I remember Dexter Manley. He was a lights out defensive end out of Oklahoma State who was sure to make a big splash on the NFL stage. But Dexter Manley had problems. For one, he struggled with dyslexia and skated through school without learning to read. Second, his personal behavior was very unpredictable – even violent – due to a drug addiction that included a cocaine habit. In spite of this, Manley was able to stick around in the NFL for 11 seasons, which is far above average. Sadly, the ride ended in 1991 when Dexter Manley was banned for failing drug tests. Numerous drug arrests followed.

He tried to pawn his Washington Redskins 1983 Super Bowl ring – for cocaine

Some people resort to payday loans when they need cash. It isn’t an act of desperation; it can make economic sense. But Dexter Manley’s addiction led him to desperate acts. The Houston Chronicle reports that friend and lawyer John O’Quinn, a reformed alcoholic himself, gave Dexter jobs to keep him focused on other things than his addiction. He held on to the Super Bowl ring for his friend, and wouldn’t relinquish it for fear that it would immediately go into hock.

O’Quinn and Dexter Manley helped each other

Everyone I’ve ever spoken to on the matter say that the road out of addiction is treacherous. Having a buddy – a sponsor, in 12-step language – to help you navigate is important. John O’Quinn is no longer living, but Dexter travels the road with strength and bearing, at least in part to honor his friend’s memory. Chemical dependency never entirely disappears, but Dexter did manage to overcome his dyslexia and learn to read.

Dexter Manley made mistakes

But unlike Michael Irvin, he isn’t facing a rape charge. Dexter Manley fell to the bottom and has begun the climb back. He overcame adversity and should be an example to us all. No matter the difficulty, you can achieve. Your payday loans blogger says that instead of paying much mind to the Michael Irvin shenanigans and the misplaced Tim Tebow propaganda, take a page from Dexter Manley’s book and continue to stand up to the challenges in your life.

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No doubt these candy-coated characters will make a Super Bowl appearance. Image from Flickr.

Super Bowl commercials have always gotten just as much attention as the Super Bowl itself, and this year it appears perhaps they are getting even more attention than the Super Bowl. CBS refused to run an ad for a gay dating web site and agreed to run a pro-life spot featuring Tim Tebow. Obviously, this has stirred up some controversy, as many Super Bowl commercials have done in the past.

Prices for Super Bowl ad spots this year were $2.5 to $3 million for a 30-second spot, just slightly higher than last year. CBS sold the last few remaining spots for Super Bowl ads today. Paying $3 million for a commercial sounds like a huge chunk of change — until you take into account the fact that nearly 100 million people watched the Super Bowl last year. Even if businesses need help from private money lenders to get their Super Bowl commercials on the air, it will probably pay off.

How much does CBS make on Super Bowl ads?

Last year, sales of Super Bowl ads brought in $213 million. Because CBS executive said sale prices were slightly higher this year, the grand total should exceed last year’s. CBS says it sold roughly the same number of spots this year as it did last year, when it sold 69 spots. There are still a few spots left during the pre-game broadcast.

Personally, I am neither a Colts fan nor a Saints fan, but you can bet I’ll be watching the game anyway. I am hoping there will be friends and barbecue involved, and it will be the first time since I’ve gotten a DVR that I’ll willingly watch the commercials, too. For all the money that companies spend on air time for Super Bowl commercials, they spend several times that much on making the commercials themselves. I am looking forward to seeing what the creative types come up with this year.

Visiting ManCrunch?

An online dating site called ManCrunch submitted a commercial to CBS for play during the super bowl, but the commercial was rejected, reports CNN Money. The gay dating site’s slogan is “Where many many many men come out and play,” and you can view a video of the ad at the end of this post.

The ad looks to me like something Super Bowl fans would enjoy, but CBS wrote in the letter of rejection to ManCrunch that “is not within the Network’s broadcast standards for Super Bowl Sunday.” The confusing thing is, CBS also said at one point that the reason the commercial was rejected was because the TV spots were sold out (they weren’t).

