Siragusa Stars In Depend Ad. Revoke Man Card?
Some are calling for Tony Siragusa’s man card.
Yes, the same 300-plus pound Siragusa that ate offensive linemen for breakfast during the Ravens' first Super Bowl run in 2000-2001.
Yes, the same Siragusa that intimidated opponents with machismo trash talk from the Ravens' bone-rattling defense.
And yes, the same Siragusa that hosts the TV show "Man Caves."
What has Siragusa done to call his man card into question?
He's starring in a Depend commercial, promoting adult diapers for men.
In the spot, he trains "guys who leak a little to guard their manhood."
"What makes this commercial even funnier than just the fact that a former 'tough guy' is in it (yes, Tony, after making this commercial you are no longer a tough guy), but that they actually try to present Depends as a product that every guy regardless of age could or should use," wrote FatManWriting blogger Travis Pulver.
"Forget that he's trying to sell pee pee protectors, but he is actually trying to present the bathroom as the Man Cave! With moose head and 'man-space' underneath the sink!"
As a softy mom of three kids who regularly tears up during this Procter & Gamble commercial, I don't feel qualified to weigh in on the man-card debate.
But I will say it's great entertainment. Just ask this Iowa weather man who couldn’t hold it together after the ad aired right before he went live.
And for good measure, here's another Depend commercial with Denver wide receiver Wes Welker.
'Dumb' Remark To Affect Future Joe Flacco Negotiations?
Not everyone agrees with agent Joe Linta, who said the Ravens made a "dumb" move by not re-signing client Joe Flacco last August.
It may have cost the Ravens $35 million to sign Flacco after he led the team to a Super Bowl win, but ESPN's Jamison Hensley said hanging a big contract in front of players is an effective tool that can yield big results. And the Ravens are happy with the results they got from Flacco.
"There's something to be said for dangling a big pay day in front of an athlete to get the best possible performance," the AFC North blogger wrote. "Yes, Flacco made the Ravens pay for not signing him before the season. But don't forget that the Ravens got what they wanted in the end, too, and that's their first Lombardi Trophy in 12 years. If you told Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti that it would cost him an additional $35 million to win the Super Bowl, my guess is he wouldn't think twice in opening up the check book."
So the question going forward is whether Linta's comments, which Hensley described as gloating, will affect future negotiations between the two sides.
Linta has other Ravens clients, and conventional wisdom says Flacco and Baltimore will need to restructure his contract in three years when his salary cap number jumps to nearly $29 million in the fourth year.
"Three years from now, are there still going to be some hard feelings over these comments? Who knows? I don’t think it helps," CSN's Brent Harris told NFL AM.
Harris believes the way Flacco plays over the next three years will have the biggest impact on future negotiations, but he also believes the comments could loom.
"I'm sure at this point [Ravens brass is] taken back a little bit by it," Harris said. "They give Joe the richest contract in NFL history, and everybody walks away pretty happy.
"It's almost like excessive celebration to some point. What's the point of saying the things you're saying as an agent? What do you hope to get for leverage? If anything, I would think this would just upset the team a little bit and you're going to have to deal with them down the road. He does have a couple other clients on the team. I just think it's more bad form on his part than anything."
The next time Linta tries to defend Flacco to critics who believe he affected the Ravens' roster purge, Hensley advised him to point out that his contract actually helped the team.
"Linta could've handled the situation more deftly," Hensley wrote. "He should've made the point that Flacco actually helped out the Ravens' salary-cap situation by agreeing to a long-term deal rather than play under the franchise tag. His salary-cap figure for 2013 is $6.8 million. Instead, Linta chose to gloat."
Harbs May Wear Ring Only Once
The Ravens Super Bowl ring ceremony is fast approaching next week, and all the players and coaches will have new bling to show off.
But don't expect to see the ring on Head Coach John Harbaugh's hand after the initial ceremony.
"I probably won't wear it much at all," Harbaugh told Jerry Coleman on 105.7 The Fan. "[I might] wear it one time when they first give it to you and that might be the last time I wear it. I'm not a big jewelry guy."
Coach, you won't even wear it at family function where your brother, Jim, might be around?
"Probably not," Harbs said with a laugh. "That would be rubbing it in. That's not cool."
A few other tidbits to come out of the interview:
- Harbaugh would like to see Ravens fans fill up M&T Bank Stadium for the training camp practice open to the public. He believes that will happen at the open practices at Stevenson University and Navy. "I'd almost like to see us fill up our stadium, see if we can pull that off," he said.
- The Ravens have already begun game-planning against Denver. That began as soon as the schedule was released.
- And does Harbaugh think the 2013 team is a good as last year's Super Bowl champs?* "That's definitely the idea, our goal is to get better," he said. "The proof is in the pudding, we proved that last year. We'll have a lot of work to do between now and then to prove it again this year. But, we have a chance, I like our young players."*
Quick Hits
- I don't understand this article … NFLDraftScout.com named undrafted rookie free agents that could emerge as "legitimate starters" or could "emerge as contributors." The site picked Ravens quarterback Dayne Crist, but then says "he isn't anything more than a camp arm who will have a tough time beating out Caleb Hanie for the No. 3 quarterback job, but he has the physical tools that might entice the Ravens into keeping him around through (at least) training camp." [NFLDraftScout.com]
- The Ravens are adjusting to a quieter life without Ray Lewis. [The Baltimore Sun]
- Will facing NFC North be good or bad for Ravens? [CSN Baltimore]
- The Broncos are still being asked about decisions made that contributed to their loss to the Ravens in the divisional playoff game in January. And Head Coach John Fox still stands by his decision to have quarterback Peyton Manning kneel the ball before the end of regulation. Harbaugh said he's sure the Broncos are already prepping for the Ravens. Uh, yeah. [The Denver Post]
