I Had To Say No…

I had to say no. Well, technically I did have a choice. I could’ve said yes. A few weeks ago I was asked if I was interested in doing something. A simple yes or no question. The timing was kind of ironic and humbling because not an hour earlier I was basically bragging that I’d learned how to say ‘no’ confidently. Then I get asked and what was my answer?

I didn’t say ‘yes’ and I didn’t say ‘no.’ Is that because I’m a classic Enneagram 4, the last child of 4, or a Capricorn? I don’t know. I supposed that’s something I need to think about, too. 🙃 Over the course of a few days, I wrestled with the decision. It became a fight between my head and my heart. My heart was a yes but my head kept coming up with reasons to back away slowly. Isn’t it so much easier to just flip a coin?

As I’ve grown into the 45-year-old man I am today, I’ve tried to become a more decisive person and I’ve still got a very long way to go. I don’t want to beat myself up over it, though. I was created with the characteristic of thinking deeply about things and that’s a good thing! The drawback is that sometimes I tend to overthink things, especially if there’s an element of letting someone down in the process.

It took over a week to come to a conclusion I was mostly happy with, but I struggled along the way. Some days I’d wake up and think, just take a chance and say yes but by the time I went to bed, it was back to no. In the end, my head prevailed and I submitted my answer.

I feel a peace about it, which helps to confirm my decision and will hopefully keep me from thinking more about it (Did I make the wrong choice? Can I change my mind? Did I just ruin my entire life?). For now though, I believe it came down to a matter of timing. My heart was all in but the logical side said… not yet. So maybe eventually if I get faced with the same question again, I’ll be a ‘yes.’ Until then, I’ll just be here waiting for the next thing to come along that I can overthink about.

-Out of the Wilderness

Kevin Hart Acting, Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl, and Jason Kelce’s Wings

At some point in my 20s, I made peace with myself that even though I’m an American man, very little of my interests include working on cars or knowing much about them at all outside of basic maintenance and repair. It was a marked change, a burden off of my shoulders that I didn’t have to be who I was expected to be, even if there really wasn’t anyone out there who actually expected it from me. It was mostly in my head from projected rules of how men are supposed to be.

I’ve come to another similar conclusion. Aren’t we supposed to like Kevin Hart as an actor? For a time, I did. He was funny, clever, and likable. I suppose he’s still all those things but I think the common cliché is true, every character he plays is the same. It was after watching The Man From Toronto (and writing about it) that I decided I needed to face these thoughts head on. I can’t think of a movie where Hart played a part that was vastly different from any other character in any other movie. So now when I see ads for a new movie he’s in, I lose interest rather quickly. To sum this up with a broad statement, I’m over Kevin Hart.

And then there’s Kendrick Lamar. I can’t say that I’ve done a deep dive into his catalogue of songs but I LOVE his style of rapping. The first of his songs I heard was “Humble.” and it was somehow so refreshing compared to what was currently popular in rap music at the time. A unique delivery with his phrasing and melodies. And if a rapper can have a pleasant, satisfying voice, it’s Kendrick. Plus, he’s got some lines in “XXX” that are my favorite lyrics of probably any rap song ever. So when it was announced today that he’d be headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, I was very happy. He has enough hits to fill out a great show for anyone who admires talent.

Have you seen Jason Kelce in the Buffalo Wild Wings commercials? He’s already shown us his sense of humor in various ways through the course of the last NFL football season…

…but he is smart enough to share the spotlight while not stepping on the toes hooves of Hank (the buffalo). That big ol’ bison is hilarious and Jason’s humor works perfectly in the few ads I’ve seen with the pair. Check out one of commercials below where Jason throws shade at his brother, Travis Kelce.

What do you think about these three men? Am I the odd one out, not liking Kevin Hart the actor anymore? Should I learn how to clean a carburetor?

-Out of the Wilderness

The Nike Winning Isn’t Comfortable Commercial – The Music, the Running, and More!

Nike has been at the top of the shoe industry for as long as I can remember, whether it’s basketball shoes, football, soccer, casual, or running shoes. I remember my first pair of Jordans. Or the basketball shoes I wore to play college intramurals. In my 20s, I had a pair of Nike Shox half marathon training many years ago. There are two things I can say about those Shox running shoes: 1. They weren’t airy and 2. They were heavy. What was I thinking? They must’ve been twice as heavy as the average running shoe! Since then I’ve switched my loyalty to Brooks, a brand known for quality running shoes. I prefer them for their light weight, comfort for my heel and flat footedness, and I’ve found almost every pair I’ve ever purchased on sale. Research shows that although Nike was #1 in previous years, Brooks has taken over as the top running shoe brand and other players are making waves, too. Popular brands Hoka and On have carved a spot for themselves as athlete favorites.

But did anyone expect Nike to go quietly into the night? Not at all! They have a grab bag of new ads focused on running, one which you might have seen on TV and streaming in the last few days and weeks. Take a look at the new “Winning Isn’t Comfortable” commercial below then scroll down for more info…

Nike also posted an image on Instagram and I’ll just be 100% transparent here, I can’t stand Nike. It was a 180° turn about 10 years ago because growing up I loved Nike. It’s possible you might have seen a Nike swoosh shaved into my haircut in high school. I was a little obsessed. But when they steamrolled over decades of tradition at Florida State a few years ago, I gave up on Nike and Florida State, too. It became clear that money rules everything around them which is very, very unattractive. I don’t think it’s just me being stubborn, but I don’t ever envision a day where I’ll be rooting for FSU football or wearing any Nike gear at all.

But personal grudges aside, this Instagram post from Nike is so extremely on point! I feel this deep in my bones.

