By Eric Emery
As most fans ready themselves with their impending fantasy football drafts and ironing their new purple #4 jerseys, married fans must do a little extra research before the season. A majority of married fans need to be aware of how the football world connects with popular culture. For instance, you need to know the name of that big butted gal who dated Reggie Bush and the Simpson girl who jinxed Tony Romo. If you know these names, your significant other may root along with you. But without the extra popular culture knowledge, you may find yourself watching the World Championships of Figure Skating. When that happens, like in nuclear war, nobody wins.
Here are some less-than-notable football/pop culture connections that you can try out to impress your better half:
* On their first date, Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher challenged Kate Gosselin to put her kids up against his in a game of hoops. Vegas favored Team Urlacher due to its “deep bench.”
* Rap artist 50 Cent and Bengals wideout Chad “Ocho Cinco”Johnson scrapped plans to form a rap duo called “A Buck Thirty Five.”
* The Detroit Lions scrapped plans to appear on the new season of The Biggest Loser when they learned the show wasn’t what they thought it was.
* Michael Vick nearly lost an opportunity to re-enter the NFL when it was learned that he also applied for a job with Dog, the Bounty Hunter.
* Bravo in in discussions with Plaxico Burress to appear in The Real Housewives of Rikers Island.
* Brian Urlacher and Jon Gosselin will participate in Fox’s new reality show The World’s Worst Dad.
* Brett Favre has landed a role on the new Melrose Place. He’ll play a neighbor who keeps moving in and out.
* Peter Griffin once played for the New England Patriots.
* Bill Parcells will star in The Wildcat as an aging football coach in search of a young offense.
* The next season of The Wire will center on the Baltimore Ravens.
Posted on August 25, 2009