Flutie Flakes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flutie Flakes is the name of a brand of frosted corn flakes breakfast cereal named for quarterback Doug Flutie.
The brand was created in 1998, after Flutie, then the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, saw his popularity soar because of his scrambling, last quarter heroics and his impressive win-loss record. A large portion of the profits made from sales of Flutie Flakes were donated to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, created in honor of Flutie's autistic son. The goal of the foundation is to create awareness of autism and to seek a cure.
Flutie Flakes became the subject of a minor controversy in January 1999 when after a controversial playoff win over Buffalo, Miami Dolphins' head coach Jimmy Johnson poured Flutie Flakes on the ground and invited his team to stomp on them; as the product was created to help individuals with autism, Flutie was upset that Johnson would use it in such a manner. Johnson issued a public apology.
Flutie Flakes remained popular in the region even after Flutie was benched for Rob Johnson.
Three box designs of Flutie Flakes were featured. The first was red and featured Flutie in a Bills uniform; the second blue with a picture of Flutie from his Boston College Eagles days, and after Flutie signed with the San Diego Chargers in 2001, a black, yellow, and white design.
Flutie Flakes have made numerous appearances in pop culture. In addition to being shown on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (in an episode when Flutie made an appearance shortly after being signed by the Chargers), a box of Flutie Flakes is visible on top of the fridge in the Barones' kitchen in the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005), as well as in the opening scene of the Friends episode "The One With the Blind Dates" and on the drama Dawson's Creek, where it was a frequent food of Jack McPhee (played by Kerr Smith).
Flutie Flakes is also a common derisive term used in reference to Flutie fans who display an extreme fanaticism and irrationality when it comes to Doug Flutie.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Tastes of the Region: Flutie Flakes An essay celebrating the importance of the Flakes to young Buffalonians