More strange stories

CBS also said in the letter that it “had trouble verifying [ManCruch's] credit status.” However, Elissa Buchter, spokeswoman for ManCruch, says the site didn’t need loan lenders and offered to pay for the spot in cash. ManCrunch recently raised $40 million from investors, so the Toronto-based company would have no trouble paying for the Super Bowl spot, which would have cost $2.5 million.

“It’s straight-up discrimination,” said Buchter. CBS has not responded specifically to that allegation. “Our standards and practices department decided not to accept this particular spot,” said CBS spokeswoman Shannon Jacobs. “We are always open to working with a client on alternative submissions.”

ManCruch commercial

I have watched the ManCrunch commercial, and I think it’s perfectly targeted toward the Super Bowl viewing audience. It is humorous, it features men watching sports, trash-talking and even a friend looking on awkwardly at the  scene that plays out before him. I have been surprised in the past about things that “standards and practices” have allowed on the air during the Super Bowl before, and now I am surprised that they rejected this:

In the event that video gets pulled for some reason, you can watch it at the ManCrunch web site.

That's what I'm talking about! Image from Flickr.

The Super Bowl is just around the corner, and for those who don’t love football or have strong feelings about either team, the Super Bowl is all about the party. There are so many great party foods, I decided the compile a list of my 10 favorite Super Bowl foods. Warning: this list does not contain anything healthy.

I have seen a lot of Food Network shows and such where they make fancy Super Bowl food, but I have decided to stick with the classics. On my list, forks and knives are not allowed, and I’m not including anything that you’d need paycheck loans to be able to afford.

10. Chips

No Super Bowl party is complete without multiple bags of different flavored chips randomly strewn about the room. Some of my favorite flavors are nacho cheese and salt & vinegar.

9. Burgers

Putting burgers at No. 9 may make it seem as though I don’t love burgers, but I do! I am thinking here of buying a few bags of burgers from a fast-food place or diner. It’s easy and tasty, though not as tasty as the burgers that appear in the No. 1 slot.

8. Popcorn

This might sound lame at first glance, but people don’t really take advantage of this versatile food nearly enough. There are so many options for popcorn toppings — parmesan cheese, cheddar powder, garlic, cayenne pepper. Use your imagination and try a few combinations. People will be more delighted and impressed than you think.

7. Cupcakes

It’s always nice to have a dessert option. Cupcakes are really easy to  make, easy to eat and easy to decorate like footballs.

6. Vegetables and dip

I know I said there would be no healthy food, but if you pick up some ranch dip, onion dip, dill-flavored dip and whatever other dips look good, you can de-healthyfy vegetables really quickly. Veggies are a nice palate cleanser between greasy foods.

5. Giant sandwiches

I love sandwiches, and seeing one of those six-foot-long ones brings joy into my heart. Giant sandwiches are a great way to make sure everyone is well fed. Get a couple of different types to choose from. Order a relatively plain sandwich — cheese, meat, lettuce — and let people add their own vegetables and condiments.

4. Nachos

The key to successful Super Bowl nachos is using way more cheese than you think you should and including some meat, such as ground beef or chicken. For best results add some refried beans and throw the pile in the oven, and make sure you’ve got plenty of salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

3. Pizza

Ordering pizza to be delivered is easy, delicious and always appreciated by guests. This route allows everyone to pay attention to the game. However, if there are some members of the Super Bowl party clan who don’t mind missing some of the game, homemade pizza is an awesome choice.

2. Hot wings

Hot wings are just about my favorite thing in the world. I love spicy food, and I am usually not disappointed by hot wings. I recommend getting a few different flavors, such as barbecue and buffalo, and make sure to get some super spicy ones for sports fans who like a challenge.

1 . Barbecue

Yes, the Super Bowl is in February, so in many places it will be cold, but I have been to several successful barbecues in the winter — the griller just has to tough it out. It’s worth it! Home-made barbecue, including steaks and burgers and any other favorites, is the best stuff around. Develop your own special rub or sauce and have fun grilling!

Shocking television and children should not mix

Investigation into the 30-second Super Bowl adult entertainment surprise is currently in high gear. According to Sheryl Kornman and Fernanda Echavarri of the Tucson Citizen, Comcast said it was an “isolated, malicious act” and that they are “aggressively pursuing” leads. In the meantime, the cable television giant will give any customers who were “impacted” by the 30-second walk on the wild side a $10 credit to their cable bill. In order to receive the credit, “impacted” Tucson customers must call a special customer service number: (888) 315-8219.

