Latest news with #SkylineChili
Fox Sports
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
2025 NFL schedule release video favs, critiqued by 'most creative person in advertising'
For the social media departments of all 32 NFL teams, May 14 was the real Super Bowl. In this game, there's no Lombardi Trophy. These winners get something way more valuable: marketing impressions! On this stage, a positive comment from a fan is like a solid four-yard run. A quote-tweet from a popular blue checkmark account calling your work "amazing?" That's a broken tackle for a touchdown. You can dance in the end zone if you want. We are, of course, talking about NFL Schedule Release Day! A newly minted unofficial NFL holiday in which all 32 teams come up with their best ideas to share their upcoming schedules. The rules are simple: at 8 p.m. ET, hit publish. The internet keeps score. We're going to keep our NFL Hall of Famer, Tom Brady, in the booth to analyze the actual games on the field. To analyze this virtual competition of creatives? We need a Hall of Famer from Madison Avenue. Meet Gerry Graf, the Chief Creative Officer for SlapGobal, named "Most creative person in advertising" by Business Insider. Gerry has critiqued Super Bowl ads for the Wall Street Journal & Advertising Age. He's basically the Tom Brady of analyzing sports creative. [Related: What are the 10 best NFL schedule release videos of all time?] We asked him to weigh in on NFL Schedule Release Day, to pick his favorites and tell us why. And he obliged! So, without further ado, enjoy "the most creative person in advertising's" take on NFL Schedule Release Day. Cleveland Browns The Browns were one of the worst teams in the league this past season and are projected to have one of the worst records in 2025, but they at least know how to make a good schedule release video. In their video, the Browns used their mascot, Brownie the Elf, and some visual effects to predict them taking down their opponents. During one moment of the clip, Brownie the Elf places an egg with the Baltimore Ravens logo in a pan and cooks it with cheese off to the side to represent the Green Bay Packers. There was also a moment where Brownie the Elf turned a plate of Skyline Chili into buffalo wings to show that they have back-to-back games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills. If you look around the rest of the internet, some might not have been fans of the Browns' video due to its unusual nature. But we and Graf like the video, partly due to the trippy nature of it. "This one is really something to behold," Graf said. "Brownie the Elf gets the starring role. He never made much sense to me as a mascot, and this vid is a mindbender too, which is the reason it's one of my favorites. I didn't realize northern Ohio had such a WTF attitude." Atlanta Falcons Every year, it seems like at least a few teams recreate a popular video game to help unveil their schedule. The Falcons were among that group, creating "ATL Kart," an obvious nod to "Mario Kart." In the video, the driver goes through the difficult courses from the game, with Easter eggs to the side unveiling Falcons' opponents in 2025. For instance, they poked fun at Bill Belichick's recent interview with CBS and DeflateGate to show that they have the New England Patriots on their schedule. At the end, the Falcons win the race at Rainbow Road, beating their NFC South opponents. If you're curious, they have the New Orleans Saints off the podium, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finishing second and the Carolina Panthers coming in third. For Falcons fans, the video was likely as fun as it would be to drive on a course of whatever is the inverse of Rainbow Road. Admittedly, Graf said that he doesn't know too much about Atlanta, so he didn't grasp some of the local references. But he seemed to like the appearance made by Michigan alum Rich Eisen in the video. "I watched it about five times trying to catch the tons of insider references that zoomed over my head," Graf said. "Also, 'Go Blue.'" Jacksonville Jaguars If you've been an active social media user over the last month or so, you've probably seen the video of social media personality and fitness influencer Ashton Hall doing his morning routine. The Jaguars tapped Hall to make a similar video for their schedule announcement, going through his typical morning routine of putting his face in a bowl of ice and water before recovering from a workout in a pool. Hall eventually took to the podium to be introduced as a member of the Jaguars during a press conference before the team's schedule was placed over the video. Graf is among the many of us who are also confused by Hall's morning routine videos, but still get a kick out of them. "This vid poses some important questions," Graf said. "Is the schedule release video what Ashton Hall has been prepping for all these mornings? Or is Ashton a new free agent? I don't know. I also don't know why you'd wear socks in the pool and not with your shoes." New York Jets The