The Future is Here: Inside Maverik's 60 Second Commercial

Maverik Lacrosse debuted their feature 60 second commercial during the Towson-Johns Hopkins game on Friday night. Over the past week, the commercial has been to the lacrosse world what the "Halftime in America" Chrysler commercial was to the NFL and all of America during the Super Bowl.

For those that don't know, the film was produced by lacrosse legend and former Virginia Cavalier, Jay Jalbert. Said Jalbert of the commercial:

The goal was to do something different this year. Working closely with Maverik's marketing team, we came up with a commercial concept that we hope will not just inspire and motivate, but also convey the respect all lacrosse players have for each other.

With names like Pete Poillon, John Christmas, Joe Cinosky and Billy Bitter in the video, I questioned the names behind the spot at first. But, I thought about it and this is totally just me thinking about their thought process behind it. Poillon exemplifies everything that the first part is showing: A guy who was not offered scholarships out of high school and went to Howard Community College for two years before joining Ohio State for a year, eventually transferring to UMBC. Clearly, hard work and dedication paid off for Poillon, as you can see as he rips corners over and over.

If you haven't seen the commercial, check it out below. Sound off in comments on what you thought about it.

Christmas was a star at Virginia and has been a pioneer for the African-American community when it comes to the sport of lacrosse. He is an idol to many and his section of the commercial describes everything this sport is trying to accomplish: Getting inner city schools the funding to play the sport we all love so much and to allow thousands of other kids to get a chance to play lacrosse.

Honestly, I don't have an explanation for Cinosky, besides the fact that he plays in Minnesota and has help evolve the game in that environment. As for Bitter, I took it as his playing for North Carolina and being close to the beach pushed his evolution of the game that way.

Here is Maverik's statement on the commercial:

The Future is Here embodies the overall theme of the Evolve the Player, Advance the Game campaign- a passing of the torch to the next generation of lacrosse players. The 60-second cut is more reminiscent of an inspirational sports film than a traditional product focused commercial. The various backdrops were chosen to reflect areas of the country in which the sport is growing and represents Maveriks' continuing efforts to bring the sport to new audiences.

Maverik has done a good job over the past two years to help grow the sport. Sponsoring teams in Dallas, Texas, and supporting camps and programs throughout the entire United States, it is no wonder why more and more young kids are playing the game in places like Texas, California, Florida and Illinois.

This is none more evident than its mission statement:

Maverik Lacrosse is about the growth and development of student athletes from all parts of the country and beyond," said John Gagliardi, Founder and President of Maverik Lacrosse. "We will continue to work closely with players from all over to create innovative lacrosse equipment and help advance the game we love.