Monday, November 28, 2011

John Lundberg: Chrysler Taps a Poem to Promote its 'Tough' Image

Nothing says toughness like deep voiceovers, portraits of blue-collar Americans, and football. So the brains behind Chrysler's critically acclaimed new ad campaign have excelled by incorporating gritty, steel-toned Detroit street scenes with an Ajax of a football player named Ndamukong Suh. But their latest ad, which premiered during this past week's football broadcast, went out on a limb, featuring a poem by former Michigan poet laureate Edgar Guest.

When you're up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it's vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!

Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don't let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!

Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you're beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don't give up, whate'er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.
See it through!

Sadly, Suh, Chrysler's other spokesman, did not "see it through" on Thursday. In a fit of fury, he smashed an opponent's head into the turf three times then stomped on his arm, earning himself an ejection. After the game, Suh -- quite remarkably -- denied that he'd done anything wrong. His comments bring to mind these other lines by Guest: "Here's to the men, the perfect men! Who never are at fault." Guest was being ironic; Suh was not.

Guest, at least, should prove a great choice by Chrysler. He lived most of his life in Detroit and lived out a great American story. His family emigrated from England in 1891 when he was 10 years old, and he became an American citizen in 1902. He worked his way up from copyboy to reporter at the Detroit Free Press, and eventually became a radio and TV star. He considered himself a newsman first, but his simple, sentimental poems were hugely popular in the early 20th century. Here's an excerpt from one of his best-known poems, "Thanksgiving":

Give me the end of the year an' its fun
When most of the plannin' an' toilin' is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best,
Hear the old voices still ringin' with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An' I'll put soul in my Thanksgivin' prayers.

You can read more of Guest's poetry here.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-lundberg/chrysler-taps-a-poem-to-p_b_1113170.html

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PFT: Packers' Walden arrested for assault

Ryan Mathews,  Nick RoachAP

We handle the biggest injury news all day in the rumor mill.?

The rest goes right here, in America?s most popular injury segment that always listens to the National Anthem.

1. Kevin Kolb is officially questionable after being limited in practice all week with his toe injury. ?We won?t know his status until gametime, but signs are pointing towards Kolb playing.

2. The Rams? two best defenders are questionable.?Linebacker James Laurinaitis (foot) and defensive end Chris Long (ankle) practiced in a limited fashion during the week, so they should play.

3. The Bills have a sadly big list of starters that are out this week. Some of the players are already on injured reserve, but we?ll reprint here: Running back?Fred Jackson (fibula), wideout Donald Jones (ankle), kicker Rian Lindell (shoulder), cornerback Terrence McGee (knee), and safety George Wilson (neck) are out. ?Backup wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt (shoulder) is also out.

4. The Jets are healthy, with the exception of kick returner?Jeremy Kerley (knee) and running back LaDainian Tomlinson (knee). Both are questionable, but they didn?t practice all week.

5. Tight end Dallas Clark (fibula) is out once again. Running back Joseph Addai (hamstring) should be back after practicing fully all week.

6. The Raiders will be without?wide receiver Jacoby Ford (foot), running back Darren McFadden (foot), and defensive end Jarvis Moss (hamstring). ?Half the team is questionable, including two players that didn?t practice all week: running back?Taiwan Jones (hamstring) and wide receiver Denarius Moore (foot).

7. A few extra days off did the Broncos some good. The entire active roster should be available to face San Diego.

8. The Chargers got some good news on Friday. Running back Ryan Mathews (knee) is probable despite missing practice Thursday, and their best pass rusher Shaun Phillips (foot) was upgraded to questionable this week.

The bad news:?Defensive end Luis Castillo (tibia), wideout Malcom Floyd (hip), and tackle Marcus McNeill (neck) are all still out. Two other guards are doubtful. The offensive line is in bad shape.

9. Andre Johnson (hamstring) is officially probable as he returns from his lengthy injury. ?He should be happy about his matchup with Jacksonville because . . .

10. The Jaguars defense is banged up. Cornerback Derek Cox went on injured reserve Friday. Fellow starter Rashean Mathis is already there. Defensive line starters?Terrance Knighton (ankle) and Matt Roth (concussion) are both out.

11. The Falcons will be short in the secondary. Luckily, they are playing the Vikings. ?Cornerback Kelvin Hayden (toe) is out and cornerback Brent Grimes (knee)?is questionable despite not practicing all week.

12. Patriots wideout?Chad Ochocinco (hamstring) is officially questionable after missing practice Friday. There are nine other Patriots that are questionable, but they all practiced in a limited fashion during the week. Linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee) remains out.

13. Redskins receiver Santana Moss (hand) is back in the mix. He?s probable.

14. The Steelers list linebacker?LaMarr Woodley (hamstring) as questionable, but there is doubt locally that he?ll suit up.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/25/packers-linebacker-erik-walden-arrested/related

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