AFL on TV and at the Movies
Charliy Nash
Tuesday January 13, 2004
Reba
First came the Arena episode of Reba. This is not a show I normally watch, but earlier in the week I was watching WB (my normal viewing for the night had been preempted by college basketball) and saw a commercial for the show that mentioned Arena Football. I was confident the AFL would be presented in a positive light on this show, because I had seen Reba McEntire at Kats’ games in Nashville.
Van, Reba’s son-in-law, wanted to drop out of college to try out for an Arena Football team. Reba was initially against it because she wanted him to stay in college. What was so refreshing was that there were no negative comments about the AFL. All of the show’s characters were very enthusiastic about Van’s tryout. Everyone seemed to have a positive impression of the league.
There were no scenes showing the tryouts or any football players, the closest we got was Reba visiting the coach at his office. The coach wore a polo shirt with the AFL logo, and there was a “Wall of Fame” with game photos (apparently altered so you couldn’t identify a specific team) very much like what you’d see at team office. Since the episode ended with Van making the team, we could see more of the AFL on Reba in the future.
The AFL on NBC Mini-Movie
If you want to see the John vs. Jon spot at your local Regal theater be sure to get there early – actually, better make that very early. Regal runs a 20 minute block of ads and promos prior to the previews of coming attractions. The AFL ad is the first one shown. Unfortunately this means that a lot of people miss it. At the Sunday matinee that I went to, less than 10% of the audience was in the theater in time to see Elway ring Bon Jovi’s doorbell.
The spot itself is a pure adrenaline rush, especially when you see it on a big screen with a good surround sound system. Players go flying across the screen (and through walls) at an exhilarating pace. As a bonus you get a good look at the new khaki and blue football in action. Bon Jovi shows very good acting ability, and Elway perfectly sells the conclusion to the staged confrontation as he flashes his well known smile while repeating his earlier greeting “Welcome to Arena Football.” This is followed by several quick cuts of game footage which very effectively convey the excitement of the game.
The only down side (besides the “too early” thing) is that people who don’t recognize Jon Bon Jovi, or who don’t know what connection either he or John Elway have to Arena Football might not get the point. Bon Jovi is never mentioned by name, though a poster of the band is seen briefly before a football smashes through it. There is a very clever exchange between the two when Bon Jovi accuses Elway of “living in the past” and Elway responds that it’s “Better than living on a prayer.” Very clever if you know that “Livin’ on a Prayer” is a Bon Jovi song – but it would just go by without notice if you’re not a fan. Either way Elway’s mocking response to the line was priceless.
I’ve heard from other fans that the promo can be seen on large TV screens in the lobby of some Regal Cinemas, though that didn’t seem to be the case at the Hollywood 27 where I saw it. I’ve also heard reports that you’ll be able to see it at Champs and Best Buy, but see it on the big screen if you can.
Charliy Nash has covered both incarnations of the Nashville Kats, and now has make the 2 hour drive to Huntsville for an Arena Football fix. He also covers the Tennessee Titans as a blogger for nfl.com and still hopes this will eventually lead to a paying gig.
