FINANCIAL FOOTBALL

VISA and the NFL have teamed up to provide a FREE football themed video game to promote people's interest in being financially savvy.  FINANCIAL FOOTBALL is a fast-paced, interactive game that that teaches money management skills while you play.  You can compete on a virtual grid iron in either a one player game or in head-to-head action against a friend by answering finance related question to lead your team across the field to score touchdowns.

Start the game by picking how long you want to play (5 to 20 minutes) and selecting which NFL teams will be going heat-to-head against one another.  Next pick a difficulty setting playing either as a Rookie (Ages 11 -14), Pro (Ages 14-18) or Hall of Famer (18+).  Players then can select defensive and offensive plays with difficulty levels of easy, medium and hard which are followed up with questions about financial literacy and money management that correspond to the selected play's difficulty.  This customization makes the game fun and educational not just for kids but adults as well.

If you get a question right you your team is successful with their play, but if you get the question wrong than your QB will get sacked, your running back hit for a loss, or a wide receiver drops the ball.  The harder the successfully completed question the better your players do so an easy question might get you one or two yards, a medium question 5 yards and a hard question could get you ten yards or maybe even a break away touchdown.

In head-to-head mode players only answer questions on offense.  Whoever does the best will get the best results from their players and win the game! For single player mode, you also have to answer questions on defense with correct answers resulting in sacks, tackles for a loss and interceptions while wrong answers allow the other team to break long runs or have completions in the passing game.  How well you can answer the questions will determine if you are a winner or loser in FINANCIAL FOOTBALL.

FINANCIAL FOOTBALL takes a topic that can be boring and mundane for many kids, as well as adults, and adds some excitement to it that will help ingrain important tips and information into people's heads as their competitive instincts get them involved with this game.  As a parent, I'm always keeping an eye out for opportunities that combine entertainment and education to assist getting kids to embrace learning.

This game created in partnership between the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, Visa's Practical Money Skill's for Life program, and the NFL , has been out for a few years now.  I like to promote it during the NFL season each year because it is a very well done effort to educate people on an important topic in an entertaining way.  I really encourage you to take advantage of this FREE football game.

Available to play online via your personal computer or laptop, FINANCIAL FOOTBALL puts players fiscal knowledge to the test in an online simulation game environment by combining the structure and rules of the NFL with financial education questions of varying difficulty. Visa has also released the game as a FREE iPhone app on iTunes, along with an optimized HD iPad version.  The game can be played in single player mode or against a friend in head-to-head action. It really is a fast-paced, fun game that can be challenging for all ages.

For more information about the FINANCIAL FOOTBALL video game, CLICK HERE.

Hyundai exhibit at Detroit Auto Show is place to be

** This post was sponsored by She Buys Cars & Hyundai **

There are a lot of dazzling and glitzy vehicles on display at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit for the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). If you are looking to expand your visit beyond just looking at the cars and trucks being showcased, you'll want to make sure to swing by Hyundai's exhibit which has some fun experiences to participate in.  Compete for prizes in a mock game show,  race a Hyundai concept car in a video game or check out the NFL themed activities taking place at the exhibit.  Current Hyundai vehicle owner can also take advantage of nice lounge where you can get off your feet and relax for awhile which is something to appreciate as you'll be doing a lot of walking if you want to see everything being displayed at the auto show.

The Hyundai Swag Competition will have auto show attendees participate in a mock game show taking place at the exhibit for a chance to win some great prizes.  You might want to peruse the HyundaiUSA website if you are interested in competing just in case they ask some trivia questions.  Registration for this contest is first come, first serve with it being limited to 26 contestants per day so you may want to make Hyundai the first stop of your Detroit Auto Show visit.

Test your racing skills as you drive the Hyundai N 2025 concept car during a game of Playstation's Gran Turismo 6.  Players don't use a video game controller to maneuver though, you actually climb into a game-pod that provides gas and brake pedals plus a steering wheel to simulate your racing around a track.  All ages are welcome to participate in the Hyundai Racing Challenge.  Can you achieve the best lap time and earn the #1 spot on the leader board?

