Hebrew National Crowns Detroit Tigers' Top Hot Dog Vendor as `Higher Authority Hawker'
July 25 2006 - 3:20PM
Business Wire
Comerica Park's Four Hawker Finalists Display Ballgame Battle Cries
During a Pre-Game Ceremony; Title Decided by Fan Votes, Passion for
Hawking, Creativity and Overall Technique Tigers fans have spoken.
The culmination of Hebrew National's first-ever "Higher Authority
Hawker Challenge" came to an operatic end during a pre-game
ceremony on July 21, when Charley "Opera Man" Marcuse took the
title of Comerica Park's "Higher Authority Hawker." As the Tigers
geared up to face the Oakland Athletics, four of Detroit's finest
hot dog vendors, whom fans had selected through in-stadium voting
over the past four weeks, prepped for their own competition
on-field. In a nail-biting showdown that paired passion with poise,
the finalists, consisting of hot dog vendors Julius King, Brenda
McCants, Charley Marcuse and Johnny Kelmar, showed fans what it
takes to be a Higher Authority Hawker by displaying their
award-winning cries. Charley's bellowing hawks proved that he could
stand out from the crowd. Tigers fans and the Hebrew National brand
recognized him as the Higher Authority Hawker. To win the title of
Hebrew National Higher Authority Hawker, Marcuse had to modify his
hawker cry. The standard hawker cry, "get yer hot dog," was not
enough to get past the infield for first-place Detroit Tigers fans,
nor did it cut the mustard for hawking premium Hebrew National
franks, which are made from 100-percent kosher beef, made with only
the finest cuts of meat, with no additive colors or fillers.
"Although Opera Man took the crown, we saw some great performances
from many of Detroit's best hot dog hawkers, and were happy to see
vendors make the Hebrew National battle cry their own," said
marketing manager Jon Swadley. Hebrew National, where "kosher"
means "quality," recruited the highest-quality, most outgoing and
energetic hot dog hawkers to be rewarded for serving Detroit's avid
fans. "While the baseball players perform on the field, the food
hawkers are in command in the stands," Swadley said. "The Higher
Authority Hawker Challenge enabled Hebrew National to salute those
unsung baseball heroes who make our days at the park truly
memorable." Hebrew National's Higher Authority Hawker Challenge
began Friday, June 16. Comerica's food hawkers put on one "yell" of
a competition to win the hearts and votes of Tigers fans, with
their own distinctive hawking styles. Marcuse, the legendary Hawker
known to fans as "Opera Man," did just that and Hebrew National is
honoring him with a luxury trip to New York City to see the Tigers
take on the men in pinstripes. Hebrew National will roll out the
red carpet with a personal wait staff at Yankee Stadium. When the
Tigers win, the night will have become the hawker's ultimate
FAN-tasy. For the duration of the program, Hebrew National
positioned a Higher Authority Hawker voting station on the main
concourse of Comerica Park, where, during Tiger home games, fans
viewed the hawker audition tapes on a television monitor, submitted
votes for their favorite hawker and checked back to view the
current leaders. After voting for their favorite hawker, fans were
enrolled automatically for a chance to win a Hebrew National Prize
pack consisting of free tickets to a future Detroit Tigers baseball
game and coupons for free Hebrew National kosher franks. July 21
will go down in Detroit baseball history as the day fans added
Charley "Opera Man" Marcuse to the roster of such Tigers greats as
Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Al Kaline and Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez..
Although the 2006 Higher Authority Hawker competition came to an
end, Hebrew National salutes all of Comerica's hot dog hawkers. The
Hebrew National brand is a registered trademark of ConAgra
Brands,Inc. About ConAgra Foods ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is
one of North America's largest packaged food companies, serving
grocery retailers, as well as restaurants and other foodservice
establishments. Popular ConAgra Foods consumer brands include:
Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew
National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, PAM and
many others. For more information, visit www.conagrafoods.com.
ConAgra Brands (NYSE:CAG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
ConAgra Brands (NYSE:CAG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024