baby daddy's

Hope everyone had a yummy, wonderful Thanksgiving! Over the holiday weekend, one of my closest friends welcomed a gorgeous baby girl to the world. It got me thinking of famous athlete fathers and I wanted to do a post focused on the little cuties. Here are a few of my favorite future athletes:

Dad - Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints

Sons, Baylen (almost 2) & Bowen (1 1/2 months - not pictured)

photo via joeyfortman.com

Dad - Tom Brady - New England Patriots

Son, John (now 3)

photo via justjared 

Son, Benjamin (almost 1)

photo via zimbio

Dad - Carmelo Anthony - Denver Nuggets 

Son, Kiyan (now 3)

photo via slamonline

Dad - Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers

Daughters, Natalia (now 7) & Gianna (now 4)

photo via black voices

Dad- Cliff Lee - MLB player (free agent)

Son, Jaxon (now 9) and Daughter, Maci (now 7) 

photo via perfectdot.info

Hostess with the MOSTESS

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, and football season in full swing.. it's time to find your inner Betty Crocker and get cookin! 

To me, there's nothing better than football & food. Put those two together, and it's pretty much like THE BEST DAY EVER. Even if you aren't a football fanatic, you can tie on that apron and spend the day slaving away in the kitchen. 

On a diet? Welp, good luck! I dare you to prepare these snacks without indulging. 

Gather some pals and host a little football soiree with these delish ideas:

fancy & fun!

shrimp skewers to spicy beer!! 

mini dogs and beer margaritas! 

looking to gain a few pounds?? 

the cutest cookies!

Tis' the season for Sundays of bloated bellies!

HOT & COLD

Now that football season is more than half way over, we're able to get a pretty good feeling of who's good and who's not. Though there are still six weeks left until playoffs, for some teams, the shots of making it are far and away. For others, they are leading their division and have a bright shot of making it to post-season. Hopefully you got some game time in this weekend and have actually heard of a few of these teams :) For those of you who haven't, START TAKING SOME NOTES!


HOT:
New York Jets (8-2)**
New England Patriots (8-2)**
Baltimore Ravens (7-3)**
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)**
Philadelphia Eagles (7-3)*
Chicago Bears (7-3)**
Green Bay Packers (7-3)**
Atlanta Falcons (8-2)*
New Orleans Saints (7-3)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)

WARM:
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4)**
Indianapolis Colts (6-4)**
Miami Dolphins (5-5)
Tennessee Titans (5-5)
Houston Texans (4-6)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)*
Oakland Raiders (5-5)
San Diego Chargers (5-5)
New York Giants (6-4)
Washington Redskins (5-5)
Seattle Seahawks (5-5)
St. Louis Rams (4-6)

COLD:
Buffalo Bills (2-8)
Cleveland Browns (3-7)
Cincinnati Bengals (2-8)
Denver Broncos (3-7)
Dallas Cowboys (3-7)
Minnesota Vikings (3-7)
Detroit Lions (2-8)
San Francisco 49ers (3-7)
Arizona Cardinals (3-7)

FROZEN:
Carolina Panthers (1-9)

*1st in their division
**Tied for 1st in their division

Hopefully your team is either HOT or WARM! And for those of you who's teams are chilly.. there's always next year!

Tweet, Tweet!

As if there isn't already enough opportunity to lurk celebs, thanks to social networks like Facebook, MySpace, Four Square, etc., there's also TWITTER!! A simple way to stalk 24/7. For those of you who indulge in the world of twittering, here are some of my favorite athletes to follow/know what they're doing at ALL times. Add them to your list of followers and you'll be much more aware of the latest and greatest in the world of sports. Time to get your lurk on!