Hyundai is an official sponsor of the NFL and they're showing off their ideal football tailgating mobile.  Look in the trunk and you'll find it full of blue miniature footballs.  Correctly guess the number of balls to win some prizes from the National Football League.  You can also play some Madden football while visiting the Hyundai exhibit.

 It is an auto show so of course Hyundai has cars on display for consumers to look over and knowledgeable staff on hand to answer any questions people may have.  One of the models Hyundai is highlighting during the NAIAS is its new IONIQ which is world's first vehicle platform to provide three different electrified powertrain options -- electric / hybrid / plug-in hybrid.  A car's powertrain is the mechanism that transmits the drive from the engine of a vehicle to its axle -- in other words what allows a vehicle to get up and go  .The electric option it completely fueled by battery power.  Hybrids still run on gasoline but utilize battery power to increase the vehicle's fuel efficiency.  A plug-in  hybrid allows the vehicle to be powered just by batteries or alternatively the driver can also utilize the hybrid option use gasoline as fuel as well.  Plus in addition to these three varieties of powertrains, Hyundai is also utilizing the IONIQ as the model for the autonomous vehicle it is developing (self-driving cars are the hot topic at this year's NAIAS).  The IONIQ is the  future of Hyundai and it is on display at NAIAS.

Also take a look at the popular Sonata while you are at the Hyundai exhibit which offers a plug-in hybrid  model as well.  These cars provide the fuel savings of a battery powered electric car with the peace of mind of being able to utilize gasoline when you need to flexibility to drive longer distances so not to be totally dependent on its plug-in charging.  Sonata Plug-in Hybrid's lithium-ion polymer battery pack has the largest capacity of any midsize hybrid sedan with a class-leading all-electric range of approximately 27 miles and an estimated range of 590 miles in its gas/battery hybrid mode.

In addition to visiting the Detroit Auto Show for more information about what Hyundai has to offer consumers, please visit SheBuysCars.com.  This informative website has a section filled with information, news, and reviews of Hyundai's products. SheBuysCars is a community of online automobile writers working collectively to provide information designed to empower women as owners and buyers of cars, help them become more thoughtful about their vehicles capabilities and functionality and to foster a closer relationship between auto manufacturers and female customers.  A Geek Daddy had the great experience of being able to attend the Press Preview Days of this year's  North American International Auto Show to help She Buys Cars share news and highlights from the event.  I'm appreciative that She Buys Cars believed A Geek Daddy's perspective would be a valuable contribution to their coverage of NAIAS 2017 and encourage you to check out their website and social media channels.

Catch Season 2 of HBO's Ballers on Digital HD

 **A Geek Dady received the featured product for FREE to review**

With afternoon sky's turning grey, leaves falling off the trees, and temperatures beginning to hover in the 40s & 50s here in Michigan, watching Season 2 of HBO's dramatic comedy BALLERS was a welcome escape.  The series revolves around a retired NFL player Spencer Strasmore, played by former WWE wrestler and collegiate football athlete Dwayne Johnson, who now instead of competing on the football field is hustling to become a super star financial manager in sun-soaked Miami.  Trendy people, hot cars, and cool locations provide a great backdrop to let viewers escape into the world of professional athletes living a life that many of us can only dream of in the Miami Beach community.  As you delve into this television series' episodes though it is apparent that this show is more than just eye candy to amusingly pass time watching.  Ballers is filled with laughable moments that are sure to entertain but also touches on some hard hitting realities that illustrate how the life of a professional athlete isn't always as bright and cheery as those of us who aren't insiders of the sports industry might think it to be.