Comcast is officially “appalled” by the Super Bowl interruption. Cash Advance Mojo was appalled by the number of holding calls in the game.

Payday loans can help cover bills, but not this

Comcast realizes that a credit won’t eliminate the fact that many sensitive viewers and children witnessed the adult material (two separate clips, it has been revealed), but they hope that offering it will show its customers in Tucson and beyond “how seriously (they) are taking this situation.”

Let’s take a look at how much this could cost Comcast. If we use the figure of 80,000 subscribers in Southern Arizona as a baseline, then $10 per customer equates to a payment of $800,000. That’s much less expensive than the $3 million corporations must pay for 30 seconds of airtime during the broadcast. That leaves $2,200,000 that Comcast still owes for the commercial time. If this was a malicious act by a NVOA station employee, then their firing will certainly not cover the expense. Even if a Comcast employee was responsible, it would take a high executive salary to cover the spread. Even though the CEO of Comcast recently had his salary cut to a mere $20.8 million, skimming that money off the top shouldn’t be too impactful. He won’t be in the market for payday loans.

Extra cash for a worthy party… or 16,000,000

Clearly, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts doesn’t need the money. The NFL has been impacted (see http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/8966710/Economic-reality-deals-sports-jarring-hit) by the current recession, but Cash Advance Mojo doesn’t believe that they’re in too much pain overall. Perhaps the money could go to the over 16,000,000 worldwide refugees who have nothing. Perhaps it could be put to better use than filling the coffers or a sports league, television network or telecom giant.

A cash advance is truly “impactful”

In the sole opinion of Cash Advance Mojo, he has never been impacted by anything on television to the degree of $800,000, $2,200,000 or $3,000,000.  Pay for the commercial time by doing something meaningful with the money. That is how the responsible corporate party should make amends. In the meantime, consumers who live in the real world can search for that which makes a positive impact upon their own lives. In a short-term economic jam, a cash advance can avert greater catastrophe. That’s real impact.

Cash Advance Mojo has heard, but he still doesn’t believe. This beats Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction by a country mile.

$3 million for 30 seconds

But first, let’s set the stage. Television advertising during the Super Bowl is more expensive than it is at any other time of year for companies. Most recent figures set the bar at $3 million for a 30-second spot. Millions of Super Bowl viewers have their eyes on those advertising messages, so the time is highly coveted by the power players of American industry. Networks, advertisers and viewers alike don’t take kindly to anyone messing with the quality of that entertainment time.

It wasn’t NBC’s fault

Unfortunately, NBC affiliate KVOA in Tucson, Arizona unintentionally showed fans something that a vocal majority found to be less than entertaining for themselves and their families.

This beats the “Heidi” game, hands down

Alex Dalenberg of the Arizona Daily Star reports (See: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/fromcomments/278448.php) that a “family inappropriate” adult film clip hijacked the Super Bowl broadcast. About 30 seconds of racy footage bombarded thousands of people in Tucson. According to cable provider Comcast, the footage came from an adult cable channel called Club Jenna. According to official company spokespeople, investigation is still underway as to how this happened.

Timing is everything

The timing, unfortunately, could be seen as all too convenient. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald had just scored to put the Cardinals in the lead with minutes to play, then the KVOA picture cut to an adult film clip between a man and woman. Callers to the local station, many of them with families, were understandably irate. KVOA station president Gary Nielsen assures all that his station “did not have any form of adult entertainment on it when their signal was sent to Comcast.”

How many people saw this?

Estimates as to how many homes in the Tucson area received the wrong footage are inconclusive so far, but it is known that the corrupted signal went over the standard-definition feed only, to analog TV sets. So high def viewers weren’t taken away from the Super Bowl action. According to Dalenberg, Comcast is the second-largest cable provider in Southern Arizona where Tucson is located. They serve more than 80,000 customers in that wide area.

