Aaron Rodgers Stylin' Hair

Ok. We need to talk about Aaron Rodgers' hair.


My feelings are quite conflicted. This Green Bay Packers quarterback used to sport a mullet-esque style that can look either sultry or terribly outdated. In recent years he's cut it short, but I really hated that look. Check out his Green Bay Packers official bio to see what I mean. The bangs are better suited for a 4 year old girl. I'm just saying.

Should be bring the mullet back? (Cue Justin Timberlake sexyback music here.) I'm a product of my generation, which saw some hot long hair action in the likes of Scott Stapp from Creed...


...and Taylor Kitsch from Varsity Blues.


So I like long hair in that respect. But then again, Aaron Rodgers' is pushed back from his face and looks like a headband is fastening it back. It just might not be right for him.

How much does an NFL player care about their hair? I think a few guys get really into it and must chafe under the restriction of their helmets. Short hair might be more practical after all. Maybe Lambeau Field needs a hair consultant off the locker room to provide quick touch-ups before press interviews. I'm up for the job!

Daryn Colledge's Tats

I've seen some sweet tats in my day. Though I don't have one, I'm intrigued by those that get inked. And Green Bay Packers offensive guard Daryn Colledge has his fair share of detailed tattoos up and down both arms. Here's a look at the right one.

Yeah, I see Abe Lincoln on the tricep, too. I wonder what the story is behind that one. I give him points for geometric variety. We've got diamonds, diagonals, swirls, straight lines, and lots of interesting patterns. I wonder what his wife, Megan, thinks about all those pictures. I also wonder if he has any Green Bay Packers tats in the mix. He should! He has a bright future with the team and is a secure member of the Packers roster.

Maybe he should get a mock-up of Lambeau Field across his back. Why not?! If he gave me free Green Bay Packers tickets, I might be willing to get a #73 tattooed across my bicep.

Give me a "B" for Brandon Jackson!

So it's been years since I donned a cheerleading outfit for high school football games, but I can't help but think about slipping into the old routines and chants when I write about the Green Bay Packers. I'll cheer for Green Bay Packers running back Brandon Johnson any day.


This guy is a quiet but reliable force on Lambeau Field and is making a big name for himself even after just a couple years on the team. I have a soft spot in my heart for Brandon Jackson, too, since his dad passed away when Brandon was just 10. And that was after his dad was paralyzed for four previous years due to a car accident. Brandon Jackson had to overcome that big hurdle but it seems he's found his way.

If I cheered for a "B", then that would cover his whole family. Brandon is married to Brandy Bolden and they have two children--Brandon and Braylyn. Let's not look too closely at the math here (Brandon Junior is 6 and Brandon Sr. is just 23), and the family lives in Horn Lake, Mississippi.

Al Harris, Yolan, and Cruise

Green Bay Packers cornerback Al Harris loves English bulldogs. Really. His beloved English bulldogs, Yolan and Cruise, live a pampered life under Al's watch.

I wonder what it is about these dogs that Al Harris loves so much? Is it their stocky build? Their sweet nature? Did Shyla, his wife, insist upon a purchase of these household pets? Did his kids, Al Jr. and Gavin, insist?

That least me to wonder if Al Harris is a big pushover with his kids and wife or if he stands his ground. I can imagine he could really holler in the style of Fred Flintstone's "Wilmaaaa!".

"Shylaaaaa!"

I have a feeling Al Harris gets all his aggression out with the Green Bay Packers during training and games and is a nice dude in person. He's a bit more elusive, living down in Florida most of the year--far from Lambeau Field, and might prove a little harder to get a good celebrity sighting chance. If you see him, especially if Yolan and Cruise are with, snap a photo and email me.

Ruvell Martin rides a bike

The Green Bay Packers rode into training camp on August 4 this year and I noticed how happy Ruvell Martin was about this situation.


Not.

Ruvell Martin seemed uncomfortable while he pedaled the machine through barricades lined with overeager Green Bay Packers fans. (Sidenote: Did they need Green Bay Packers tickets to this event? Or was it free?) One of my coworker's friends attended the event and said Ruvell Martin was particularly annoyed because his bike wasn't green and yellow.

