EAGAN, Minn. – The Vikings may not have reached the Super Bowl this season, but several players appeared on televisions nationwide during Sunday's broadcast.
T.J. Hockenson, Harrison Phillips and Vikings Entertainment Network's Gabe Henderson were featured in a commercial for the clothing brand UNRL that aired at the end of the third quarter.
Bring Me The News writer Tommy Wiita wrote about UNRL’s Super Bowl ad, which started actor Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmore and several other notable Minnesotans.
St. Paul-based clothing brand, UNRL, made a splash Sunday night as it premiered its first-ever Super Bowl commercial.
The ad, which played at the end of the third quarter, features Shooter McGavin being asked by Twin Cities sports reporter Marney Gellner: "Shooter, how does it feel to be the only one out here today not wearing UNRL?"
What follows is a parody of Happy Gilmore, culminating with Shooter stealing an UNRL golf tracksuit from another player and making his escape.
The commercial was shot at Dellwood Country Club in Dellwood, Minnesota. The full ad features multiple shots of Vikings players chasing McGavin after Henderson shouts, "Hey, he's got the track suit!"
Jake Knopick, UNRL's growth marketing manager, tells Bring Me The News the commercial focuses on the clothing brand's new Golf Tracksuit line, "which is a technical, highly crafted piece of golf attire striking the perfect balance between style and functionality."
Launched in 2013 by Twin Cities entrepreneur Michael E. Jordan, UNRL has experienced a meteoric rise that has seen it become an NFL-licensed, independent brand.
More Super Bowl lessons for the Vikings
Takeaways from Super Bowl LVIII are an annual staple of the NFL season, signaling the official start to the off-season.
Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins shared what he learned from the Chiefs victory over the 49ers on Sunday, and how those lessons can help guide the Vikings through free agency and the draft. Scoggins wrote:
In Minnesota, the decision on whether to sign quarterback Kirk Cousins to a new deal figures to be the first domino to fall, and then Justin Jefferson's contract, in General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's offseason labyrinth.
Having a franchise quarterback is every organization's top priority, as Scoggins acknowledges. How teams find a consistent signal caller often varies, but Scoggins points out that every championship team tends draft effectively.
The Chiefs offer a lesson beyond everyone's envy of their quarterback situation: The importance of drafting well.
The Chiefs traded [Tyreek] Hill and then promptly crushed the 2022 draft a month later. Their draft class produced Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis, Isiah Pacheco, Bryan Cook, Leo Chenal and Jaylen Watson.
McDuffie was named first-team All-Pro at cornerback this season. Karlaftis tied for a team-high in sacks. Pacheco emerged as a dynamic running back. Chenal started 10 games and finished fifth on the team in tackles. Cook was a starter at safety before getting injured. Watson recovered a fumble on a punt in the Super Bowl.
Minnesota currently holds the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and has eight additional picks from Rounds 2 to 7. The 2024 NFL Draft will be held from April 25-27, with the first round taking place on its own the first night. Rounds 2 and 3 follow on April 26, and the final four rounds will occur April 27.
Free agency begins March 13, shortly after new league begins. Scoggins concluded with his vision for the Vikings offseason.
My proposals: Sign Cousins to a two-year deal, draft a quarterback, sign Jefferson and focus heavily on the defense in the draft and free agency.
The Super Bowl provided a contrast in salaries of the two quarterbacks, Mahomes and Brock Purdy. There was a common theme between the two teams, though: Both fielded terrific defenses. If the Vikings are looking for a Super Bowl lesson, start there.
Click here to read Scoggins' full story.
