Papa John's to Send Indy, Chicago Armchair Quarterback Winners to Miami for 'Fling It & Wing It' Championship

Brett Moore and John Craig never thought their talents as channel surfers, pizza eaters and football lovers would land them in Miami. Turns out, those are all winning traits of an Armchair Quarterback. As a result, Moore of Indianapolis and Craig of Chicago outdistanced thousands of other fans to be crowned winners of the Papa John’s "Fling It & Wing It” Armchair Quarterback Challenges conducted Wednesday night outside Papa John’s restaurants in Chicago and Indianapolis, respectfully. For their prowess, the two winners and their guests will receive a trip to Miami to cheer on their favorite team, as well as the right to represent their city in the championship of the Armchair Quarterback Challenge at 11 a.m. on Feb. 3 from the pool deck of the DoubleTree Surfcomber Hotel in Miami. So, how did the city’s best Armchair Quarterback earn such a title? It’s simple, really. Just like a typical football Sunday, the contestants sat back in a recliner and took control of the game: holding an order of new spicier flavor Papa’s Wings in one hand, and flinging a football as far as possible with the other. Throwing a football from a recliner is harder than one might imagine. Craig flung it the farthest in Chicago, measuring 24 yards to beat the other 10 finalists, with the runner-up falling just a few inches short. In Indianapolis, Moore launched it 25 yards, besting the closest competitor by just a few inches as well. "Relaxing in a recliner, and eating pizza and wings from Papa John’s is no far stretch for me,” said Craig. "While I’m excited about going to Miami, I’m mostly looking forward to taking down my challenger from Indy. I want to prove to everyone in America that Chicago is home of America’s best Armchair Quarterback.” Papa John’s kicked off the "Fling It & Wing It” Challenge in select playoff markets earlier this month. After each event, the top thrower was awarded free Papa John’s pizza and wings for a year. For Moore of Indianapolis, he thought that was reward enough. Then, he realized there was much more on the line, including team pride. "To be lucky enough to be with my favorite team – I couldn’t ask for anything more than that,” said Moore. "But, I do want all the local fans to know that I will focus on winning this challenge. My priority is beating the guy from Chicago, so I can bring home a championship just like the real guys!” But Moore and Craig aren’t the only ones who can win with Papa John’s on Sunday, Feb. 4. Papa John’s – the official pizza of Dolphin Stadium – has issued a "Fling It & Wing It” Challenge to the two quarterbacks playing in the Big Game as well, giving America a chance to win a free order of Papa John’s new, spicier flavor wings. Now through 6 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 4, consumers can register for a chance to win at www.papajohns.com and learn more about the challenge from pro football host Trey Wingo. From there, it’s up to the quarterbacks competing in the Big Game to make every entrant a winner. Here’s how it works. If a quarterback representing either Chicago or Indianapolis meets or beats the championship game record of 85 yards for a touchdown pass, a feat accomplished just this past weekend in the playoff game between Chicago and New Orleans, all eligible entrants who register in advance of the Big Game will win a FREE order of Papa’s Wings redeemable online at www.papajohns.com. Complete rules are available at www.papajohns.com/wingit. While visiting www.papajohns.com/wingit, Papa John’s customers can also download exclusive videos from pro football studio host Trey Wingo – because with a name like "Wing-o”, there’s no one better to help Papa John’s introduce a new recipe for the ever-popular "Papa’s Wings,” now boasting a new, bolder, spicier flavor. Once registered at www.papajohns.com, fans can begin experiencing all the conveniences of ordering pizza online. In fact, this football season Papa John's is making life even easier for party planners – with advance online ordering. Fans can log on to www.papajohns.com and follow the online ordering menu to place their order well in advance of the Big Game. Place an order – including all the pizzas, wings, breadsticks, sodas and other sides the party needs – and indicate a time of delivery. It's that simple. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world’s third largest pizza company. For seven years running, consumers have rated Papa John’s no. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national QSR chains in the highly regarded American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John's at www.papajohns.com.