Gotta admit, when I was a kid the thought of meeting a pro sports star would have been like meeting God. I probably wouldn’t know what to say and would envision a constant beam of light upon them. I held them in such high regards that in some strange way I never really saw them as human – sans emotion, humility and a sense of humour. The rise of Youtube has helped many things in this world,  and I think the most important has been my new outlook on professional athletes becoming grounded human beings. They make mistakes of course, but I think what really has changed is the fact that Youtube has given us a window into their lives beyond the court, field, rink and diamond.

Steve Nash has had his ups and downs with the old innerweb, but I think his series of Vitamin Water ads are amazing. They show that he’s got some acting chops as well as a sense of humor about not only himself, but the corporate world.

Dwayne Wade and Charles Barkley have made names for themselves away from the basketball court (and jailhouse for Chucky) by starring in a series of T-Mobile commercials about themselves and their friendship. These ads really give them a sense of humility beyond their athletic status.

Alexander Ovechkin has taken the hockey world by storm in the past few years and he’s done it not only by destroying his competition, but by enjoying it more than anyone else. He’s able to show his true personality more than most pro athletes, something they could all learn from him.

The kids over at ESPN are no dummy’s when it comes to advertising. This ad about the Manning brothers not only shows that these guys are real people, it shows that they act like real brothers – even when the cameras are rolling.

Back when baseball was a credible sport there was a much publicized home-run record race involving Mark McGuire. Nike not only used this to their advantage, but they also roped in Heather Locklear. In another gem by Nike they show the true side of jealously amongst pro athletes in this chronicling of Tom Glavine and Greg Maddox trying to become more attractive to women.

So that’s what I got today – some sports fun with real people. I hope they keep this up so if the odd chance I ever do run into a famous athlete, I won’t be like LL Cool J in his Old Spice ad. (sorry, that a lot of Youtubing for one post – I’ll cut down next time)