Jets claimed they were initially going to make a Minecraft-inspired video to announce their schedule. Instead, they announced theirs through an infinite zoom drawing. They also took some digs at their opponents, of course. The video began with a man sitting on a ketchup bottle in the middle of New York City to signal that the Jets are taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 before the final zoom showed buffalo wings falling into Niagara Falls to share that they're playing the Bills in Buffalo to close the regular season. Each zoom had a personal touch to each opponent that the Jets have on their schedule this season, which Graf was a fan of. "Probably one of the more thoughtful/artful vids of the day," Graf said. "Details like a Bengal tiger protecting Skyline Chili kept me waiting to see what came next. I hope the Jets post an interactive version so I can pinch and enlarge all day. And I don't know what the ducks meant in the Sopranos either." Los Angeles Chargers The Chargers' media team did it again. They found a new, unique way to unveil their team's schedule for the 2025 season, opting to make their video in Minecraft. What really puts the Chargers' schedule release announcements over the top, though, are the Easter eggs they place in their videos. This year's had no shortage of them. To announce their matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, they put in a banner that read "Best record among wild card teams" and another banner for the Minnesota Wild that read "8-time quarterfinal runner-up 2015-25." For their matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, the Chargers took a dig at Anthony Richardson Sr., noting that he was running on empty, a nod to the controversy surrounding the quarterback last season. They also included new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen's awkward introductory press conference, too. It's hard not to be a fan of the Chargers' social media department's work, even if they might take a dig or two at your favorite team. Even Graf couldn't help but applaud the Chargers' work, even if he thinks recreating a video game to announce the schedule has become a bit tacky. "Video game-inspired schedule vids have become kind of a trope, but no one does them like the Chargers," Graf said. "Incredible production value, I loved every world they jumped into. So the answer to the Chargers is: Yes! You should REALLY make your schedule release video in Minecraft." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Breakfast added to several area Skyline locations
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — If you've craved Skyline Chili before lunchtime, you might be able to enjoy some breakfast items at a location near you. Multiple Skyline locations in the region are serving breakfast items. According to the company's website, participating locations are in Beavercreek, Butler Township, Fairborn, Huber Heights, Kettering and Troy. Breakfast menu items are expected to be the following: Cheese, egg, hashbrowns and sausage in a soft tortilla Served with side of chili ranch Cheddar cheese, egg, hashbrowns and Skyline Chili in a soft tortilla Served with side of chili ranch Egg, mustard, onion, sausage link and Skyline Chili on a steamed bun Cheddar cheese and Skyline chili over hashbrowns Our partners at the Fairborn Daily Herald reported in June 2024 that the location on East Dayton Yellow Springs Road was selected as one of five locations to conduct a trial of the breakfast menu. Participating locations are serving breakfast every day from 8 to 10:30 a.m. The breakfast options are being offered for a limited time and while supplies last. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
10-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Giants Mailbagg, part 1: Even without Corbin Burnes, the pitching looks pretty good
Welcome to this spring training edition of the Giants Mailbagg. We put out a call for questions and y'all did not disappoint. Let's get right to them. I plan to be at the Great American Smallpark on March 27. Besides eating as much Skyline Chili as possible, do you have any recommendations for food or any Cincinnati experiences that are can't-miss? Thanks, Baggs. Looking forward to another season of your coverage. — Raymond P. Well, about that … I want to share with you that I will not be in Cincinnati or any other major-league ballpark on Opening Day — the first one I'll miss since 1996. My editors were kind enough to approve my request for a 12-week leave of absence so I can pursue a few #lifegoals. This means you won't see my byline for a couple months. I apologize in advance to those of you who look forward to reading my Giants coverage. But I'm confident that Grant Brisbee (who will be in Cincinnati for the opening series), Melissa Lockard, our best-in-class national writers including Jayson Stark and Ken Rosenthal plus our well-staffed news enterprise team will ensure that there continues to be something fresh and interesting on our site for Giants fans to