You searched for new era cap – Page 14 of 31 – The Martin Group

Ah, August. It’s a perfect time for us humans to enjoy the fleeting days of summer with beach trips, scenic bike rides, and maybe a few beers in the fading sunlight.

But what about our dogs?

Yes, these pets are incredibly important—so much so that they have a prime summer month devoted to their appreciation. Every year, August becomes Dog-gust and gives owners (or dog moms and dads) the chance to celebrate their furry friends even more than they do throughout each year’s other 11 months.

This means more trips to the park and more drives with open windows. More doggie parties and funny canine costumes perfect for Instagram or TikTok. More fluffy snuggles, more “good boys” or “good girls,” and more treats granted—regardless of obedience or best behavior.

Why? Because humans LOVE their dogs—and we at The Martin Group are no different. Our offices are festooned with pics of pups in various states of stay and play, and our weekends are spent chasing these exuberant animals across various corners of New York State (and beyond).

This month, we’re celebrating the fun-loving mutts who make our lives brighter all year long. Here are a handful of our favorites, with interesting details about each from their owner:

Dog: Rugby

Nickname: Rug Bug the Love Bug, Rugger

Owner: Leanne Politi

From Leanne: We adopted Rugby—named after Rugby the Tiger from Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy—as a 10-week-old puppy on June 10, 2017, and he quickly grew into an 80-lb bundle of equal parts love and mischief.

A mix of coonhound and retriever, Rugby has an incredible prey drive. If (when) he ever gets loose and spots a rabbit or deer, he’s off on a hunting expedition that can last an hour—or three. Everyone in the neighborhood knows Rugby and has learned to tolerate his occasional antics because, beneath the troublemaking is the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet. We call him my “Velcro dog” because he insists on being as close to me as possible at all times. His favorite thing to do is rest one paw on my foot while I’m washing dishes, just to make sure I’m nearby.

Also, many people at Martin already know Rugby from his frequent appearances on our weekly Teams calls, always eager to be part of the action.

In my opinion, he’s the best dog ever—and also the most handsome dog around.

Dog: Montepulciano

Nickname: Monte

Owner: Bayley Ward

From Bayley: Monte is a one-year-old Italian Spinone, and we named him Montepulciano after our favorite red wine and region in Italy. Monte is a birding dog that does not bird, but stalks them daily in our backyard as if he knows what he is doing. He does not bark, only in his very aggressive dreams as he sleeps on his back with all four paws in the air. He has giant paws that he uses to smack people (and his sister) with. It’s very innocent but he loves to throw a paw and hold hands.

Monte also drools unlike any dog I have ever seen. He goes to our longtime friend and groomer in Fairport and during a recent appointment, shook his head to send a very long drool strand right across our friend’s face and cheek.

Dog: Khloe

Nickname: Miss Ween

Owner: Jim Lynch

From Jim: Khloe is a miniature dachshund AND a COVID dog, as we got her about two months into the pandemic (in May 2020). Our previous dog passed away just months before, and we swore we’d never get another dog. But after our daughter, Taylor, convinced us to get another one, we found “Miss Ween,” whose grown weight is about 13 pounds.

And in typical dachshund fashion, she literally barks at everything.

Dog: Casper

Nickname(s): Cassie, Birdie

Owner: Lindsay Neilson

From Lindsay: We rescued Casper in April 2022 through Buffalo Underdogs Rescue. He was found during a drug raid and had experienced a lot of trauma. But from the moment we met him, we knew he was meant to be part of our family.

Ever since we got him, he’s been living his best spoiled life. His favorite things include being a 65-pound lap dog, going on hikes, playing with his foster siblings, eating all the lettuce, rooting for the Ruffalo Rills (aka the Buffalo Bills), and serving as the self-appointed neighborhood watchdog. He’s also somehow managed to witness more natural wonders than most people, such as the Northern Lights three times and a total solar eclipse.

One of my absolute favorite Casper quirks is how he sleeps. He’ll roll onto his back and stick at least one of his paws straight up in the air. Don’t know how comfortable it is, but he loves it.

Dog: Daisy

Nickname: Daisy Dora

Owner: Jenny LePore

From Jenny: Daisy is our Golden Anatolian Shepherd, adopted from a rural Texas shelter. She traded stray life for a forever family and has been making up for lost time ever since.

