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Boston Redsox Centerfielder, Jacoby Ellsbury is being featured in Nike’s SPARQ cross-training promotion. He was even recently featured in the February, 2008 issue of Men’s Vogue. The Miami Herald has also named this MLB player one of 10 “young athletes most likely to become cultural touchstones over the next decade.”

Nike has teamed up with SPARQ, a performance training evaluation program in Portland; they will be revealing their newest cross-training line consisting of sports apparel and footwear. With a pricepoint from $65 to $90, the footwear line will feature the Air Zoom SPARQ Trainer Elite, Air SPARQ Trainer and the SPARQ Test Pro (all weighing nine ounces).

Latest Ellsbury MLB Highlight:
The twenty-four year old went up against ace pitcher, Johan Santana of the New York Mets, during Monday night’s spring training game at Traditions Field in Port Saint Lucie, Florida.

Santana gave up two pitches during the game, one of which was knocked straight out into center field by Ellsbury.

In an exciting turn of events for the Houston Rockets, they have just won their 19th consecutive game. This is especially exciting since their star player Yao Ming is not playing for the rest of this season because of a stress fracture in his left foot; which he just had surgery on and which by the way, he is treating with Chinese medicinal herbs.

Not the Rockets only amazing feat, but apparently they have also gone down in NBA history as the third team (tied mind you) to win this many games in a row with a double digit score.

……..Something to which my boyfriend was surprised but also happy to hear.

With Houston Rockets: 91 and New Jersey Nets: 73, this triumph skyrocketed the Rockets (excuse the corny pun…tee-hee) over the New Jersey Nets on Monday night’s game.

In other somewhat earth-shattering news related to this incredible game, apparently an estimated 146,400 households watched the historical NBA Houston Rockets game and actually beat out one of my favorite television shows, CSI Miami (Sorry Horatio). Sadly, my household did not partake in the viewing of this somewhat historical NBA game, but my household did catch all the great replays - thank you ESPN!

Anyways, Tracy McGrady was on his game in scoring 19 points, which from what I understand, was incredible in that he did it in a little under three quarters! And congrats to rookie Luis Scola for scoring 12 points!

Interestingly enough, the Houston Rockets are now tied in third place with the New Jersey Nets NBA record for straight wins set by the Jets back in 2004.

Tibit of Info:
The Washington Capitols were the first NBA team to set the third place record for longest consecutive wins with a double digit score back in 1946. They were a charter team for the Basketball Association of America (BAA) which later became the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Washington Capitals were a charter team for the NBA and was coached by Red Auerbach of NBA Hall of Fame. The team played their last game on January 9, 1951. (It is continually confused with the current National Hockey League Team (NHL) team of the same name.)

Tidbit of Humor:
At the time of this writing and while speaking to my boyfriend, I kept confusing the New Jersey Nets with the New York Jets (dyslexic writing at its finest), but I’m all straight now!

Damn.….I so want to compete in this race next year!

For a chance to win $15,000 - race about a quarter of a mile (350 meters) in high heels! Sign me up! Saturday as I was watching CNN, I was in amazement at the news story regarding the “Stiletto Run” held March 7, 2008 in Amsterdam on the shopping mecca street, P.C. Hooftstraat.

Why was this “sporting” event so interesting to me? For one, I rarely go a day without wearing “high heels” or “stilettos”….it’s on rare occasion you’ll find me in flats. I’ll wear high heels/stilettos in the rain, to Little League baseball games, to the beach and just running errands around town. I can run in them, walk down flights of stairs in them, etc., basically do anything in them ; all very gracefully mind you. (If you can’t “walk” in them, please don’t do your heels injustice by wearing them….nothing is worse then seeing a gorgeous pair of heels on some chick who can’t walk right in them….girls….practice if you must).