read on a consistent basis. And trust me, you'll still get plenty from me as part of your annual subscription. When I return in the first week of June, I'll be right back on the beat full time and making as many road trips as our travel budget (which is not being cut) will allow. Advertisement On a personal note, it's going to be an adjustment for me to go without the reassuring structure of the baseball schedule. For 25 years, I've defaulted to those little orange and white boxes to order eight-plus months of my life. But the upshot is that I hope to return from this mini sabbatical ready to contribute like a rehabbing pitcher with a fresh supply of innings. I never take our readers for granted, and when I return in June, I pledge to give you my full effort to ask the questions you'd ask, raise the issues that most concern you, tell you something new about the ballplayers you root for every day, and process the whys and hows of this game we all love. So thank you in advance for your understanding. Oh and Skyline is gross. Most expert MLB forecasting sites are expecting the 2025 SF Giants to win roughly 79 games, with about a 20 percent chance of grabbing a wild-card slot and likely fourth place in the NL West. This is very similar to the past three years. What are your expectations? What would be the most important signs of progress? — Steve O. Am I the only one who doesn't buy into the projections? I feel like this is a solid team. A few holes to be sure but a lot of young talent. I think they are a legit wild-card contender. — Kevin F. I'll admit it. I'm bullish on this team. They have to stay healthy, obviously. And the offense likely won't be better than league average. But they were a .500 team last season despite essentially playing two months with a two-man rotation. All the spring training caveats apply, of course, but I see a team that is catching the ball, that throws strikes and that has more functional pitching depth than maybe even the World Series clubs. There's a lot of stability in all of those qualities. Add on a breakout performance — maybe Jerar Encarnación becomes this year's version of Heliot Ramos? — and I think this team has a very good chance to outperform its modest projections. Yeah, they are relying on bounce backs from Justin Verlander and Robbie Ray, but I'll wager that expectations for those two former Cy Young Award winners are a lot more realistic than last year's second-half expectations for a rehabbing Ray and Alex Cobb. The biggest reason for pessimism? That's easy. It's the strength of the National League. The universal DH has a lot to do with that, I think. There's no way Juan Soto signs with the Mets if there's no DH to make the back half (or most?) of that contract workable for an NL club. Obviously, the same is true for Shohei Ohtani and the contract he signed with the Dodgers. For years, the franchise-altering free-agent stars gravitated from the NL to the AL. Or they stayed in the AL. Now the balance of power has swung back the other way. This is debatable, but as I see it, the sixth-best team in the NL might be the second-best team in the AL. So that makes the Giants' competition for the NL wild card rigorous as a result. Advertisement What would count as a positive, encouraging year? What do leaders look at, assuming the playoffs is a pretty ambitious goal? — Bobby C. Maybe the Giants aren't as pot committed as they were last season, and it's not as if the new president of baseball operations is on the hot seat. But this is a group that expects to compete for a playoff spot. I do think there would be detrimental costs associated with another sub-.500 season. Especially when they cut the payroll. A lot of fans would be upset by a move or two that wasn't made (Corbin Burnes) and I couldn't blame them. Can you elaborate on Corbin Burnes' perception that the front office was sluggish in their negotiations? — Willa10 Those are the comments he made to the San Francisco Chronicle, which are not in dispute. Here's the background as I understand it: The Giants knew early this past offseason that they ranked very high on Burnes' list of teams. So they sensed a potential opportunity. Remember, this is a franchise that has spent most of the last decade feeling frustrated by failed efforts to sell themselves to major free agents (Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, etc.). So if the interest already exists, you have to follow up on it. But shock was on their faces at the Winter Meetings when the Yankees/Max Fried contract news broke. I think it was obvious to everyone in that moment that Burnes' desire to pitch in the Bay Area only counted for so much. He was going to get the contract terms he and Scott Boras were seeking ($300 million) or he was going to sign a deal studded with opt-outs. As we reported in November, the Giants weren't going to support a payroll that would budget two major free agents at market rates. So a $300 million deal was out of the question for them. And Posey has made it clear that he views multiyear