Take responsibility

At the very least, Cash Advance Mojo thinks that if it is determined that someone is responsible for a prank, that person should at least be charged retroactively for the 30 seconds of “commercial time.” It’s only right, considering what a heavy recession America is experiencing. Handouts the magnitude of free Super Bowl airtime are not to be taken lightly. Sure, technical gaffes happen; perhaps the KVOA and Club Jenna’s signals just crossed. But if someone did this intentionally, they will have to take responsibility for their actions.

Your finances

Which, on a side note, is exactly what you should do when it comes to your personal finances. Don’t let anyone tell you how you must spend or manage your money. Listen to people’s ideas, weigh those against your own research, values and intuition, then decide for yourself. If you find yourself in a position where a cash advance could help you get emergency funds, do your research. There may just be a company that can help you.

The Minister of Defense, ready to sack a counterfeiter. R.I.P., Reggie

Your payday loan source is a casual football fan. I’m a baseball man, myself. If you are a true football fan, you have to dress the part. That means jerseys, banners, hats, pants and much more. But be sure to exercise caution when you shop for your Super Bowl gear, as a growing number of unscrupulous vendors are attempting to pass off counterfeit merchandise as the real thing. Much like the counterfeit ticket fiasco for what turned out to be a barn-burner Texas Tech-Texas game back in November, this is something that can easily hurt you in the wallet. Payday loans are there during emergencies, but an ounce of prevention is typically the best medicine.

A recent AP story in the Boston Herald indicates that the counterfeit merchandise market is alive and well for all the fans and tourists that will flock to Tampa, Florida for the big game. One example is a Reggie White Packers jersey that was sold. “White” was upside down on the back.

“That’s about as bad as I’ve ever seen,” says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Michael Kennedy.

Buyers, pay attention. U.S. jobs are at stake

Common things to look for in counterfeit merchandise are subtle differences in color, sloppy stitching, logo displacement and whether or not the official NFL laser hologram logo is present. It isn’t always easy to spot, and it is rarely as easy to see as it was with the Reggie White jersey. Yet it’s definitely worthwhile taking the time to spot fakes. Not only will it help your budget, but it helps the economy as a whole.

The numbers are staggering. Authorities claim that illicit goods cost legitimate companies $250 billion per year and 100,000 American jobs. During this deep recession, such horror stories are not acceptable, particularly since the money exchanged often is put to more serious criminal activity like drug trafficking. Numerous busts have already been made by Tampa authorities, and some of the illegal vendors have been within walking distance of the stadium.

In addition to inspecting the quality of the goods, buyers should also pay attention to the price and serial numbers. An authentic NFL jersey can retail for $350 or more, so if a street or Internet vendor is trying to seduce you with a $50 steal, it’s likely counterfeit merchandise. Regarding serial numbers, look at two different jerseys. If they both have the save code, you’ve probably found some fakes. This deserves your due diligence; you check out fast payday loans before borrowing, why not a sports jersey?

What about fake tickets?

According to Anastasia Danias, senior counsel for the NFL, spotting fake tickets is a bit more difficult. Cunning vendors have found ways to make realistic-looking hologram tickets, but look closely. Danias says if it’s a real ticket, you should be able to see two different images when the ticket is tilted in the light. One says “Tampa Bay” and the other is the Super Bowl logo. If you rub your thumb on the stadium image on the back of the ticket, she adds, “the green color in the grassy area and in two lines overhead, disappear.”

Your payday loan source hopes football fans everywhere enjoy a great Super Bowl this year. When it comes to getting ready for the action, simply stay alert and aware and you should be able to avoid the snares counterfeiters set. Keep in mind that we are in a recession, however. Celebrate as you see fit, but try not to create a mini-emergency from which only a bad credit payday loan can dig you out.

Your payday loan source sees that as of 8:15 a.m. Pacific Time the Friday before Super Bowl XLIII, the Dow Jones is currently at 8,057.25, a drop of 91.76 points from opening. The Stock Market is in need of a serious upswing on the heels of this plummeting economy, and some financial experts think they have just the thing to do it:A Super Bowl victory by the Pittsburgh Steelers… or the Arizona Cardinals.

How’s that for definitive?

