Women's Top 5 Reason's For Loving Football

Ashley Danielle is back! She is chronicling the rise of women in today’s NFL and also the top 5 reasons women love the game of football so much.

Things have definitely changed since the first days of leather helmets and footballs. The biggest change in my opinion is the inclusion of women into the testosterone and ego filled world that is the NFL. Back in the old days, women tended to be at a football game for one or two reasons: A family member was playing or they were a cheerleader. Fast forward to now and the game has exploded on the woman front as there are now women only fantasy football leagues and women catered football parties. Even the NFL has recognized the potential women gold mine as they now have a separate apparel line to cater to females. What we see as the norm now in Erin Andrews, Pam Oliver, and Suzy Kolber reporting on the sidelines was non-existent about 20 or 30 years ago. The change in football culture has been stunning as most women viewed the sport as downright barbaric not long ago, but modern women are some of the most passionate fans of all nowadays.

To give us more insight on the woman and football phenomenon we bring in former Titans cheerleader Ashley Danielle to give us her thoughts and share her top 5 reasons women and football are enjoying such a great relationship these now.

So sorry that I have been on hiatus but I am happy to get back to writing! Women do have more power in the world of the NFL than previous years and that is a huge stepping stone. Female reporters, photographers and even cheerleaders grace the sidelines during the games which make us somewhat of a sideline distraction. We've put in years of hard work to get to that point and I'm proud to have been apart of that. Female fantasy football leagues and parties are on the come up and I think should get more into that in the near future. Something that Carlos did not mention was the all female football league. I don't know about any of you but I keep up with the LFL now. Those ladies bring a whole new light to football. If you haven't seen them then you're seriously slacking!

Now I must say that the top 5 reasons that I love football would not be the same for the general population of females. I'll try to keep my extensive football knowledge out of this....hehe!

The top five reasons women love the game....

5. Tackling

This is a sensitive subject because yes the sport can be barbaric to most women. The thought of 200 pound men hitting each other is not what they want to see on a Sunday afternoon. Don't get me wrong but there are some ladies that do like seeing hits. I actually find myself cringing with excitement when someone gets leveled from a kickoff or punt return. The women that love tackling are the same ones that enjoy WWE, professional boxing, MMA or anything that has to do with extreme sports. Finding a girl who loves hits just as much as you do is a total rarity and I would advise keeping your guard up if you ever find one!

4. Love of the game!

Some of the female population actually know what in the hell is going on out there on the field. These lovely ladies purely love the sport or secretly wish that they could put on the pads and make some tackles themselves. (Especially if the game is less than spectacular!) These women may be mom's of sons that play football or grew up around the sport itself. I happen to be one of these women. I love the game, everything that comes with it and cry like a baby in February when it's all over!

Now we get to the girly stuff...

3. Tailgaiting/Beer

Who doesn't love to tailgate hours before the game and knock a few cold ones back? These women may not know much about the game but they sure do know how to have a good time. Great relationships can be made when you're tailgating. This is where women learn information about the game that they would otherwise be oblivous to. For instance, Kristie was invited to the game by a coworker. While tailgating she may learn who played the Titans last week and scored the winning touchdown. Kristie, who knows very little about the game, can now say she learned something very valuable the next time she's out on a date. You never know when Kristie may have to answer a trivia question about week 8...lol! Kristie now has a new perspective of the game of football and looks enticing to the guys. How great?!

2. Looks

Some guys just look AMAZING. Point blank, period! Not only are they great professional athletes but they have the entire package including a great face. Although I love the sport, there are some players that just make me feel like I've walked into a sauna. I am not the only girl that thinks this guys.... remember that!! If you don't find your lady staring too hard at the television, especially when Miles Austin gets a close up, then you should leave her! I'm just saying.

1. Uniforms

Now I know plenty of divas that watch the game purely to see men in uniform. It's so sad to say but those posterior regions look rather nice in pads and that's why we don't mind sitting for 3 hours to watch the game with you. Hey...what can I say?! Men have there reasons of watching women's tennis; we have a reason to watch the game. The best asse....ahem...uniforms include the Cowboys, Ravens, Saints and even the Cardinals. Now that's not all of them, those just happen to be MY favorites. These teams' uniforms look slimming in the right areas and delicious from others. Sorry guys but you asked for it!

