Celebrities and athletes seem to make good couples
For some male athletes, Cupid’s arrow has directed their love towards top female celebrities.
The stereotypical idea that the popular jocks date the prettiest cheerleaders has slightly transformed and elevated its way into Hollywood. The cheerleaders are now famous singers, actresses and models, while the jocks are star athletes in professional sports.
For example, San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker and “Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria are one of Hollywood’s most talked-about couples. The media has been swarming the couple throughout their relationship, but the rumors have settled considerably. The two recently wed in July 2007.
Both Parker and Longoria have strong, high-profile careers. The NBA named Parker as a Western conference all-star in 2007 for his skills on the court, while Longoria and the cast “Desperate Housewives” have received numerous Emmys.
New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady is another athlete that has dated his share of celebrities. He dated actress Bridget Moynahan, with whom he has a child, as well as top fashion model, Gisele Bundchen.
Despite losing the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, Brady has led his team to a perfect undefeated season going 16-0. At the end of the day, he gets to share his achievements with Bundchen, one of the most well-known models in the U.S. They are both at the peak of their careers, and so far neither has been publicly accused of affecting the other’s profession.
Some CU students see the appeal celebrities and sports stars have for each other.
“I think Tom Brady and Gisele are a good couple,” said Abbie Smithson, a sophomore majoring in history. “It makes sense that they would be together since they are both at the top of their careers. Brady could be a model, so it makes even more sense!”
Unlike Bundchen and Brady, not every celebrity-athlete couple has been able to avoid the scrutiny of the fans and the press.
The recent relationship between singer Jessica Simpson and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has not pleased many Cowboy fans. Many have said they think Simpson has been a distraction to Romo at games, causing his poor performance.
Simpson attended one of Romo’s games on Dec. 16, 2007, in which Romo had one of his worst games of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to NFL.com, Romo threw no touchdowns, committed three interceptions and had two fumbles. The Cowboys lost the game 6-10. He also received a quarterback rating of only 22.2, a significant change from his season average rating of 97.4.
According to People.com, Dallas fans were not happy during the game. The network even showed a montage of pictures of Simpson along with pictures of Romo’s bad throws.
Following the game, Romo’s teammate Terrrell Owens told the media that Simpson was “not a fan favorite” in Dallas and that he thought “a lot of people probably think she’s taking focus away.” He later publicly apologized for his statement saying it was only a joke.
However, football fans took their superstitions about the sport to a new level, with the creation of ruinromo.com. The site asked fans from other NFL teams to cut out a picture of Simpson and wear it as a mask at the Cowboy’s following game against the Carolina Panthers in order to jinx Romo.
The fans let their superstitions get the best of them, and according to usmagazine.com, thousands of Panthers fans wore Simpson masks, some complete with blonde wigs.
The Cowboys ignored the jeering fans, managing to win 20- 13 against the Panthers, proving the “curse” to be untrue.
Students are not sure Simpson could have any effect on the game in the first place.
“Wearing masks of Jessica Simpson is just another way for fans to entertain themselves,” said Jared Markley, a junior economics major. “I can understand why people would want to poke fun at it because it’s funny, but I don’t see how Jessica Simpson could impact his play. If he can handle the pressure of millions of people every game, he can handle Jessica Simpson.”
Despite Romo’s big win against Carolina, media, fans and commentators continued to judge his relationship with Simpson.
Romo received a great deal of criticism after he and Simpson vacationed in Los Cabos, Mexico during Romo’s off-week before a playoff game against the N.Y Giants.
While some fans think the couple’s trip to Mexico may not have been a wise idea before a playoff, they said they do not see the connection to Simpson herself.
“I don’t think Jessica Simpson had any affect on Romo at all,” said David Briggs, a junior majoring in broadcast news. “Tony Romo is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and I don’t think Simpson had anything to do with his performance. But I think he should have put off his trip to Mexico and practiced with his team.”
After his Mexican getaway, Romo and the Cowboys lost to the Giants in the second round of the playoffs.
Celebrities and their romantic lives will always be a topic of interest, especially now that athletes are getting involved.
The world will have to wait and see if these couples can reach the end zone, even though everyone loves seeing a big fumble.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Melanie Cohn at Melanie.Cohn@Colorado.edu
