geek girl – Page 6

Football Fridays – Running Backs

Running backs, also known as halfback or fullbacks (this depends on the size of the player), is sometimes the most visible player on the field. Overall, they also may have the best physique (read: hot bods) in the NFL. Wide receivers are a close second.

From the Free Online Dictionary:

running back
n. Football

An offensive back, such as a fullback or halfback, who has the responsibility of advancing the ball by running with it on plays from the line of scrimmage.

Whenever you see the quarterback hand off the football, it’s usually to a running back. If you polled a hundred football fans and asked which was the sexiest position on the team, excluding the quarterback, I reckon most would say the running back. Good running backs are hard to come by and they wear themselves out quickly on the field. The position is a taxing one because it is the most prone to taking powerful hits in addition to the wear and tear on the body, especially the knees.

However, running backs are the ones that usually provide the most exciting plays on the field.

Emmitt Smith, of recent “Dancing with the Stars” fame was the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,400 in five consecutive seasons. He holds the NFL record in career rushing yards with 18,355, breaking a record held by Walter “Sweetness” Payton of Chicago Bears fame.

Adrian “All Day”, “Purple Jesus”, Peterson is a running back for the Minnesota Vikings, hence the moniker “Purple Jesus” because those legs have saved the Vikings a time or two. In his first pro season, he set an NFL record for most rushing yards (296) in a single game.

Peterson is what we think of as a running back. His lean physique and fast legs give him the ability to weave and move through the defenders on the field, taking off like a rocket when the coast is clear.

Stats: Height: 6 ft 1 in Weight: 217 lb

Peyton Hillis

If you like your running backs with a side order of grits and cowboy hats, Peyton Hillis is your man. From Conway, Arkansas, this Razorback running back honed his skills at the University of Arkansas beside Felix Jones (of the Dallas Cowboys). Pulling pickup trucks is a part of his workout routine.

Due to his weight (250 lbs on a 6’2″ frame) Hillis is more fullback than traditional running back. A fullback can either block for the faster, more agile running back or he can rush through the defense, using his weight to make short yard plays. Fullbacks don’t gain much yardage during games, so aren’t very good for fantasy football points (I learned this lesson last year, sadly.) Hilis is good-looking, but doesn’t give much points on the fantasy board.

Hillis has played for the Denver Broncos (227 overall pick in the draft), the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs. And, interestingly if my sources are right, he is the only white running He is currently a free agent (which is a nice way of saying he’s “NFL unemployed“). He was also the cover boy for Madden NFL 12.

Stats: Height: 6 ft 2 in Weight: 250 lb

Arian Foster

Considered to be one of the best running backs in the NFL, Arian Foster is one of the driving forces behind the Houston Texans’ offense. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Texans in 2009, Foster made his debut against the Tennessee Titans as a member of special teams. He scored his first NFL touchdown against the Miami Dolphins (of course). His first career start was against the New England Patriots where he rushed for 119 yards and scored two touchdowns.

In a 2010 start against the Indianapolis Colts (and Peyton Manning) he broke the record for the most rushing yards by a Houston Texans in a single game in addition to securing the most rushing yards given up to a single player by the Colts.

Stats: 6 ft 1 in, 228 lb

Ray Rice

Rice hails from my home state of New Jersey – a graduate of Rutgers University where he was the starting tailback during his freshman year. A current Baltimore Ravens (drafted 55th overall), Rice earned his first Super Bowl ring against the San Francisco earlier this year. In a 2010 wildcard playoff game against the love-to-hate New England Patriots, Rice scored an 83 yard touchdown on the first offensive play, the longest play for the Raves that season, the longest rush of hi NFL career and the second longest rush in NFL post-season history. The longest rush record in the post season is held by Fred Taylor at 90 yards.

Stats: Height: 5 ft 8 in Weight: 212 lb

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There’s your crash course on running backs. Now that you know the positions (if you didn’t know before) which running back is going to smash records this year? Peterson came close, just nine yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,106 rushing yards during the regular season.

June is National Candy Month

June is National Candy Month. This is a mouth-watering topic if I’ve ever seen one. Yes, I am a grown adult, but there’s something about indulging in childhood candy that sends you back in time. So, grab your Walkman and if you want to go further back, get that Aqua Net hairspray to make those Farrah Fawcett angel wings. Here’s some candy to take you back.

When I say candy, I don’t mean the chocolate grown-up chocolate stuff. I’m talking about the brightly-colored, artificially-flavored, red dye #20398 colored candies that left your tongue coated with color and your head buzzing with all the high fructose corn syrup.

Lemonheads: Sweet, sour and oh so crunchy. Take these sweet, yellow balls into your mouth and roll them around on your tongue until they dissolve, or if you’re in a hurry, scrape the sour coating off to get to the sweet, hard center. Either

way, you’ll get a citrusy sugar rush that’ll perk you up.

Now or Laters: Remember that commercial, “Eat some now, save some for later?” Now and Laters came a prism shaped pack that contained a soldier’s row of square, flavorful taffy-like candies. They would pull out your fillings, so you had to be careful. Green Apple was the way to go, however grape would also do in a pinch. Depending on the mood, watermelon was pretty good, but you needed to stay away from the bubble gum flavor. It was bitter and had an obvious artificial taste.

