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Tag: Arizona Cardinals

  • Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton Travel to Arizona for Cardinals Game

    Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton really get around. The two spent Christmas at his home in Oklahoma, but on Sunday, they were spotted in Arizona at the University of Phoenix Stadium, taking in the Arizona Cardinals’ game against the Green Bay Packers.

    Judging by the attire Gwen and Blake were wearing, the fellow coaches on The Voice were cheering on the Cardinals.

    The Cardinals even caught Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton taking a selfie.

    Gwen Stefani took a picture of Blake Shelton standing next to the “Big Red” siren.

    Actor and comedian David Spade is a Cardinals’ fan, too. He crossed paths with Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton and mentioned that he was hungover.

    “Hungover spade at @azcardinals game talking to my college roommates @gwenstefani and @blakeshelton #dazed #lovetriangle,” he captioned an Instagram shot.

    A photo posted by David Spade (@davidspade) on

    Once fans discovered Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton were at today’s game, they went wild on Twitter, trying to get the two on the Kiss Cam.

    In addition to wowing fans with their presence at today’s game, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton were likely a bit of a distraction, too. Despite that, their Cardinals won the game.

    Maybe Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani served as good luck charms?

    They never did get on the Kiss Cam, however.

  • Miranda Cosgrove and Jordin Sparks Promote NFL Women’s Apparel

    Miranda Cosgrove and Jordin Sparks are just two of the famous faces signed on to promote the NFL’s women’s apparel line.

    They’re joining Erin Heatherton, China Anne McClain, Dania Ramirez, and Jessica Szohr to show off the line of fan wear geared toward younger women.

    The first glimpse of the new ads shows Cosgrove wearing a black, grey, and gold New Orleans Saints tee from the youth clothing line. She’s glammed it up with glittery gold pants.

    Cosgrove, who became famous on Nickelodeon’s iCarly series opposite Jennette McCurdy, also voiced a character in 2010’s animated hit Despicable Me and its 2013 sequel.

    She recently finished filming the thriller The Intruders.

    Post by The Intruders 3D – 2014.

    Phoenix native Sparks stayed true to her home team in an Arizona Cardinals jersey. The shirt is emblazened with Larry Fitzgerald’s number 11 and also bears the Nike logo.

    Sparks’ father, retired professional football player Phillippi Sparks, played for the New York Giants for eight seasons from 1992 to 1999. But Sparks defended her team choice:

    “I was born and raised in Arizona. Although I have an allegiance to the Giants because of my daddy, I bleed Cardinal Red.”

    Sparks jumpstarted her singing-songwriting career by winning the sixth season of American Idol in 2007. She released her first studio album in November of that year. “No Air,” her duet with Chris Brown, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2009.

    Since then Sparks has tried her hand at acting – she’ll appear in Left Behind with Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, and Lea Thompson on October 3 – and attempted to get a third studio album released.

    Gossip Girl star Jessica Szohr is a native of Menomonee Falls, WI so it’s no surprise that in the first round of ads she’s wearing a vintage-look Green Bay Packers sweater.

    “It’s very fitting and it looks vintage,” Szohr said of the ’47 Brand Passblock sweater. “It’s different and cool, which is what I really liked about it.”

    Szohr, who has dated Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the past, said it “was awesome to me that you could wear this line and be fashion-forward and comfortable and feel feminine and sexy while you’re just sitting and watching a football game … It reaches all ages and all different types of sports fans.”

    Heatherton, McClain, and Ramirez will most likely be stepping out in team attire in the coming weeks since, as the official NFL Shop has already reminded fans, the season starts in just 50 days.

