KickSearch.com Starts Grass-Roots Campaign To Send XFL's "He Hate Me" To The NFL Pro Bowl

KickSearch.com, an independent football news and opinion website, has begun a campaign to elect Carolina Panthers kick returner Rod Smart to the NFL Pro Bowl in 2004. Smart made a name for himself, literally, when he adopted the moniker of "He Hate Me" while playing for the short-lived Las Vegas Outlaws, in the equally short-lived XFL.

CHICAGO, IL (PRWEB) December 3, 2003 -- KickSearch.com, an independent football news and opinion website, has begun a campaign to elect Carolina Panthers kick returner Rod Smart to the NFL Pro Bowl in 2004. Smart made a name for himself, literally, when he adopted the moniker of "He Hate Me" while playing for the short-lived Las Vegas Outlaws, in the equally short-lived XFL.

Why promote any player for the Pro Bowl, especially one with a nickname like "He Hate Me" Says Scott Harvey, a co-founder and editor of KickSearch.com, "Rod Smart embodies what makes football great. We admire his endurance and dedication to the game. He hasnt let the collapse of his team and league slow down his career."

Eric Houtkooper, the other half of KickSearch.com agreed. "He Hate Me's been a key special-teams player for the Carolina Panthers this year and his fun-loving personality has brought some excitement back to the league."

Rod Smart adopted the "He Hate Me" label as a tongue-in-cheek jab at those who criticized his skills years ago. After bouncing around the pro ranks, Smart has finally found a team that allows him to excel. On October 9, 2003, Smart returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, the deciding factor in the Panthers' victory over the New Orleans Saints. He was recently featured on ESPNs Sunday Countdown in a rambunctious "He Hate Me Thanksgiving Special", where Smart bowled with frozen turkeys and played football in a local supermarket.

Scott admits their site doesn't have the influence or exposure of the national sports press, so they are asking their colleagues to join them in this campaign. "We'd love it if our big-media cousins, the newspaper and magazine sportswriters, would also cast their votes for Rod Smart." Eric continued, adding, "Kick returner is an often-overlooked part of the game, but He Hate Me has shown that even this mundane position can once again be made exciting and entertaining for the fans -- and that's what the Pro Bowl should be all about."

KickSearch.com was created by, and for, football fans, which is why they believe Rod Smart deserves a spot in the Pro Bowl lineup. The founders of the popular football site feel that too many players play solely for the money, while Smart plays for fun and clearly enjoys entertaining the fans. His sense of style and sense of humor make him an exemplary candidate -- Eric remarked that "Any player who adopts a name like 'He Hate Me' is a KickSearch kind of guy. Although he may not be the most-skilled, the highest-paid, or the best-known candidate, Rod Smart should be in the Pro Bowl for one reason: he'll make it interesting for the fans." Scott agreed: "That's why we're asking fans of the game to cast a vote for Rod Smart."

For more information, please visit KickSearch.com at http://www.kicksearch.com/

Additional information on the Rod Smart Grass Roots Campaign can be found in the Discussion Board section of the site.

About KickSearch.com

KickSearch.com was created in 2003 to provide continuously-updated football news to fans and fantasy players, without the burdens of corporate ownership and the clutter of intrusive advertising. We believe in the power of the Internet to deliver information quickly and accurately, and our first season of operation has proved the value of that belief. With virtually no advertising, KickSearch.com draws tens of thousands of page views per week, all of them from football fans looking for one thing: news and information about their favorite players. They're not looking for pop-ups, banner ads, or intolerable page-load times. KickSearch.com is fast, efficient, and user-friendly.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Scott Harvey
Eric Houtkooper
KickSearch.com
http://www.kicksearch.com/

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