With every major league in North America suspended, broadcasters such as ESPN are scrambling to find shows to fill their schedules
The most haunting reminder of America’s pandemic-driven sports hibernation is brought to you, fittingly enough, by All-State. The latest of the insurance company’s ads stars pitchman Dennis Haysbert (aka President Palmer, aka Pedro Cerrano) at home bingeing college hoops with friends. Just as the faux contest intensifies, the 30-second spot cuts to commercial – one of Haysbert’s All-State commercials, incidentally. When his buddies change over to another matchup, there Haysbert is again touting home and life policies. The point is to poke fun at All-State’s suffocating (read: expensive) television presence throughout the NCAA Tournament, the three-week college basketball extravaganza which takes over large parts of the States at this time of year. But instead of appearing during a break in the action between Dayton or Duke, the ads break up doom-and-gloom headlines on the 24-hour news channels now.
Related: Sportless TV goes all nostalgic on a truly surreal Saturday | Rob Smyth