She now holds several important positions: official mascot for our Girl Scout troop and softball team, Director of Backyard Security, and Senior Supervisor of Neighborhood Kid Activities. If the kids wander too far, Daisy promptly escorts them back. She’s also an experienced traveler, having RV’d to Big Bend, hiked the Hoodoos Trail, sunbathed in the Chihuahuan Desert, and dipped her paws in the Rio Grande.

When not on the road, most weekdays are spent supervising Mom’s remote calls—though she frequently requests time off for doggy daycare.

Dog: Benny

Nickname(s): Benny Beans, B-Boy

Owner: Ashlee Bueg

From Ashlee: As a high-energy, loving goober, Benny is a typical Field Golden Retriever. He turned one in April, and loves long walks, sticks, water, snow, grass, rolling on smelly things, playfully attacking feet, treats, destroying toys, and giving out free kisses.

He went to Maine for the first time this year and, in turn, learned that he loves lobster—and that the spicy water (salt water) is not for him!

Dog: Nash

Nickname(s): Nashy, Nashy Pants

Owner: Natalie Opp

From Natalie: Nash is a six-year-old Golden Retriever who joined our family as a COVID puppy.

His favorite hobby is convincing everyone to pet him, and he truly believes there is no such thing as too much attention. When he’s not asking for belly rubs, you can usually find him rolling around in the snow, swimming at his grandparents’ house, or playing with his Uncle Ryder, another Golden Retriever. Whenever Nash goes swimming, he smacks the water with his paws as if he can actually catch the splashes, and he never seems to realize that the water always wins. He also loves going for walks, where he proudly searches for the biggest stick he can possibly carry, even if it’s twice his size.

Life with Nash is never boring, and his goofy personality and endless affection make every day a little more fun.

Dog: Snoopy

Nickname: Spoon, Snoop-a-loop

Owner: Jessie Lewis

From Jessie: Snoopy is a 10-lb, one-year-old miniature dachshund—who somehow believes he’s an escape artist.

He’s just small enough to squeeze through the bars of our black metal fence, so after a few successful jailbreaks, we had to get creative. Our solution? A wooden spoon zip-tied to the back of his harness. It catches on the fence before he can slip through, stopping his great escape before it starts. It looks absolutely ridiculous, gets a laugh from everyone who sees it, and somehow works better than anything else we tried.

Snoopy may be tiny, stubborn, and determined to explore the neighborhood, but for now, the wooden spoon has finally outsmarted him.

Dog: Gus

Nickname: Gustavo, Gus Bus

Owner: Mike Martin

From Mike: After adopting Gus in 2020, I learned the Plott Hound actually had a role in American expansionism. Johannes Plott brought his bear hunting hounds to modern day Western North Carolina in the 1750s from Germany and maintained a wide plot (pun intended) of land for generations.

In the 2000s, the Plott Hound was named the state dog of North Carolina by order of the legislature, and the small town of Maggie Valley, NC has a street marker acknowledging this recognition. I packed up the truck and took Gus down to see this a few years ago and was shocked to be stopped by residents and families everywhere we went asking if he was a Plott and telling us about the breed’s lineage. As we were about to leave town, Gus was treated to a BBQ dinner from a local restaurant who proudly showed us this statue of a Plott Hound outside his restaurant.

Safe to say Gus has been wanting to go back ever since, as his celebrity isn’t as appreciated in Albany.

Dog(s): Emma and Hank

Nickname(s): Emma Lou and Henry

Owner: Andi Ridge

From Andi: Both of our dogs are rescues. My husband got Hank in 2019, and I got Emma in 2021. Emma is a true golden retriever, and she’s every bit the attention lover you’d expect, though there’s a little diva in her, too: stubborn, opinionated, and firmly convinced things should be done her way. Hank is a shepherd mix. He’s just happy to be here. Give him the outdoors and a long walk and he’s a happy guy, though he’s also permanently on duty, patrolling the fence line or posted up at the window waiting for someone to walk by.  

Also, both gained significant fame when their names and faces were used to identify our wedding’s signature drinks. “The Emma” was an espresso martini, and “The Hank” was a delicious Manhattan.

