Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - Detroit's Dark Knight: The Des Moines Dragons Reborn

revrew · 10-29-2019, 09:49 AM

Rise, Vader!
Dick Grayson, sports reporter, Des Moines Register

Add another log to the fire of pop-culture references that liken Des Moines Dragons Head Coach Josh McDaniels to "Darth Vader." The popular meme references McDaniels as an apprentice to his former mentor, the hoodie-wearing, former New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, in the way Darth Vader apprenticed under the hooded, evil Emperor of "Star Wars" fame.

The "Vader" McDaniels memes gained traction when Dragons Owner and GM Jack Ledger first pegged the former Patriot as the Dragons' new coach. The nickname only grew in popularity as the Dragons streaked out to a surprising and dominant 7-1 start to the season.

But now Ledger, it would appear, has made the "Star Wars" meme stick … for good.

In a rare post to his wildly popular social media site Joker.com, Ledger created an animation of the scene from "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith," where Darth Vader first appears in his iconic black suit, rising from the operating table. Only instead of the evil Emperor calling upon Vader to, "Riiiiise," Ledger's animation inserted the Joker (to whom Ledger has often been compared – by Ledger's design) cackling out the famous line.

As Ledger's "Vader" rises in the animation, he grips a Dragons hoodie in one hand (a reference to McDaniels, who wears the signature purple garment on the sidelines) and a banner that reads "7-1," the Dragons current record.

Needless to say, Ledger's nearly 100 million followers on Joker.com instantly made the post go viral. Ledger only rarely posts to Joker.com, but when he does, it's a doozy, typically fanning his followership into a frenzy.

McDaniels has so far issued no comment about the comparisons to Darth Vader. When asked about it in passing at a recent practice, the coach merely cracked a slow, mysterious smile and cocked a mischievous eyebrow.

Ledger's post has generated millions of responses, mostly positive – one of the most common being the animation of Dragons fans holding aloft signs that read, "Long live Lord Vader!"

If the Dragons continue their current success, especially against next week's 7-1 Washington squad, the nickname may indeed become permanent.

10-29-2019, 09:49 AM	#251
revrew Team Chaplain Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Just outside Des Moines, IA	Rise, Vader! Dick Grayson, sports reporter, Des Moines Register Add another log to the fire of pop-culture references that liken Des Moines Dragons Head Coach Josh McDaniels to "Darth Vader." The popular meme references McDaniels as an apprentice to his former mentor, the hoodie-wearing, former New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, in the way Darth Vader apprenticed under the hooded, evil Emperor of "Star Wars" fame. The "Vader" McDaniels memes gained traction when Dragons Owner and GM Jack Ledger first pegged the former Patriot as the Dragons' new coach. The nickname only grew in popularity as the Dragons streaked out to a surprising and dominant 7-1 start to the season. But now Ledger, it would appear, has made the "Star Wars" meme stick … for good. In a rare post to his wildly popular social media site Joker.com, Ledger created an animation of the scene from "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith," where Darth Vader first appears in his iconic black suit, rising from the operating table. Only instead of the evil Emperor calling upon Vader to, "Riiiiise," Ledger's animation inserted the Joker (to whom Ledger has often been compared – by Ledger's design) cackling out the famous line. As Ledger's "Vader" rises in the animation, he grips a Dragons hoodie in one hand (a reference to McDaniels, who wears the signature purple garment on the sidelines) and a banner that reads "7-1," the Dragons current record. Needless to say, Ledger's nearly 100 million followers on Joker.com instantly made the post go viral. Ledger only rarely posts to Joker.com, but when he does, it's a doozy, typically fanning his followership into a frenzy. McDaniels has so far issued no comment about the comparisons to Darth Vader. When asked about it in passing at a recent practice, the coach merely cracked a slow, mysterious smile and cocked a mischievous eyebrow. Ledger's post has generated millions of responses, mostly positive – one of the most common being the animation of Dragons fans holding aloft signs that read, "Long live Lord Vader!" If the Dragons continue their current success, especially against next week's 7-1 Washington squad, the nickname may indeed become permanent. __________________ Winner of 6 FOFC Scribe Awards, including 3 Gold Scribes Founder of the ZFL, 2004 Golden Scribe Dynasty of the Year Now bringing The Des Moines Dragons back to life, and the joke's on YOU, NFL! I came to the Crossroad. I took it. And that has made all the difference.