Familiar Faces in the NFL

While watching Hard Knocks: Jets last week I noticed a few of the players looked pretty similar to celebrities/characters. Of course I then began to notice a resemblance in players on other teams as well. Here are some of my favorites:

Mark Sanchez & Adrian Grenier

This Jets quarterback bears much resemblance to Entourage tv personality Vincent Chase. Both have the same dark curly locks, facial stubble, and overall charm.

Jason Taylor & Xerxes

For those of you who aren't familiar with this version of Xerxes, he is a villain in the movie 300. While many woman swoon over this Jets linebacker, I cannot help but picture him with a million piercings and chains...

Jim Kleinsasser & Kevin Smith

If Silent Bob and Jack Black had a baby boy, he would definitely look like this Minnesota Viking.

Chris Johnson & Lil' Wayne

Long braids, big smiles, and shiny grillz make this Titan and rapper look like twins! Johnson just needs a few tattoos to make them indistinguishable.

Any other NFL look a-likes I missed that you would like to see?

OldDogs

Brett Favre & Mark Brunell

By the end of September they will both be forty years old. Both drafted in the early nineties. Both proudly sport grey locks. And both showing no sign of ever leaving.

My opinion? Play as long as you want. Play until your legs fall off for all I care. BUT don't make a spectacle of it (Brett, I'm talking to YOU!). Stop making excuses and just play if that is what you want to do.

Good luck this season old dogs. And be gentle to those fragile bones.

Ups & Downs

Being a Cardinals fan has been pretty stressful lately. They have been having a pretty good season, nothing spectacular but enough to keep them fighting with the Reds for first place in their division. For all of August it has been a back and forth battle between the two teams. Up a game, down half a game, up half a game, down two games and the pattern continues. Then the brawl happened.

I wont get into the details of a certain Reds pitcher kicking like a first grader when backed into a corner or the fact that this whole thing started because a strong-willed Cardinals catcher doesn't take crap from anyone. Because that's old news. The point is, that brawl lit a fire under the Cardinals and they went on to sweep the Reds in that series.

(my husband happens to be a Reds a fan so this brought a little more joy to me than it probably should have)

After that they win the first game against the Cubs. I am thinking that we are on a roll and are just going to soar into the post season, blowing sarcastic kisses to the Reds as we leave them in the dust. And then?

Four. game. losing. streak. This is where the stressful part comes back into play. And the Reds? Yeah, they are on a four game winning streak. This is also where I insert my foot into my mouth. What do we need to do to get that fire burning again? Perhaps show the youtube video of the brawl before every game? Because that seems to be the only thing to get them riled up enough.

We all know they have the talent. Now it's time to see if the have the drive. Let's go Cardinals!

ps- Did anyone else notice Chris Carpenters butt in that photo?

Why Watch NFL in 2010?

With just twenty four days left until the 2010 NFL season officially begins, you're probably getting pretty excited right? If not, then you should be! Let me tell you why:

The Bengals.

For the first time in a long time the Bengals offer a lot of promise going into the season. They have a strong team and as long as everyone stays healthy I foresee a run for the Superbowl for sure. But that isn't the only reason to watch the Bengals this year. The inevitable drama that will unfold between the self-titled "Batman & Robin" duo, is definitely something to tune into.

Can one team really contain the personalities of two reality tv stars playing the same position? For Bengals fans everywhere, let's sure hope so!

ps- If you haven't been watching their VH1 shows, you really should be! Trust me.

Tim Tebow.

For some of you this means being able to see your precious Timmy on the sidelines and telling everyone within earshot how wonderful he is and that he has a real future as an NFL star. You can relish in his jersey sales and celebrate every second of play time he receives.

And for everyone else? You get to remind those people that he is third string (for now anyway) and that his college antics aren't going to cut it in the NFL. You also get to root for his downfall and failure. Let's face it, who would you have to ridicule if he were no longer around? You can remind everyone that jersey sales do not equal talent and that being worshiped by "fans" does not make him a quality quaterback.

It is a win-win for all NFL viewers.

The Lockout.

This season may very well be the last live football you get to watch for a while. So soak up every minute, every game, every play. It's looking more and more like a lockout by the NFL will be in order for what should be the 2011 season.

What is a lockout, you may ask? In a nut shell, the players want more money and the owners claim they don't make enough profit to give it to them. If they can't learn to compromise then we will all being paying the price. And while I'm sure there are some women out there rejoicing over the fact that they will have access to their husbands on Sundays and Monday Nights, I guarantee we will see more grown men weeping because of it.

The Fellas.

Last, but definitely not least. For those of you ladies who do not enjoy the game but watch because of your boyfriend/husband/friend/brother/father/whatever, here are three very convincing reasons to start paying attention:

1. Brady Quinn. Quarterback for the Denver Broncos. All American good looks.

2. Mark Sanchez. Quarterback for the New York Jets. Gorgeous curly locks.

3. Chad Ochocinco. Wide Receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. Killer smile (when not sporting his gold teeth).

These are just three of the many guys to keep a lookout for but we will get into that more as the season progresses. :)

So get excited ladies! There is so much to look forward to this season and I can't wait to share it all with you.

Well Hello There

I have been writing a personal blog, Beauty and the Banker, for several months now. Over there I write about dogs and babies and every day life kind of things. But as baseball season starts to heat up I find myself writing out several posts about the Cardinals battle for first place and then deleting them. The one post I did publish didn't get the best response. Let's face it, the two worlds of girly and sports don't usually mix. So I decided to create a new place to write, where I would talk about nothing but sports.

Now before all you girly girls scramble for that little red x at the top of the screen, here me out. There will be a little something for everyone. This will not be your typical sports blog. Sometimes I will write about upcoming games and give my predictions and opinions but you know what else I plan to include? Which guys to check out. Thats right, every team has at least one guy who looks extra nice in those football/baseball pants. I will write about arrests (which will most likely sprout from the Bengals) and injuries. But I will also include facts that they don't tell you on ESPN, like what their family life is like and who they are dating (especially if it's a celebrity).

I will mostly write about baseball, football (college and pro) and basketball. Those are the sports I watch on a regular basis but I might throw in a little golf, tennis, soccer or nascar every once in a while. And you will probably hear a lot about "my" teams, which are the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Orlando Magic, and University of Central Florida Knights.

If you are a sports fan, follow along! And if you're not? Give it a chance anyway. Who knows, you might just change your mind. And if not, you will at the very least have some knowledge you can show off to your husband/boyfriend.