    Image via Instagram, Miranda Cosgrove

  • Rashard Mendenhall Retires from NFL at Age 26

    As a culture writ-large, Americans are obsessed with sports, with the NFL being perhaps the most obsessed sport of all. Our fixation on football, and especially the athletes which play the game, has increased so much over the years that we have developed 24/7 media outlets to cover not only the games themselves, but also potential Fantasy Football lineups and also the stars’ personal lives. All of this intense coverage can become overwhelming and all-consuming. And if you’re Rashard Mendenhall, the entertainment aspect of the game has simply become too overbearing to handle.

    That is why the former Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals running back is calling it quits after 6 years in the NFL.

    Mendenhall was the 23rd overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008. Coming out of the University of Illinois following his junior year, NFL executives were high on the big, powerful running back: “As a running back he’s the total package. He’s a big, strong, every-down back with speed who can pass block and also catch the ball. I’ve said before: he’s a big man with little-people feet, meaning he can run like he’s 180 [pounds] but also pound the ball like he’s 230,” stated current Arizona Cardinals head coach and former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

    If Mendenhall was the total package as a running back, then why did he decide to retire? The answer is two-fold.

    First and foremost, Mendenhall found himself on the outside looking in on the elite running backs in the league following an ACL injury in 2011. Last year, Mendenhall’s numbers were somewhat paltry – 687 yards and 8 touchdowns, with an average of 3.2 yards per carry. Arizona’s other running back, Andre Ellington, nearly doubled Mendenhall’s output, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Going into the 2014, all signs pointed to the fact that Mendenhall would be riding the pine hard for most of the season.

    While that fact alone would have discouraged many players, Mendenhall’s decision to retire hinges upon ideas much bigger than the scope of football itself:

    “I feel like I’ve done it all. I’ve been to two Super Bowls; made a bunch of money; had a lot of success; traveled all over the country and overseas; met some really cool people; made lasting relationships; had the opportunity to give back to causes close to my heart; and have been able to share my experiences and wisdom with friends, family and people all over the world. Not to mention all the fun I had goofing around at work day after day with my teammates… Along with the joyful experiences I had, came many trials… Imagine having a job where you’re always on duty, and can never fully relax or you just may drown. Having to fight through waves and currents of praise and criticism, but mostly hate. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been called a ‘dumb nigger’.

    Today, game-day cameras follow the most popular players on teams; guys who dance after touchdowns are extolled on Dancing With the Starters; games are analyzed and brought to fans without any use of coaches tape; practice non-participants are reported throughout the week for predicted fantasy value; and success and failure for skill players is measured solely in stats and fantasy points. This is a very different model of football than the one I grew up with.

    So when they ask me why I want to leave the NFL at the age of 26, I tell them that I’ve greatly enjoyed my time, but I no longer wish to put my body at risk for the sake of entertainment. I think about the rest of my life and I want to live it with much quality. And physically, I am grateful that I can walk away feeling as good as I did when I stepped into it.”

    Of course, Mendenhall’s decision has been met with its own fair bit of criticism. However, that criticism will now no longer be of any concern to Mendenhall. Instead of spending his days worrying about having to constantly perform 24/7 for not only his team but also fans and critics, Mendenhall will now be able to pursue his more introverted dreams of writing and travelling – dreams worthwhile for any 26-year-old multimillionaire retiree from the NFL.

    Image via Arizona Cardinals | Twitter

  • Arian Foster Is Injured, Out Against Cardinals

    Arian Foster is definitely out for the upcoming game against the Arizona Cardinals, and his injury be more serious than expected. His back injury could require season-ending surgery, which would diminish an already struggling Texans team even further.

    He seems determined to play without needing surgery, but that may not be an option at this point.

    Foster is the star running back for the Houston Texans, and a graduate of Tennessee. As a key asset to the Texans team, he would be very missed if he is out for the remainder of the season, as he touched the ball more than any other back in the NFL from 2010-2012. He injured his back on Houston’s first drive against the Colts in their previous game.

    The Texans came into the season with hopes of making the Super Bowl, following a successful run in the playoffs last season. Their season has been anything but successful this year, and have struggled in every sense of the game, with a record of 2-6. They started the season off 2-0, and have lost every game since. To add to the drama, their coach Gary Kubiak also collapsed on the field during the same game.