I jest.

But I think I would also be annoyed if on my first day of work I was forced into the bright morning sun and ordered to ride a bike which felt a little small as fans shouted at me and thrust Sharpies and paraphernalia in my face. I can only manage my drive in if I have a coffee in hand and some soothing Kenny G on the radio.

Maybe if Ruvell Martin's biggest fans--wife and two children--showed up he might have had a better go of it. I think Ruvell Martin might just be happiest on his own two feet, racing down Lambeau Field instead of pedaling around outside on a smidge-too-small bike.

Charles Woodson the oenophile.

Don't worry, folks. I'm not accusing Charles Woodson of any sort of crime though "oenophile" sounds rather shady. Instead, the term refers to someone who is devoted to the consumption and appreciation of wine. I guess most of my friends could be considered oenophiles, too. Is there any comparable term for a devotee of Jack Daniels?! Ha!

While you ponder that question, here's a photo of our pal Charles Woodson with a glass of his wine.

That's right--Woodson developed a signature wine line called "Twentyfour by Charles Woodson." He's even started leasing land near Napa to harvest and produce the wine.

However, he's walking a fine line between advertising and not because the NFL rules against stars promoting alcoholic beverages. I have to say I like that policy. I'd hate to see Randy Moss sporting a shot glass and some rum all over the advertising section of my favorite magazines or Jared Allen chugging a beer on a billboard. At least Charles Woodson brings some class and education to this field.

I wonder if he broke out the wind recently to celebrate the birth of his first son, Charles Jr. I think a good white wine would be a sweet and light way to celebrate little Chucky's arrival!

Brady Poppinga's on a mission

Brady Poppinga, Green Bay Packers outside linebacker, may be a hard hitter on Lambeau Field but he's equally a hard-hitter (if that makes sense) in his church community. Brady Poppinga's Mormon faith is a central part of his life, so much so that he even stepped away from family, friends, and football (how's that for alliteration?!) for a two year stint of mission work in Uraguay.

To date, Brady Pop (sounds like a new brand of music or a sweet, bubbly soda!) says that those two years were the most defining part of his life. He became fluent in Spanish and was inspired to continue helping others in need once he readjusted to life in America.

His mission today is to assist the Green Bay Packers to victory and I couldn't be more supportive! After all, I do snatch up my Green Bay Packers tickets and head off to every home game and some away ones as the budget allows. In his spare time, Brady Poppinga lives with his wife and two little ones and, of course, spends lots of time at church. Maybe we'll have a celebrity sighting with this guy sometime soon. Stay tuned!

Greg Jennings Celebrity Sighting

When Greg Jennings stopped by a local Green Bay auto dealership, he created quite a stir! Yes, he was enough to put on the dealer's white button up and shirt and pose in the indoor display room but behind the scenes, texts and emails were flying as employees bragged to their friends than legendary the Green Bay Packers wide receiver was in the hiz-ouse.

Greg Jennings makes his home in De Pere, Wisconsin, just 7 miles outside of Green Bay. He can be seen hanging out with his lovely wife Nicole and his two baby girls, Amya and Alea.

The Green Bay Packers may give Greg Jennings a career, but his church gives spiritual support. Greg's dad was a preacher so Greg Jennings grew up in the church and still attends regularly. If you'd like to see him, he's one Green Bay Packers player who is out and about frequently beyond the walls of Lambeau Field. Whether he's at the coffee shop, dealership, or church, Greg Jennings is one player you'll have a good chance of visiting if you're hanging around De Pere.

Mason Crosby and a Grouper

I'm sure Green Bay Packers placekicker Mason Crosby has plenty of groupies but it's a grouper that he recently caught which has provided him with one major fish story! Check out this 35" fish!
Though this isn't the exact grouper Mason Crosby pulled from the sea's depths, it is the length and weight of Crosby's catch.

Now, get this. He didn't even use a fishing rod and reel. He caught this sucker while spearfishing!

I'm trying to picture Mason Crosby with a spear in hand, wading in warm ocean water.

I'm thinking it would look something like this pose, minus the helmet and jersey from Mason Crosby's undergrad days at Colorado. Very celebratory. Very primal.

