Rohrman automotive to award Zach Spangler for Kicks for Cash | Sports

Rohrman Automotive Group will reverse course and offer Zach Spangler, last week’s Kicks for Cash winner, with his choice of a two-year car lease or $5,000 after the dealership originally denied him the prize, Rohrman announced Tuesday.

Zach Spangler was told he had won $250 and a 2-year car lease in the Kicks for Cash competition at this year’s opener football game, but was later informed by Rohrman Automotive’s insurance agency that his kick was a split second too late.
Spangler told the Exponent he will be taking the $5,000.
“After talking with my parents, I will be taking the cash,” he said.
The announcement comes a week after Spangler was originally told he won $250 and a two-year car lease during a field-goal competition at Purdue Football’s home opener. But four days later, Rohrman emailed him saying he would not get the car because he “actually didn’t beat the clock.”
Trey Rohrman, director of operations at Bob Rohrman Honda, originally told Spangler the insurance company reviewed the footage and determined his kick was “five one-hundredths of a second” too late.
Rohrman’s decision saw immediate public pushback, with community members taking to social media to voice frustration with the dealership.
In an email on Sunday, Trey originally told the Exponent Spangler didn’t earn the award because he didn’t complete the challenge, pointing out that “two previous contestants accomplished this task within the same parameters.”
“Our decision to not award him the grand prize was not personal, but simply out of principle and rules based,” Trey originally said. “We are disappointed that Zach was led to believe that he did accomplish the challenge.”
But since Sunday, the dealership has reversed course, announcing on Tuesday Spangler earned the prize after all.
“We acknowledge that the process to determine whether or not Zach qualified for the grand prize took too long,” Trey said. “His incredible kick should be rewarded.”
Spangler said four other car dealerships have also offered him two-year car leases in response to the controversy. AJ’s, a local restaurant near campus, also offered him a year of free burgers, he said.
In addition to allowing Spangler to choose his prize, Rohrman is donating $5,000 to Ross-Ade Brigade so the student section has funds to travel to away games, the dealership announced.
Kicks for Cash’s rules have also been updated following controversy surrounding the merits of Spangler’s kick, removing the 30-second timer entirely.

The video sent to Spangler shows four angles of him kicking with a 30-second timer at the bottom. The holder places the ball with about 1.5 seconds left on the timer, but Spangler didn’t kick the ball before the clock hit 0.
“We are committed to an improved and more transparent contest for future games,” Rohrman wrote in a press release. “We appreciate the public’s scrutiny of the process to help us evolve and make this challenge even better and more fun than ever before.”
Under the new guidelines, each of three kicks at the 10, 20 and 30-yard lines will offer its own prize.
The first and second kicks, if completed, will earn the student a $100 and $150 VISA gift card respectively. The third kick gives the student the choice between $5,000 and a two-year car lease if completed.
Ken Haplin, deputy athletics director and chief operating officer for Purdue Athletics, said he applauds Rohrman for “honoring the spirit of the promotion” and giving Spangler a prize.
“We are also committed to working alongside the Rohrman Auto Group to ensure a situation like this is not repeated in the future,” Haplin said.
Purdue University Athletics and Rohrman Automotive plan to award Spangler his new prize on the field during Saturday’s game against Notre Dame, according to the release.
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