The Origin of the Gatorade Dunk

Sometimes the best product endorsements are the ones that happen organically. Take the Gatorade Dunk, for instance. A beloved form of victory celebration across the nation, this unlikely tradition began in 1984 when Chicago Bears defensive tackles Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael and linebacker Mike Singletary doused their head coach, Mike Ditka, following a big win.

"I stood in front of him as the game was still going on, and he was protesting, 'Get away from me,'" McMichael recalls. "He couldn't figure out why I was talking to him when he was trying to run a game. I actually had to grab his shoulders and hold him, and Dan came from behind and just doused him. That's when the Gatorade baths started."

Ditka’s rather frosty reception prevented the prank from becoming a tradition in Chicago, but it was adopted the following season in New York City, where Giants linebacker Harry Carson made a habit of splashing his head coach, Bill Parcells, after every victory.

"Coach Parcells was very superstitious," Carson explains. "If we did something one week and it worked, we did it again. So I kept the Gatorade showers coming, and by the end I think he started to look forward to it."

So did Gatorade. The brand received tons of free publicity every time Parcells was doused on national TV. Sportscasters began drawing attention to the ritual at the end of every game and fans even began creating their own handmade “Gatorade Dunk” t-shirts, hats and pins. “I [thought I'd] died and gone to heaven,'" says Gatorade’s former head of sports marketing, Bill Schmidt.

Gatorade understood a big part of the phenomenon’s appeal was its organic nature and happily stayed on the sidelines while the Gatorade Dunk took on a life of its own. "If a marketer ever tried to create that [Gatorade dunk] moment, it would look fake and phony and contrived," says Gatorade senior executive Tom Fox.

Interestingly, Parcells was part of advertising history again in 1987 when Giants quarterback Phil Simms became the first athlete to utter the phrase “I’m going to Disney World!” following New York’s victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI.

Question of the Week

Lisa, CT
Subj: Just how low can you go?
What was the lowest scoring game in the history of the NFL? Was the score the result of really good defenses or really bad offenses?

The lowest scoring game in NFL history occurred on December 4, 1921 when the Rochester Jeffersons refused to take the field against the Washington Pros due to inclement weather. The referees had no choice but to award Washington a 1-0 victory and the game was officially recorded as a forfeit. The rules have since changed and forfeits are now recorded as a final score of 2-0. By contrast, the highest scoring game in NFL history occurred on November 27, 1966 when the Washington Redskins trounced the New York Giants 72-41. Now that’s what I call comfortably covering the spread.

Question of the Week

Matthew, Syracuse, NY
Subj: The Magic Kingdom
Hey Ryan, I’m hoping you can settle a debate for me. Who was the first pro athlete to say “I’m going to Disney World!”?

Superb question, Matthew. That honor belongs to Phil Simms. The former New York Giants quarterback was approached by Disney representatives one week prior to Super Bowl XXI and asked to utter the phrase if his team won the game. He declined, but the reps kept on persisting and on January 25, 1987 he rattled off the now legendary line following the Giants’ convincing 39-20 victory over the Broncos. The iconic phrase has been uttered by nearly every Super Bowl MVP since, with the possible exception of Ray Lewis, who was famously not asked where he was going when Baltimore won the championship in 2001. Perhaps that’s because the phrase “I’m going to prison” isn’t quite as inspiring.

Ask Ryan - Tantalizing Trios

Welcome back for another edition of Ask Ryan, the column where sports and entertainment go together like Cheez Whiz and trailer parks. This week's mailbag is bursting at the seams with queries about the NBA's best trios, the birthplace of football's finest quarterbacks and Pat Knight's disappointing coaching debut. Read all about it at: http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/7795950/Ask-Ryan:-The-NBA's-best-trios

You've Got To Be Joking

Sit back and relax as you enjoy this week’s sports shorts.

Good news and bad news from the NHL. The good news is that Hurricanes center Eric Staal won a truck as the MVP of the all-star team. The bad news is that commissioner Gary Bettman will now have to go back to taking public transportation.

This just in from the two weeks too late department: Tony Romo has reportedly broken up with Jessica Simpson. Apparently he couldn’t stand being with a woman who thought a quarterback was a refund.

Nike has revealed that their new Jordan 23s will cost $230 a pair. Of course, $115 of that goes directly to his ex-wife.

Rickey Henderson has been sued by a promoter of sports collectibles shows for not showing up at events that he had been paid to attend. It’s not the first time Henderson has gotten away with stealing.

Jose Canseco offered to keep Magglio Ordonez out of his upcoming book if the Tigers outfielder invested in a movie project he’s promoting. We’re not sure what the film is about, but we’re guessing it’s not a morality tale.

Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia came away the big winner at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards where he was named the city’s top professional athlete. The only way the award could have been any better is if it came with a one-way ticket out of Cleveland.

Nuggets forward Nene is recovering nicely after doctors removed his right testicle. On the positive side, the operation has made the Brazilian considerably less nutty… and a much more confidant ball handler.

Colts QB Peyton Manning will host Upper Deck's VIP Super Bowl Party at a posh nightclub in Scottsdale. It should be the perfect space for him to watch all 27 of his new commercials.

Terrell Owens reportedly exchanged phone numbers with Paris Hilton in a Dallas nightclub. Something tells us this can only end in tears.

Heat center Shaquille O'Neal has indicated that he will not retire before his contract expires at the end of the 2009-2010 season. If having a day job keeps him from making movies and rap albums, we really can’t complain.

Question of the Week

Debra, Lanham, MD
Subj: Cheerleaders
Does every time in the NFL have cheerleaders and if not, which teams don't?

Superb question Debra. Sadly there are seven misguided teams in the NFL that do not employ cheerleaders. They include the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers, the Detroit Lions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns, the New York Jets and the New York Giants. In the case of the New York Giants, team officials have resisted hiring cheerleaders in order to make fans focus on the game itself. As for Pittsburgh, I’m going to have to assume the team couldn’t find 25 attractive women within the city limits. At any rate, you can rest assured that I’m presently lobbying my congressman to see what he can do to end this sad travesty.