European Glamour Magazine sponsored the event and preliminary heats were held in six of the Netherlands’ and Belgium’s major cities before the actual race. Minimum heel height for the ladies was 3 1/2 minimum….now in my opinion, that would just be considered your standard “high heel”….and also in my opinion, 5 inches and beyond would actually be classified as stilettos, but hey - that’s just me…and mind you, the term stiletto technically refers to the silhouette of the shoe, not so much the height.

Through the years, fashion historians have much debated the actual origination of the stiletto. Was it Italian designer, Salvatore Ferragamo in 1952 whose innovative design of the steel shank metal heel in women’s shoes naming it the stiletto-dagger after its namesake knife? or; French Designer, Roger Vivier of House of Dior in 1954, who gave birth to the needle heel (rod of steel) - the ultra thin talon aguille pairing it with your basic pump silhouette? Regardless of who was first, I’m just thankful for the design.

Out of about 150 competitors, Tamara Ruben from Veenendaal was the victor of the third annual Stiletto Run. She was reported as saying her prize money would be spent on “anything but heels.”

Tidbit of Info:

Preliminary Heat: In sports, before a race or contest, it either eliminates competitors or determines the beginning order for players competing in a sport.

Tidbit of Humor…..(well to me anyways)

Okay girls.…..If two baseball teams are warming up and you’re asked how many outs are there…..Don’t answer!

During my oldest son’s Little League baseball game today, (Go Angels!) my brother asked me that very question, and…. I fell for it, turned to my boyfriend and asked him the same question to which he chuckled, “oh baby you’re amazing”, which of course just went over my head, and in turn I asked my Dad…so yes…they all had quite a good chuckle at my baseball naiveté! (In my own defense…I was a tad bit confused just for a moment and quite possibly in my own little world!)

The NBC National Heads Up Poker Championship was held on February 28th through March 2nd, in Pure Nightclub at Ceasar’s Palace in Las Vegas. It included sixty-four celebrities, poker professionals and amateur players including actors; Jason Alexander, Don Cheadle, Brad Garret, actress/poker pro Shannon Elizabeth (2nd straight year at the final four table) and; poker pros, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Annie Duke, Chris Ferguson, Joe Hachem, Phil Ivey (2008 World Poker Tour Champ), Daniel Negreanu, Andy Bloch, and Vanessa Rousso and MLB legend Orel Hershiser (who astonished all and added excitement by ending up in the final four of the game!). Each player put up $20,000 to play in this poker championship.

The following is an excerpt from the recap of the final day’s play that my boyfriend wrote. You can check his piece out at http://www.PokerOwnage.com.

Full Tilt Poker Pro Chris Ferguson finally shook off the National Heads-Up Championship monkey off his back.

In what was built up to be the “Battle of the Bridesmaids,” it was the tourney veteran Ferguson who would defeat fellow FTP pro Andy Bloch en route to the 2008 National Heads Up Championship title.

Andy Bloch, who has been known for not being able to close out the “big tournament” at times, was last put in this situation in the inaugural $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, where he lost both a huge chip lead and [eventually] the heads up battle against the late Chip Reese. The final match against Chris Ferguson would prove to have a similar fate, although he didn’t go down without a fight.

In fact, the best-of-three match would go down to the wire. The 1st one went to a rallying Andy Bloch, as he came back from a 4-to-1 chip deficit to beat out Ferguson’s TPTK with a flopped set. With momentum clearly in Bloch’s corner, it was the man they call Jesus who had to now come from behind. In the 2nd match, Ferguson did just that. He hit quad Queens against his fellow Full Tilt pro, and the match was squared up at 1 apiece.

In the 3rd and final match, it would be a coin-flip that would decide the players’ fate in the Heads-Up Championship. On a flop of 10 7 3 (with 2 spades)…..For the rest of this article, please visit http://www.PokerOwnage.com.

According to The Associated Press on Sunday, records released to them through the Freedom of Information Act, showed the FBI had investigated Max McGee, famed Green Bay Packers wide receiver for illegal gambling.  This occurred for several months from the end of 1972 through September of 1973.

