Darren “DMac” McKee of Altitude Sports Radio took to Twitter/X on Saturday to share a photo of a gift he received from Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.
“Well…this is a first. Thanks Coach!” DMac captioned the post. A note with the ice cream wished happy holidays to McKee and his family.
Well…this is a first. Thanks Coach! @AltitudeSR pic.twitter.com/ZGaZLH5z61
— Darren McKee (@DMacSportsCO) January 7, 2024
There’s a backstory behind Payton’s gift.
After the New Orleans Saints were defeated (in controversial fashion) by the Los Angeles Rams 26-23 in the 2018 NFC Championship game, Payton told reporters in his end-of-season presser that he ate ice cream for three days in a row.
“After the game, for two to three days — much like normal people — I sat, probably didn’t come out of my room, ate Jeni’s Ice Cream and watched Netflix for three straight days. There’s certain vices you gravitate to. For me, it’s probably sugar.”
After sharing that moment with reports, Payton seemingly started a tradition of gifting media members with Jeni’s Ice Cream after each season. The ice cream brand appreciated the coach’s shoutout, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they helped orchestrate the tradition.
Dear @SeanPayton,
We figured you might need some ice cream to go with your @netflix tomorrow, so we’ve got a package coming your way.#JenisMakesItBetter pic.twitter.com/xBikx6fwBn
— Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (@jenisicecreams) February 2, 2019
Jeni’s gave out free ice cream to Saints fans in New Orleans on Super Bowl Sunday following Payton’s comments.
Payton’s “vice” seemingly turned into a marketing opportunity for the ice cream brand, and media members in Denver can now benefit from it. With the 2023 season drawing to a close, it’s apparently time to break out the Netflix and ice cream.
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