A Commercial With Tiger and LeBron...by Bill Gouveia for the Sun Chronicle
So let me tell you all a story about how I recently wound up making an appearance in a Nike commercial on national TV with LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams and a host of other famous sports stars during a golf match featuring Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
So let me tell you all a story about how I recently wound up making an appearance in a Nike commercial on national TV with LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams and a host of other famous sports stars during a golf match featuring Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
Talk about a sentence I never thought I’d write.
The story starts on Feb. 5, 2017, at my house in Norton. The Patriots were playing the Falcons in Super Bowl LI in Houston.
My oldest son Aaron, best friend Rick, his son and my godson RJ, and my son’s friends Mike and Vicky were all watching the game.
The Patriots were losing 28-3 late in the third quarter, and we were not in a good mood.
But as the game got closer, we got very excited.
Toward the end, my son gave his cell phone to Vicky. He asked her to record as we paced, yelled, cajoled, exhorted, cursed and prepared for either the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.
We all know how it turned out. Most of New England went a little nuts. We jumped around, hugged, screamed and generally celebrated like idiots. And Vicky got it all on video.
My son eventually posted it on his well-known “Daddyfiles.com” blog, and it got around the internet.
Fast forward to two weeks ago when a production company called Aaron to inquire about using a very short clip from that video for a promotional Nike project. They got releases from all of us, and we joked about how cool it was. We had no idea what would come of it.
Then came the golf match on Memorial Day weekend. I wasn’t watching, but suddenly my phone started ringing and beeping. Most of the calls and texts began with some variation of “Was that you I just saw on a Nike commercial?”
That led me to YouTube where I watched the commercial. It is a great one, with LeBron James doing the narration as well as starring. It is an inspiring video, particularly given the current state of the world. The theme is “We Are Never Too Far Down To Come Back.”
It shows athletes coming back from huge deficits, people overcoming the odds to eventually emerge from the shadows. It is a great symbol of a country hungry to move on from its current problems, looking for the bright spot in an otherwise desperate and dark period.
And there, 50 seconds into it, is an old fat guy celebrating a historic moment. Nobody special. Just a season-ticket holder of nearly five decades enjoying a moment with family and friends. Living an experience that is meaningful because he could share it.
Now my standard joke when someone brings up my fleeting appearance is, “Yeah, Tiger and LeBron and Serena have been after me for years to do a commercial with them. I finally got tired of listening to them beg and said I would do it.”
So that’s my story. Next time you celebrate something, check if anyone is recording you. You never know what might happen.
Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and obsessive Patriots fan with a face for radio. He can be emailed at billsinsidelook@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.
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