It was alleged that after his football career had ended, he became a bookmaker. The records showed McGee kept company with people who were connected with the 1963 NFL gambling scandal, one of which being Packer half back and McGee’s roommate for ten seasons, Paul Hornung.  The NFL suspended Hornung in 1963 for gambling on his own games.  Hornung has always maintained although the two of them enjoyed playing poker together, he never placed a bet with him.

Although the ostentatious McGee loved to party, play poker and bet on horse races, there was never enough evidence to prove he did anything illegal and the FBI dropped the case against McGee.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello was reported as saying he was unaware of the FBI’s investigation of McGee. Denise McGee, his widow, was also unaware of the investigation even though she didn’t meet McGee until after the investigation would have ended. She commented, “I was with him for 26 years, and he is the most honest and loyal person I ever met. Did he like to bet on football games? Yeah, a lot of people do.”

Max McGee scored the first touchdown in the first-ever NFL Super Bowl; Super Bowl I was played on January 15, 1967 at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Originally he wasn’t even supposed to play in the game, but in the end, he caught seven passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Vince Lombardi was head coach of the Green Bay Packers and they claimed victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with a score of 35-10.

McGee died in October, 2007 at the age of seventy-five when he fell to his death from raking leaves off of the roof of his Minneapolis home.  Interestingly enough, the song “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers was played during his funeral.

Tidbits of Info:

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was signed into federal law on July 4, 1966 by the 36th president of the United States, President Lyndon B. Johnson without fanfare on his Texas Ranch. The act is based upon people having the right to know what our federal government is up to. This act applies to all departments and federal agencies in the executive branch of the government. It excludes our President, Congress and courts as well as state governments. Files held on citizens being investigated by federal agencies become a matter of public record after the citizen has died.

The Super Bowl trophy aka, the Lombardi Trophy, was named after legendary coach Vince Lombardi.

The name for the Super Bowl was devised after Kansas City Chiefs former owner Lamar Hunt was inspired by the name Super Ball on one of his daughter’s balls one day.

Tony Gonzalez is not your average NFL Player – touted as one of the most highly skilled tight ends in NFL history, this Kansas City Chiefs’ player was also named one of ESPN’s sexiest athletes in the world.

His role on the field takes a back seat to his innate spirit as a humanitarian; he chairs The Tony Gonzalez Foundation which helps to further emotional and educational support of medically challenged children. This is done through his two sub-foundations; Shadow Buddies Foundation and The Boys and Girls Club. Among his accomplishments, he has published an autobiographical book for children titled, Catch and Connect; he also hosts a youth football camp during his off season from the NFL and on MVPSpot.com he provides information on nutrition and health.

With 99 catches for 1,172 yards and five touchdowns, Gonzales completed the 2007 NFL season in a big way. His career has spanned over eleven years and he has gained five team records along with four NFL records including most career receiving touchdowns by a tight end with sixty-six touchdowns and most career receptions by a tight end with 816 receptions.

Tony began on Friday participating in ESPN The Weekend at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The show will feature live and taped segments on stage of sports stars and celebrities being interviewed sharing their memorable moments and their favorite segments on ESPN. Sunday, March 2^nd, he will be premiering as one of three judge’s in Oprah Winfrey’s new prime-time show “The Big Give” which will allow Gonzalez to let his humanitarian side shine.

Tony Gonzalez had this to say about his new gig with Oprah, “Competition can bring out the best in people. What I love about Oprah’s Big Give is people are using that competitive edge to help others. I think that’s cool, very cool.”

With so many negative connotations related to professional athletes these days, it’s really heartwarming to see an athlete like Tony Gonzalez who is a genuine role model in every sense.

Tidbits of Info:

A Tight End is the last player on the offensive line who not only blocks, but also passes, catches and makes touchdowns.

Career Receiving - How many catches an offensive player has made from a forward pass*

*Forward Pass - a player throws the ball close to the opposing team’s goal line in which only one is allowed per day from that team’s line of scrimmage*

*Line of Scrimmage - starting point of where the quarterback first hikes the football