Scotland’s Super Bowl hero Lawrence Tynes kicks his way into history for NY Giants
Lawrence Tynes and Steve Weatherford of the New York Giants celebrate. Picture: Getty
WITH nerves of steel and a sure right foot, he kicked his team towards victory in the world’s most watched sporting spectacle and sent his career into the stratosphere.
Sports marketing experts have predicted a multi-million pound windfall for an American football star from Scotland who helped his team snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the Super Bowl.
Lawrence Tynes from Greenock – a keen Celtic fan – secured the New York Giants six crucial points in the fourth and final quarter of the showpiece event yesterday.
Despite the pressure of performing before a capacity crowd at Indiana’s Lucas Oil Stadium and an estimated global television audience of one billion people, the 33-year-old showed the composure to convert two field goals of 38yd and 33yd respectively.
With his teammate Ahmad Bradshaw securing the winning touchdown moments later, the Giants defeated arch-rivals the New England Patriots, ensuring lasting fame for Tynes.
A jubilant Tynes said: “We are the kings of New York.” Asked about how he prepared to take his crucial field goals, he added that he was thinking only of one thing: “Making it.”
Tynes, who has football strips sent to him by Scotland boss Craig Levein and Celtic manager Neil Lennon, is reported to have been offered the chance to help with the coin toss at an Old Firm match at Parkhead in the spring.
With his new global fame, he may be on course to become the world’s best-known fan of Celtic, which also includes the likes of Billy Connolly and Rod Stewart among its supporters.
The 33-year-old, whose family emigrated to the United States when he was ten, has enjoyed a successful career in the National Football League (NFL), but analysts of sponsorship and endorsement deals expect him to now reap riches befitting a superstar – and suggested his business advisers could even seek to capitalise on his Scots roots.
Sue Bridgewater, associate professor of marketing and strategy at Warwick Business School and director of the Centre for Management in Sport, said: “His role in the final will have got him to a massive audience and he will be a prominent player now.
“Even if you look at the earnings of sports stars like David Beckham, people who we consider to be massive, the biggest moneymakers are those in US sport.
“Playing a big part in the Super Bowl is really going to see him rise up the rankings. The fact he is from Scotland adds to his story. We laugh and describe Andy Murray as British when he is winning and Scottish when he is losing, but Tynes is a rising American football star and there might be a lot of people in the UK who don’t know about him.
“It’s going to bring him to a wider audience and attract more people to American football, because he’s not a typical all-American boy and he’s come from Scotland to play in the Super Bowl.”
Professor Simon Chadwick, chairman in sport business strategy and marketing at Coventry University Business School, also predicted new found wealth for Tynes.
“Someone like Lawrence Tynes will be able to make a very tidy sum of money by signing deals that will get him up into the million, two million dollar earnings bracket,” he said.
“The Super Bowl is the biggest annual sporting event in the world, in terms of global television audience, advertising and promotional expenditure around the event, and overall commercial impact.
“The Champions League final may come close internationally, but certainly in the US there is nothing as big as the Super Bowl. As a result, there’s tremendous potential for the big, successful names in American football to have commercial success.”
Prof Chadwick, who is also the founder and director of the Centre for the International Business of Sport, added: “At 33, Tynes is relatively old, compared to someone like the Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi, who is only 24. In that context, he will have to harvest very, very quickly the interest in him, and his advisers should work very hard and fast to generate as much money as possible.”
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Comments
There are 37 comments to this article
Page 1 of 3
Judith
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 12:48 PMScots should be proud to have one of their own succeed in America. It is a different sport yes.
jock in the box
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 09:40 AM25 Not quite.Puerile moronic nonsense is still the preserve of the village idiot. You should know that better than anybody!
james mc donald
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 07:25 PMI don't follow any kinnd of sports,except boxing,but would like to know why so many comments were not seen.Jim Mc Donal,Ex Edinburgh.
Tartancult
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 07:25 PMModerator removed by comments
Peter L. Gordon
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 05:17 PMFootball is played with ones feet and a spherical ball, none of which appplies to "US football." Usarian football has only its brutality to recommend it and the extraordinary athletes who play the game. However, does anyone have a body count of the number of players seriously injured during the course of this single game aand is that going to be divulged with the post game statistics? Obvious I find little pleasure in watching the game. On the other hand you have to marvel at the ability of the promotors who have managed to secure an international audience.
okanaganguy
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 03:56 PM#21. You are certainly entitled to your opinion but if you compare the American style of football to yours, most of us in Canada would disagree with you.. regards
bawhair
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 01:49 PMComment removed by moderator
bawhair
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 01:49 PMComment removed by moderator
touchedRAW
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 12:08 PMPlease, we shouldn't be conned by the hype machine from America.This is not our game and just because someone emigrated from Scotland years ago, we don't need to pay attention!!!
Agent P
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:59 AMI bet Salmond was on the phone trying to get hold of him right after the match finished, begging for a photo opportunity.
The Lord
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:12 AMSRU could sell Dan Parks to them or exchange
The Lord
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:11 AMCan he play 10 for the Scotland team on Sunday??????????????????
Jimson
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 10:36 AMIt was Alex Salmond in disguise that won it. Well he's responsible for everything isn't he?
americanbob
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 10:30 AMHas someone hacked into the Hootsmon's site? It's running slower than I can ever remember and most of the comments have been "removed by the moderator" for no apparent reason?
Duncan D' Orderly
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 10:08 AMComment not removed. No comment to remove!!!
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