SportsCenter

With Heat at White House, President Obama references star of “I Was On SportsCenter” spot

The national spotlight continues to follow Michael Drysch. In January 2013, he hit a half-court shot at halftime of a Miami Heat game, won the $75,000 prize and was tackled by Heat star LeBron James.

The moment became a instant favorite for SportsCenter’s “Top 10 Plays” segment. That exposure helped Drysch become a star in the latest installment of SportsCenter’sDaDaDa DaDaDa” marketing campaign. Then Tuesday, President Barack Obama referenced Drysch, a computer technician from McHenry, Ill., during the Heat’s White House visit to celebrate the team’s 2012-13 NBA championship.

During the visit, the President noted that, “LeBron was so pumped up, I thought he was going to give me a hug and knock me over, like the guy on SportsCenter and his half-court shot.” This morning, that “guy” told Front Row “it was nice to be acknowledged and mentioned by this country’s leader.”

As seen in the spot above, Drysch is featured trying to recreate his big shot in the “Half Court” spot of the “DaDaDa DaDaDa” sub-campaign “I Was On SportsCenter.” His is one of three, 30-second spots in which fans recall how they were featured on SportsCenter.

“This is a fan-centric angle of ‘DaDaDa,’ featuring unbelievable, exciting moments in sports, seen through the lens of a fan,’” said Anna Rogers, associate manager, ESPN Brand Marketing. “We wanted to pick a diverse set of moments that were distinct, memorable, and that had the fan as the hero.”

Additional spots in the campaign include a 30-second spot titled “Squirrel,” featuring a San Diego Padres fan’s race against the “World’s Fastest Squirrel,” and “Shrub Catch,” the tale of a father’s epic home run catch at a Little League game.

The overall “DaDaDa DaDaDa” campaign was created in collaboration with creative agency Wieden + Kennedy New York.

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