The Music. The ad includes a great use of a classic song contrasting all the athletes running in the rain. Why not use a timeless song from nearly 90 years ago? It’s been performed by many artists from Johnny Cash to Ike and Tina Turner. Adding her name to the list (covered in 2019) is Christina Perri and this is the version used in the Nike commercial. Also check out this list of the best “You Are My Sunshine” covers.

Run, Forrest, Run. Running is a big part of my triathlon training. The most fun part is also the hardest part: Taking that first step. And I don’t mean the first stride. I mean, getting off the couch. Getting out of bed. Committing. But once I’m up, I’m in! 🤪 Lately, I’ve been waking up once a week to do training intervals at a school track in town. And when I say waking up, I mean I’m on the track running at 630am. Yikes. I’m not the only insane person, though. There’s a group of people plus a coach and a tech guy who are faithful to the challenge and that helps me keep going, too. But….. we’re all a little crazy, huh? More on that insanity here.

What do you think about the Nike running commercial? Is it going to help their sales as other companies are taking bigger chunks of the running market? If you’re a data person, check out a ton of statistics about shoe sales over the past few years on RunRepeat.com. For example, based on data some folks are suggesting that trail running shoes will have the most growth in the next few years. In 2023, the average MSRP of running shoes is $132.90 while 18.7% of running shoes have an MSRP lower than $100. 

I’m just about due for another pair of running shoes so I’ll have another post about that when it happens. Until then, see you on the road!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Farmer’s Dog Referee Commercial – The Actor, the Music, and More!

Hello there! If you stumbled upon this post, you’re probably in the same boat I’m in. I was watching football and was immediately drawn to the TV screen which was showing the aftermath of a bad call on the field. It could’ve easily been mistaken for a referee calling penalties against whoever’s playing the Kansas City Chiefs. But nope, it wasn’t real life. It was a commercial and would you believe it was a dog food commercial? This ad is for dog lovers out there and you know who you are. You sing every popular song but add your dog’s name to the lyrics. You have 23 different nicknames that you rotate through hourly. You cuddle your dog way more than your dog wants to cuddle with you. I’m right there with you and so is The Farmer’s Dog. Check out their dog food commercial then scroll down for some details about it…

The Referee. The official who allegedly needs his eyes checked is actor/comedian Dave Colan (Instagram @davecolan). He’s an alumni of the famed Second City improv comedy club and teaches improv in Los Angeles. He also teaches us all a lesson in how to tell a story without any words with his referee performance. How many actors can do that well? It takes a lot to convey emotion without talking but watch the ad again and you can feel his pain…

Then he arrives home to a dog who loves him. Anyone who opens the door and is greeted by a happy pup knows how this ref feels in that moment. It reminds me of that phrase about being the kind of people our dogs think we are.

“There is nothing truer in this world than the love of a good dog.” – Mira Grant

The angry football player, actor Boogie Roberts, posted this behind-the-scenes clip from the shoot which took place at the USC football stadium in California. Also, follow Boogie here: @8_boogie

The Song. Wrapping up the ad with some feel good lyrics is a song called “I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)” by Johnnie Taylor. The song was released in 1973. I love the part of the chorus used in the commercial because it’s vague enough to leave us wondering if the owner is being comforted by the dog or the dog by the owner. The twist in the story is that both are true.

I have two beagles and they are 14 and 13 years old. I’d be fibbing if I said it was always easy. As they’ve gotten older, it’s sometimes tough to have patience. But I can’t imaging how much duller my life would be and would’ve been had we not found each other many years ago in Nashville, Tennessee. They’ve never said a word to me but we’ve had thousands of meaningful conversations. If you’re thinking about getting a dog, adopt one right this instant!

-Out of the Wilderness

Run the Damn Ball – A Music Video by Jenna Paulette

Down, set, hut! Football season is finally in full swing with college teams already practicing for their week 2 games (or already rebuilding for 2025 if you’re Florida State) and the NFL starting their season tonight. What a glorious time of the year, isn’t it?

There have been plenty of country songs and music videos orbiting around football; Kenny Chesney “Boys of Fall,” “Tennessee Fan” by Morgan Wallen, and, of course, Hank Williams, Jr.’s “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight” which was used for Monday Night Football for many years.

But how many football-related country songs can you think of that are performed by a woman? There’s a Megan Moroney song called “Tennessee Orange” that’s really not about football and Carrie Underwood performing the NFL Sunday Night Football theme song. In other words, Jenna Paulette is making up her own playbook and I think she scored a touchdown with her new song “Run the Damn Ball.” Check it out then scroll down for more…

Did anyone else hear this song and immediately think of the Seahawks in the Super Bowl? They had a beast of a running back and with 20 seconds to go 1 yard, it was a no-brainer. Give the ball to Lynch and you’ll be hoisting the trophy as Super Bowl champions. But they passed the ball and it got intercepted, marking one of the most embarrassing play calls of all time in the whole entire universe. All they had to do was run the damn ball!

Who am I to judge, though? One time I was quarterbacking a flag football team. We were about to win after scoring a touchdown to put us up by a point. On the 2-point conversion play afterwards, all I had to do was not throw the ball at all. So what did I do? I tried to throw it to my ex-girlfriend in the end zone. The pass was intercepted, returned all the way to the other end zone so the other team scored 2 points and won the game by a point. The game ended and so did my relationship with my girlfriend.

OK, I’m being dramatic. She and I broke up way before that game but I’m sure throwing an interception at such a critical time didn’t do anything to win her back. Actually, I know it didn’t. I haven’t spoken to her in over a decade. Football sucks.

But the video from Jenna doesn’t suck at all. She and a few of the players from the University of Texas had a lot of fun on the shoot as you can see if you check out her Instagram (@jennapaulette). Cool video, fun song, congrats to Jenna for being in rare company with a football song that many fans will be playing at tailgate parties around the country all season long.

-Out of the Wilderness