The Un-Prize: Guy makes halfcourt shot, wins a few lousy cans of 7-Up

We take you now to Friday’s NBA Playoff game between the Lakers and Hornets in New Orleans. Promotional halftime entertainment: Contest sponsored by 7-Up. A guy has to make a layup, a free throw, a 3-pointer and a halfcourt shot, and amazingly, he completes all four. His prize? A year’s supply of 7-Up. But here’s the fine print.

That “year’s supply” includes coupons good for two 12-packs per month for one year. So that makes 588 cans total, and at about $6.98 per 12-pack (or cheaper if you actually, you know, shop around), that’s $83.76. Oh 7-Up, you cheap bastards. Let’s look at what some other halfcourt winners have won, from CNBC’s SportsBiz:

This year alone, those who have hit a half court shot at NBA games have won $10,000 (Mavericks) and $20,000 (Thunder), while two Kings fans won Kia cars and a TrailBlazers fan won a Toyota truck. In fact, last year, when the Lakers played the Oklahoma City Thunder in round 1 of the playoffs, a fan hit a halfcourt shot to win $235,000.

As you can imagine, 7-Up has received the opposite of its desired effect: Everyone writing about this is mocking them relentlessly. As CNBC points out, a team or corporation can insure a $25,000 prize for about $1,000, which is more than worth it when you consider the alternative negative publicity.

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7-Up, Hornets Prize For Half Court Shot Simply Embarrassing [SportsBiz]
Free pizza for a year? Well, perhaps not [Off the Bench]