Blogamole › Tony Gonzalez

By Michael Lopez

February has arrived and we couldn’t be more excited. Not only is it the time of love for all of the Valentine's romantics, it's also now become "Characters Unite Month," a 29-day celebration of tolerance and positive change.

USA Network created the effort to help spread the word about causes close to many of their stars' hearts. And they’ve gotten a few Tr3s faves to participate too, with a series of uplifting Public Service Announcements promoting universal respect.

Cuban-American Gina Torres (who currently stars in USA’s Suits) spoke up in a very moving PSA about 9/11. She encourages viewers to remember the heroes of that tragic day and continue the camaraderie that shown between the citizens of New York.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez will also be appearing on the network in a special entitled, NFL Characters Unite. Joined by fellow football greats Jimmy Graham and Hines Ward, Tony will be speaking out about bullying and sharing stories about his own struggles with the issue while growing up in L.A.

And several other network stars will be addressing issues that Latinos face every day. White Collar’s Sharif Atkins has recorded spots about embracing diversity, Covert Affairs’ Scott Gorham discusses respect for veterans, and In Plain Sight’s Mary McCormack sheds light on the dangers of stereotyping.

But that's only the beginning. Similar to CNN's Heroes, the network will be hosting a Characters Unite Awards banquet honoring everyday people who are making a difference. Last year, USA honored Florida's Jessica Estevez for the diversity workshops she set up in her small town.

And just so you know, there's still time to nominate someone from your community for an award. If you're aware of any local Agentes de Cambio who are making a positive change, pass their information along and you could score them a $5000 grant to continue their work.

Do you feel like there are any Agentes de Cambio in your community? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Characters Unite, Gina Torres, Mary McCormack, PSAs, Scott Gorham, Sharif Atkin, Television, Tony Gonzalez, USA Network

By Michael Lopez

Mark Sanchez’ insane passes, Tony Gonzalez’ record-breaking catches…you may not realize it, but the Latino presence on the football field has been getting stronger and stronger in recent years. And even if the general public hasn’t necessarily caught on, NFL marketers are taking notice and looking to capitalize on the new growing trend.

Image : NFL

As if the National Football League even needed more viewers. Currently in the middle of its most watched season ever, Mediaweek has reported that more than 150 million people have tuned in for at least part of an NFL game this year (and we’re not even at Super Bowl time yet). But that’s not stopping football marketers from trying to add more, by tapping into the Latino segment.

Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s VP of fan strategy and marketing, has already partnered on initiatives with Latin broadcasters like Univision. And he says the organization is exploring even more options via web and Spanish radio.

“We really try to deliver the game in ways our growing Hispanic fans and connect directly. It’s saying, ‘We’re going to take the NFL…and deliver it in ways that they want to connect with it.’”

And so far, their research into the Latin market has shown some interesting statistics. Latino viewership of the NFL is up by 12 percent from what it was at last year. O’Reilly has also reported that the number of Hispanic football fans has now reached over 28.5 million!

It’s clear with football being so popular in the U.S., getting Latinos here to watch would be a no-brainer. But how about south of the border? Anthony Eros, who works as a Hispanic marketing consultant for the San Diego Chargers, has seen teams spread the love all the way to South America.

“[The NFL] has been active in México and Central and South America. It has exposed them to the sport, so that if you’re coming as an immigrant, you’re not completely foreign to the sport.”

So could fútbol lovers throughout South America learn to appreciate the art of the punt? It’s definitely possible, but we don’t think it’ll happen overnight. Perhaps if you throw in a few more Latin heroes like Sanchez and Gonzalez (and a couple of sexy broadcasters like Ines Sainz) it could help speed up the process.

Source: [Fox News Latino]

Do you think football could catch on in Latin America? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Cultura, Football, Mark Sanchez, NFL, Sports, Tony Gonzalez

By Sharmaine Jones

Tight-ends aren't known for being great catchers – unless your name is Tony Gonzalez. The 14 year veteran of the Atlanta Falcons became only the seventh player but the first Tight-End in NFL history to catch 1,000 passes!

Image: Getty Images

Gonzalez's 1000th catch came during the first game of the season in a 9-15 overtime loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He humbly accepted his congratulations via twitter but was more concerned with the loss:

“Thank you to all of u telling me congrats. You guys are the ones that make the NFL go. It's an honor to be apart of the 1000 catch club.” He goes on to tweet, “Tough loss yesterday. The defense played great. We will be back next week ready to roll."

He wasn't kidding because since then, the Falcons went on to destroy the Arizona Cardinals 41-7 in the second game of the season and thanks to an outstanding performance by the record-setting tight end, they defeated the reigning champion New Orleans Saints in a shocking 27-24 overtime win on Sunday, September 26. Gonzalez caught 8 passes racking up 110 yards. Saints kicker Garrett Hartley missed a 32-yard field goal that would have gave his team the win with 4 seconds left in regulation. Everyone was amazed but the Falcons had to regroup and capitalize on their second chance in overtime.

“I was absolutely stunned,” Gonzalez said. “I thought for sure the game was over.”

After the win, a very humble Gonzalez gave props to his teammates as well as his opponent on twitter:

“Just got back to ATL. Great win for us today. Total team effort! Saints made it tough.”

Handing the reigning Super Bowl Champions their first loss of the season is no small feat and if the Falcons use that confidence to build on their success, they're going to be a force to be reckoned with. Their next game is scheduled for October 3 against former division rival San Francisco 49ers. Good luck!

Congratulations to Tony Gonzalez who joins a very impressive list of receivers including Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Chris Carter, Tim Brown, Isaac Bruce and Terrell Owens to be a member of the 1,000 catch club.

Are you impressed by Tony Gonzalez's 1,000 catch accomplishment? Leave your comments below or @MTV3!

Tags Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, NFL, Tony Gonzalez, twitter

Atlanta Falcons tight end, Tony Gonzalez and his wife, October, are part of PETA's new 'Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur' campaign.

Gonzalez States, "It's something that me and my wife talked about it and felt very strongly about it. It's a great cause."

Tony also said, "It's nice to be looked at."

Um...we bet it is! We'll be staring at this all afternoon! [Bossip]

Photo via Google Images

Tags Campaign, October, Peta, Rather go Naked then wear fur, Tony Gonzalez