Terry Tate: Office Linebacker
Encyclopedia
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
television commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
created by Rawson Marshall Thurber
Rawson Marshall Thurber
Rawson Marshall Thurber is an American writer and director of films and commercials.In 2002, he wrote and directed the original Terry Tate: Office Linebacker commercials for Reebok. In 2004, he wrote and directed the hit comedy film, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.In January 2006, he signed on...
, for Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
, based on a short film pilot he created in 2000; Tate was first shown at Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
in 2003. The short films feature Lester Speight
Lester Speight
Lester Rasta Speight is a former American football player who has had subsequent careers as a professional wrestler and then actor...
as "Terrible" Terry Tate, an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who "gives out the pain" to those in the office who are not obeying office policies.
Originally, Reebok produced 6 episodes between August to December 2002 with another episode Terry Tate, Office Linebacker: Sensitivity Training being made on February 1, 2004. Even Reebok in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
made an episode called Late Lunch on January 22, 2005. There are a total of 9 episodes. The advertising campaign was one of the most successful of those in the history of the Super Bowl halftime shows
Super Bowl Halftime Shows
The following is a list of Super Bowl halftime shows, held in the United States in the middle of the Super Bowl. Halftime shows are a tradition during football games at all levels of competition....
.
The catchphrases include "The pain train's comin'", "You kill the joe, you make some mo'", "You can't cut the cheese wherever you please!", "Cu'z when its game time, it's pain time!", "Don't bring that weak ass stuff up in this humpy-bumpy" and "Woo-woo!" After tackling a worker, Terry usually leaves him with a "WOOH! Bitch!"
While the first episode of the series implies that hiring an office linebacker is a highly unorthodox practice (one described as "thinking outside the box
Thinking outside the box
Thinking outside the box is to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking....
"), future episodes depict office linebackers as a common occurrence.
Though successful in attracting viewers and attention, the ads ability to increase recognition of the Reebok brand has been questioned, with only 55% of respondents on an on-line poll indicating they realized the ad was affiliated with the company. Despite being aired only once on national television, the short was downloaded more than seven million times from Reebok's website.
Main Characters
Lester SpeightLester Speight
Lester Rasta Speight is a former American football player who has had subsequent careers as a professional wrestler and then actor...
as "Terrible" Terry Tate (a.k.a The Pain Train a.k.a Triple T) - Hired by Felcher & Sons as an office linebacker. He enjoys his job, punishing office workers who disobey office policy. Terry is also in charge of office supplies, this is why all his interviews are done in the supply storage room, his office.
Michael Sean McGuinness as Ron Felcher - The CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Felcher & Sons. Terry's employer. According to him, ever since Terry joined the team, productivity has gone up by 46%.
Bob Stevenson as Paul Merkin - The Jr. Mail Room Engineer, and a common target of Terry's wrath.
Natacha Wenger as Geneva Stoller - A sensitivity trainer, she works for Sanchez, Steamer, & Co. and is employed by Felcher & Sons to help their own staff work better together.
Andrew Griffiths as Courtney Cate - Appearing in Draft Day, Courtney was chosen to work alongside Terry as another office linebacker.
Original episodes
Terry's World (August 11, 2002)- An introduction to Terry's world. He slams into Paul Merkin after his failure to refill the coffee after he's used it, and then Ron Felcher gives a brief description about how the productivity in the office has soared after Terry's arrival from Reebok. Terry then puts more office workers in their places, for various offenses such as failing to recycle an aluminium can, failing to put a cover sheet on a TPS report, and drinking coffee while not on a break. His friendly side is also shown, as he gives a co-worker a cake on their birthday. Near the end of the episode, Terry himself is the victim of an injury after being hit with a mail cart, but he returns to work swiftly in order to keep everyone in line once again.
Draft Day (September 1, 2002)
- Felcher & Sons hire a new linebacker, Courtney Cate, to work alongside Terry in the office. At first, the two have some "initial friction" between each other, but they soon gel and begin to work more efficiently as a team, jointly dealing out the pain to the co-workers who step out of line. However, the company made the decision to relocate Cate to a EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an branch in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, due to salary capSalary capIn professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
reasons, and also because he made some errors (such as taking out an employee for wearing a Hawaiian shirt to work, not knowing it was Casual FridayCasual FridayCasual Friday along with dressing casually during the week became very prevalent during the Dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s rooted in a relaxed California-based business culture...
).
Vacation (September 14, 2002)
- After 1000 days at work without a single day off, state lawState lawIn the United States, state law is the law of each separate U.S. state, as passed by the state legislature and adjudicated by state courts. It exists in parallel, and sometimes in conflict with, United States federal law. These disputes are often resolved by the federal courts.-See also:*List of U.S...
requires that Terry must take a vacationAnnual leaveAnnual leave is paid time off work granted by employers to employees to be used for whatever the employee wishes. Depending on the employer's policies, differing number of days may be offered, and the employee may be required to give a certain amount of advance notice, may have to coordinate with...
. At first he dislikes his holiday (having problems opening his room's door with the card key, and the small towels he is forced to use), but once he begins to put the hotel staff in line (as he does with his office co-workers), he begins to enjoy himself. The hotel's manager is pleased with Terry's actions, saying that he is welcome back any time and has been the best guest the hotel has ever had. However, back at Felcher & Sons, many of the staff have been acting up without Terry around, but his return quickly gets the company back into shape again.