In Season 1 that debuted in 2015, Strasmore reinvented himself from a star athlete to a flashy financial manager with drama and hilarity ensuing as he mentors current and former players through the daily grind of the business of football.  Dwayne Johnson's charisma that has made him one of Hollywood's current super stars shines through in his performance and is complimented by co-stars John David Washington (Denzel's son), Omar Miller, Dule Hill, and Rob Corddry.  Johnson's character fought his way to be a top player at his firm in Season 1 so what is next?  Strasmore is going to either soar even higher in his professional endeavors or he is going to come crashing to the ground.  You have to have drama in a drama, even if it is a comedic one, after all.

So in Season 2, we find Spencer Strasmore tackling the area's most powerful agent Andre Allen, played by Andy Garcia, to gain a higher profile in the world of sports management.  Of course Allen isn't going to just step aside to be second fiddle to his new competitor.  In fact, the sleazy veteran agent is now determined to ruin Strasmore to set an example that no one else should consider challenging him. Oh by the way did I mention that Allen was Strasmore's financial manager during his football playing days.  For sure there is some real tension there! Will Spencer Strasmore find glory or despair in his bid to be a dominate player in the world of the rich and famous?  You'll have to tune into Season 2 of HBO's Ballers to find out.

While this is going on Ricky Jerret (John David Washington) is struggling to make a huge decision -- which team offer will this free agent accept in what is probably his last deal as a player.  Dwayne Johnson gets a lot of credit for his charisma bolstering the show but Washington's performance as an aging player in his 30s with a big ego masking his insecurities about a fading career provides that stand out performance that makes this series a must watch show.  I also found the storyline for Charles Greane (Omar Miller) a great aspect of the show as he deals with the combined challenges of being a stay-at-home dad as well as a professional athlete who was forced to retire before he felt his career should be over.  Miller has scenes that will have you laughing and crying as his situation plays out dealing with how he copes with not being famous but still having to be an inspiration as a father instead of a pro athlete now.

I just finished watching all ten episodes and really enjoyed them. If you missed Season 2 of BALLERS when it was broadcast over the summer, you can catch up on it now.  HBO's Ballers is now available on Digital HD as of Monday, October 24, 2016.  The complete season download includes all ten Season 2 episodes, plus Inside the Episodes features at select retailers that take viewers behind the scenes of the show.  With Digital HD you can stream the show's episodes to your television, view them on a computer, or watch from a mobile device whenever is convenient for you which, as a busy professional and parent myself, I really appreciate.

For more information about the television series, please visit hbo.com/ballers

Learning Practical Money Skills Is Fun With "Financial Football" Video Game

Too often people are taken advantage of in both legitimate business transaction and through frauds by con artists.  So I wanted to give a plug to a very well done educational tool that utilizes a football video game to entice people into learning practical money skills.  Financial Football which was created in partnership between the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, Visa's Practical Money Skill's for Life program, and the NFL  lets children, teens, and adults test their money management skills and financial literacy by answering questions that allow you to move down the field and score touchdowns when you make the correct choices.

Available to play online via your personal computer or laptop for FREE, Financial Football puts players fiscal knowledge to the test in an online simulation game environment by combining the structure and rules of the NFL with financial education questions of varying difficulty. Visa has also released the game as a FREE iPhone app on iTunes, along with an optimized HD iPad version.  The game can be played in single player mode or against a friend in head-to-head action. It really is a fast-paced, fun game that can be challenging for all ages.

To start the game you can pick its length ranging from 5 minutes to 20 minutes plus select which NFL team you want to play as.  Difficulty settings are also available with Rookie (Ages 11 -14), Pro (Ages 14-18) and Hall of Fame (18+) to choose from.  Players are than able to select defensive and offensive plays with difficulty levels of easy, medium and hard which are followed up with questions about financial literacy and money management that correspond to the selected play's difficulty.

If  you get a question right you than your team is successful with their play, but if you get the question wrong than your QB will get sacked, your running back hit for a loss, or a wide receiver drops the ball.  The harder the successfully completed question the better your players do so an easy question might get you one or two yards, a medium question 5 yards and a hard question could get you ten yards or maybe even a break away touchdown.

