DIRECTV "ESPN Full Court"

'The Farmer'

This advertisement for ESPN'S Full Court opens with a sunrise shot of a farm. The day is dawning, at the 'All Seasons Farm', the dirt road winds up to a large red barn, complete with a pond in the right foreground, and geese flying overhead. The sound is that of a simple banjo playing, and a rooster can be heard crowing in the distance. At first appearances this will be an advertisement for an agricultural spot. The farm scene was nicely set, and is followed by an overall clad farmer starting the day from inside a darkened barn, as he walks into the daylight opening the barn door, he narrates that 'Harvest time, has got to be the toughest time, but of course when we get a crop like this, it really makes it all worthwhile." Just then the farmer lifts a basketball to his face and smells it as if it were just picked from the fields. The scene is followed with a shot of college students and basketball players that are out in what appears like a pumpkin patch. They are harvesting this seasons crop of freshly grown basketballs.
Narration again is used as the banjo continues to play, " Grandad always said that is takes a great ball to have a great game". The farmer continues on adding 'To many a basketball is just a vegetable, to us, it's a way of life' , as he reaches down in the garden picking a fresh new basketball and admiring it just like any gardener would admire a good crop.
The humorous comparison of basketballs to vegetables continues, as the ad displays a packaging facility with bins of basketballs that are being scrutinized for 'freshness' by college basketball coaches. This is followed by a testimonial taken on a basketball court from a coach who is supporting the importance of a well ripened basketball, and stating that this is why they take the time to check out the crop in person at the farm.
The humor is really brought to it's peak as the old farmer continues on to state how important the correct ripeness is, as he informs that last year a farm worker 'Jimmy' put a 'green one' in the bunch as the farmer is recalling this mishap on the farm a shot from a basketball game is playing. The game shot shows a very green basketball being passed to a player, the player attempts to hold or pass the ball, but both the player and ball take on an out of control very uncoordinated move as if reflecting the fact that since the ball wasn't ripe, the player couldn't take control of it.
The farmer immediately follows the comment with ' you can't leave it on the vine too long, that's no good either". This statement is made as a ball player is shown making a leaping dunk shot, yet as the ball hits the rim it shatters into a million mushy pieces, just like a smashed pumpkin.
The commercial ends with the clip of some exciting moves on a court during gametime, as a coach states that basketball is simple sport, if you take good players, give them good produce, you'll have a good game. The final statement 'If you want good basketball, you have to go to the source..." As the final comment is made the ESPN Full Court logo lights up the screen and the banjo music closes.