Office Athlete Of The Century (October 15, 2002)
- Terry is awarded the prestigious Office Athlete Of The Century award from OSPN (a parody of ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
). Throughout the episode Terry's earlier life is recapped. He graduated from high school as captain of the footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team before accepting a full scholarshipScholarshipA scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to Major University. He then joined a freelance mimeMimeThe word mime is used to refer to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech.Mime may also refer to:* Mime, an alternative word for lip sync...
troupe. It was during this job that he attacked a spectator who was talking loudly on their cell phone. Ron Felcher, one of the spectators, saw this incident, and decided to hire Terry as a result.
Super Bowl 2003 commercial (November 27, 2002)
- This is a remix of the incidents from the past episodes, depicting scenes from the past episodes.
Streaker (December 4, 2002)
- In a direct spoof of a similar NikeNike, Inc.Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
ad, a naked man runs across the field during a soccer match. Terry appears from nowhere and slams him.
Sensitivity Training (February 1, 2004)
- Office worker Paul Merkin accuses Terry Tate of assaultAssaultIn law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
, and in response Felcher & Sons hire Geneva Stoller, a sensitivity trainer. She gives out badges of shame to anyone who breaks office rules, and after Terry drives into a worker in his usual office role, she moves him to a desk job. As a result, office productivity declines, and Terry is forced to watch from his desk as office staff all around him fail to do any work. However, after seeing Geneva make a sexual advance on a male employee, Terry slams into her to put her back in line. The company part ways with Geneva, and Ron Felcher shows how productivity had declined since her arrival, but since her departure things had recovered once again, with the help of Terry.
Late Lunch (January 22, 2005)
- A short episode showing how Terry tackles a worker, Roger, who returns to his desk late for work. His co-workers are less than happy, handing him papers that should have been completed 15 minutes ago. But Terry is at hand to get the worker back in line once again.
Pro Bowl (Date?)
- In this episode, Terry helps keep the players focused on the game and ready to give 110%. It's narrated by Ray Lewis and features an appearance by Don HoDon HoDonald Tai Loy "Don" Ho was a Hawaiian and traditional pop musician, singer and entertainer.-Life and career:Ho, of Chinese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Dutch, and German descent, was born in the small Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako, but he grew up in Kāneohe on the windward side of the island of Oahu...
. Other notable player appearances include Steve McNairSteve McNairStephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
, Chris McAlisterChris McAlisterChristopher James McAlister is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona....
, Ahman GreenAhman GreenAhman Rashad Green is a retired American football running back. He is the all-time leading rusher for the Green Bay Packers. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, Clinton PortisClinton PortisClinton Earl Portis is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, and Dante HallDante HallDamieon Dante Hall is a former American football Return specialist, and wide receiver in the National Football League. He is considered one of the greatest return specialists in NFL History...
. There are several quotes not used in other episodes to include: "If you're gonna distract, Triple T's gonna attack", "You dancin' like you got a nay nay in our shorts", "C'mon Ho, you gotta make me feel the bubbles...bloop bloop...".
Spoof of Nike ad
In February, 2003, Reebok released a commercial featuring Tate that parodiesParody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
a Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
commercial; in the original a streaker
Streaking
Streaking is the act of running nude through a public place.-History:On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested at the Mansion House, London, and sent to the Poultry Compter...
disrupts a British football match; in the Reebok ad, Tate tackles the streaker then proclaims, "You just did it, so I had to hit it". The advertisement was one of several competitive and deliberate spoofs between the rival companies.
California recall election
In 2003, Terry Tate was entered as a candidate in the 2003 California recall electionCalifornia recall election, 2003
The 2003 California gubernatorial recall election was a special election permitted under California state law. It resulted in voters replacing incumbent Democratic Governor Gray Davis with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. The recall effort spanned the latter half of 2003...
, under the name "Lester Terry Tate Speight".
2008 U.S. Presidential election
The Terry Tate character resurfaced in a series of short videos urging people to vote on November 4, including scenes that depict the Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah PalinSarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
being (purportedly) tackled following famously controversial interviews.
Episodes
- From Russia with Love (October 16, 2008), Tate tackles Republican Candidate Sarah Palin after she answers a question from Katie CouricKatie CouricKatherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
about her foreign policy experience. - Reading is Fundamental (October 16, 2008), Tate tackles Republican Candidate Sarah Palin after she gives an elusive answer to a question from Katie Couric about her reading material.
- Get Out the Vote (October 20, 2008), Tate tackles a co-worker who states he will not be voting.
ESPN's Mayne Street
In a 2008 episode of Kenny Mayne'sKenny Mayne
Kenneth "Kenny" Wheelock Mayne is a sports journalist and comedian for ESPN.-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA...
ESPN parody program Mayne Street, Tate appears to defend anchor Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity...
from an intrusion on his lunch break by an individual touring ESPN headquarters. Tate then reminds Mayne that people on his tour groups should not bother "the franchise" (Scott), and that this was discussed in a previous staff meeting.