Dog: Callie

Nickname: Booger

Owner: Grace Carra

From Grace: Callie is the weirdest, most awkward dog I’ve ever met—and everyone who meets her agrees. She talks a lot. She likes attention, so when she’s not getting any, she makes extremely strange noises. I like to refer to them as “warbles.” Something funny she’s done? Simply existing. At times, she kind of sits up like a human.

She is my constant source of entertainment. She rarely settles down, and her warbles are quite constant.

Dog: Stella

Nickname: Stella Bella, Meatball

Owner: John Jiloty

From John: While we certainly love Murphy, our two-year-old Irish Doodle, the OG, Stella, set the bar pretty high. Originally a city dog who banged out miles at a time in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, hiked Adirondack High Peaks on vacation, and was a surprisingly good swimmer, the little meatball settled into country life pretty comfortably after moving to Western New York. Always a traffic-stopper wherever we went, in her later years Stella would line up at our oldest daughter’s door every night waiting to sleep in her bed—which was a nice evolution from when I used to wake up with her snoring next to me.

She had a great run, and did an amazing job as the big sister—and guardian, face-licker, snuggler—to our two girls. RIP, Stella. 

To learn more about our team at The Martin Group, click here.

You searched for new era cap – Page 14 of 31 – The Martin Group

So much preparation. So much anticipation. So much drama.  

It’s been more than eight years since Canada, Mexico, and the United States were selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And a lot has changed over that span, from geopolitics to global public health — but at least one thing has remained the same: devoted soccer fans from across the globe have been counting the days until the kickoff of their sport’s ultimate competition.

And I’m one of them.

I’ll be traveling to see matches in-person in nearby New Jersey (France vs. Senegal), Seattle (USA vs. Australia) and Los Angeles (USA vs. Turkey)—and I’ll be taking in a host of local watch parties—between the tourney’s kickoff in Mexico City until its championship conclusion inside NJ’s MetLife Stadium on July 19. (Or should we say New York/New Jersey Stadium to follow the tournament’s rules?)

While my attention will be fixed to the pitch for this tourney’s historical significance and all the reasons that make the game so beautiful, I’m also curious to see how the reverberations of this grand event will ripple across our cultural, social, and integrated communications landscape.

As I noted in a previous piece for this space, there’s an abundance of opportunities for the cities, businesses, and athletes connected to the competition. Billions of dollars in sales and exposure are woven into the tournament. Global exposure for athletes and host locations come with every game. Viral moments and potential trendsetting can happen with any social media post. Cities that aren’t hosting and organizations that aren’t sponsoring can also benefit from the energy—if they get creative in how they leverage the momentum and attention.

With every goal scored or shot saved, the sport’s impact on culture looms larger and larger.  

So what World Cup questions will I be considering between and after my stadium stops? Here are a few:

How will brands capture the moment?

This edition of the tournament, like so many before it, has faced criticism and uncertainty. But one thing is completely certain: Every FIFA World Cup is comprised of singular, significant moments witnessed by billions of people across the globe.

• 2022’s tournament reached an estimated five billion people across the globe, more than a billion more than the 2018 World Cup.
• The 2023 Women’s World Cup was watched by an estimated two billion as well.
• As for last summer’s Club World Cup warm-up, nearly 2.5 million fans attended games in person, with another two billion watching on television or online. 
• This year’s expanded 48-team tournament is projecting to lure in more than six billion people through highlights, streaming, and traditional broadcast productions—with more than 1.5 billion expected to watch the final alone—making it the most potent brand-visibility opportunity of the decade.

But what will brands do with it? Between leaning on fan culture, employing a fleet of influencers, or using the identifiable backdrops provided by so many unique cities in three different countries, there should be plenty of installations and activations to enjoy during the next six weeks—and plenty to dissect in its aftermath. 

The showdown among the apparel brands, designers, and federations has been especially fun to watch. Nike seems to be pulling ahead in the collaboration game—with beautiful entries from Puma and other brands, too. Adidas is also leaning into nostalgia with gear from the ’94 tournament and World Cup Bringback Collection.