    Before Foster’s injury, quarterback Matt Schaub started off with a very difficult time having any success, and they were forced to turn to another option with Case Keenum. He even set an NFL record earlier this year after throwing a pick six in four consecutive games.

    Despite their disappointing season, Arian Foster has continued to show off his star power and was on a bit of a roll before injuring his back. He had averaged 113 yards per game in three consecutive losses to Seattle, San Francisco, and St. Louis. The young running back was also second in the NFL in rushing prior to his injury.

    It was reported on Friday that Arian Foster is seeking several opinions on his back problems, according to a source informed of the running back’s injuries, reports NFL insider Ian Rapoport. He is battling a lumber spine issue, and understands that surgery could be a likely option.

    Image via Youtube

  • Rashad Johnson Tweets Picture Of Finger Injury [Graphic]

    On Sunday, Arizona Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson suffered a gruesome injury against the Saints, losing part of his finger. According to reports, he didn’t even know it happened until he took off his glove and the tip of his finger was still inside.

    Naturally, the morbidly curious begged Johnson on Twitter to tweet out a picture. After some reluctance, he decided to be a crowd pleaser.

    Now, avert your eyes if you don’t want to see the graphic image of a severed fingertip.

    Injuries happen in the NFL every single week, but few players probably expect to lose pieces of their bodies. At least Johnson appears to be in good spirits.

    Images: Rashad Johnson (Twitter)

  • Twitter Is Begging Arizona Cardinals Safety Rashad Johnson To Tweet A Picture Of His Finger Injury

    Arizona Cardinals Safety Rashad Johnson suffered a gruesome injury in the game against the Saints on Sunday. He lost the top of his left middle finger. The story goes that he only discovered the injury when he took his glove off, and the finger was still in there.

    Football players suffer injuries every week, and know that there is always the risk of getting hurt, but I doubt many of them expect this type of injury.

    Of course a lot of the morbidly curious would like to see what the injury looks like, and they’re practically begging Johnson to tweet a picture of it.

    As former NFL safety Louis Riddick discussed on ESPN, this isn’t an entirely unique injury:

    But even his story is from the early 90s. Nobody is expecting to lose a finger on any given Sunday.

    Image: Rashad Johnson (Twitter)

  • 25 MPH Treadmill: Robert Gill Training Video Goes Viral

    Robert Gill was hoping to be picked up by the Arizona Cardinals this year. That’s why he joined a mini-camp training session in hope of getting noticed. After a short run yesterday, it looks like he got his wish.

    Gill uploaded a video yesterday to YouTube simply titled, “Robert Gill Arizona Cardinals 25MPH treadmill.” The video, seen below, shows Gill running as fast as the treadmill will allow him as it maxes out at 25MPH. The video, which has since gone viral with over 1.5 million views, has caught the attention of the nation and the Cardinals who signed him on the spot after his run.

    What makes Gill’s unorthodox entrance into the NFL even more amazing is that he never played college football. He’s also old by rookie standards at 29-years-old, but there’s a reason for that. He never played football in college as he much preferred track as a runner. During his time at Corpus Christi, he was part of a team that raced at the Drake Relays, but never made it to the NCAA finals.

    After college, he began to turn to football. He tried out for a lot of UFL teams, and was even signed to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. Unfortunately, he was cut right before the season started. He eventually joined the AFL under the Kansas City Command and played in the 2011 season.

    It was after this that he was called up by the Cardinals by Josh Scobey – a pro scout. Scobey had previously seen Gill play when he was trying out for the Las Vegas Locomotives in 2009. He was invited to a mini-training camp for the Cardinals, and that’s where the above video was filmed. After the run, he was offered a three-year contract to play with the Cardinals.

    [h/t: Arizona Cardinals]