Jolly Ranchers: I still love these to these day. You cannot bite through these candies. No, you have to hold them in your cheek, occasionally rolling them around on your tongue until they finally melt in your mouth. If you foolishly try to bite through them, they will stick on your teeth in an uncomfortable fashion. What flavors? Green apple, watermelon (a far far second) and that’s it. They can keep all those other flavors. Remember when they also came in flat sticks too? They are also very good for flavoring vodka.

Sweet Tarts: When I buy the huge bags of Halloween candy to “hand out” to trick or treaters, I siphon off the Sweet Tarts mini-packs. Tart, tangy and crunchy, you can let them melt in your mouth or grind them to crumbs between your back teeth. Good for giving your water a little flavor and kick.

So what’s your favorite non-chocolate candy? What is the sweet candy treat that you pick up to give you a brief glimpse of childhood?

Retro Saturday – Eighties Female Singers

I had a wonderful conversation on Facebook the other day. A FB friend of mine mentioned that her radio station had asked the question : Lisa Lisa (and Cult Jam) vs. Klymaxx. That started a thread of conversation that sent me digging through my piles of old cassettes.

Now, I do love Lisa Lisa, so much so that I have two albums on CASSETTE, as you can see to your left.

But Klymaxx was an all-girl group with the fierce Bernadette Cooper at the helm. They did the very sexy and strut-worthy “Meeting in the Ladies Room”, the know-I-got-it “The Men All Pause” and the heartfelt “I Miss You” just make me want to flip my asymmetrical hairdo and get down.

Let’s not forget our friend, introduced to us by Prince, Sheila E. An accomplished drummer, she brought her vocals to Erotic City, The Glamorous Life and A Love Bizarre. And the outfits!

Last but not least is Miss Jody Watley. She got her start as a dancer on Soul Train and from there was selected to be in the group Shalamar. I consider her to be the black Madonna because she was a dancer and a singer and set so many trends, most notably, to me, the huge hoop earrings. And yes, I did own a pair!

“Looking for a New Love” was the jam on New York Hot Tracks and I’d sit through Carlos DeJesus to watch the video. Even now, the kicking beat at the “see ya later” anthem was the 80s answer to “I Will Survive”. Remember “Don’t You Want Me”?

Now I have to find a cassette player…..

Football Friday – Wide Receivers

After I watched a few football games with my husband, I decided that I wasn’t going to solely depend on his knowledge and seek out some information on my own. Plus, asking a ton of questions during the game can cause you to miss a lot of action.

So, for my readers who love the game, but don’t quite get it, Fridays are the day for you. It’ll be short, it’ll be sweet and hopefully it’ll help you understand and enjoy the game better. Yes, we love the spandex and the occasional flash of flat abdomen (I’m looking at you Eric Decker), but knowledge will continue to be power.

Let’s get started.

Wide receivers

Short and simple – these are the players that run downfield, away from the quarterback and catch “the long ball”. That’s my definition.

From about.com

Definition: An offensive player who lines up on or near the line of scrimmage, but split to the outside. His primary job is to catch passes from the quarterback.

Also Known As: receiver, wideout, split end, flanker

Easy peasy. The player who (usually) catches the ball thrown by the quarterback.

Note that the receivers who get the most press and exposure are those that play with a quarterback who is known for passing and who is also known for winning. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Matt Stafford, Eli Manning…these quarterbacks throw to “known” wide receivers.

This all depends on what region of the country you’re from. I’m from the Nawth-East, so these are the teams that are highlights.

Though I watch Eagles games, I cannot name their wide receiver off the top of my head. Vick is a running quarterback and only throws when he can’t run it out.

Wide receiver news – Long time Tom Brady target Wes Welker is now playing for Brady’s top NFL “rival” Peyton Manning. It will be fun to see the two teams come together in Week 13. I wonder if Welker is letting Manning in on any Brady secrets?

Now for the fun part. “Famous” wide receivers.

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Stats:

Danny Amendola : 5’11” , 188 lbs

Wes Welker: 5′ 9″, 185 lb s

Calvin Johnson: 6′ 5″, 236 lbs

Victor Cruz: 6′ 0″, 204 lbs

Eric Decker: 6′ 3″, 218 lbs

Who’s your team’s wide receiver? Who’s your favorite out of my picks? Comment below!

May the Fourth Be with You

Say NO to May the 4th? What propaganda is this?

The movie Star Wars, released May 25, 1977, opened up a whole new world for many children (and adults

) across the nation. Here it was, on the big screen, basically a space opera/fairy-tale complete with a princess. The storyline was easy to follow, simple as black and white, down to Leia’s pure white princess outfit contrasting with Darth Vader’s pure black one. Add the deep voice and ominous timbre of James Earl Jones with that respiration, and you’ve got yourself a villian. It didn’t hurt that the actor, David Prowse (yes, I knew that w/out looking it up) was 6’6″ and Carrie Fisher was only 5’1″.

And how about Peter Cushing? I mean, if he were only second in charge, imagine how bad Darth Vader was?

While I’m not the biggest fan of the “first” three movies, I do appreciate the back story that they convey. Plus, Samuel L. Jackson with a light-saber? Priceless!

For your perusal, some Star Wars cosplay!!