Shanda sounds off: Sports and the Academy Awards
Welcome to the Sound Off! Right here is where you can everything you might have missed in sports and entertainment last week and sound off about it!
Tweet Of the Week:
Peter Brady is doing a fine job hosting the #Oscars
— Dane Cook (@DaneCook) February 25, 2013
—On Seth McFarlane as host of the Academy Awards
Ed Reed hits the red carpet
This past Sunday was the 85th Academy Awards hosted by Family Guy writer Seth McFarlane. All of the stars came out in style to celebrate the films of this year, but there was something that all of you didn’t get to see: NFL vet and Super Bowl champion Ed Reed hosting on the red carpet.
Is it me, or is it not the strangest thing to see Ed Reed in a tux? From the field to the red carpet, Ed Reed played NFL Network’s analyst for the night at the 85th Oscars (after Rob Gronkowski pulled out at the last minute) where he got a chance to rub elbows with Hollywood’s finest and encountered some Hollywood stars who aren’t big fans of his. Count George Clooney, a Cincinnati Bengals fan, as an A-Lister who wasn’t shy about letting Reed know how hurt he was that his team was beaten by the Ravens, but it was all in good fun. Reed looked like he had a lot of fun, so who knows? Maybe we’ll see more of him on the network. Watch some of his red carpet moments here.
Gronkowski’s Arm Infection
There’s more interesting news surrounding Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski. Sources reported that the Pat’s big man recently had surgery on the forearm that has been broken twice this season, making it the third time the arm has been operated on this year. Luckily, the infection was caught early on and Gronk won’t miss any additional time.
The 23-year-old has been under the microscope this year for his big-time partying and what people are calling his irresponsible antics. Most recently, Gronkowski was scrutinized for being seen wrestling a friend while in Las Vegas, while still nursing a broken forearm. The TE has missed five games this season but was able to return at the conclusion of the year. His return was cut short after re-breaking his arm in the divisional playoffs in January.
ADIDAS promises shoe deal offer to fastest athlete at Combine
There’s one thing you have to have if you are going to excel down in Indianapolis this year for the NFL Combine, and that’s speed. Adidas is making sure they lock down the fastest prospect to their own roster by offering a shoe deal to the fastest man at the combine. All week long, ads have been showing up around Indy reading “Run the fastest 40, and get a contract offer.” Though the combine is sponsored by Underarmour, Adidas is sending out a message, while marketing their new adi-zero 5-star prime cleats, which weigh 5.3 oz. Adidas spokesman Michael Ehrlich said that the company will come through with an offer on a contract, but there is no minimum.
UFC Finally Gives the Ladies a Turn
It’s been almost a 20-year history for the UFC, and what better way to move forward then with the first ever UFC Women’s Bantam-weight championship. This week, for the first time in UFC history, MMA fans were finally able to watch the first female bout as Ronda Rousey took to the ring to defend her title against Liz Carmouche. Rousey didn’t disappoint. The 26-year-old won the fight with an amazing first-round victory. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Rousey and the ladies of the UFC, but I take my hat off to UFC president Dana White as this is definitely a step in the right direction.
No Football for Jr.
With scrutiny on the safety of the game of football building daily, I find the outlook of the players themselves fascinating. Increasingly, more of the NFL’s athletes are coming forward to express their opinions, and now we can add Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson to that list. Last weekend, the celebrated RB told TMZ he’ll “never let his son play football”.
It seems shocking coming from one of the NFL’s best running backs, but given the long-term health risks that have surfaced in the last few years, maybe it’s not as shocking as it could be. The deaths of Junior Seau and other NFL stars that have been linked to brain disease stemming from football injuries are enough to make anyone think twice about letting their child play. Last year a study was released that proved 97 percent of NFL players with a history of head injuries had signs of degenerative brain disease.
