Sometimes a Guy's Gotta Ride the Bull

As you may or may not have notice, I've been on a bit of a blogging sabbatical; prior to yesterday's post, my last ramble came just about a month ago.  This was not entirely intentional, but it was probably for the best - both because you were spared my insufferable diatribes and because there was simply no way that I could cram regular blogging into my schedule and remain sane.  Well, at least as close to sane as I have ever been, anyway.

Over the past thirty days, I've had an awful lot on my plate.  Taxes were due, my apartment was fumigated on short notice, an emergency root canal was required, my wife's birthday celebrations occurred, St. Patrick's Day & Easter gatherings came and went, track season officially kicked off, and - with the end of the school year creeping up - work has gotten quite chaotic.   Worst of all, there were some deaths in the family as well as a not so positive medical diagnosis.  With of that considered, Wrigley Roster Jenga had to be mothballed because my head just wasn't in it; March of 2018 was just one giant blur of incessant activity and an emotional roller coaster.

My energy levels over this period of time cratered and I returned to one of my vices that I'm trying to limit - energy drinks.  I had to keep myself upright somehow!  Concurrently, the mother of all such concoctions just so happened to debut a new can which quickly caught my eye.

What you see there is Red Bull's limited edition Kris Bryant can (available in Chicagoland locations), which was launched in celebration of Opening Day.  This can will soon be nestled on the same shelf as my Rizzo Wrap and Grandpa Rossy Flakes... I'm sucker for a silly retail promo.

Thank you, Red Bull, for the timely promotion that provided the justification I needed for indulging my weakness.  Of course, it took some inner restraint not to grab a few more, you know, just in case I were to damage the original can or something...

As you can see, the local Rickey Rockets filling station was adequately stocked up with "Sparkles'" mug.

There's more to this cylindrical container than just a new, temporary skin though.  In fact, this can represents a true, 21st century, multimedia experience.  Near the nutritional facts, consumers will find a "Snapcode:"

If you use the Snapchat app to scan this little ghosty, you'll gain access to a special filter that will actually allow you to hang out with Kris Bryant and smack the ball around a little bit.  Seriously, check it out, here's a short video of me and the National League's premier third baseman aking some BP at my place:

In case my wife is reading this, sorry for playing ball in the house!  But, in all seriousness, this was a pretty cool, bonus promotion out of a product I was already going to buy anyway.

Of course, while this can is new, the relationship between Bryant and the bovine-themed energy supplement has been ongoing for sometime.  In what has become something of an annual tradition, Kris and Red Bull have released a series of prank videos each spring.  For instance, he has posed as a pizza delivery man at various fantasy baseball drafts:

He's also disguised himself as a college transfer student:

And, he's also proven that he's a pretty good sport himself, as Red Bull once enlisted the one and only Greg Maddux to pose as a sound guy and trick the company's poster boy:

Bryant is truly a six-tool player, he can hit, throw, field, run, slug, and - apparently - act too.  He's truly a once in a generation talent!

Additionally, it should be noted that this is not the first time that a Chicao Cubs player has lent his name and likeness to an energy drink and it's not someone you would have expected.  Rather than young, 21st century hot shot, Cooperstown resident, Fergie Jenkins, partnered with Hall of Fame Holdings LLC and Jewel-Osco to create his own beverage - Fastball - in 2011.

Lord knows that Ferguson's fastball had plenty of energy!  I remember purchasing a few of these from the local Jewel during that time; unfortunately, this predates my blog so I never showcased them and not a single one of those cans has survived to the present (nor has a quality image made it to the internet).  Too bad - this would have paired nicely with my Kris Bull can.  I guess thems the breaks.

At any rate, now that things have slowed back down to a manageable pace, I'm going back to staying away from these sugary chemical cocktails.  In fact, I've fully switched over to a healthier substitute called Spark.  It's an energy supplement produced by Advocare, which harnesses it's power from B-vitamins, amino acids, and other natural ingredients, rather than the junk which floats around in your average can of Monster.  It tastes just as good too, so there's really no excuse.

Like Red Bull and Monster, Advocare and Spark are endorsed by several professional athletes, including former Cubs outfielder, Justin Ruggiano, and former Daytona 500 winner, Trevor Bayne.  Since we're on the topic, here's a pair of custom cards that I whipped up of the aforementioned men.

Also, if you're interested in more info about Spark, let me know.  My wife is a distributor for Advocare and she can hook you up.

Speaking of which, this post has gone on much longer than I anticipated and just when I thought I was caught up at work, the quarter ended and I now have to correct and print all the report cards for the entire building.  *Sigh*  At this rate, I might need both a can of Kris Bryant's Red Bull AND a glass of Justin Ruggiano's Spark if I'm going to make it to the weekend.