Captain Morgan, the First-Ever Official Spiced Rum Sponsor of the NFL, and Super Bowl Champion Victor Cruz Uncover the Original Spice Behind the Most Diehard NFL Fans

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the unveiling of the Captain Morgan Super Bowl Punch Bowl in its first year as the Official Spiced Rum Sponsor of the National Football League (NFL), Captain Morgan is now highlighting multiple nominees for the NFL Fan of the Year contest with a documentary-style series titled "We Bring On the Spice." The six-part series, all episodes of which are hosted on SB Nation, features some of the league's most passionate and dedicated fans whose love for their teams is unrivaled.

To help spotlight the original spice each of the nominees bring to the game, Captain Morgan enlisted NFL legend and Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz to host the inaugural series. Cruz, a 2021 NFL Fan of the Year panelist, traveled to the hometowns of several nominees age 21+ to get a firsthand look at how each one brings a unique approach to fandom and leverages their passion to positively impact their respective communities. From a fan who travels 3,000 miles to attend games to another who created a supporters' group that now stands 10,000+ strong, each of the nominees highlighted in the series has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to their beloved teams.

"I've met a lot of fans over the years, but I'm always most impressed by the superfans whose love of their teams is unshakeable," Cruz said. "Fans don't always get the recognition they deserve for their ride-or-die spirit, so I was all for teaming up with Captain Morgan and the NFL to search out the ones who bring their own original spice in all they do and raise the fandom bar for the game."

The NFL Fan of the Year nominees featured in "We Bring On the Spice" presented by Captain Morgan and hosted by Victor Cruz include:

• Arizona Cardinals - Robert Freedman, leader of AZ BirdGang Nation
• Dallas Cowboys - Chase Smith, family fandom has spanned four generations and a relocation to Montana
• Los Angeles Chargers - Jen Mills, selfless community fundraiser for fellow Chargers fans in need
• Los Angeles Rams - Amanda Filimon, combat veteran, healthcare hero and Rams fanatic
• New York Giants - John Gleason, frequent traverser of the country from California to the northeast to support Big Blue
• New York Jets - Liz Mueller, former stadium security guard who took the job to be closer to her beloved Jets on game days
• Washington Football Team - Erikka Resendiz, WFT fanatic living in the heart of Philadelphia

"Fans are the heartbeat of the NFL, and as we saw last season, game days are not the same without them," said Sam Salameh, Vice President, Captain Morgan. "In our first year as the Official Spiced Rum Sponsor of the NFL, Captain Morgan is proud to support the NFL's mission to celebrate extraordinary fans through their Fan of the Year program. We had a lot of fun creating this series – we're all about bringing the spice, and it's an honor to provide a platform to showcase the unique personalities of each of these Legal Drinking Age supporters."

Captain Morgan and the NFL are rolling out the red carpet for the 2021 NFL Fan of the Year nominees in Los Angeles for a once-in-a-lifetime, truly baller experience ahead of Super Bowl LVI. And what's a baller experience without baller bling to match? On Feb. 10 during the live broadcast of NFL Honors, the ultimate NFL Fan of the Year winner will be named and awarded a custom one-of-one, iced-out chain designed and created by celebrity jeweler Ben Baller. NFL Honors will air LIVE Thursday, Feb. 10 at 9:00 PM ET on ABC from YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles.

"I consider myself a diehard NFL fan and never miss a game, but the Fan of the Year nominees are next-level," Ben Baller said. "I mean, the Jets Fan of the Year worked security just to be closer to her team. That's a baller move, right there. So, it was only right that Captain Morgan and I put something extra special together."

Captain Morgan will cap off its 2021 Fan of the Year celebration by hosting an exclusive invite-only brunch for the nominees in downtown Los Angeles featuring delicious cocktails, gourmet food and celebrity special guests ahead of Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Be sure to follow @CaptainMorganUSA on Instagram and @CaptainMorganUS on Twitter for delicious cocktail content and news, and no matter how you decide to celebrate the Super Bowl with Captain Morgan this playoff season, remember to do so responsibly.

About Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan is the number one selling spiced rum and the third largest spirits brand in the U.S. Captain Morgan encourages everyone 21+ to always spice things up by bringing the flavor to every occasion. The Captain Morgan portfolio includes CAPTAIN MORGAN Original Spiced Rum, CAPTAIN MORGAN Sliced Apple Spiced Rum, CAPTAIN MORGAN White Rum, CAPTAIN MORGAN Black Spiced Rum, CAPTAIN MORGAN 100 Proof Spiced Rum, CAPTAIN MORGAN Private Stock, CAPTAIN MORGAN Silver Spiced Rum, CAPTAIN MORGAN Coconut Rum, CAPTAIN MORGAN Pineapple Rum, CAPTAIN MORGAN Gingerbread Spiced and CAPTAIN MORGAN Orange Vanilla Twist. For more information, visit www.CaptainMorgan.com.

About Diageo North America
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Julio tequilas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and their products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world.

For more information about Diageo, their people, brands, and performance, visit www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Follow at Twitter and Instagram for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA.

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SOURCE Captain Morgan