February 2007 Archive
Water Cooler Chat: Brady Update and new NFL Policy
You would think that my Kids just won the Super Bowl and were heading to Disneyworld this morning when I told them school was cancelled for a snow day. I grew up in California, so I never experienced a snow day. In fact, I don't remember school being cancelled for anything, so I’m pretty excited too.
Brady Update
In the last column, we talked about Tom Brady and Bridgett Moynahan and Stephanie asked if there’s any update. The only update I have came from page six in the NY Post. It said that Brady put his $14 million dollar condo on the market “the minute” he heard that then girlfriend Bridgett was prego. With that said, Brady’s agent said Tom is excited about the pregnancy. That’s all I’ve got so far….let me know if you hear any more.
Three Strikes and Your Out
I hate talking about the negative aspect of professional sports, but unfortunately we have another incident in the news this week. Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones is at the center of a tragedy in Las Vegas this weekend. A man named Thomas Urbanski (age 43) was paralyzed when he was hit by a stream of bullets last weekend. Apparently, “Pacman” Jones was throwing hundreds of dollars at a stripper in a nightclub in Vegas when the stripper became upset and had Jones and his entourage thrown out of the club. One of the entourage then came back to the scene and started firing at random and hit Urbanski. Pacman is currently under investigation.
The NFL is now considering a 3 strike and you’re out policy. I just heard an interview with Gene Upshaw (Executive Director of the NFLPA) and he explained that he recruited a select group of NFL Players to discuss the conduct of those in the League and this select group of Players were the ones that suggested this strict 3 strike policy. Personally, I think they're on the right path, although it should be one strike not three. Can you imagine any other business where you can mess up twice and still have another shot at keeping your job. No!. And, these "strikes" aren't just as simple as arriving late to the office. These strikes usually have to do with innocent people gettting hurt. So, now you know how I feel. What do you Gals think?
Water Cooler Chat: Bridgett Moynahan having Brady’s baby and other Sports News
This was actually a big weekend in sports, but of course the REALLY big news is that Bridgett Moynahan (ABC’s Six Degrees) is expecting New England Patriot’s QB Tom Brady’s baby in August. And, what makes this news even more interesting (and scandalous) is that Brady and Moynahan haven’t been dating since December. After a two year relationship they split and Brady now seems pretty cozy with supermodel Gisele Bundchen. Let’s do the math, they split in December, it’s now the end of February and she’s due in August, yes, it works out…it could definitely be Brady’s baby.
NASCAR
Daytona 500- Kevin Harvick won the race by just two hundredths of a second. The big news is that Harvick just barely edged out one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR, Mark Martin. For those that saw the race, there’s a little bit of controversy (and why not, it’s NASCAR) surrounding when the officials threw the yellow flag. If the officials had yellow flagged the race immediately after the crash that took out a bunch of the top contenders, Martin would have won. Martin has never won a Daytona 500.
Football
San Diego Chargers hired former offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, Norv Turner. In case you haven’t been following, the Chargers fired coach Marty Schottenheimer (which was a HUGE surprise) and now just hired Turner. It’s a surprising choice since Turner has one of the worst win percentages of any new head coach.
Former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bill Cowher, will take a job as an announcer with CBS for a minimum of 2 years while his daughter finishes high school. It is likely he’ll throw his hat in the coaching ranks again after that.
NBA
Former Miami Heat star, Tim Hardaway (currently making appearances for the NBA) was fired for saying, “I hate Gay People” while in Vegas. It's unbelievable that there are still so many people in this world that are that ignorant.
Big News to discuss over President's Day Weekend
School was cancelled today due to a big winter storm. I have never seen such happier faces as when my Kids woke up and heard the news. So, on this lazy snowed in Valentine’s Day, sitting in bed with my Kids watching Higglytown Heroes, I thought I’d recap some news stories to take with you over this long President’s Day weekend.
Tiki Barber to NBC
Tiki Barber has officially signed a deal with NBC’s Today show. He doesn’t want to do just sports (which makes sense) so he’s branching out into more entertainment and news stories. It’s a brilliant move by NBC…who wouldn’t want to tune in and watch Tiki?
I loved News president Steve Capus’ comment that when Tiki wasn’t feeling well, they’d just call his (twin) brother Ronde to fill in.
San Diego Coach, Marty Schottenheimer fired
Marty Schottenheimer, former head coach of the San Diego Chargers was fired on Monday. This news surprised everyone considering that the Chargers were one of the best teams in the League this season before losing in the playoffs to New England. According to the team President, Dean Spanos, there is a "dysfunctional situation" between Schottenheimer and general manager A.J. Smith.
I’m sure we’ll hear even more about this surprising turn of events in the next few weeks so stay tuned.
NASCAR News: Don’t forget Daytona 500 (the Super Bowl of racing) is this Sunday the 18th!