NBA PLAYERS:
1. Baron Davis - @Baron_Davis, LA Clippers
2. Derek Fisher - @derekfisher, LA Lakers
3. Lamar Odom - @RealLamarOdom, LA Lakers
4. Shaquille O'Neal - @THE_REAL_SHAQ, Boston Celtics
5. LeBron James - @KingJames, Miami Heat

MLB PLAYERS:
1. C.J. Wilson - @str8edgeracer, Texas Rangers
2. Nick Swisher - @NickSwisher, New York Yankees

NFL PLAYERS:
1. Chris Cooley - @thecooleyzone, Washington Redskins
2. Shawne Merriman - @shawnemerriman, Buffalo Bills
3. Nick Barnett - @NickBarnett, Green Bay Packers
1. Reggie Bush - @reggie_bush, New Orleans Saints
2. Drew Brees - @drewbrews, New Orleans Saints
3. Chad Ochocinco - @ochocinco, Cincinatti Bengals
4. Mark Sanchez - @Mark_Sanchez, New York Jets

OTHER ATHLETES:
1. Tony Hawk - @tonyhawk, Skateboarding
2. Lance Armstrong - @lancearmstrong, Cycling
3. Rob Dyrdek - @robdyrdek, Skateboarding
4. Ryan Sheckler - @RyanSheckler, Skateboarding
5. Carey Hart - @hartluck, Motocross
7. Shaun White - @Shaun_White, Snowboarding
8. Andy Roddick - @andyroddick, Tennis
9. Cristiano Ronaldo - @cristiano, Soccer
10. Landon Donovan - @landondonovan, Soccer

FEMALES:
1. Danica Patrick - @DanicaPatrick, Indy racing
2. Jennie Finch - @jfinch27, Softball
3. Lindsey Vonn - @lindseyvonn, Skiing
4. Serena Williams - @serenawilliams, Tennis
5. Dara Torres - @daratorresswims, Swimming

Who knows how these players have so much time to tweet with such a hectic lifestyle, but I'm not complaining!

HAPPY TWEETING! :)

TGIF!

Congrats babes! You've made it through another treacherous work week and are ready to take on the weekend!

Feel ready to step your game up and actually catch some football this weekend?! I know that a crowded bar full of raging football fans can be a bit intimidating.. but here are some games to pay attention to. These are the more important NFL games of the week(end) and most likely the games that your friends will want to watch. Throw out some of the info that I'm about to so generously provide you, and you'll be a real babe magnet in the bar. 

SUNDAY GAMES:

Green Bay Packers* vs. Minnesota Vikings 10:00 a.m.

Though the Packers have a better record and are picked to win this game, Brett Favre is the Quarterback for the Vikings. This may not mean anything to you, but it's a pretty big deal. Favre was the Packers QB for 16 seasons, which is an eternity in the NFL. He will be playing his previous team this Sunday, and that's always fun to watch. Also, little tip for my Chico alums.. the QB of the Packers, Aaron Rodgers, was born & raised in Chico! Holla!

Oakland Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers* 10:00 a.m.

Both of these teams are tied for 1st in their division and fighting for the top spot. Even though the Raiders have majorly sucked in recent years, they are somehow winning games now. If you live in The Bay, you'll be sure to see your fair share of silver and black on Sunday. The Steelers are picked to win and I'm hoping that happens. (Sorry to all the Raider fans out there, but I just can't do it.)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. San Francisco 49ers 1:05 p.m.

If you live in The Bay, or better yet, SF, this will be the highlight of day (at least in the bars). The NFL experts were a split decision when picking the winners of this game, even though the Bucc's have a much better record. As of now, Troy Smith, the 49ers 3rd string QB, will be starting this weekend. The Niners are hoping Troy plays well like last week, and can pull out another win for The Bay.

Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots* 1:15 p.m.

These two teams have been continuously strong throughout the decade. Tom Brady, a.k.a Mr. Gisele Bundchen, a.k.a major hottie, is the Patriots QB and he is always a pleasure to watch. (This is a good tip for sports in general. If you can't handle being a sports fan, always focus on the game with the best looking leader. It will make your experience a little less painful.) Both of these teams are in the top spot of their divisions and are fighting to keep it that way. 

SUNDAY NIGHT GAME:

Philadelphia Eagles* vs. New York Giants 5:20 p.m.

Still going strong on your Sunday Funday? Catch this night time game at the bar or on your couch in your P.J.'s. The Eagles & Giants are in the same division, and tied for 1st. Looks like this should be an old fashioned shootout. 

Beat the Monday blues by watching MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:

San Diego Chargers* vs. Denver Broncos 5:30 p.m.

My personal favorite, the San Diego Chargers, will be taking on the Denver donkeys Broncos Monday night. Though the Chargers aren't doing as well as they were supposed to be (tear), they are still, let's say, interesting, to watch. It's also the Monday Night game, which is a hit among football fans. Make Monday feel a little bit better by catching the game, along side a Vodka Tonic, or four.

Have some fun ladies! and have a great weekend!

*Team picked by NFL experts to win 

---I put all the game times in Pacific Time Zone to make it easier on everyone (assuming you're in CA). So get to the bars early if you're trying to catch a 10 a.m. game on Sunday! Completely appropriate if you're still sporting Saturday night's makeup. No judgements.

Girls Rule, Boys Drool

I was at brunch this past weekend, with a group of friends, male & female. Amid the muffins & mimosas, one of my male friends blurted a comment that made me want to completely bitch slap him. It was something along the lines of "Girls can't play the sports that require skill, like guys can."(I won't name any names, but lets hope he's reading this and feels like a major ass wad).

Even though most of the sports we watch on T.V. are dominated by guys, there are still tons of athletes who represent for the ladies. These female athletes not only hold their own when it comes to their sport, they look marvelous doing so. 

CHEERS TO THE GIRLS!

Williams Sisters

photo via Reidblog

These tennis star sisters have been in the spotlight for a long time now and have a past of sibling rivalry. Both were coached by their dad growing up and have been ranked at #1 in the world. Venus is currently ranked number 5 in singles & doubles, while Serena is ranked number 4 in singles and 5 in doubles (which her sis). 

Jennie Finch

photo via NewsAlerts

This softball stunner graduated from the University of Arizona and went on to help the USA receive gold & silver metals in her sport. She married a fellow pitcher in 2005, after he proposed on the softball field of her Alma mater.  The couple have a 4 year old son, named Ace. She's recently retired from softball to focus on her family. How precious!

Mia Hamm

photo via netreach

This phenomenal soccer alum stole the hearts of America throughout the 1990's and early 2000's. She topped the FIFA's World Player of the Year list more than once and also helped her team to gold in the 2004 Olympics. She divorced her college sweetheart in 2001, but then married a former MLB star, Nomar Garciaparra. This power couple have twin girls named Grace & Ava.

Gabrielle Reece

photo via celebritybeautybuzz

Reece is a 40 year old professional volleyball player, model, actress and announcer. She has been at the top of numerous volleyball stats and won the Beach Volleyball World Championship.  She married professional surfer, Laird Hamiltion in 1997. Though its been a rocky relationship, with a divorce & reconciliation in 2001, the stable couple now live in Hawaii and Malibu. They have two kids together, Reece & Brody.

Dara Torres

photo via khanworldsports

This swimming sensation is a single mother, who has been to the Olympics FIVE TIMES and taken home 12 metals! This 41 year old divorcee, is the oldest swimmer to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Torres has been married twice and is now a single lady! She is currently training for the 2012 Olympics, which will be held in London.

Danica Patrick

photo via danicapatrick.com

This brave beauty was the first female to win an Indy car race and didn't stop there! Danica is currently racing for Andretti Autosport and is a model/actress/spokeswoman/babe on the side. She is married to her previous physical therapist and the couple lives in Arizona (where she recently received two speeding tickets.... whoopies!).

Lisa Leslie

photo via WNBA

This beautiful baller hovers at 6'5 and is retired from the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association). Lisa was the first female to dunk in a WNBA game and has also won 4 U.S. gold metals. This USC alum is married with two kids, Lauren & Michael. Thanks to ladies like Lisa, professional sports are not only for the boys!

Shawn Johnson

photo via gymblog

This little cutie is not only known for her stint on Dancing with the Stars, but she is also Olympic gymnast. Shawn is an 18 year old, only child, who started gymnastics at age 3. Though she's had some recent struggles with a hurt knee, she's on track to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics. 

Tanya Harding 

photo via ExtraTV

SIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Managers

Congrats to Major League Baseball's Managers of the Year!

American League Winner

Minnesota Twins - Ron Gardenhire

photo via tripleinthegap

National League Winner

San Diego Padres - Bud Black

photo via IGN

READ MORE...

Nor Cal vs. So Cal

We all know of the never ending rivalry between Nor Cal and So Cal. 

[REDWOODS vs. PALM TREES, THE BAY vs. THE BEACHES, MAC DRE vs. SNOOP DOGG, FOG vs. SMOG, BIRKENSTOCKS vs. FLIP FLOPS, JOURNEY vs. THE EAGLES, HELLA vs. GNARLY, etc. etc...]

Throw in the sports rivalries between the two sides and you've got yourself a full on cat fight. Let's look at the number of championships for each side to decide the winner...

-Baseball-

So Cal: 

San Diego Padres (0 championships)

 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (1 championship)

Los Angeles Dodgers (5 championships)

Nor Cal: 

San Francisco Giants (1 championship)

 Oakland Athletics (4 championships)

-Football-

So Cal:

 San Diego Chargers (0 championships)

Nor Cal: 

San Francisco 49ers (5 championships)

Oakland Raiders (3 championships)

-Basketball-

So Cal:

Los Angeles Lakers (11 championships)

Los Angeles Clippers (0 championships)

Nor Cal:

Golden State Warriors (1 championship)

Sacramento Kings (0 championships)

-Hockey-

So Cal:

Anaheim Ducks (1 championship)

Los Angeles Kings (0 championships)

Nor Cal:

San Jose Sharks (0 championships)

*Note that So Cal has one more team playing for them than Nor Cal

So Cal - 18

Nor Cal - 14

Looks like So Cal comes out on top with the amount of Championships, with a big thanks to the Lakers. But if Nor Cal had one more team, would they pass So Cal up? 

Now before fists start swinging and the hair pulling begins, let's settle things. I'd say So Cal takes the cake on the court & ice, while Nor Cal clearly takes it with a football. When it comes to baseball, it's pretty much a tie, so let's call it even. 

I'm a So Cal native and a Nor Cal transplant, so I get the draw of each side. I'd take a burrito from So Cal over a Nor Cal one any day. But I'd take a Fall in Nor Cal over any So Cal season. I think we can all shake hands and come to the conclusion that living anywhere in CA is pretty damn nice. So the next time you're breaking up a bar brawl over this matter, remind the boys how both sides have their Championship Rings. (Yes, male athletes receive JEWELRY of all things when they win a championship). 

Nor Cal + So Cal = BFF!

Hanky Panky

Male athletes have been known to play the field in more way than one. Whether its the excess amounts of cash, or the endless groupies, some athletes have a hard time keeping it in their pants. Take a look at a few famous scandals...

1. Tiger Woods, golfer

If you haven't heard of this big athlete OOPS!, you've been living under a rock for the past year. Tiger has been linked to handfuls of classy women claiming to have spent "time" with the golfer. Tigers stunning & newly single baby mama took the kids and ran in 2010. 

Tiger, with ex wife, Elin

photo via Shutter Voice

2. Kobe Bryant, basketball

Kobe proposed to Vanessa after only 6 months of dating and while she was a high school senior. The good times didn't last forever and Kobe ended up juggling a lot more than basketballs. Kobe was charged with sexual assault in 2003, after supposedly raping a hotel staff member. The assault charges were later dropped, but Kobe did admit to the "fling". Luckily for this baller, Vanessa stood by his side. 

Kobe, with wife Vanessa

photo via Booze Crew Sports

and one that is still up for review...

3. Brett Favre, football

This legendary quarterback has been on the hot seat lately, with a reporter claiming that he left her dirty voice mails and sent nude photos. Favre and his wife have been married for 14 years, with 2 daughters and a grandson. Let's keep our fingers crossed that Favre isn't involved in any scandalous two timing.

Brett, with wife Deanna

photo via adamcarolla


Step it up D Bags.

First Timers

The Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year awards were announced today. This is a huge deal to players and fans, so you should probably take note of it! Plus, you'll sound really cool when you bring it up at the office tomorrow. 

An award is handed out to a newbie from the American League & the National League.

American League Rookie of the Year: Neftali Feliz

Feliz is a 22 year old pitcher from the Dominican Republic.

photo via Sports Illustrated

National League Rookie of the Year: Buster Posey 

Posey is a 23 year old catcher, who graduated from Florida State.

photo via NYDailyNews

Congrats, fellas!

LINGO that won't make you look stupid

Ever feel like your THAT GIRL while watching a game? You think you've got the game down, and then you go and blurt something like "Yayy!! Kobe Bryant scored a homerun!". (If you don't see anything wrong with that comment, PLEASE keep reading this blog.)

Are you constantly confusing basketball talk with baseball slang? Well, let me just say "YOU'RE WELCOME" in advance, because I've laid out some important differences between sports. Now instead of being THAT GIRL, you can help her out!

Scoring Options:

Football - Touchdowns (counts for 6, with possible extra point conversion of 1 or 2 pts), Field Goal (counts for 3), Safety (counts for 2)

Baseball - Runs (score depends on how many runs each team gets)          

Basketball - Points (can be 1, 2 or 3 per shot)

Officials:

Football - Referees

Baseball - Umpires

Basketball - Referees

Breakdown of the Game:

Football - Quarters (15 minutes)

Baseball - Innings (no time limits)                           

Basketball - Quarters (12 minutes)

Championship Game(s):

Football - Super Bowl

Baseball - World Series

Basketball - NBA Finals

Playing Fields:
Football - Field
Baseball - Field
Basketball - Court

P.S. It's okay to take notes for your next game viewing. 

Old Farts

They say men get better with age and in this case, they sure do! Though some of these players are only in their late 30's, in pro sports, that's ancient. Sometimes these players just have a hard time throwing in the towel and retiring ..cough, cough, Brett Favre. But, that also means we have more time to watch these silver foxes do their thang. Here are some of the most attractive man-cougars out there. Rarrr!

Brett Favre, 41

     photo via nydailynews

Matt Stover, 42

photo via heraldsun

Adam Vinatieri, 37

     photo via Magic 93.9

Terrell Owens, 36 

photo via benchwarmers united

Martin St. Louis, 35

     photo via craveonline

Grant Hill, 38

photo via mkrob

Jason Kidd, 37

     photo via NBA

Trevor Hoffman, 43

photo via  golden sombrero

Derek Jeter, 36

photo via zimbio

Be sure to catch a NFL game today.. Have a good Sunday Funday babes!

College Cuties

SaturDAYs are all about college football! 

photo via ratestogo

For many avid sports junkies, college sports are do or die. Pride runs deep throughout major college campuses and students love to show honor, any way possible. Whether its body paint, or a beer bong coordinated to the schools colors, these fans know how to represent. 

photo via Phi Kappa Psi 

These athletes are young, sprung, and the best part about it them = they aren't getting paid to play. Most of them are still in love with the game, and not in love with a paycheck. Plus, watching college sports can take college alums, like myself, back to our glory days. Shout out to all my Chico Wildcats! It also doesn't hurt that these young studs are in their pre-beer belly/receding hairline days. Hellooo Christian Ponder.....

photo via zimbio

I know Saturdays can be spent curling up on your couch, catching up on reality TV, but that's what TiVO is for. So turn your blush in for some face paint, your Starbucks in for a beer, and flip on a college game!

*Tip - if you can't decide which team to root for, go with the cutest jerseys. 

Not a football fan? Here's a link to the NCAA (The National Collegiate Athletics Association), where you can dab into the college sport of your fancy. 

Fantasy What??

Ever hear guys (or sportalicious ladies) mention the word "fantasy" like it's the only word in their vocabulary? You start thinking they're talking about some fantasy land on a video game, or perhaps a sexual fantasy, and then the conversation gets wrapped up into baseball or football? Confusion begins to set it... 


So what exactly is this "fantasy" they're all talking about?

FANTASY sports   LEAGUES.

Still confused? Let's take a trip down memory lane, circa 1998.


1998 was a time of hunky, steamy, irressistable BOY BANDS! (Don't try and pretend that you didn't stalk Justin Timberlake somteime throughout the N'SYNC era). We had Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, N'SYNC, O-Town, LFO,  and probably some that we should block out of our memory completely. Now think back to the individuals in each band. There were the popular, charming ones, a la Nick Carter, Nick Lachey, JT and Ashley Angel. (My apologies if you had your heart set on another member). These favorites of ours, would be our "Fantasy Team" of boy bands. We would have chosen our ideal members from each group - the best of the bunch - and morphed them into one FANTASY boy band. 


Same goes with professional sports & fantasy leagues. You're able to draft (choose) the best players of each round and make up a team of your own. Yes, at times, the best players are already chosen, and in this case, you go to the next best thing. In a perfect fantasy world, you would draft all the top players - Tom Brady, Adrian Peterson, Ray Lewis, etc. - for each position. In real life, each player on a fantasy team doesn't usually play on the same actual team, but in Fantasy, anything goes. You eventually get at least one player per position and ta-daa, you have a fantasy team! Depending on how well each of your players do that day, you'll get a certain amount of points, per player. Week by week, you play someone else in your fantasy league, and the team with the most points takes the cake.


Fantasy leagues can be a lot of fun - and easy, with some help from the fellas - so next season, sign up! The leagues range from college & pro football, to Nascar, to golf.. so choose your poison. Worst comes to worst you completely bomb the season, while scoping out major babe athletes. Boo hoo!

Man and Wife

Some more celeb juice for my ladies!

We all know that athletes attract beauties, but in my opinion, these ladies were equally as lucky! Check out some of my favorite Mr. & Mrs. in the world of SPORTS.

Eva Longoria & Tony Parker

Tony plays basketball for the San Antonio Spurs and the couple have been hitched since 2007.

photo via People

Carrie Underwood & Mike Fisher

Carrie's man is a captain for the Ottawa Senators (hockey). The couple married in July of this year.

photo via MTV

Khloe Kardashian & Lamar Odom

KK married her basketball superstar in 2009. Lamar plays ball for the LA Lakers.

photo via freddyo

Brooklyn Decker & Andy Roddick 

This model turned tennis wife, married her pro in 2009.

photo via rave bash

Hilary Duff & Mike Comrie

Mr. Hilary Duff plays hockey for the Pittsburg Penguins. They just tied the knot in August 2010. 

photo via first class fashionista

Kendra Wilkinson & Hank Baskett

This playmate and her Minnesota Viking (football) wed in 2009, after 6 months of knowing eachother.

photo via eonline

and finally.. the KING & QUEEN of Athlete-Celeb bliss...

Victoria & David Beckham

I don't think these two even need an explanation. 

photo via famespy

Do you have some favorite athlete/celeb duo's? Please feel free to send them my way!