contracts as a durable commitment between a free agent and a player. It's a 'We want you here and we want you to want to be here' kind of thing. So they weren't interested in an opt-out structure, either. And while they liked Burnes, they weren't desperate to sign him. They really did feel like their young pitching would be a team strength, and a one-year contract with Justin Verlander would be a more appropriate bridge to the emergence of that pitching core. Yeah, it's probably among the Giants' worst-case scenarios that Burnes signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, an NL West rival and definite wild-card hopeful, but we'll have to see how it plays out. The D-Backs could have another Zack Greinke on their hands for the next couple years. Or they could have another Madison Bumgarner. Advertisement Are the Giants truly set on entering the season with only one lefty (Erik Miller) in the bullpen? And are they truly comfortable with a second lefty coming from the NRI pool? I understand why the team offloaded Taylor Rogers as his $12 million contract didn't make sense if he wasn't going to be used in higher leverage situations, but I'm disappointed we didn't at least take a flier on a cheaper major-league deal with a lefty reliever. — Luke V. They did bring lefties with major-league experience to camp. Enny Romero was a one-time mainstay for Dusty Baker with the Nationals and he's clearly learned how to do more than throw hard, given his LIDOM performance. Joey Lucchesi has quite a bit of big-league experience, too. Sure, they could have signed someone like Andrew Chafin, but then they'd be locked into carrying him. I think after the contracts to Taylor Rogers and Luke Jackson, etc., they preferred to stay in-house and retain as much roster flexibility as possible. You become saddled by obligation when you carry a declining veteran on a guaranteed contract — especially when you have so much young pitching knocking on the door. Of course, fans have no reason to applaud any trade that's a pure salary dump, and it would've been great if the Giants had found a meaningful way to improve the roster with the $6 million they saved by trading Taylor Rogers. But as you mentioned, they forecasted him to be the lowest-leverage guy in their bullpen, and $12 million is a lot to pay someone in that role. A week or two ago, I thought for sure that one of the NRI lefties would make the team. Now I'm less sure. Romero has been the best of the bunch, and Helcris Olivarez has curbed his well-established walk habit in a small sample this spring. But none of the lefty NRIs are opening eyes, so to speak. Lucchesi is topping out at 91 and leaning on deception that might not play so well on a second and third viewing. Here's the other important point: The Giants aren't going to use Erik Miller as an opener this season, which would otherwise necessitate a second lefty for late-inning matchups. You don't use an opener for Verlander, Ray or Logan Webb and I don't think they'd do it for Jordan Hicks or any of their No. 5 candidates, either. Finally, the coaching staff really, really respects Spencer Bivens' ability to throw strikes on command. You need someone in the bullpen who can do that and provide length in down games. Almost every good Giants staff had a Guillermo Mota or Yusmeiro Petit who filled that role, for which handedness is secondary. Bivens looks to be ahead of Tristan Beck right now but I'd expect we will see a lot of both pitchers this season. And carrying one of them, along with right-hander Lou Trivino, who bears the Bob Melvin Seal of Approval™, would leave Miller as the only lefty. What's the consensus on Kyle Harrison? I'm just not enthused with his limited arsenal especially with his inability to locate consistently. Fastball, curveball? What additional pitches has he tried to add? — Steve B. I'd like to see Harrison try to throw a curveball from that arm slot. His fastball will be his separator. It has a lot of ride at the top of the zone. It's sneaky effective and sort of reminds me how Jonathan Sánchez's 94 mph looked like 99 mph to the hitter. Harrison can be a good major-league pitcher with a 92-93 mph fastball. But here's the harsh truth: Nobody is interested in that. Not when he struck out more than 14 batters per nine innings in the minor leagues while touching 97. If he cannot unlock that velocity again, then his ceiling is a lot lower than what we thought it could be a year ago. That doesn't mean he's doomed. He is just 23 and it was pretty impressive how he competed well last season without anything near his best stuff (going at least five innings in 123 of his first 14 starts and making it through the sixth inning nine times overall). Every pitcher has room to improve or refine their secondaries, but for Harrison to be the top-of-the-rotation presence everyone thought he could be, it really is all about fastball velocity. Are the young starting pitchers as promising as they seem to be, or is this group of six-to-eight guys (including the