Nascar cracks down on Cheating
Whenever I hear about cheating in sports, I think of steroid use, but in NASCAR apparently it’s not uncommon for crew chiefs to try and get away with “doctoring” their cars to improve the aerodynamics.
The crew chiefs for Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Scott Riggs and Elliott Sadler were all suspended and the drivers were all docked points this week. (NASCAR drivers get points all season based on how they finish in a race. These points add up all season and the Driver with the most points at the end of the season wins the Nextel Cup Title.) Heading into the biggest race of the season, the Daytona 500 on Sunday, NASCAR is trying to send a message that any “funny business” will not be tolerated. Good for you NASCAR!
And, remember, Don’t drive Nude
In one seriously bizarre story, the Detroit Lions defense line coach, Joe Cullen, was arrested for driving NUDE…yes, nude. And, big surprise, he was arrested for driving drunk a week later.
Water Cooler Chat: Aloha Tiki Barber
Yes, it’s true, the Giant’s incredibly good looking and very talented running back Tiki Barber has played his last football game in pro football’s all star game, the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Don’t be too sad though. Chances are we will see and hear from Tiki far more than we ever have. I guarantee he will become one of the most popular football analysts with ESPN (not to mention already a great pitchman for the Cadillac Escalade). And, the good news is we can still watch his twin brother Ronde (who plays cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) light up our Sunday afternoons and evenings.
If you are a die-hard football fan, you probably watched Saturday’s Pro Bowl in Hawaii which pits the best players from the NFC conference against the best players from the AFC conference. The players on the winning team get $40,000, while the losing team gets $20,000 each (not to mention a fun week in Hawaii). Even though the outcome of this game doesn’t really matter, it can sometimes be a fun game to watch. I always get the feeling that I’m watching grown men revert back to when they were boys playing a game of pickup football in the backyard. They always look like they’re having the time of their life. And, it’s kind of goofy, but I love how they can be interviewed after every play. The only MAJOR dowside is there is always a chance a player will get injured.
In case you had any bets on the game or are just an overzealous fan, the AFC won 31-28.
Now that football's over...
So, do you think the Colts can repeat next year? That's what you'll be hearing over the next few months (at least until the draft in April or unless there’s some football scandal). If you want to spread your wings and start talking about the other sports, here’s a sampling of what’s news this week:
Baseball
Mike Piazza (the future hall of famer and star catcher for the Mets for 8 seasons, now playing for the Oakland A’s) just had a baby girl on February 3rd. His wife, Alicia, is a former Baywatch star.
Spring Training is here so everyone is speculating on which team can make it to the Word Series and what will the baseball world think (or will people even care) if the controversial (due to steroid use) Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aarons home-run record.
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is the most popular race in NASCAR. The “Super Bowl” of racing takes place this Sunday and kicks off the racing season. I know it seems odd to think that the most popular race takes place at the beginning rather than the end of the racing season, but as far as major sports goes, at least the Daytona doesn’t compete with any other major sporting events this month. Jimmy Johnson won the race last year and will be looking to defend his title.
Water Cooler Chat: Peyton Manning's Going to DisneyWorld (Indianapolis Colts over Chicago Bears 29-17)
Well, it wasn’t the best game or the worst game in Super Bowl history, but at least fans can rest well knowing that Peyton Manning is now “officially” one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. He led his Colts to a 29-17 win and garnered the MVP award.
The only really memorable moment of the game occurred in the first few seconds. On the initial kickoff, the Chicago Bears’ return specialist Devin Hester, ran downfield for 92 yards and made football history. This was the first opening kickoff return for a touchdown in Super Bowl history. Looking at Peyton Manning’s expression after this play just killed me. Everyone talked about special teams being the difference in the game, and this was exactly what wasn’t supposed to happen (particularly so early in the game). Then, to make things worse, Manning threw an interception in the next series. Fortunately for Peyton, he kept his cool and in the next series, marched his team downfield and threw a perfect pass to a wide open Reggie Wayne for a touchdown.
Then things got ugly; there were six turnovers in the first half alone. I was beginning to think this would be a repeat of Super Bowl V (Stumble Bowl, Stupor Bowl) which featured the Baltimore Colts against the Dallas Cowboys and was widely considered one of the worst games ever with six interceptions, six fumbles and one blocked field goal.
Fortunately, it wasn't the worst game -- just a sloppy one. If it wasn’t for Peyton Manning’s leadership under pressure and the Colts’ running game led by Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes, the outcome of the game could have been much different.
As far as the Bears, well, their defense never really showed up (not like they were supposed to anyway). Brian Urlacher (their star linebacker and for all intents and purposes, the leader of their team) seemed to have been neutralized all game. The Bears’ QB, Rex Grossman gave an expectedly disappointing performance. He wasn’t the entire reason they lost, but there is a big difference between the leadership style, confidence and performance under pressure of Grossman vs. Manning.
