The Nike Baseball Commercial – Who’s Playing the Organ… and More!

I was a h@)$*%*ll of a baseball player… in t-ball. I could’ve gone pro!! At least that’s what I tell myself in between chapters of the Young Adult book I’m enthusiastically reading. Hi, I’m Ben and I’m 46 years old. I was never destined to be a baseball player even though that was my answer when my 7th grade teacher asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was going to have my own valuable rookie card. I would’ve hit the winning home run! I would’ve starred in this new Nike commercial as one of the greatest baseball players to ever wear a pair of stirrups. Instead, they got some no-name to play the familiar organ song where the fans finish it with a “Charge!” Check it out then scroll down for more…

The Star. There are lots of star athletes in this commercial. But the one playing the organ is the beloved and talented Ken Griffey, Jr. When I say his name out loud, I almost always follow it up with “rookie card” because back in my day, his Mariners rookie card was the card to have.

Of course, there was also the Bo Jackson football baseball card. I think my brother had that one. There is a clip or two of Bo Jackson in the ad, did you catch them? Hint: he’s the one who breaks the bat over his head. OK, that’s less of a hint and more of a total giveaway.

Did you see the Randy Johnson bird strike clip? I’m glad they did a subtle representation of that one, because… poor bird! The fireworks in the second pic represent the bird’s final moment (along with the feathers falling in the next clip of the commercial).

This is a cool commercial from Nike as the MLB world series is underway. Unfortunately, I don’t really care to watch baseball like I did when I was a youngster. I guess when I realized my skills weren’t going to take me to the top, I distanced myself from the sport altogether. Do I sound bitter that my 9th grade baseball coach benched me? Coach, I could’ve hit the ball over those mountains!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Allstate Georgia Dawg Bark Boy Commercial – The Actor and More

There’s so much about this commercial that needs to be discussed but before we get into it, take a look at the barking Bulldog ad from Allstate…

The Actor. The actor earning “Best in Show” is Dustin Ingram. You might recognize him from a few other projects he was part of, including another insurance ad from a few years ago. Here he is in Liberty Mutual’s ad with an Afghan Hound.

Beautiful dog, huh? A breed that also stars in this Farmer’s Dog commercial. But let’s get back to the bulldog. A couple of things I love about the Allstate commercial.

1) I bet the way Dustin (the employee) pounds the desk as he barks was unscripted. His enthusiasm is hilarious.

2) Towards the tail end (pun intended) of the commercial, why does he look up at the ceiling? I love it because it adds more awkwardness to an already awkward situation. I’m guessing the director told Dustin to adlib and trusted his ability as a comedian. It worked!

3) Can we all agree the lady boss ISN’T a Georgia fan? She must’ve been gifted the mug and kept it for some other reason than being a real dawg. Because if she was, she would’ve barked back! For instance, what if her mug said “Nashville” on it? Or if she wore this Nashville cap. He responds, “I love Nashvegas,” and I guarantee she would tip her cap and give him a wink and a nod of approval.

Check out some of actor Dustin’s other work by following him on Instagram (@tsunamigrind) and take a second to leave a comment below…

-Out of the Wilderness

Sora AI Videos are scary good… and so is this AI cover of Eminem “Without Me”

Scary good is an oxymoron but I think in the case of artificial intelligence, there’s no other way to describe it. Maybe I’m a Scrooge but I only see bad things coming from the amazing technology making the Sora brand videos so realistic. Just take a look at this recent upload highlighting some of the creations…

Startling, isn’t it? There’s a sliver of excitement about how good these videos are. Super impressive. But like I said before, I only see bad things ahead for this stuff. People getting blamed for things they didn’t say or do. What are we to believe anymore? In a way, because technology is this advanced, we’re sort of back to where we began: Don’t believe anything you don’t see with your own eyes.

However, this AI version of Eminem’s “Without Me” is better than the original. Yes, it’s better than the amazing rap original.

People of the world, please use AI like this, and not for evil!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Target Commercial – Never On A Sunday, The Song, and More

Target uses a catchy song in a recent commercial advertising “Circle Week.” Ironically, the song talks about Sunday being a day of rest but at Target you can get deals every day of the week. Check out the ad then scroll down for more about the music…

The Song. The soundtrack for this ad is called “Never On A Sunday” by The Chordettes.

But there’s a lot more to the song than just that famous version. It was also performed with heartfelt irritation (or is it passion?) by Miss Piggy.

…also by The Four Seasons.

…and the melody I heard first in “No Tengo Dinero” by Los Umbrellos.

…and the Greek version, one of the first.

-Out of the Wilderness

Just Put Yourself Out There

I made a joke about the lack of dating I’ve experienced this year and it was followed up with someone saying that I need to put myself out there. Where is “out there” anyway? No one knows. We had a good laugh about it which is better than the alternative, I must say.

So where should one position themselves for optimal dating potential? Lots of people would say the grocery store. That’s sort of a classic answer but I don’t really believe women want to be hit on in the grocery store. How about church? Again, that’s a hard no. In the gym. OK, we all know that’s a terrible idea. So I’m left with women in the car next to me on the road! “How did you meet?” They’ll ask. “Well, I was stuck and traffic and he held up a sign that asked, ‘Want to carpool next time?'”

Yeah, that’s not creepy at all. 🤪

So I’ll say it again, like I’ve said before: If you’re married, try with all your might to stay married because dating is one of the least fun experiences people can have in 2025. I’ve only had 2 first-dates all year and both women almost immediately went back to an ex. Good for them. Bad for me.

What’s a guy gotta do to get a girl in this town? The answer is rather elusive, I’m afraid.

-Out of the Wilderness