Now these top 5 reasons girls tune in to watch football are generally speaking and from a standpoint that most men have already stereotyped for us. There are plenty more reasons why a women may watch football....to look at the cheerleaders, eat excessively at the games, watch the mascot or even just tag along to make you happy. Whatever the reason may be just know that she's putting forth her best effort to understand the game.

Just my two cents....

Cheers!

Ashley Danielle

Follow me on twitter @_ashleydanielle

Introducing Sportaholic's latest addition: Ashley Danielle

Ashley Danielle is a former NFL cheerleader for the Tennessee Titans and an avid sports fanatic. She now teaches dance and gymnastics along with yoga and strength training at different locations which you can find through her website NashvilleStiletto.com. Not only does she teach just about every style of dance and fitness but she also has her own Burlesque/Cabaret company called Neon Kisses in Nashville and Atlanta. It is my pleasure to welcome her to the Sportaholic staff as a writer and interviewer. She will present to us the woman’s perspective on sports topics along with that much needed allure. As a former NFL cheerleader and networking extraordinaire, she has connections inside the locker room and keen insight from first-hand experience. She will be working with the Sportaholic on future articles and interviews. Everyone welcome Ashley with open arms, as she is a very accomplished woman in her own right and will help take the Sportaholic  sports coverage to the next level.















To introduce Ashley to everyone, we have a few quick questions to pick her brain and get the thoughts of a woman on sports:






1. Tell us a little about yourself and your favorite players in various sports.



First and foremost, I'd like to say thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts at Sportaholic. I won't let your fans down! Well to get on with the question, I'm born and raised in the fabulous Music City, USA. I'm what you call a jack of all trades. Not only do I teach dance and have my own dance company, I am a fashion designer, singer/songwriter, musician and mother. Oh and I'm smart too. Graduated Valedictorian from high school and Summa Cum Laude from college. I am a nerd but who doesn't love an intelligent woman....I'm just saying! ;-)






As far as my favorite players, I could go on and on. And to all of you out there that think I'm basing my favorite athletes off of looks should be ashamed of themselves. In football, my top 2 current NFL players are Michael Vick and Troy Polamalu. Vick has great accuracy and is a hell of a runner. All around top tier athlete and I love that he advanced his team to the playoffs despite his demise a few years ago. Now for Troy....I don't have much else to say other than WOW! I followed him when he went to USC. I've never seen a defensive player like him. His tenacity and drive is like no other. Not to mention, he's a great family man. What's not to love?




Ok now basketball....my top 2 favorite current players are Rajon Rondo and Blake Griffin. Yes, I know sports guys! Two excellent players that are at the top of my list. Blake's power is uncanny and I was glad to see him named Rookie of the Year. Rajon is an excellent ball handler but there are many in the NBA that I can name. Just my opinion though.



To round out some of my other favorites I pick Tiger Woods for golf with Jack Nicholson in a close second. Serena Williams in tennis, A-Rod for baseball and Usain Bolt for track and field. Not saying that I don't watch other sports. I just don't have a favorite athlete but I'll root for the team.






2. Did you participate in any sports while you attended school?



I dabbled in sports growing up but my passion ended up being more focused on the arts. I played softball and tennis in high school but I never turned down a flag football game or a game of H.O.R.S.E.





3. Who is the best female athlete in your opinion?



Best female athlete would be my favorite tennis star, Serena Williams. That woman is a beast and I mean that in the most classiest of ways! She devours her opponents and has sustained a career that many can only dream of. Not to mention, she has a great body and as a fitness instructor many women aspire to have muscle definition like hers.




4. Do you think there is a bias to women reporting in the sports field

Great question! I do believe that there is a bias to women reporting but it's not as uncommon to see females reporting sports as if it were 30 years ago. Women have made lots of strides in the sports world, especially as journalists. You see a sparingly, increased amount of females that know more about sports. Now ask me if you think that women and men will be equals when it comes to reporting in the sports field. The answer is hell no!