For me, the most disappointing part of the Super Bowl was the commercials. I don’t know about you, but all I kept thinking was, "This is the best $2.6 million has to offer?" Although with that said, I laughed hysterically at the Oprah/Letterman piece promoting The Late Show. I was caught completely by surprise when Oprah said, “Honey, don’t talk with your mouth full.” In case you haven’t been following, Oprah and Letterman have been embroiled in a very public feud.
The most brilliant advertiser though, goes to Nationwide Insurance. With all of the hoopla and controversy surrounding the K-Fed commercial, they certainly got their money’s worth. I don’t know if they planned it, but if it wasn’t for the restaurant association’s complaint about the commercial beforehand, I would never in a million years have tuned in. As soon as I saw K-Fed’s ugly mug, I would have gladly walked out of the room to refresh my drink or use the bathroom. But after so much hype, I (like every other human on this planet) had to see what all the fuss was about…which was truly nothing. And, what’s so funny about the Budweiser crabs carrying the cooler away? Personally, I didn’t love the Career Builder ads either (I much preferred the old chimps). I’d love to hear your opinions. What were your favs or disappointments?
After all was said and done, the highlight of the game (other than watching Prince’s brilliant halftime show) was watching the post game celebration. Indy coach Tony Dungy bear-hugged his pal, Bears’ coach Lovie Smith, and Peyton Manning humbly shook hands with his opponents and hugged his teammates. The whole scene brought a huge smile to my face. We didn’t see any taunting or showboating, but instead we witnessed two classy coaches and two classy teams capping off a tremendously exciting and entertaining football season.
Favorite Super Bowl (Non-Football) Moments
When it comes to the Super Bowl, the game may or may not live up to the hype, the commercials may or may not be worth the $2.6 million 30-second spots, but the pre-game festivities will never disappoint.
Miami, the site of this year’s big game, is one of the two most popular places to hold a SB. It's tied with New Orleans for a total of nine times each. Each host city brings its own special flavor to the table. As for Miami, there was something unbelievably cool about hanging out and talking football while basking on the beach. Watching all the major news stations camped out all day on the beach while bikini clad babes and Speedo wearing (yes, it’s South Beach, so lots of Speedos) Adonises rollerbladed by, took football to a new level.
But the very first SB I went to was in New Orleans in 1997, featuring the Green Bay Packers against the New England Patriots. I was working for CBS Sportsline (just called Sportsline at the time) and we were doing some streaming video on the pre-game festivities (really new technology then, so we all thought it was cool and cutting edge). Sportsline was kind enough to send me out there for the week, but what they didn’t tell me was that I’d be spending the week in a house with 10 guys. I had just gotten married, so as you can imagine, my husband was not too pleased. Since I grew up with three older brothers, we always had a household full of guys, so until someone pointed it out to me, I’m not sure I would have even noticed I was rooming with 10 members of the opposite sex. I have to say, these guys were so great. They treated me like a younger sister and played the role of way over-protective brothers. I felt like I had bodyguards the whole week.
New Orleans was (and I know will again) be an incredible place to host a Super Bowl. There was such energy in the city, and all the restaurants and people went out of their way to welcome the crowds of visitors. Of course, some of that enthusiasm comes from people drinking themselves into oblivion (after all, the main drag is Bourbon Street), but as far as I could tell, the city was more than equipped to handle it.
In addition to the special flavors of the host city, the one constant is the endless activities. Every major advertiser and corporate sponsor wants a part of the action, and there’s no shortage of cool parties. As with any celebrity studded occasion (and yes, there are plenty of celebs hanging out during the week) some parties are more exclusive than others. The one bonus for us gals though is women are way more likely to get into a party than a guy -- even if he’s on a guest list). Approximately 50 million women will watch the Super Bowl, and about 40% of the SB attendees will be female, but the Super Bowl is still overwhelmingly overrun by guys.
Read on for more Super Bowl Week highlights...
The NFL Experience
The Experience is an interactive theme park created by the NFL that’s appropriate for the whole family. One night, they’ll host a concert as well.
Network Parties-
At the Super Bowl in San Diego in 1998, I was invited to the NBC network party, which was supposed to be their swan song from football (obviously it didn’t last long since they’re back in football this year in a big way), but this party will go down as one of the greatest of my whole life. Diana Ross emerged as the surprise guest (with only about 100 people in the room) and sang “Last Dance,” which to the NBC folk was super meaningful since it was supposed to be their “last dance” with football. Nothing like seeing a bunch of grown men chocking back tears while humming “I need you by me, beside me to guide me, to hold me, to scold me, cause when I’m bad, I’m so so bad…”
More Can't-Miss Parties
As you can imagine, lots of naked women and lots and lots and lots of drooling men are the guests of honor when it comes to Super Bowl parties. Some of the biggest bashes are thrown by: Playboy, Maxim, Penthouse, FHM, the Super Bowl Leather and Lace Party and the Super Bowl Cheerleaders Party. Guests last year included Owen Wilson, Ashton Kutcher and of course (what’s a half-naked party without) Paris Hilton and Tara Reid.
