Dubuque Fighting Saints hope to lure Will Ferrell to Iowa with Ron Burgundy Night
In case you didn't know, since the promotional campaign has been very, very understated, Will Ferrell recently made a second "Anchorman" movie. Again, this is all flying very much under the radar, but I've been told by sources that it hits theaters later this month.
Full disclosure: my source was Ron Burgundy himself, who's so omnipresent these days that he came to my house last night and begged me -- literally begged me -- to see his movie.
All this in mind, especially that last part about Burgundy's willingness to show up basically anywhere, including but not limited to a Canadian curling event, Emerson College, and a North Dakota news station, the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints are optimistic that they'll be able to lure him to the great state of Iowa for their aptly named "Ron Burgundy Night".
Even if he doesn't show up -- and it's entirely likely he will, since saying his name just twice into a mirror makes him appear -- the night promises to be a grand old time, according to a press release is cleverly laden with Anchorman references:
Fan's knowledge of the movie will be tested with trivia, and the evening will feature an intermission contest relay race focusing on the movie's key moments. While some of details are classified information, we can tell you that milk will be chugged, burritos will be tossed, and bears will be fought. Fans will also emulate Ron Burgundy's jazz flute skills during Friday's game with an air jazz flute contest. While there are thousands of other things to do in Dubuque, we are "72 percent sure" fans will love coming to Ron Burgundy Night Friday.
If that is not enough excitement for you yet, we guarantee these ideas will provoke you to buy tickets, because "60 percent of the time they work every time." When a player takes a penalty, rather than sit in the penalty box, he'll feel shame in the "glass case of emotion." The Fighting Saints will hope to make visits to "Pleasure Town," a place reserved for that feeling you get when you score. The Fighting Saints, much like the movie's weatherman Brick Tamland, "love lamp," so they hope to be scoring goal after goal to light the goal lamp all night long.
Renaming the penalty box the glass case of emotion is a nice touch.
In addition, top quotes from the movie will be played all night long, so the evening will be like spending time any place where twenty-something men congregate. And the Saints promise plenty of LOUD NOISES.
But, of course, the real goal here is drawing Ferrell as Burgundy to the event, and the Fighting Saints have extended an invite to the character. "Seeing the famous news anchor in Bismarck, North Dakota last week gave the Fighting Saints the idea that despite his move to a national network, Mr. Burgundy might have enough room in his heart make a quick stop in Dubuque, Iowa for a night honoring his greatness."
In other words, "if you can visit North Dakota, you can visit Iowa", which is, as I understand it, Iowa Tourism's official promotional slogan.
Here's hoping Burgundy rewards the Fighting Saints for their creativity and opportunism by making a visit. Lord knows it's not beneath him.
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is the assistant editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!