2020 was a challenging year for everyone. The pandemic, both in itself and in its rippling impact, made the year both historic and a nightmare. Some saw victories, but as a whole the nation felt a long lasting depression. We hope to be moving back in the right direction soon but as the splash has subsided the ripples may carry on. What can we look at to help? The NBA and, well… Black Eyed Peas.
The NBA was not immune to the drawbacks of the year that was. As we look back, it was likely the NBA who alerted the masses to just to the pervasiveness of the Covid-19 Pandemic. When the NBA shut down, the entire country followed suit. New Year’s resolutions are over, and it’s time for the NBA to lead in a very similar way. It’s time for the NBA to give a Black Eyed Peas reminder.
Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is a southern tradition, dating back to the 1800s. As a “lowly” food, black-eyed peas were all that was left for poor southerners to eat in harsh winters. They were one of the few crops left alone by Union soldiers along Sherman’s march. The Union assumed the peas were inedible. Finding a way to eat them is a victory and brings good luck in the new year. Regardless of how you consume them, it’s the best way to be sure and turn things around. America needs to have a year of turning things around. While 2021 won’t fix every problem caused in 2020, America needs all the “good luck” it can get.
How can the NBA help bring that black-eyed pea inspired luck? By having advertisements of LeBron James or Luka Doncic eating their black-eyed peas. What about some cheesy ripoff of the Campbells hearty soup commercials? That would be a lot to pull together…
And the NBA doesn’t need to pull all of that together. They have the perfect black-eyed pea reminder already… or should I say Black Eyed Peas.
Black Eyed Peas x NBA
The NBA and the Black Eyed Peas had a string of advertisements for over a decade, including the 2004 Finals ads (above) and the 2015 Playoff ads (below).
Notice how young and fresh some of those faces look. Chris Paul has changed teams three times since that video. Anthony Davis has changed hairstyles, but not the unibrow, twice. Steph Curry was the baby faced assassin that had yet to corn-row his hair for an NBA game. Times were simpler in the NBA. In the complicated world we live in now, we could use simpler.
The NBA needs to re-run the Black Eyed Peas as a reminder to everyone on New Year’s Day to be sure and help themselves have the best luck this year. The Black Eyed Peas, starring Will.I.Am, Fergie, and Taboo. While the classic “Where is the love?” may be a better way to get the country past 2020, for the sake of tomorrow, we may have to live with re-runs. Something that will help us “Power” through the year, like we did the 2013 Playoffs.
