Uncle Drew: Coming to a Neighborhood Near You

  

On Monday, Cleveland Cavalier’s star Kyrie Irving returned for his 3^rd installment of Uncle Drew. Already having more than 500,000 views, not including third party sites, the video could be well on its way to reaching 5 million views. Those who have anxiously awaited the release of this 3^rd chapter might scoff at such a low estimate because, after all, part one had 27 million hits. I am simply projecting that some of the wonderment is waning based on part two only receiving 9 million hits. That said, with the wild popularity of the Uncle Drew videos I can’t help but wonder, how many more times can the gag be replicated? Surely, at some point, when a couple seemingly old-timers walk onto the court and commit a laughable succession of missed shots and turnovers only to start dunking and hitting 40-foot jumpers will someone finally come forward and call them out.

If Pepsi does decide the jig is up, could the spoof be replicated in other sports?

Hockey: It could be done but my suspicion is that it would be less successful than basketball.

Football: I just can’t picture it.

Baseball: Absolutely. Either fast-pitch or underhand, putting makeup on someone like Coco Crisp (5’10’’, 185lbs, 22 home runs last year) and have him come into the game and make atrocious swings at the first two pitches only to hit the 3^rd pitch into the next zip code…that would be beautiful to watch.

Golf: It’s called the Champions Tour. Also, nothing similar to dunking in golf so this spoof would be a letdown.

Soccer: Yes, but not on a regular sized field. No one wants to have the highpoint of having Uncle Thierry Henry share the field with a bunch of amateurs to be him blowing past some has-been in a 40-yard sprint.

Tennis: Yes, please. Tennis would be especially humorous because fans can get so close to the action. Close-ups of tennis fans watching Uncle John Isner transition from a feeble 40 mph serve to upwards of a 140 mph, well, I think the only person that would be more surprised is the poor sap that he’s playing against.

Skateboarding: I could watch Uncle Tony Hawk prank on punk skateboarders all day.

NASCAR: Pepsi already gave this idea the green light. However, the plot did not involve an actual car race (the video is titled, “Test Drive,” and features Jeff Gordon).

…and the list goes on. Whatever Pepsi decides, I just hope they continue to make videos. Even if the spectators are less than genuinely surprised at what they are witnessing, Uncle Drew reminds us that the game of basketball is and will always be about buckets.