Latest news with #LarryJohnson
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State football black stripe alert: Defensive end becomes part of the 'brotherhood'
We're just a little over two weeks before the start of the Ohio State football season, and that means there's still time for some black stripes to be shed. Sure enough, we had a couple of those occur on Wednesday, when two incoming transfers became official members of the brotherhood by shedding their black stripes. One of those was North Carolina defensive end transfer Beau Atkinson. He was a force coming off the edge for the Tar Heels last year and should be counted on heavily in the rotation at defensive end for an OSU team looking to replace some key starters off the defensive line from last season -- one that was a key group that helped lead the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff national championship. "Appreciate y'all welcoming me in the last couple of months. Shoutout rushmen, shoutout coach J (Larry Johnson), all the boys. Let's keep working," Atkinson said in a short ceremony. "Go Bucks!" We'll continue to keep an eye on any more black stripes that go into the garbage can as we make our way through the last couple of weeks of fall camp and on towards the titanic clash with No. 1 Texas on Aug. 30. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Converse Chronicles: The Untold Story of Magic, Bird, and Grandmama
Converse Chronicles: The Untold Story of Magic, Bird, and Grandmama originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Former NBA star Larry Johnson recently revisited one of the most memorable ad campaigns in basketball history during an appearance on the 'All The Smoke' podcast. Johnson, known just as much for his 'Grandmama' commercials as for his bruising low-post play, revealed that the beloved ads nearly never happened. All because of an aborted plan with two other Basketball legends. Advertisement Johnson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft out of UNLV, said Converse's original idea was to have him share the screen with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. At the time, both Bird and Magic were also Converse athletes, and the shoe company saw the chance for a clever passing-of-the-torch moment. 'They said, 'They're in marketing, they're going to put you in a commercial,'' Johnson said on the podcast. 'They said, 'The first commercial is, we're going to put you in a gurney, cover you up so nobody can see you. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are the doctors. They're going, 'Scalpel, this and that,' then they say, 'The perfect basketball player — we gotta name him.' Larry says, 'His name's gotta be Larry,' and Magic says, 'No, Johnson.' Then they say, 'Larry. Johnson.' And I rise up and the commercial goes off.' The concept was a clever play on Johnson's name, bridging the first names and last names of two Hall of Famers. But the commercial was scrapped before cameras ever rolled. Advertisement 'When I got to the set, they didn't tell me nothing,' Johnson said. 'I walked into my trailer and saw two or three dresses and wigs. They said, 'One of them didn't want to do the commercial. So here's the new idea.'' The new idea turned Johnson into 'Grandmama,' a gold-toothed, flower-dress-wearing, slam-dunking grandmother. It was risky, absurd and wildly effective. Converse's new vice president of marketing at the time, Joanna Jacobson, knew the brand needed a fresh image to keep up with Nike and Reebok. With Pete Favat and Rich Herstek from the Houston Effler agency leading the pitch, they sold Johnson on the outlandish character with one last-ditch plea. Imagn Images Before the 6-foot-6, 250-pound forward ever put on a dress, Favat flew to Dallas and nervously showed Johnson the storyboard: a prim, churchgoing woman inspired in part by a photo of Ella Fitzgerald in a fancy hat and cat-eye glasses. Advertisement 'I was ready for him to punch me,' Favat later joked. But Johnson, who was days away from being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, surprised everyone by agreeing on the spot. 'I'm in. Let's do this,' he said. For Converse, the gamble worked. Johnson's Grandmama spots were an instant hit, giving the brand a pop-culture foothold in the Michael Jordan era. Johnson's star power and the absurdity of the commercials made them unforgettable, running for five years through the early 1990s. One spot even landed during the 1994 Super Bowl. To convince Converse to pay $1 million for the 30-second slot, a major investment for the struggling brand, which was producer Harry McCoy, literally presented a bullet on a red velvet pillow to Jacobson, asking her to 'bite the bullet.' Advertisement The Grandmama campaign paid off in more ways than one. Johnson, who won Rookie of the Year in 1992 and became a two-time NBA All-Star, fully embraced the alter ego. The ads captured the humor and charm that balanced his bruising style of play. Fans everywhere wore Grandmama masks to Hornets games, and Johnson even brought the character to TV, guest starring as Grandmama on an episode of Family Matters with Steve Urkel. Not everything was as smooth as the commercials made it seem. Converse's shoes lagged behind in technology, and some of