Local News
TOWN OF LOCKPORT: Local man's 'Beer Sphere' wins him a trip to Super Bowl
Daniel Klavoon’s “Beer Sphere” has been tailgate approved, meaning he’s on his way to Super Bowl XLIV.
The 21-year-old Town of Lockport resident found out last week he had won Bud Light’s “Tailgate Tested, Tailgate Approved” contest. Despite originally finishing second in online voting, Klavoon will be heading to Miami on Feb. 7 for the National Football League’s annual championship game.
The first place product, the “Band O’ Beer,” was disqualified, although no details were provided to Klavoon when he was notified with a FedEx package.
“Looks like I’m going to Miami,” Klavoon said. “I’m psyched.”
The other finalists included Michael Smith of Palm Court, Fla.; Michael Leonard of Missoula, Mont.; and Dave Farmer of Loveland, Ohio. Farmer had created the Band O’ Beer, the original first place finisher in the online voting. However, the product is similar to the “Beerdolier,” which has been on the market for some time. Both items consisted of a sash that crossed a person’s chest loaded with cans of beer. The Beerdolier was created by Scott Kustes, who wrote about the contest on his Web page for the product and his Twitter account.
“You realize this product was invented over two years ago and (has a) patent, right?” Kustes wrote on his Twitter page back on Nov. 30.
Bud Light’s rules stated that each entry must be the original creation of the entrant. The rules also said entries become the property of Bud Light and will not be returned.
According to unofficial results on the ESPN Web page, the Beer Sphere garnered 26 percent of the online vote, while the Band O’ Beer took 44 percent of the vote. Leonard’s Tummy Table finished with 19 percent, while Smith’s Beer Mobile took home 11 percent of the vote.
Contest participants had to create their own unusual tailgating product. Klavoon’s product, the Beer Sphere, is a new way to quickly pass a beer to someone. The idea is to place a beer inside a football, which allows the beer to be thrown to someone without any damage to the beer.
The contest is based on a series of Bud Light commercials featuring “Jimmy Football” a character who promotes some unusual items that make tailgating a little easier for fans. Each item is promoted in front of an audience like an infomercial, which concludes with a “tailgated tested, tailgate approved!” shout from Jimmy Football and the audience. The term “tailgating” refers to a period of socializing that takes place before a sporting event, usually football.
Klavoon’s trip is a four day, three night trip to Miami. Also the Beer Sphere will become the next “Tailgate Approved” item.
And while Klavoon will be in attendance in February, who will be playing won’t be determined until January when the NFL playoffs take place. Klavoon said he’d like to see the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts play, since both are known as high scoring teams and both are currently 13-0.
“Hopefully it’s not the Patriots or Cowboys,” Klavoon said.
Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.
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