Seriously, according to Laura Cohn in her Kiplinger.com article “Super Bowl Stocks,” Robert Stovall of Wood Asset Management has been studying this for years. About 80 percent of the time, if the Super Bowl champion was one of the original National Football League franchises, the Dow Jones industrial average rises for the year. Fortunately, since both the Steelers and the Cardinals were original NFL franchises (dating back before the 1970 NFL-American Football League merger), so how can American stocks lose? Like a no fax payday loan, it’s like money in the bank.

Stovall does urge investors to view this as entertainment and not a certain economic guide. In truth, he feels that that the television commercials you see are technically a better indicator of financial success. Research has proven that companies who advertise during the Super Bowl have received stock boosts, albeit temporary.

The ads must be good, though

Studies from 1989 to 2005 by the University of Buffalo and Cornell show that favorably received ads translated into a run on stock in the advertisers. This of course lead to a jump in their share price. In fact, on the Monday after the Super Bowl, shares of companies that produced the 10 most-popular ads stayed ahead of the Standard & Poor’s 500. Gains even continued after that day. Even shares of the companies that produced the least popular ads went up, but to a smaller degree. No advertising is bad advertising, right?

But at what price? Super Bowl ad time has traditionally been the most expensive available on American television, but with such a large audience in tow, many companies have found the expense to be worth the expense. Three million dollars for 30 seconds of airtime could translate into so much more.

Payday loans retain value

Much like basis your investments upon who wins the Super Bowl, ad picking for stock investment is also not a foolproof science. This is for entertainment purposes only, despite the statistical evidence that suggests there may be some credence in the theories. A stock is not like a payday loan. Numerous factors can decrease its value; a payday loan retains its value for you during a short-term cash emergency.

Related articles

• SUPER BOWL 101 – For women (and men) who don’t know football (Steelers vs. Cardinals) (lift-magazine.com)
• U.S. Justice Dept. demands sale of Labatt USA (ctv.ca)

Despite the high price and the bad economy,  NBC has had no problem selling the air time. The biggest advertiser this year is Anheuser-Busch, who bought 4.5 minutes worth of advertising. Yep, that’s $27 million.

Super Bowl Dropouts

For some companies, not even a payday loan could get them to shell out the dough this year. FedEx will not be advertising this year. The company says it is because of the economy.

General Motors also won’t have a presence in Super Bowl advertising. GM says the timing is bad.

In it to win it

Most of the regular advertisers though, still think the coveted spots are worth it. Coca Cola and Pepsi will have spots during the game. Several car companies will advertise, and online marketplaces including GoDaddy and E*Trade bought advertising time.

Pedigree pet food will have a presence during the game, and the National Football League gets to advertise for free. Companies who still want to buy advertising don’t have much time; 90 percent of the air time has already been sold.

Making history

Super Bowl spots didn’t always cost millions. In fact, it wasn’t until 1995 that the average price of 30 seconds of air time passed $1 million. In ‘95, the average price to air one commercial was $ 1.15 million, up from $900,000 the year before.

The price passed the $2 million mark in 2000, and it stayed pretty close to that number until 2004. The price hit $2.5 million in 2006, and it has gone up about $300,00 per year since then, making the leap this year from $2.7 million to $3 million pretty well expected.

Buyer’s remorse?

Many of the companies bought their advertising back in September. Since then, the economy has steadily gotten worse. Last year also featured one of the worst holiday shopping seasons the United States has seen. But there’s no return policy on Super Bowl ad spots. Advertisers are stuck with their pricey purchases whether they still want them or not.

GM made its decision not to advertise in September, when it was already apparent that the auto industry was going to take a big hit in the recession. FedEx still has time to buy if it wants to advertise for a 13th year in a row, but the company’s managing director of advertising assures viewers that is not going to happen. Despite the fact that FedEx won awards for its advertising in last year’s Super Bowl, the company says “a Super Bowl ad buy is not where we should put dollars at this time.”

Coughing up the cash

Even though some big-name advertisers refrained from buying ad time this year, there are plenty of companies who were willing to pay the price, and Super Bowl ads this year should be just as celebratory and larger-than-life as usual. Audi and Hyundai plan to unveil new products in their ads.

The $3 million price tag seems pretty high in a time when some Americans need a payday loan just to eat, but over-the-top Super Bowl ads are just as much a tradition as the game itself.