Who’s winning? Tough to say, but I can confirm I downloaded the Nike SNKRS app today so I could be one of the first in line for Nike’s collaboration with the Virgil Abhloh Archive (V.A.A.) for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

How is World Cup fandom transforming all fandom?

World Cup results are decided by the action on the pitch. But for so many of us who have gravitated to the game, it’s the action in the stands (and the pubs and pre-game rituals) that’s earned our undying loyalty.

It’s a community of chants, colors, and songs, all singular to specific fanbases that stretch across the globe. Is it comparable to experiences enjoyed by fans of the NFL or Power Four college football? In some markets, yes. (See: Our headquarters city of Buffalo, NY.) But in others, the maniacal following of global football—I mean, soccer—far exceeds the everyday fan experience.

During the FIFA World Cup, the devotion and behaviors of supporters change the understanding of what real fandom is supposed to exude and entail—and how these fans interact with brands associated with their sports.

If the rules of fandom are rewritten to include imbibing a certain drink, wearing specific clothing, or professing their obsessive fanaticism on their favorite social media channels, brands stand to benefit.

So does the game of soccer—especially in the U.S.

Roger Bennett and the Men in Blazers Media Network have done incredible work to play their part in growing the game in the U.S., providing a depth of coverage and humor not previously available to fans of this sport in the states. It’s an established-yet-still-visionary endeavor built by fans for fans.

Their platform will continue to grow during this World Cup as they connect with more fans across the country, but I’ll also be watching to see how other media brands leverage influential personalities and grassroots engagement (like what Sinclair is building with Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donavon and Tim Howard) to contribute to the work still ahead.  

How will players use influencer tactics to boost their brands?

In recent World Cup and Club World Cup action, social media—and who uses it the best—has been a huge factor in what brands busted out and which were relegated to the back of the pack. In 2022 alone, World Cup action elicited nearly 94 million posts across all platforms, resulting in almost six billion engagements.

This edition should be just as busy. But instead of focusing on the sodas and sneakers that will score a fleet of new customers, I’m looking for which players-turned-influencers will manage to enhance their brand on the global stage—while ensuring their performance on the pitch doesn’t slip an inch.

As the insatiable need for 24/7 content across various social platforms has only increased since 2022, athletes—even those of lesser-known acclaim—will have an opportunity to lure more interest to their story, their game, and their viability as product spokespeople.

In recent years, fans have shown their interest in not only following their favorite athletes’ every move but also patronizing the products they endorse on TikTok and elsewhere. They want to be part of their lives, part of their journey. Athletes know this; so do our most forward-thinking brands.

Now, on the world’s brightest pitch, both can dominate the social feeds of fans everywhere—and form a foundation for fandom (and customer loyalty) long after the cup is claimed.

How will the USMNT’s “Golden Generation” deliver on our long-awaited expectations?

Believe it or not, this question does relate back to brand identity and credibility building in communications.  

Years ago, this generation of U.S. Men’s National Team players—headlined by Christian Pulisic, Weston McKinnie, Timothy Weah, Chris Richards, Upstate New York’s own Tyler Adams, and others—was burdened with the expectations of the “golden generation” tag.

It’s a challenge some have met, with U.S. players featuring in the top flights of global soccer. And others have missed.

This tournament is their biggest test yet. And how they message the victories, setbacks, and ultimate result—and how they make the fans part of their journey—will shape how they’re remembered, almost as much as the performance on the pitch.

This team seems to have firepower in the attack, but there are some lingering questions in defense: Richards’ ankle, Tim Ream’s age and durability, and a less-than-clear #1 goalkeeper.

But that’s the beauty and power of sports. You’ve got to watch to find out – and every episode unfolds live before your eyes.

P.S. I joked with our team that if we truly wanted to drive engagement with this post, we should go with the headline: “The USMNT should start Christian Roldan and Miles Robinson. Here’s why.”

We decided to skip the clickbait.

And besides, I love what both Roldan and Robinson have brought to U.S. soccer at the collegiate, club, and national team levels. Every contribution matters.

Enjoy this World Cup. I know I will. And please, please, take advantage of the local watch parties happening in your community. This game is even better when it’s experienced together. Want to learn more about The Martin Group’s diverse array of work in the sports world? Click here.