5. Anything else you would like to tell the audience about yourself



Hmmm....I will say that I'm a little ball of fire. I get into heated debates because men act like all women are oblivious to sports. I plan on surprising you all with my knowledge. Tootles....haha

Follow me on Twitter: @_ashleydanielle

Super Bowl Hangover

The Super Bowl hangover is now in full effect. We now have no football until at least August and quite possibly longer than that with looming NFL labor strife with the players union and the owners. What is a die-hard fan to do in the lulls of winter boredom? If you’re like most fans including myself, you will just turn your attention to the other major sports but the only thing in full swing is basketball. I am an avid basketball fan as well but regular season basketball just doesn’t tickle my fancy as much as a regular season football game. Of course, you are going to have your deep 3-pointers and high-flying dunks with animated commentators such as Marv Albert with his signature “Yes!” .Also in college basketball with Dickie V’s over the top bragging about any player he sees fit for his praise but it not enough for to fill football void. Basketball is my yang and football and is my ying. I’ve always followed both with die-hard status but it always hard to just change my viewing pleasure to mid-season basketball.




It makes it even harder when one person is dominating the headlines of the NBA as much as Carmelo Anthony is right now. So after countless trade rumors about Melo going to the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, am I suppose to believe that the Los Angeles Lakers have joined the discussion? So I guess now the NBA is in line for its version of super-teams that was ushered in by Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. I just wish he would land somewhere so every time I watch sportscenter I don’t have to hear about it anymore.



College basketball isn’t good until March although The Jimmer is making a case for me to watch a BYU game. I want to catch the latest outfit of one and done players Coach Cal has put together at Kentucky before its too late. North Carolina and Duke games are always good and are about the closest thing to hard hitting you will see in college basketball. But again, I can wait until March in most cases before I tune in for college basketball.



What about baseball you ask? Spring training is right around the corner. The Boston Red Sox have reloaded by adding two of the best young hitters in the game in Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. Philadelphia added ace Cliff Lee after he spurned offers from the Yanks and Texas. And speaking of the Yankees, now what are they going to do without Andy Pettitte? Baseball peaks my interest but again not enough for my football fix. For the life of me I cannot watch an entire nine inning game of baseball. I have tried and tried but I always end up doing one of the following: A.) Falling asleep B.) Hopping on the computer or C.) Flipping the channel after watching a guy foul off 10 pitches. It’s just not the same as seeing Troy Polamalu come off the edge for a blitz or Peyton Manning pump faking the defense for a bomb to Reggie Wayne.



As far as all the other so-called spring and summer sports (Tennis, Race-car driving, Golf etc.), none can come close to the action on the gridiron. For those of us who are die-hard football fans, nothing else can touch the pigskin. The worst Sportcenters are in the summer, tune in to one if you don’t believe me. I call this period of non-football the drought. I find myself sometime watching old college football games with players who are either in the league or doing something entirely different with their lives. I watch the NFL network games just to get a taste of what I’m missing even though I know who is going to win. The only good thing that comes from this is that it makes you tune back in to your regular life. You know like work, your family and the outdoors. One person who never complains when football season is over is my girlfriend, she says this is the only time she can get my attention and maybe she is right.



So in summarizing the only thing for us football fans can do is the things we did before football like enjoying the nice spring weather and our family and friends. That is until football returns.

Super Bowl Finale Prediciton

After countless reading and observing about the spectacle that is Super Bowl XLV, I believe the time has come for my Super Bowl prediction. But before I can do that, we have to take a look at the breakdown of both teams and who has the edge in certain categories including offense, defense, coaching, special teams and intangibles. Pittsburgh and Green Bay match-up well on paper as both are 1st and 2nd respectively in per allowed per game and also 2nd and 5th in total defense. Troy Polamalu of the Steelers won defensive player of the year with the Packers Clay Matthews coming in second and not to mention their dueling hair personality’s battle as well.

Now for the breakdowns:



Offense:

The Pack’s offense has been on attack entering this game. Aaron Rodgers has just been everything you ask for from a QB. He is able to make throws from anywhere in the pocket and also on the move. He is one of more mobile QB’s in the league and with the Packers explosive receiving corps featuring Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and Jerome James, he is able to make plays at will. Couple that with the fact that these guys now have running game thanks to rookie James Starks and you have a dynamic offense capable of putting up points on anybody. Even though the Steelers have probably the best D in the league, I fully expect Rodgers and company to move the ball on them.

The Steelers on the other hand also have one of the better offenses in the league as well. Ben Roethlisberger extends plays better than anyone in the league at his position. How many times can you remember watching a Steelers game and saying that the opposing defense just can’t get Big Ben down? He may not be your prototypical QB a la Peyton Manning or Tom Brady but Roethlisberger is a proven winner and you should want a guy on your team like that. Reshard Mendenhall had maybe his best game as a pro in the AFC championship game against the Jets. He 121 yards rushing on 27 carries and gave great balance to the offense. The Steelers also have an underrated and speedy receiving quartet led by one of the fastest men in the league in Mike Wallace. Wallace along with Emmaunel Sanders and Antonio Brown form probably the fastest ever receiving tandem in Steelers history and don’t forget about Heath Miller coming over the middle as he is the security blanket for Big Ben.

