Hyundai will spend 60 seconds Sunday night introducing the country to “smaht pahk.” In a star-studded, Boston-themed ad that will air during the first quarter of Super Bowl LIV and was released Monday morning, actor John Krasinski introduces the …
Hyundai will spend 60 seconds Sunday night introducing the country to “smaht pahk.”
In a star-studded, Boston-themed ad that will air during the first quarter of Super Bowl LIV and was released Monday morning, actor John Krasinski introduces the 2020 Hyundai Sonata’s “remote smart parking assist” feature as fellow celebrities Rachel Dratch, Chris Evans and David Ortiz look on.
Naturally, there’s also plenty of Boston banter along the way.
Barney Goldberg of INNOCEAN USA, the advertising agency that produced the spot, told USA TODAY Sports that the agency and Hyundai went through 344 scripts for the ad before landing on this one.
“We had a writer who has Boston roots, and he started saying ‘smart park’ in a Boston way, which would be more like ‘smaht pahk,'” said Goldberg, who is INNOCEAN’s executive creative director. “That became the beginning of the idea.”
Big Papi immediately told Rob Gronkowski to stop working out.
Rob Gronkowski playfully appointed David Ortiz as his new trainer during a video on Instagram on Sunday. But Gronk may not like what the retired Boston Red Sox slugger has in store for the former New England Patriots tight end.
“I’m his new trainer now, look out. I’m going to get the man right,” Ortiz said. He then whispered into the phone: “Just stop working out.”
If Oritz is, indeed, Gronk’s new trainer (which he isn’t), then Patriots fans can probably end their speculation that Gronk is returning to play football in 2019. But of course, Gronk has already made every indication that he doesn’t plan on coming back to football this year.
David ‘El Tucan’ Ortiz was stiffed by Matt Kuchar at the 2019 Mayakoba Golf Classic and reveals his side of the story to the New York Post.
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It’s been one year since Matt Kuchar stiffed his fill-in caddie at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, but David Giral Ortiz harbors no resentment.
The 41-year-old caddie at El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen was placed at the center of a debate about how much players pay their caddies last November. Kuchar initially paid Ortiz $5,000 for helping him earn his eighth PGA Tour win and the $1.3 million prize at Mayakoba.
Ortiz, who goes by the nickname “El Tucan”, was asked to caddie for Kuchar the Monday before last year’s Mayakoba Golf Classic. Ortiz said he jumped at the opportunity, met Kuchar that Tuesday and the two agreed on payment. According to the Post, Kuchar told Ortiz he would earn $1,000 each for the Tuesday practice round and Wednesday pro-am in addition to $3,000 for the tournament, regardless of whether Kuchar made the cut.
Ortiz, who speaks in broken English according to the report, countered with the former Georgia Tech golfer.
“I said, ‘If you win, 10 percent for me,’ ’’ Ortiz said, according to the Post. “He said, ‘Of course,’ but it felt like he was just looking at me like I’m this little guy.’’
The story gets even more disappointing from there.
Kuchar went on to win and gave Ortiz $5,000 instead of the customary 10 percent, which would have been $130,000. When asked about the payment later, Kuchar told reporters, “For a guy who makes $200 a day, a $5,000 week is a really big week,” and “I certainly don’t lose any sleep over this.”
When the media picked up the story and it blew up on social media, director of golf at El Camaleon David Lopez reached out to Kuchar’s agent, Mark Steinberg, on behalf of Ortiz.
Matt Kuchar walks to the 15th green during the second round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic at El Camaleon Mayakoba Golf Course on November 9, 2018 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
“It was so wrong,” Lopez said about Kuchar’s comments. “You can’t say that kind of stuff. It’s extremely racial. It just seemed like every time Matt opened his mouth it kept getting worse and worse and worse.’’
Lopez added if Kuchar had not paid Ortiz when he did, the tournament was about to step up and make things right.
“The (Mayakoba) ownership was pissed,’’ Lopez told the New York Post. “The ownership was ready to tell Kuchar, ‘Don’t worry … don’t even bother to show up next year.’ They were about to pay Tucan themselves.’’
Kuchar finally paid Ortiz a total of $50,000 for stepping in as caddie, less than 5 percent of Kuchar’s winnings at the event. While the controversy placed Ortiz in the middle of a media frenzy, the Post reported he is not resentful of Kuchar or the experience.
In fact, Ortiz’s career has grown due to the notoriety and he has earned more than other caddies at El Camaleon due to the number of golfers requesting him on their bags.
And he was able to buy a used BMW with his paycheck.
“Kuchar is a good person,’’ Ortiz told the Post. “I’m not angry. Everything is good. Not paying was not good. But I have no anger.’’
Kuchar will return to El Camaleon for this year’s Mayakoba Golf Classic which begins Thursday.