This game takes a topic that can be boring and mundane for many kids and adults and adds some excitement to it that will help ingrain important tips and information into people's heads as their competitive instincts get them involved with this game.  As a parent, I'm always keeping an eye out for opportunities that combine entertainment and education to assist getting kids to embrace learning.  Financial Football is a great way to catch children and teens' interest and help them become financially savvy.

For more information about the FINANCIAL FOOTBALL video game, CLICK HERE.

Tech Out Your Man Cave With Help From The Geek Squad

** The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free **

I just wrapped up my Fantasy League Draft and finished blocking off all the Detroit Lions game day times on my calendar so now it's time to enjoy some FOOTBALL for the next few months!!!  Often times I'll watch a game on television with my family but sometimes a guy just wants to enjoy  sporting events without the distractions that spouses and kids often present.  So I have a little corner of the basement that is my getaway space where I can watch the Lions, Pistons or Red Wings play without any hassles or interruptions.  Sometimes I'll get a workout in while watching the tv helping me pass the time as I run a few miles or lift some weights.  Other times I just lay back in a lawn chair with a brew and snacks in hand while enjoying a game.  So that's my man cave!

Oh yes, the man cave! An oasis from whining kids and honey do lists where us guys can escape to unwind, watch sports, and have a little me time.  On the topic of man caves you have to check this out, my buddies at Best Buy's Geek Squad recently took a tired, old basement like mine and turned it into an example of how these spaces can be made “man-tastic.” CLICK HERE for Best Buy's play sheet of six sweet tech ideas that can elevate a man cave from drab to bad ass plus a video that highlights this man-tastic basement transformation.

Living in Detroit of course I've gone to some Red Wings hockey games.  One of my favorite parts of being at the game is when the lights flash after a goal is scored.  I always thought that it would be a cool addition for a man cave to have a light flash over the television like the ones in stadiums placed over the goals during a hockey match.  That way you could have the same effect while watching on television from home when a goal is scored while watching hockey or even better yet when a touchdown is scored in a football game.  That's why tip #2 of Best Buy's 6 Tech Ideas for the Ultimate Man Cave is my favorite.

The technology is now available for you to have your very own Sports Alert Light Show that once you've gotten it setup will work automatically without you having to lift a finger.  Calvin Johnson catches a TD, bam there is it! Miguel Cabrera hits a Home Run - boom!  Gustav Nyquist slaps in a shot - the room lights up! Insert your favorite team here scoring during a game and you can see the light!

So how do you set this up?  Through apps of course combined with the Philips hue lighting system.  There is an app called IF which allows you to setup automated tasks called recipes.  Tell IF "if this happens, then do that."  And shazam IF does it!  You can connect IF to the ESPN app so that it knows when your favorite team scores and can trigger Philips hue to make the lights flash.   Voila! you have your very own automated Sports Alert Light Show.  How cool is that?!

Hey you might not even be watching the game but instead focused on something else, like engaging in a Robot Fight Club bout, but you'll still know if something good is happening for your favorite teams when the Sports Alert light goes off.  So which of these Best Buy Tech Ideas for the Ultimate Man Cave is your favorite?

1. Build a PC Gaming Station
2. Set up a Sports Alert Light Show
3. Sit Closer to the Action with 4K Ultra HD
4. Customize a Kegerator with 3D printing tap
5. Add a smart putting green
6. Create a robot fight club

The college and pro football season is here! The NBA and NHL aren't far behind. Now is the perfect time to get those Man Cave upgrades in place. Stop by your local Best Buy store or visit BestBuy.com for plenty of ways to up your game when it comes to having a great man cave.

Video Game Utilizes Football To Teach People On Being Financially Savvy

Reading the Sunday morning newspaper this last weekend I noticed that stories about people being ripped off because they weren't very financial savvy or literate and that analyzed how competitive the Detroit Lions may be in this upcoming football season dominated the headlines.  With the new school year in Michigan officially starting today and the Lions battling the San Diego Chargers in their first game of the season this week, it seemed like a good time to highlight a fun video game that utilizes a football theme to teach people on being financially savvy. Financial Football which was created in partnership between the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, Visa's Practical Money Skill's for Life program, and the NFL  lets children, teens, and adults test their money management skills by answering questions that allow you to move down the field and score touchdowns when you make the correct choices.