If you'd like to see a more accurate staging of Mason Crosby fishing, he'd be glad to oblige. He likes to take part in a Green Bay Packers cruise every winter that takes the players and lucky fans from Lambeau Field down to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Montego Bay. I would love this opportunity! Do you know anyone who has actually gone on this dream vacation? And has anyone caught a grouper?!

Smile, Ryan Grant! Or Don't...

What's the deal with pro athletes lacking the ability to smile? After making an amazing dive catch in the outfield, a player will come up with the ball held triumphantly and lips forcibly pulled into either a scowl or neutral face. After a touchdown, a wide receiver might cross himself, spike the ball (gently), or even moon the crowd, but a smile? Forget it.

Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant may be one of the best examples of this I-can't-smile-because-I'm-too-tough mentality. Here he is looking tough on a night out on the town.

I'm scared.

Here he is in a laid-back, friendly interview.

Yikes.

And here he is having the time of his life at a fan meet and greet.

Whoa, Ryan Grant. Tone down the enthusiasm.

I don't think he has to go around grinning all the time and he probably wants a stern game face during games, but a smile always softens a face and shows some approachability after the game. Can't he do that occasionally off Lambeau Field? If you're reading this, Ryan Grant, flash me a smile sometime and I'll post it here. I'm sure many Green Bay Packers fans would love to see it!

Yee Haw! Down on the farm with Jordy Nelson.

Jordy Nelson may be a new-comer to the Green Bay Packers (he was drafted in 2008), but to really know this wide receiver, we have to get to his roots: Kansas. Jordy Nelson is a farming boy, raised by his parents, Alan and Kim, on a farm outside Manhattan, Kansas. Jordy Nelson considers farming and country music to be his passions. I can hear a Garth Brooks montage playing as I imagine Jordy Nelson hauling hay bales and harvesting wheat and doing whatever else farmers do.

Jordy Nelson had a lifestyle adjustment to make, though, when he was picked by the Green Bay Packers and headed off to Lambeau Field. He now makes his home in Green Bay and his wife is the operator of a mentoring program at a Green Bay elementary school. Not exactly the right spot for fulfilling farming desires. But they seem happy there and I wish the couple well!

By the way, do wives have to buy their own Green Bay Packers tickets for home games? Is there a chance I might see Jordy's wife Emily at a few games this season? Or do they all get together in some private box to watch their husbands and boyfriends play? Let me know...

Atari Bigby's atari

Atari: A 38 year old company that pioneered in home video games including the popular Pong and Atari 2600.

Atari Bigsby: 27 year old Jamaican born NFL safety for the Green Bay Packers

Atari Bigby's moniker is a catchy one. It seems like sports athletes really have unique names down to an art form. Coco Crisp?! Come on! Milton Bradley? Is this the Monopoly company or the MLB player? Atari Bigby is just another in the long line of unusual names. It's pretty much the equivalent of Nintendo Jackson.

However, Atari Bigby's grandmother INSISTS he was not named after the legendary video game maker. Rather, she claims, his name hails from the Japanese term for warrior. Either way, it's an apt title. Atari Bigby is both a warrior and a football playing mastermind out there on Lambeau Field.

A friend of mine is a huge atari and Atari Bigby fan. I think his dream day would be to play atari with Atari Bigby...after watching the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears or Minnesota Vikings. He can dream, right? Sam, this one goes out to you. Enjoy:

Donald Driver, Children's Author

Donald Driver is a Green Bay Packers fan favorite on Lambeau Field. I know I've cheered him on during many a game. However, Donald Driver intrigues me even more for what he does the off-field. Back in November 2008, Donald Driver released his first children's book, Quickie Makes the Team.


This 32 page fully illustrated book was inspired by his two kids and proceeds will benefit the Donald Driver Foundation which finds aid for the homeless nationwide. Talk about a great guy!

Players like Donald Driver really secure the Green Bay Packers' status as my favorite team. He is a star player and awesome to watch, but also steps up to help others in need. Skim the Packers roster and you'll find lots of stand-up players like Donald Driver. They're just a great team and they make Wisconsin proud to wear the green and yellow!