ESPN's 'Fanwich' Challenge Part Of 'Crazy' Campaign

ESPN-

Several years ago, the famed Peppi's sandwich shop in Pittsburgh was so smitten with the new Steelers quarterback that it named a wedge after him. Enter the "RoethlisBurger" -- a tribute to Big Ben, whose last name is spelled the same except for one vowel.

The sandwich has a burger inside, along with -- among other things -- scrambled eggs, since Roethlisberger is great at scrambling out of trouble. It's eligible for the ESPN contest to determine the country's top "Fanwich," in the tradition of proprietors naming mounds of meat and cheese after local sports heroes.

The "Fanwich" contest has delis, restaurants and Joe Fans submitting entrants on a Facebook page, complete with photos and descriptions. A popular vote through June 5 will determine the winner.

ESPN ad agency Weiden + Kennedy is involved with the creative aspects of the contest.

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Alas, Peppi's has not yet entered the "RoethlisBurger." But crosstown rival Primanti Brothers is battling with its "Colossal Fish" inspired by the Steelers.

In a sense, it's too bad the contest is limited to sandwiches, making ineligible both "The 64" seafood appetizer -- served at Mike Shannon's Steaks & Seafood in St. Louis and named for that city's 1964 World Series-winning team -- and "The Tom Brady" burger with guacamole at Mr. Bartley's in Harvard Square.

The "Fanwich" challenge is rooted in the latest spot in ESPN's "It's Not Crazy, It's Sports" promo campaign, which features two guys at a New Hampshire deli deciding whether a Boston Red Sox player should he honored with a sandwich.

So far, the leading vote-getter is a "challenge" at a Des Moines BBQ joint named after a former Drake basketball player, where a customer has 15 minutes to down a sandwich loaded with pork tenderloins and Texas brisket. It's on pace to win the prize: a trip to Bristol, Conn., where ESPN will serve the delight temporarily in its cafeteria.

Gaining ground, however, is "Bo Knows Big Burgers," a tower of three burgers and six strips of bacon, plus a lot more. It's served in a Kansas City suburb, in tribute to the former local baseball player Bo Jackson.

ESPN might have to guard against some home cooking. Employees may be partial to "The Jim Rome" from San Francisco. Rome has a radio show and is an ESPN personality.

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