LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Think of it as color commentary from your couch. This season, KFC is celebrating its Hot Wings by giving one Kentucky Fried Chicken fan the chance to host the ultimate viewing party for the 2012 national football championship game – with Hall-of-Famer and current football analyst Shannon Sharpe as a wing man.
“I’m not known for having mild opinions, so I welcome any opportunity to talk about what’s happening on the gridiron,” said Sharpe. “I can’t wait to get out from behind the desk and offer my ‘spicy’ commentary from a true fan’s couch over KFC’s Hot Wings.”
The restaurant chain is asking football fans to share why they deserve to have KFC and Sharpe as their wing men for this year’s big game party. Fans that follow @kfc_colonel on Twitter and use the hashtag #KFCWingman when stating why they want KFC as their wing man will score a chance to have a party catered with KFC’s crunchy, spicy Hot Wings and attended by Sharpe. The lucky fan who makes it through the entire selection process (see official rules at www.kfc.com) will also receive $10,000 for a living-room makeover. Fans have until January 31 to tweet their case.
“At KFC, we’re always committed to bringing something new to the party,” said John Cywinski, president of KFC. “Our Hot Wings are the ideal food for any gathering. The chance to be selected for a party with football star Shannon Sharpe, our Hot Wings and a cool $10,000 media room makeover is a dream for any football fan.”
Championship Sunday is Wing Day!
The National Chicken Council (NCC) estimates that Americans will eat more than 1.25 billion chicken wings (more than 100 million pounds) during pro football’s championship weekend this year. With 308 million people in the United States1, that’s a little more than four wings for every man, woman and child over the big game weekend. In fact, if all these wings were laid end-to-end, they would circle the circumference of the Earth more than twice – a distance that would reach approximately a quarter of the way to the moon. According to the NCC, the football championship is the second biggest eating day of the year after Thanksgiving.
Hot Wings that Start Crunchy and Finish Spicy
KFC’s sauceless Hot Wings are one of a kind, starting crunchy and finishing spicy for a truly unique wing experience. For a limited time, everyone can enjoy Hot Wings for $0.50 each plus tax. (Pricing and participation may vary by location.)
For more information and official rules, visit www.kfc.com.
About KFC
KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s most popular chicken restaurant chain specializing in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™, Kentucky Grilled Chicken® and Crispy Strips with home-style sides, Hot Wings, and freshly made chicken sandwiches including the Double Down® and the Doublicious®. There are more than 15,000 KFC outlets in 109 countries and territories around the world serving some 12 million customers each day. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM.) For more information, visit www.kfc.com. Follow KFC on Facebook (www.facebook.com/KFC) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/kfc_colonel).
About Colonel Sanders
The Kentucky Fried Chicken concept was pioneered by Colonel Harland Sanders (1890-1980), whose cooking career began at age six. Sanders held jobs ranging from streetcar conductor to insurance salesman, but his cooking skills were a constant throughout his life. In 1930, Sanders operated a service station in Corbin, Ky., and filled the stomachs of hungry travelers who stopped in to fill up their gas tanks. Sanders soon moved his restaurant across the street when he could no longer keep up with the demand from travelers who he had been feeding at his kitchen table. In 1935, the Kentucky Governor made Sanders an honorary Kentucky Colonel for his contributions to the state’s cuisine. Over the next decade, the Colonel perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and the basic cooking technique still used at KFC today. When Sanders was 65, a new interstate highway forced the closure of his restaurant and he was left with only his recipe for fried chicken and a $105 Social Security check. The Colonel hit the road and struck handshake deals with restaurant owners who agreed to sell his fried chicken. What began as a dream fueled by the Original Recipe, a no-quit attitude and a Social Security check grew into the world’s largest chicken restaurant chain. Until he passed away in 1980 at the age of 90, the Colonel still traveled 250,000 miles a year visiting KFC restaurants around the world.
1 U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts. Data derived from Population Estimates, American Community Survey, Census of Population and Housing, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, State and County Housing Unit Estimates, County Business Patterns, Nonemployer Statistics, Economic Census, Survey of Business Owners, Building Permits, Consolidated Federal Funds Report Last Revised: Friday, 23-Dec-2011 11:23:59 EST< http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html>
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