Available to play online via your personal computer or laptop for FREE, Financial Football puts players fiscal knowledge to the test in an online simulation game environment by combining the structure and rules of the NFL with financial education questions of varying difficulty. Visa has also released the game as a FREE iPhone app on iTunes, along with an optimized HD iPad version.  The game can be played in single player mode or against a friend in head-to-head action. It really is a fast-paced, fun game that can be challenging for all ages.

To start the game you can pick its length ranging from 5 minutes to 20 minutes plus select which NFL team you want to play as.  Difficulty settings are also available with Rookie (Ages 11 -14), Pro (Ages 14-18) and Hall of Fame (18+) to choose from.  Players are than able to select defensive and offensive plays with difficulty levels of easy, medium and hard which are followed up with questions about financial literacy and money management that correspond to the selected play's difficulty.

If  you get a question right you than your team is successful with their play, but if you get the question wrong than your QB will get sacked, your running back hit for a loss, or a wide receiver drops the ball.  The harder the successfully completed question the better your players do so an easy question might get you one or two yards, a medium question 5 yards and a hard question could get you ten yards or maybe even a break away touchdown.

This game takes a topic that can be boring and mundane for many kids and adults and adds some excitement to it that will help ingrain important tips and information into people's heads as their competitive instincts get them involved with this game.  As a parent, I'm always keeping an eye out for opportunities that combine entertainment and education to assist getting kids to embrace learning.  Financial Football is a great way to catch children and teens' interest and help them become financially savvy.

For more information about the FINANCIAL FOOTBALL video game, CLICK HERE.

Football Video Game Coaches Players On Being Financially Savvy

With today being the last day of Financial Literacy Month and the first day of the NFL Draft, I thought it would be a good time to give a shout out to Visa's FINANCIAL FOOTBALL game which uses the sport to help make kids financially savvy.  Created in partnership between the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, Visa's Practical Money Skill's for Life program, and the NFL this video game lets children, teens, and adults test their money management skills by answering questions that allow you to move down the field and score touchdowns when you make the correct choices.

Available to play online via your personal computer or laptop, Financial Football puts players fiscal knowledge to the test in an online simulation game environment by combining the structure and rules of the NFL with financial education questions of varying difficulty. Visa has also released the game as a free iPhone app on iTunes, along with an optimized HD iPad version.  The game can be played in single player mode or against a friend in head-to-head action.

To start the game you can pick its length ranging from 5 minutes to 20 minutes plus select which NFL team you want to play as.  Difficulty settings are also available with Rookie (Ages 11 -14), Pro (Ages 14-18) and Hall of Fame (18+) to choose from.  Players are than able to select defensive and offensive plays with difficulty levels of easy, medium and hard which are followed up with questions about financial literacy and money management that correspond to the selected play's difficulty.

 

If on offense and you get your question right you than your team is successful with their play, but if you get the question wrong than your QB will get sacked, your running back hit for a loss, or a wide receiver drops the ball.  The harder the successfully completed question the better your players do so an easy question might get you one or two yards, a medium question 5 yards and a hard question could get you ten yards or maybe even a break away touchdown.

 

Defense also provides an opportunity for players to answer questions.  Get it wrong and the opposing team will do great but get it right and you could hit them for a loss or sack.

 

This game takes a topic that can be boring and mundane for many kids and adults and adds some excitement to it that will help ingrain important tips and information into people's heads as their competitive instincts get them involved with this game.  As a parent, I'm always keeping an eye out for opportunities that combine entertainment and education to assist getting kids to embrace learning.  Financial Football is a great way to catch children and teens' interest and help them become financially savvy.

For more information about the FINANCIAL FOOTBALL video game, CLICK HERE.