the Aero-Glide sneakers Johnson wore for the campaign were notorious for poor quality. To keep up with Nike's Air and Reebok's Pump, Converse introduced React Juice, which was a gel that leaked and forced recalls. Despite the quality concerns, Converse did see a spike in sales. For the first time since the Converse Weapon (worn by both Larry Bird and Magic Johnson), Converse had something that moved numbers. It would be short lived though. By the early 2000s, the brand declared bankruptcy before being bought by Nike in 2003. ABCStill, the Grandmama spots live on as some of the most iconic athlete endorsements ever. Johnson's willingness to laugh at himself made him stand out in an era when many stars were far more guarded. Advertisement 'Larry was totally secure in his masculinity and was a genuinely playful personality,' said the late Rick Bonnell, longtime Hornets beat writer for The Charlotte Observer. 'It wouldn't have worked with a lot of other stars.' Ironically, Johnson himself once admitted he actually preferred the original Magic and Bird concept and it never aired. 'That was what sold me on Converse,' he told Larry Brown Sports in 2011. Related: Nike to Release Hornets Inspired Air Jordan 5 Retro 'Grape' In the end, Johnson's risk paid off in pop-culture gold. Grandmama's legacy remains bigger than any shoe sales figure or missing championship ring. In a sneaker landscape that invites retroes, now that Nike owns Converse, could create a great opportunity to revitalize the signature line. Advertisement Related: Former Charlotte Hornets star Alonzo Mourning says routine check-ups saved his life—twice Nike would need to make improvements to the original design in the guts of the shoe due to its reputation for poor quality. It's too late for the ad campaign, but not too late to capitalize on the short lived but noteworthy popularity from 30 years ago. For a generation of NBA fans, Larry Johnson will always be remembered as the high-flying Grandmama who could whoop you in her Sunday best. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ohio State football misses out on another 4-star edge rusher for the 2026 class
The Ohio State football program has lost out on another of its high priority defensive ends. On Monday, four-star defensive end Landon Barnes chose Ole Miss over the Buckeyes, making it two days in a row OSU got bad news on one of its targets on the edge, joining Carter Meadows, who gave his verbal pledge to Michigan on Sunday. It's a bit of a troubling trend and might be a product of where things are with the new NIL and direct revenue payment model rolling out. Advertisement Barnes hails from Duncanville, Texas, and is ranked as the No. 139 overall prospect and 18th edge in the 2026 recruiting cycle according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Larry Johnson and gang would love to add another edge rusher to the class of 2026, but it's beginning to look like they might have to focus on the 2027 class to make that happen once all of the dust settles with all of the uncertainty. OSU still has some good defensive tackles with the potential of another one or two coming, but defensive end will likely become a priority now. Ohio State still has a top-five class for 2026, but the momentum you would have thought coming off a College Football Playoff national championship run hasn't been as fast and frequent as many would like. There's still time, and it's still a very, very good class, but not what many would have predicted. Let's hope Ohio State can turn up the temperature on recruiting and bring home another fantastic class when all the shouting and hand-ringing stops in December. Advertisement Related News: Ohio State football 2026 recruiting commitment tracker Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X. This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State loses out to SEC team for 4-star 2026 edge rusher
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Popular apps could collect your data, affecting car insurance prices
Apps on your phone may be tracking you in ways you don't even realize. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] We will explain how that information could send prices soaring for things you pay like car insurance this morning on News Center 7 Daybreak from 4:25 a.m. until 7 a.m. TRENDING STORIES: All lanes back open on EB I-70 in Clark Co. after crash involving ODOT contractor Man dead after driving Kia into Ohio construction zone Man accused of stealing children's hospital donation box from business A man and his family have used the Life360 app for six years. 'We have kids who are driving that go to school, so we want to keep up where everybody is,' said Larry Johnson. But he learned that the app kept track of his family's driving. 'It's shocking. And it feels like a violation almost,' he said. We will update this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
New York Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
How Knicks fans helped Larry Johnson complete iconic 4-point play
Knicks legend Larry Johnson sits down in-studio with Brandon London to break down every aspect of his iconic four-point play to beat the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals. Watch the full interview here:
