Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of the day of love, I wanted to give you the best Sports or Althete-Celebrity Couples of all time! Trying to make this all-time list proved a lot harder than anticipated. I mean can you really put Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Laine on the list? And clearly, Tiger isn’t going to make this top countdown.

Of course, there are the Kardashian Sisters and their pro ballers (Kim with Super Bowl winning NFL star Reggie Bush and Khloe with Lamar Odom, NBA) and Girl Next Door Kendra with Indianapolis Colts player Hank Baskett but um….. yeah…… I don’t think so.

Some of my personal all-time favorites included Halle Berry and David Justice, A-Rod and Madonna, and even…. Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson.( Hey, she popularized the pink jerseys so I can’t hate on them as a couple!)  But they are really not the relatioships that fairy tales are made out of, now are they?

So here’s what I am left with:

5. Tom Brady & Gisele

In reality they probably aren’t the best all time couple. But they certainly are one of the best looking couples in the whole world of all time! I mean she is ranked as the hottest woman, like, ever (personally I like Adriana Lima better but that’s just me….) and he is arguable the sexiest NFL player to ever walk the gridiron. They make the countdown simply because I’m truly dazzled by their hotness.

4. Tony Parker & Eva Longoria

There is just something so sweet and charming about seeing Eva in the stands cheering her man on. Yeah they’ve been splashed over every magazine time and time again but for some reason it doesn’t seem so in your face or obnoxious. More like sweet and romantic! One thing’s for sure, she definitely makes him hotter! He’s a decent looking guy but because she seems to think he  is super-hot, so do we! They are one of those couples that if they were to ever break up, I think everyone would be devastated—kinda like Brad and Jen from back in the day. Sure, the men would move on because that means Eva would be available for them, but it just wouldn’t seem right to link either Tony or Eva with another person.

3. Andre Aggassi & Steffi Graf

The merging of these two powerhouse tennis stars back in 2001 was huge. While people still love to talk about Andre’s relationship with Brooke Shields and dwell on the “what if…..” as if they were Dawson and Joey……I think the Andre/Steffi story is far more wonderful!

2. David Beckham & Victoria “Posh” Beckham

If Tom and Giselle rank as the hottest couple in the world, then David and Victoria rank as the hottest couple in the universe. Seriously, these two are absolutely stunning together.  It’s rare that a couple can become practically British royalty… and American royalty too! It seems like everyone loves them!

And they’ve redefined style and fashion in sports. No, Posh doesn’t play but with her on David’s arm, she’s shown that fans can be fashionable and chic, yet still supportive. And David has shown men that white T-shirts and baggy basketball shorts are not “sports fashion.” They are so pretty it almost hurts to look at them.

and the No. 1. athlete couple is…….

Joe DiMaggio & Marilyn Monroe

Their marriage lasted only 274 days, yet it lives on in baseball history and fairy tales forever.  Maybe it’s because it was such a whirlwind and so explosive. Or maybe its because for 20 years after her death,  even though they had been divorced for a lot longer than they had been married, he had a half-dozen red roses delivered to her crypt three times a week.

Do you agree with my top 5? Who else is on YOUR top sports couple countdown? Leave me a comment below or send me a tweet @stilettosportsj

Top 5 Sports & Athelete-Celebrity Couples of All Time is a post from: Stiletto Sports

It’s the final countdown of the Top Sports Moments of 2009. A new year of sports has already begun with the 2009 Rose Bowl yesterday so it’s time to wrap up the 2009 highlights. So far we’ve covered seven key sports highlights like Mark Buehrle’s Perfect Game, the UConn-Syracuse 6 Overtime Game, Mine that Bird & Rachel Alexandra: the little horses that could, Y.E. Yang’s astonishing defeat of Tiger Woods, the highly anticipated match-up of Sid Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in the NHL Playoffs,  Santonio Holmes’ last second catch that won the Super Bowl for the Steelers, and of course, the recap of the year of anti-climatic national title wins.

So what moment was so amazing, so powerful, so fan-tastical, that it earned the spot as the #1 Sports Moment of 2009?

The Michigan State Spartans Take on the North Carolina Tar Heels for the NCAA National Championship.

No, they didn’t win. They didn’t even come close. It was in fact, a massacre of the little green men from Michigan.

So….then why is it such a great moment?

Because it wasn’t just about that one game; it was about their entire journey.

First, the Spartans took the world by total surprise. Even though they were actually a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Michigan State was definitely the Cinderella Team of March Madness.  Sure, Michigan State is known in the college football world, but college basketball? Not so much. But there they were taking down powerhouses like the UConn Huskies and the No. 1 seed of the entire tournament: Louisville.

I don’t even think Mich State fans would have put money on their boys to go all the way through the tourney but there they were, standing tall and proud against the elite March Madness dominating Tar Heels.

But it was more than just the little underdog-that-could story. I’m not going to dwell on “these hard times” or the “economic crisis of ‘09″ because it irritates me to no end that the hardship has become a major marketing ploy. But it does need to be mentioned to understand the significance of the Michigan State Spartans. Their “surprising” uprising through the ranks of the tournament inspired such hope to so many across the country especially to those living in the economically ravaged state of Michigan.

See, Michigan State campus is only 75 miles away from Detroit, Michigan where the 2009 NCAA Final Four was taking place. So when the Spartans defeated Louisville and took their place in the Final Four, the boys in green were coming home!

Hope had packed up and left Detroit months before and the city had become a place where spirits were low. In the last year, they have been rapidly losing their esteemed title of “Motor City.” Having the “underdogs” of the tourney coming home to battle it out has breathed life back into the bleak town–in the same way that Seabiscuit and James Braddock  (Cinderella Man) brought towns back during the Great Depression.

In fact, the 2009 Final Four in Detroit had the highest attendance of all time. Ford Field packed in over 72,922 fans. To compare to the next highest attendace, in 2003, when the Final Four was in New Orleans, 64,959 fans showed up.

So maybe they didn’t win the National Title, but they won over the heart of the nation. And that, to me, is even more important.

Michigan State Spartans take on UNC Tar Heels–Top Sports Moment 2009 #1 is a post from: Stiletto Sports

The Top Sports Moments of 2009 Countdown is winding down as a new year of sports is about to begin. So far we’ve covered key sports highlights like Mark Buehrle’s Perfect Game, the UConn-Syracuse 6 Overtime Game,  Mine that Bird & Rachel Alexandra: the little horses that could,  Y.E. Yang’s astonishing defeat of Tiger Woods, and the highly anticipated match-up of Sid Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in the NHL Playoffs.

As much as it pains me to relive the horrible loss that the Arizona Cardinals suffered, there is no denying that Super Bowl XLIII was a major highlight of the year–and one of the firsts of the year for that matter. My pick for the #2 Sports Moment of 2009 is Santonio Holmes, the Steelers and the catch that ended Super Bowl XLIII.

Super Bowl XLIII was my most anticipated Super Bowl (including the one I actually attended). First, the Super Bowl was in Tampa, where I live so there was a lot of local hype about the game. Plus, I had spent weeks covering the teams as they advanced through the playoffs and fell in love with the underdog Cardinals whose remarkable season played out like a Disney sports flick.

Kurt Warner, the hot, old quarterback who should have retired, having one of the best seasons of his career. A team who has never even made it to a divisional playoff game, let alone the Super Bowl…..definite Blockbuster movie potential.

And then there were the big, bad Pittsburgh Steelers out for Super Bowl win number 6.

For most of it, the game really wasn’t all that exciting. It was okay, but not an edge of the seat match-up that you hope for. The Steelers dominated and the Cards were shut down almost the whole game. They were not playing to win.

And then….. suddenly it was.

It was like someone lit a fire under their hot tushies or told them at the beginning of the fourth quarter “hey, you guys are playing in the SUPER BOWL today….” It waslike watching a race where the runner or horse was conserving its energy the whole time and then bursts out at the end!

• In eight minutes they went on a 16-0 run.
• They scored two touchdowns and were awarded 2-points for a Safety
• With under 3:00 remaining in the game, they took their first lead of the game!

And with that lead the Cardinals defense stepped up and began to shut down the Steelers offense as well.

But….

With only :35 seconds left to go and Arizona up 23-20, Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball for a truly stunning end zone catch by Santonio Holmes, reminiscent of the Giant’s Super Bowl XLII win the year before.

And even though it meant that my beloved Cardinals and Kurt Warner did not win the Super Bowl, and that Disney would not be making a movie about this awesome story since it no longer had a happy ending… it made for a really exciting finish, and an amazing sports moment for the record books to start 2009 with.

The Pittsburgh Steelers became the first team in NFL history to win 6 Super Bowls. And “The Catch 2009″  will be immortalized in NFL history as well.

For the complete game recap, see my Top Deals Steals & Scores: The Steelers Win Super Bowl XLIII

Santonio, Steelers & Super Bowl XLIII — Top Sports Moment 2009 #2 is a post from: Stiletto Sports

In the top sports moments for 2009 countdown, there are actually two “the catch” moments that left sports fans gasping in astonishment and amazement: Santonio Holmes’ catch in the end zone in Super Bowl XLIII, and my pick for the #3 Sports Moment of 2009: DeWayne Wise’s over-the-wall-catch to secure Mark Buehrle’s Perfect Game.

On July 23, 2009, the Tampa Bay Rays headed up North to take on the Chicago White Sox in a mid-season game that no one really thought twice about. But no one knew magic was about to happen.

Throughout eight innings, White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle was throwing a perfect game. No runs, no hits…. nothing. Now of course, no one dared mention this or speak of it because that is against all baseball lore. You never talk about the streak.

But then disaster struck in the top of the ninth. Tampa Bay’s Gabe Kapler connected with Buehrle’s pitch, and the ball took off like a rocket into left center field for a home run.

And out of nowhere, DeWayne Wise, running as fast as a rocket himself, reached over the wall and snagged the ball out of the stands, juggling it a bit on the way down, to secure the out and keep the no-hit record intact

It will be going down in the books as one of baseball’s all-time great clutch catches. The White Sox have added a sign to the top of the left-center-field wall that reads simply “The Catch.”

Oh, and two batters later, Buehrle polished off his Perfect Game. It was “27 up, 27 down,” something that has only been accomplished 16 times in modern baseball. That’s a pretty huge moment!

Funny – Funny Videos

And also a fun tribute video set to David Cook’s “Declaration” How could I resist posting it?!

Wise’s Perfect Catch to Finish Buehrle’s Perfect Game — Top Sports Moment 2009 #3 is a post from: Stiletto Sports

There have been a ton of amazing sports commercials for 2009, everything from LMFAO ads like “Lizard Lake” and “Is it Monday Yet?” to really inspirational sports commercials like the MLB’s “beyond baseball” and the Values.com Foundation for a Better Life sereis.

But my absolute favorite, never get sick off, LMFAO every single time I see it no matter how many times I see it, best sports commercial for 2009 is…..

E-Trade Golf Baby: Shankapotamus

Now, I’ve always had a thing for the E-Trade Baby. He cracks me up in almost every commercial he is in. But this one even more hysterical. It features ETrade Golf Baby and an old man. Two of them have been out golfing and the baby is totally mocking the old guy’s golf skills and calls him a “Shank-a-pot-amus” cuz the guy can’t hit the ball straight.

Makes me laugh every time I hear it!
To be honest, I can never remember what the ad is for or how the golf theme ties in, its just the “shankapotamus” that sticks with me!

Hope you enjoyed the Top Sports Commercials of 2009 Countdown! Do you agree with my picks? What was your fave? Leave me a comment below or send me a tweet @StilettoSportsJ!
Don’t forget to check out the Top Sports Moments of 2009 countdown as well!
shankapotomus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhhEdDNWl6I&feature=related

#1 Sports Commercial for 2009: Shankapotamus is a post from: Stiletto Sports

Last year, MLB’s “There’s Only One October” took the top sport in the Top Sports Commercials of 2008. But this year, the MLB’s amazing “Beyond Baseball” series fell to #3 in the Top Sports Commercials of 2009 countdown, despite being even better than last year’s series.

Why? Because the VERSUS Brand Sports Commercial was even more amazing. From the opening lines to the breathtaking montage of powerful sports moments at the end, this video will give you chills. The commerical is an add for VERSUS cable network to show all the exciting things that happen and why we should watch sports with them. And I gotta say, after this commercial, they have turned me into a VERSUS fan!

Here is the voiceover of the ad set over the thrilling music and the breathtaking sports clip montage:

“Here’s the thing that makes life so interesting.
The theory of evolution claims

only the strong will survive.
maybe so, maybe so
but the theory of competition says:

just because they’re the strong doesn’t mean they can’t get their ass kicked.
thats right.

see, what every long-shot, come-from-beyond-underdog will tell ya is this:
the other guy may in fact be the favorite, the odds may be stacked against you.

fair enough
but what the odds don’t know is this isn’t a math test
this is a completely different kind of test
one where passion has a funny way of trumping logic
so before you step up to the starting line

before the whistle blows and the clock starts
just remember, out here, the results don’t always add up
no matter what the stats may say and the experts may think and commentators may have predicted
when the race is on, all bets are off
don’t be surprised if someone decides to flip the script
and take a pass on yelling ‘uncle’
then suddenly, as the old saying goes

‘we’ve got ourselves a game’

VERSUS Network Sports Montage- Top Sports Commercials of 2009 #2 is a post from: Stiletto Sports

My pick for the #4 sports moment of 2009 is the PGA Championship. Now it’s not like like 2008’s Top Sports Moment when Tiger Woods played the U.S. Open with a broken foot. This is the opposite.

2009 has definitely not been the year of the Tiger, that’s for sure. Even before all the crazy scandals about all his millions of mistresses and his silly little car incident, Tiger was having a rough year in the golf world as well. Like back in June when virtual unknown Y.E. Yang actually beat him in the PGA Open…..

Now, in the golf history books the claim to fame about Y.E.’s PGA win was that he was the first Asian golfer to win the championship. But in reality, the bigger claim to fame was that he took down the legend himself, Tiger Woods.

This random guy, who didn’t play in the championship last year and didn’t even make the halfway-through cut in the 2007 PGA Championship, was ranked 110 on the tour. Tiger, on the other hand, always leads the tour and was named Athlete of the Decade in 2009…..

Yet, when the final holes played out, Yang wound up beating Tiger by three strokes, despite having gone into the final round down two.

Just like in college basketball/football, if you beat a big name in a big game, you are going to bump up big in the rankings! Y.E. jumped up to being ranked #34 after his PGA win.

Y.E. Yang Takes Down a Tiger & Wins PGA—Top Sports Moment 2009 #4 is a post from: Stiletto Sports

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2009 was the year of the Ox; but in sports, 2009 was definitely the year of the Horse.

The #5 sports moment of 2009 goes to the winners of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness because the races were ones for the record books.

The Kentucky Derby

The legendary horse race that kicks off the season and the first leg of the coveted Triple Crown, was eagerly anticipated just like it always is. The ladies decked out in their Sunday best with big hats and the men wore their dapper suits and smoke cigars.  Pioneer of the Nile was projected to win and was ahead of the pack going into the final leg until…..

Out of nowhere, first-timer Mine That Bird came racing up against the rails. Mine that Bird, a 50-1 longshot took down Pioneer and won the Kentucky Derby to the complete astonishment of the racing world.

“He took the lead so fast after the final turn that NBC Sports race announcer Tom Durkin didn’t notice that the gelding took the lead until it had a three-length opening ahead of the pack. Mine That Bird had the longest margin of victory in over 60 years, and was the longest-odds horse to win the Derby in over 85 years” From Wikipedia

The Preakness

Flash ahead a few weeks later. Mine That Bird is all set to race to win the Triple Crown and the world was holding their breath in eager anticipation. What a wonderful underdog, come-from-behind story that would be! A horse racing story for the ages!

And it was! The 2009 Preakness definitely became a horse racing story for the ages It was an amazing underdog, come-from-behind, unknown-little-guy-wins-it-all story! Or rather….unknown little-gal-wins-it-all.

Rachel Alexandra became the first filly to take on all the boys of the Preakness and win since 1924! She even bested Mine that Bird by 3/4 length and dashed his hopes of the Triple Crown.

Another crazy thing about the races is that the jockey who rode Mine that Bird in the Derby, Calvin Borel, was the jockey for Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness. He’s the first jockey to win two legs of the Triple Crown by riding two different horses!

Prior to the Preakness, Borel told interviewers that Rachel was going to win and that he believed she was the best horse in the country.

The videos I selected are really long and i apologize for that. But it tells the tale of Mine that Bird and Rachel Alexandra and how they came to win.

Mine That Bird, Rachel Alexandra & The Year of the Horses – Top Sports Moments 2009 #5 is a post from: Stiletto Sports

In the #8 Sports Moment of 2009, I briefly mentioned the North Carolina Tar Heels NCAA National Title win as one of the moments that made ‘09 the year of anti-climatic power-house championships. The #6 Sports Moment of 2009 was anything but anti-climatic, although it did feature two of the power houses of the Big East.  In honor of their 6 overtime game, I pick the Syracuse-UConn Big East Quarterfinal Game as my #6 sports moment.

It might not have been the NCAA National Title Game. It might not have been a Final Four matchup. In fact, it wasn’t even an NCAA Tourney game at all. But the Syracuse-UConn Big East Tournament Quarterfinal matchup was the best college basketball game…..ever.

The two schools went into battle for the Big East title in Madison Square Garden on March 12, 2009 and neither team wanted to go home.

The game went into SIX overtimes. It lasted 3 hours and 46 minutes, making it the second longest basketball game in history. It didn’t end until 1:22 a.m.!  (Gameclock was 70 minutes; 2 2ominute halves and 6 five minute OTs)

The Crazy Stats:

• The teams combined for 244 points. Most college games top out at 70ish points per team.
• 102 points came after regulation
• Eight players fouled out, four from each team. So a lot of unknowns finished the game
• Johnny Flynn played 67 out of 69 minutes of the game
• Six players had double-doubles
• Syracuse never led in OT… until they won.

The game become one of legends and will be talked about….forever. It also kicked off the March Madness season and wet our appetites for buzzer beaters, OTs and well, Madness!

I am going to give an honorable mention to Villanova and Scottie Reynolds’ last second shot against Pittsburgh. Villanova defeated them 78-76 with that desperation shot and sent the Wildcats to the Final Four for the first time in to 24 years.

Syracuse-UConn 6 OTs and other March Madness- Top Sports Moment 2009 #6 is a post from: Stiletto Sports

Last year, MLB’s “There’s Only One October” series ranked as my #1 Sports Commercial of 2008. This year, MLB created a whole new series of commercials even more powerful, more inspirational and more moving than ever before called “Beyond Baseball.” Each commercial features something so inherent to American’s greatest pasttime: from fan loyalty and dreams of childhood boys to remarkable players like Albert Pujols and Joba Chamberlain. Then each shows how each moment or player, or fans, go above and beyond motivation, beyond loyalty, beyond determination, beyond living history…. beyond baseball.

So if they are so much better than last year, why aren’t they ranked #1 again? Well, you’ll just have to check back and see what the #2 and #1 commercials are for 2009 so you can understand!

It’s impossible to pick just one as my favorite so here is the entire series! What is your favorite?

1. Beyond Childhood Dreams : Montage of players like Derek Jeter, Jered Weaver, James Loney, & Jimmy Rollins and how they all dreamed of one day playing MLB baseball.
2. Beyond Unpredictable: Clips of key highlights from past seasons that show you never know what’s going to happen in October
3. beyond loyalty: MLB’s most loyal fans describing how they grew up loving their team and will never waiver
4. Beyond Motivation: Features the Upton Brothers, B.J & Justin, and the sibling rivalry that has pushed the two of them to excel in their careers.
5. beyond inspiration Features Ryan Howard and how his upbringing inspired him to be great and rise above.
6. beyond dedication: Features Tim Lincecum and his father. The dedication and practice it took to make Tim so great.
7. beyond a journey: Features Joba Chamberlain and his father who, despite being handicapped, played catch with Joba while he was growing up.
8. beyond devoted: Features the  Angels honoring their late teammate, Nick Adenhardt, who was killed in a car crash in early 2009.
9. beyond determination Features Grady Sizemore growing up determined to play major league ball and how “instead of a pillow, he slept on a baseball glove”
   
10. Beyond Living History Features Albert Pujols but is really more about those amazing moments, amazing players of MLB history like Hank Aaron and Joe DiMaggio that you heard about from your grandparents growing up.
    

Beyond a Childhood Dream: Montage of players

Beyond Unpredictable: Highlights of postseason

Beyond Loyalty: Team Fan Loyalty

Beyond Motivation: Upton Brothers

Beyond Inspiration: Ryan Howard

Beyond Dedication: Tim Lincecum

Beyond a Journey: Joba Chamberlain

Beyond Devoted: Nick Adenhart

Beyond Determination: Grady Sizemore

Beyond Living History: Albert Pujols

MLB “Beyond Baseball” Series -Best Sports Commercials 2009 #3 is a post from: Stiletto Sports