Carsons) kind of just normal organizational filler? — Neil O. Hard to compare across eras, but I think back to guys like Eric Surkamp and Kevin Pucetas and Mike Kickham who were the Carsons (Whisenhunt, Ragsdale and Seymour) of their day in major-league camp. No disrespect intended, but it seems like this current group is a lot more talented. Here's another name for your consideration, and again, I mean no disrespect here, but the Giants opened last season with literally Daulton Jefferies as their No. 6 starter. I can think of eight pitchers in this camp who won't crack the Opening Day rotation but would represent a clear upgrade. And Hayden Birdsong really should excite you. He is the rare pitching prospect who can hold his upper-90s velocity into the late innings. None of this is a guarantee, obviously. But in terms of innings stability, the Giants are in a much better place now. Which starting pitcher would you expect to replace an injured or underperforming member of the opening day rotation? — Ralph K. If we assume that Landen Roupp is the No. 5 starter, the next man up would be Birdsong or Harrison. Under this set of assumptions, matchups might play a part in determining who would get the call. But it probably will have more to do with who's the best at throwing strikes and churning efficient outs at Triple A. Advertisement Is there any sense in having a six-man rotation? Roupp has looked amazing so far in spring, and I'm high on Harrison improving and being ready by opening day. Why couldn't both fit into the rotation? — Lucas B. You know, there might be times when this makes sense. Maybe tailor your pitching to your opponent in a given series and drop in Harrison or have him sub in for Roupp if you think a lefty will give you a much better matchup. A six-man rotation would stand to benefit Jordan Hicks, too. But it's probably helpful to keep this rule of thumb in mind: This front office is going to do a lot less tinkering and overthinking than the previous front office. There will be times when that philosophy is an advantage and times when the Giants leave meaningful edges on the table to the point where it's a disadvantage. In terms of pitching deployment, I think you'll see a pretty traditional approach this season. And I can't argue against a plain vanilla five-man rotation when you want to give the ball to Webb as often as possible. I'd imagine Verlander, who needs 38 wins for 300, wouldn't be so thrilled about pitching on five days of rest instead of four, either! Thanks for reading. We'll be back tomorrow with Part 2. (Top photo of Roupp: Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Skyline temporarily changing spaghetti appearance
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Skyline Chili locations are offering hungry guests a different kind of spaghetti. On March 16 and 17, participating Skyline locations will have green spaghetti noodles. One of the locations participating is at 8906 Kingsridge Drive in Miami Township, directly behind the Dayton Mall. The operator of that location said all customers have to do is ask for the special spaghetti upon ordering. 'Be sure to tell your order taker that you want green pasta,' said the Dayton Mall Skyline. 'It looks green but still tastes great and is available while supplies last.' Click here to find a Skyline location near you. Before heading to the location on the two days, you are encouraged to call and verify it is offering the green noodles. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
‘He's a lifesaver;' High school senior saves choking man at Skyline Chili
A high school senior rescued a man while working at Skyline Chili. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Branden Barker was working his shift on Feb. 23 when Phil Hogan, a retired firefighter, started choking on a cracker, according to a Reading School spokesperson. TRENDING STORIES: Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife and dog found dead in their New Mexico home 'Just like another day;' Neighbors react after pair reportedly kidnaps boy, pours bleach on his face 1 in custody after wrong-way pursuit ends in Montgomery County As a track athlete, the school said he was known for his speed on the track. But they added that 'his quick thinking and swift action off the track made him a hero.' 'Without hesitation, Branden sprang into action, using the first aid and CPR skills he learned in his Introduction to Healthcare course at Reading High School to dislodge the food and restore Hogan's breathing,' the spokesperson said. Hogan said that Branden had saved his life. 'He stayed calm, reacted instantly, and did everything right. I owe him everything—I truly believe he's my hero,' he added. The school said Branden has been on the track team for five years. Phil Hogan's words echo the sentiment of the entire Reading community: 'Branden is more than a student-athlete—he's a lifesaver,' the school concluded. He will be on the Indiana Tech track team next year. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
