Category Archives: Sports

First Edible Mascot Delights Fans

News, Sports

The recent Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida, made history by showcasing the first edible mascot in the realm of sports. In a quirky move that captivated the internet, the Kansas State Wildcats triumphed over the NC State Wolfpack with a score of 28-19, culminating in the devouring of a colossal pastry emerging from a larger-than-life toaster.

As part of this creative marketing ploy, the victorious team celebrated by consuming the giant pastry, marking a distinctive trophy presentation that featured two actual Pop-Tarts nestled into slots atop a silver football.

Enthusiastic fans flooded various online platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), expressing their amusement through a plethora of memes.

Heidi Ray, senior director of brand marketing at Pop-Tarts (Kellanova), explained, “Campaigns that earn both coverage and conversation have a disproportionate business impact… We have been blown away by the reaction and engagement, which we are still analyzing. But, at this point, we are looking at success that rivals a major Super Bowl moment.”

Originally named the Blockbuster Bowl, the Pop-Tarts Bowl has a rich history, commencing in Miami back in 1990 and drawing over 74,000 fans. Presently hosted at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, the event falls under the oversight of Florida Citrus Sports, a nonprofit organization managing regional events.

Various sponsors have graced the game over the years, including a multi-year deal with Florida Citrus Sports. The game underwent a rebranding as the Cheez-It Bowl for the past three seasons, featuring memorable celebrations such as dumping buckets of Cheez-Its on the winning coaches’ heads.

Rescheduled Olympics Now In Doubt

Sports, ,

One of the largest casualties of the coronavirus pandemic was the 2020 Summer Olympics, which had been scheduled to take place in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9. The competition has been rescheduled for this summer, but it is far from certain that it will go ahead as planned: According to Wall Street Journal, 80 percent of the Japanese public does not want the influx of foreign athletes and spectators at a time when Covid-19 cases have spiked in the country.

The athletes are ready, but is Japan?

Those concerns are exacerbated by the example set by the Australian Open tennis competition, currently underway in Melbourne. Competition organizers there have been criticized for allegedly putting profits ahead of public health by allowing foreign players into the country.

In addition, Yoshiro Mori, the head of Japan’s Olympic Committee, faced calls last weeks to resign after complaining that “talkative” women in sports organizations caused meetings tended to ‘drag on’.