Duck Dynasty stars have spent much of the summer doing the rounds on the speaking circuit, rubbing shoulders with everyone from Tim Tebow to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to Sarah Palin.
They conservative Louisiana family was just celebrated at Rick Warren’s church for a congregation-wide Duck Dynasty day – spreading a message founded on their Christian faith, promoting family values and, of course, the right to bear arms.
Phil Robertson, the family patriarch who is the family’s camo decked evangelist, joined forces with his oldest son, Alan, a Church of Christ minister to headline Warren’s event on July 21.
Warning members against “political correctness trumping Biblical correctness”, Phil Robertson preached multiple messages to the thousands who turned out for the festivities – which included a beard-growing contest.
The stars of the popular show, among cable’s most watched programs, still run their multi-million dollar hunting goods company and have expanded their empire to produce everything from camo-emblazoned Christian devotionals, cigars, onesies bearing the Duck Commander logo and duck calls that retail from $9.95 to $179.95.
Phil Robertson, who began the duck call manufacturing operation from meager beginnings in 1972, appears on Duck Dynasty with his wife, Miss Kay, and his hilarious brother with a sweet tea addiction, Uncle Si.
Three of Phil Robertson’s four sons – the straight talking Jase, Willie (who followed his father as CEO of the company) and the youngest, and indulged, Jep – have all appeared on the show since Season 1.
Duck Dynasty stars have spent much of the summer spreading a message founded on their Christian faith
The eldest Robertson, Alan, is the only non-bearded one in the mix and has just left his work at the local church to help his family manage their new fame.
Describing himself as the “normal one,” Alan Robertson will be joining Duck Dynasty Season 4 that premieres August 14.
The self-proclaimed rednecks, with a lovable loathing for yuppies, have not allowed their stardom get to their heads but have become some of the most sought after stars for engagements far and away from their homebase of Monroe, Louisiana.
This May, Willie Robertson – the family’s third born who runs the Duck Commander company – rubbed shoulders with GOP darlings at the NRA convention, and was even rumored to be under consideration to join the gun group’s board.
Then in July, Willie Robertson was the star at LifeWay’s Main Event, a men’s conference sponsored by the Southern Baptist convention.
Father of five Willie Robertson, 41, will return to Nashville in August to deliver an address at the Cornerstone church, where an estimated 10,000 are expected to turn out.
Though Willie Robertson gets a lot of attention on the show, the other Roberston family members can still bring out a crowd.
Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, invited Phil, Kay and Si Robertson to speak at their annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence fundraiser in April.
In 2010, Tim Tebow had spoken at the event and the school was doubtful they could ever “top the buzz of Tebow” but the Robertsons did.
The event sold out so quickly, they added another talk and then a third talk in order to accommodate the demand.
People from 17 states purchased tickets and flew in from across the country to join the 15,000 who turned out to hear the Robertson trio banter on stage.
It was the biggest event ever in the school’s 125 year history.
Though much of the event focused on the hilarious antics of the family business, the talk closed with a spiritual message from Phil Robertson – where he presented the Gospel and invited attendees to accept Christ.
High says that the family’s Christian beliefs are a non-negotiable when they agree to speak.
“I’ve never seen them speak anywhere where there is not a specific, Christian faith element,” Phil Robertson said.
Back in April, Si Robertson told The Tennessean that though the show runs on A&E, the cable network isn’t the one in charge of the future.
“The Almighty is running this thing and he’s gonna take it where he wants it to go,” Si Robertson told The Tennessean, in between sips of iced tea.
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Lion King-ing, the latest internet phenomenon, sees pet owners around the world lifting their animals above their head.
The phenomenon, copying a famous scene from the film The Lion King, follows other such memes as planking, owling and Tebowing.
The videos take their inspiration from the famous scene in the beginning of The Lion King where the wise mandrill Rafiki presents the young Simba to the herd.
In the movie, the Elton John “Circle of Life” song is heard, and many of the online videos have the same music.
“I think that everyone with a cat or a small dog has done it before,” said Jeff Wysaski, a blogger on Pleated-jeans.com who made a viral video of the phenomenon from clips other pet owners had posted on YouTube.
“I checked on YouTube, and, lo and behold, there were a ton of videos of people doing it. I thought it would be funny to put them together.
“I think most people don’t talk about it, but when you bring it up other cat owners, they’re like, <<I do that>>, <<I have done that>.”
Lion King-ing, the latest internet phenomenon, sees pet owners around the world lifting their animals above their head
Jeff Wysaski admitted he “Lion Kings” his own tabby cat.
“She’s not too happy about it,” he said.
“A lot of the animals are … just putting up with us and our ridiculousness.”
Lion King-ing is the latest internet phenomenon to join the ranks of planking, Tebowing and owling.
Planking involved people posting pictures of themselves lying flat in random places for no apparent reason.
Tebowing took its name from the Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, who dropped to one knee and paused with a hand resting on his forehead as he prayed during a game.
Images soon starting spring up all over the internet of people pulling the exact same pose.
Owling consisted of people crouching on their haunches and staring into the middle distance, like an owl.
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Week 5 had some very interesting developments, with an appearance by one of the most popular players in the NFL, two teams that have officially become dangerous, a coach with a very interesting game plan, a reminder that one offensive package still has a place in the NFL, an increase in one form of turnover and a couple of great tricks from special teams coaches.
After losing 42-17 to the Packers last week, Broncos decided to put Tim Tebow in a much more meaningful situation this week.
Tim Tebow came in with his team down 16 points and threw for a score and ran for another after replacing Kyle Orton.
Tim Tebow
Will the move to the lefthander be permanent?
“Tim Tebow sparked the team today. (But) we haven’t had a chance to watch the tape; we haven’t had a chance to watch the film; we haven’t had a chance to visit as a staff,” coach John Fox said. “So, I think at this point — we have a bye week — we do need to improve offensively, and it will all be up for discussion.”
Players had been solidly behind Orton but the world of the NFL is fickle to say the least.
“He came and gave us a spark,” running back Willis McGahee said. “That’s Tim Tebow. Everybody has been cheering for him for the longest. Now he finally got in and moved the ball for us.”
Fans clearly want Tim Tebow. And, while the Broncos claim they won’t be swayed by that, the team is 1-4 and clearly need something to jump-start them. Whether that is at QB will be revealed over the next two weeks.
Neither quarterback had any indication who would line up in two weeks when the Broncos (1-4) visit the Miami Dolphins, whom the Broncos tried to trade Orton to in the summer before talks broke down and he became Denver’s starter.
“I have no idea,” Tim Tebow said. “Thankfully, I don’t have to make those decisions. Other people do that and I just go play football.”
“It’s his decision,” Orton said of his coach.
Fox indicated he would take his time making up his mind.
“I don’t put time limits on things,” he said. “We will evaluate it and make the best decision for the team.”
After a slow start, Tim Tebow found a rhythm that threw off the Chargers.
“It changes (the tempo) because he’s a fresh body,” cornerback Antoine Cason said. “He has a lot of energy. He goes out there and plays with energy, the crowd got behind him a little bit. They went out there and did some things that got them back into the game.”
A fan favorite, Tim Tebow was cheered the instant he trotted onto the field for Denver’s first possession in the third quarter. The crowd was so loud that Tebow couldn’t hear the play call in his helmet.
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