A lot has happened in the last 24 hours.
Keith Olbermann was kind enough to invite us to make our plea on his show last night and the response has been tremendous. We heard from friends, colleagues, and folks we don’t know. Let’s get to it.
InsideHoops.com, a website that not only covers basketball but pop culture as well has offered to plug whichever team decides to let us throw the first pitch. Why is that significant? Because InsideHoops.com gets, according to Google Analytics, hundreds of thousands of hits per day. This is great free publicity for Japanese Baseball, which is largely unpublicized here in the US.
Which leads us to @Phil_Rosenthal, columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Phil tweeted this earlier today:
Good question, Phil. I don’t know why a US outlet isn’t televising it. Someone will do it and make some cash-ola from it, and when this catches on, we want credit. (And money.) (A lot of credit and a lot of money.)
Then Phil offered an idea for a strategy. And I think he’s on to something. “My advice: Get an airline involved & maybe a hotel. United, Delta, JAL and ANA all fly nonstop JFK-NRT. Viral ad: 2 boys and a dream.”
A very Don Draper-esque pitch. And I think it can work.
Fourthmic.com “News for comedy nerds” covered our appearance last night here. Thanks for the post!
The great sports journalist Bonnie Bernstein wants in on the plan. She tweeted this, then added “When I first started watching the Olbermann segment, I thought, ‘what a random week-long dream.’ But then it dawned on me it was Eric. And Justin. And that they’re a few screws short of a toolbox to begin with. In this day and age of social media influence, of course something like this would pick up steam. And so, it will be. Two nice Jewish boys, trying to throw a baseballs in Japan. Mazel Tov.”
And then there’s @PatrickSandusky, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer, United States Olympic Committee. Here’s all that Patrick did. He emailed the head communications officer for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, so enlist his help. Says Patrick,
“I happened to be watching Olberman last night and thought your goal was a fantastic one. Why not! And as I have been to a Tokyo Swallows game, I have seen first-hand how much fun they have at a Japanese baseball game, so this all seems like a natural fit.
I was just in Rio for Olympic planning meetings with my good friend Masa Takaya from the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in 2020, and I thought he would be able to help.
Not sure if he can, but if anyone I know can, Masa can.”
Well folks, thanks for the good wishes and the offers to help. This is more than just about us. Every person who helps along the way becomes a part of the story…
Justin & Eric… And you. 