Venky's Chicken Ad Divides Soccer Fans

Can stuffing heavily sauced chicken drumsticks into your mouth really be good preparation for a soccer match? And is it the sort of activity you’d like to see players from your club engaging in just before kick-off?

Venky’s, the Indian chicken company that owns English Premiership club Blackburn Rovers, seems to think so, at least according to a commercial that hit Indian screens recently. But some fans have failed to see the funny side, describing it as another insult to a club that only just avoided relegation last season after being taken over by Pune-based Venky’s in November.

“They are the owners and have every right to use all their assets as part of their advertising campaign,” local newspaper the Lancashire Telegraph quoted a member of the Blackburn Rovers Supporters Trust as saying.

“But from a fan’s perspective it is pretty embarrassing,” he said.

The ad starts with Blackburn players in a huddle in the dressing room, presumably at their home ground Ewood Park. So far, so good. The footballers then cross themselves before an aerial shot reveals they are standing over nine plates of chicken on a table.

The footballers, who incidentally earn paychecks that allow them to eat anywhere they please, eagerly tuck into the Venky’s fare before marching down the tunnel towards the pitch. Captain Ryan Nelson is at the front of the pack, licking his lips. And his index finger.

“The taste that brings the English Premier League team Blackburn Rovers to India. Blackburn Rovers, proudly owned by Venky’s,” the voiceover says.

The 30-second ad ends with Venky's logo in the middle of the screen, with the slogan "Good for You" below. Just before a football game? Physios in the world would disagree with this part.

Venky unfortunately did not bring the Blackburn Rovers to India this time round as the team was canceled following the bombings in Mumbai on July 13. The club still plans to visit India at any given time, then the short-term advertising campaign may resurface.

2011 EPL Season Preview & English Premier League Soccer Picks

Soccer picks are one of our specialties here at Bankroll Sports, and we’re going to be clueing you in on the best English Premiership odds on the board right now, both for our European bettors and our American betting fans.

The defending champions of the EPL are also the favorites this year on the soccer odds, Manchester United (English Premiership Odds Favorites: 1.85 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook ) . The Red Devils stormed to glory last year behind a tremendous offense with threats like Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov. The team went out and picked up several other stars to reload for the likes of the retired Paul Scholes. The possibility remains that Wesley Sneijder could be coming over to Manchester as well from Inter Milan, and if that transfer goes through before the end of the season, the Red Devils really could be not just the side to beat in England, but the side to beat in the entire world as well. Man U has been Premier League Champions a record 12 times, and there is no team that has claimed more English soccer titles in its history than it has with a total of 19 titles.