Posted on 01/19/2015 10:20:34 AM PST by Red Badger
The Geico commercial featuring Fresno native Ickey Woods not only has gone viral but it's also introduced the Edison High grad to a new generation.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Geico commercial featuring Fresno native Ickey Woods not only has gone viral but it's also introduced the Edison High grad to a new generation.
Ickey was very surprised by the popularity of his commercial. It has thrust him back into the national spotlight. 25 years have passed since Ickey has done the shuffle on the field for the Bengals. He still lives in the Cincinnati area.
Woods said, "Now I'm known as the cold cut man now. It's fun because I got a lot of people calling me letting me know their kids and their grandkids are doing it now."
In January of 1989 Ickey Woods was the country's most celebrated pro athlete. He led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in his rookie year. Action News was there when Sports Illustrated came to town to snap pictures of Ickey and his mother. The kid named Elbert Woods made the cover of SI that week.
Ickey said, "Never thought in my wildest dreams that 25 years later the Ickey Shuffle would be back on the scene."
Woods was inducted into the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. The TV spot always brings a smile to former Hall of Fame president Tom Sommers.
Sommers said, "I thought that is hilarious. They really did a great thing with that and I bet he's getting great attention across the country. I think it's well done and for a guy who only played three years in the NFL but had a great rookie season - I mean he's known for that."
Cincinnati running back Jeremy Hill offered an Ickey Woods tribute after scoring a touchdown on Sunday.
I asked Ickey if he knew Hill would do the shuffle. He replied, "I did not. I was actually at the game and it kind of took me by surprise. Then he got up and ran and I said, oh what is he getting ready to do."
Ickey is now using the country's rediscovery of his past to help strengthen the future of the Jovante Woods Foundation. His teenage son Jovante died of a severe asthma attack in 2010. Ickey Woods "Get some cold cuts" t-shirts are now helping raise money for asthma research.
Woods also said he plans to return to the Valley soon for a fundraiser for the Fresno children's asthma division of his foundation. He said the calls and text messages have been non-stop since the TV spot started airing.
Ickey was one of the few entertaining aspects of some horrifically bad Bengals teams.
Buckeye, they had a great QB in Kenny Anderson. And Isaac Curtis was damn good.
Back in the golden era of the end zone dance.
With a name like Ickey Woods, he should have gone into golf.
It’s ok but probably my least favorite of the series. My favorite is the genie and “a million bucks”.
W’re forgetting Hump Day.
WOOOOOOOOO...NUMBER 44 LADIES! THAT’S ME!
My sis-in-law LOVES that ad. She says she always feels just that way when she is getting cold cuts! (She does love her Boar’s Head everything!)
Hump day is right up there and their new ad making fun of their own original commercial is really great. It may take the top rung before long. The “million bucks” add is still near the top funny because you can see anyone making that same faux pas.
Sometimes that ‘15 minutes of fame’ does strike twice.
“Hump day is right up there—”
—
“Let it go,Phil”
.
I think it’s in poor taste to jump around like an idiot when you do something that you’re paid to do. I don’t think it’s funny now and didn’t think it was funny then.
And now all the athletes have to jumps around like idiots.
Sorry . . . I thought it was in poor taste then and do so now.
For some reason the butcher behind the counter in the commercial looks familiar to me. Does anyone know who he is?
Completely agree. Fruity gyrations and chest slapping demonstrations are now the norm in that sport, the cool players couldn’t self police the jerks even if they wanted to. But it only became even more popular after all that dog squeeze became the norm, it’s number one by a mile. So we are definitely in the minority on that.
Freegards
Years ago, before Coach Ratigliano came to the Browns, the players NEVER jumped around like a##holes after scoring. They were told to act like they’ve done it before.
Ratigliano told them they could jump around like jackasses, so the Browns still do it. I’m so tired of lame-brained body gyrations, fist bumping, and all the other crap after the players do something for which they’re already being overpaid to do.
The icky-shuffle is so just plain stupid. When I have to see it in a commercial, I change the channel.
Look like Ickey done loooove him some cold cut.
It’s funny. He should be proud.
He kinda resembles the "soup nazi" from Seinfeld but now older......
It was the "little" James Brooks, with an avg. of nearly 5 yd. a carry that put the fear in the hearts of their opponents...
:)
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