Edge: Packers

Defense: The Packers defense under Dom Capers is one of the best at mixing up their blitz packages and bringing heat off the corners. Charles Woodson was last year’s defensive player of the year and has the versatility to cover as well as blitz from his position. Tramon Williams is becoming a shut down corner as of late and gives Capers flexibility to be able call all of those blitz packages. Clay Matthews is just a beast coming off the edge as an outside linebacker and will command a double team most of the game. Even when you double team Matthews, he still will make plays. This guys motor never stops running. Anybody that pours water on their head in subfreezing temperatures as Matthews does is crazy. Sam Shields has been a pleasant surprise in the secondary Green Bay as his two interception game in the NFC conference championship proved. He adds to the confusion on the defense on the Packers as you don’t want to test him to many times either.

The Steelers have the most formidable defense in the league. They are the bullies in a league full of bullies. You can’t start a conversation about the Steelers D without first speaking about all-world safety Troy Polamalu. I’ve been noted as saying that he is the Steelers most valuable player, more valuable then even Roethlisberger. He can cover and stuff the run. His instincts are bar none as he makes at least one or two big plays a game. The offense always has to know where number 43 is. James Harrison is a ferocious linebacker known for big hits and big fines. Do not I repeat do not come over the middle while this man is roaming around because you will pay for it dearly, just ask Mohammed Massaquoi. Lamar Woodley holds down the other side of the linebacking core and is more of a pass rushing player. He is able to get to QB as good as anybody. Polamalu’s partner in crime at safety is Ryan Clark and he is a ball-hawk known for big plays as well. As you can see, the Steelers defense has playmakers all over the field.

Edge: Steelers

Coaching:

Mike McCarthy is making his first Super Bowl appearance and you know that means a few jitters but that doesn’t mean much besides that. Sean Payton appeared in his Super Bowl last year and won and even Mike Tomlin got it done in his first appearance two years ago. McCarthy has seen over the development of Aaron Rodgers and also the departure of Brett Favre. He has endured the whole saga with a humility and even-keeled nature not seen by much. McCarthy grew up in Pittsburgh while the legendary Chuck Noll was roaming sidelines and it shows in McCarthy. Both men are very stoic in nature and don’t show any emotions while coaching. That is probably the best quality about McCarthy.

Mike Tomlin can be described as opposite of McCarthy. You will see him getting into his players on the sidelines and also very demonstrative when he engaged with the refs. The players seem to feed off his energy. I guess when your one of the youngest coaches in league not to mention the youngest to win a Super Bowl, its makes it that much easier to move around on the sidelines. Tomlin is one of the most comical men in a press conference. His answers are always straightforward, honest and to the point. His teams stay true to their Pittsburgh tradition as they are big, strong and physical teams. He has proved he is able to handle the big stage as he already has one Super Bowl ring. That is the only reason I will give him the edge in this category over McCarthy because there is no way of simulating what the biggest game of your life is like until you have participated in one. Tomlin looks just like this actor to me as well which makes it funny every time I see him http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=mike+tomlin&view=detail&id=A4815F5924047CBBCFBA177F104C8611D81AF30B&first=1&FORM=IDFRIR&qpvt=mike+tomlin

Edge: Steelers




Special Teams:

In a game that is evenly matched as this one, they usually come down to one big play or special team play. The Packers have one of the best kickers in football with Mason Crosby. The guy doesn’t miss much and has +50 yards range. He is a definite plus to have in a game of this magnitude. Rookie James Starks and veteran Charles Woodson handle the kick off returning duties for the Packers and are decent in that aspect.



The Steelers cut their long time kicking ace Jeff Reed mid-season after he missed seven of 22 attempts overall, including all four between the 40- and 49-yard lines. He was 4 of 9 at Heinz Field, where swirling winds and mushy grass make kicking difficult. He was replaced by Shaun Suisham the former Washington Redskin kicker. Suisham has been solid in the postseason as he has made all of his field goal attempts but he was always shaky in Washington. The kick-off return tandem of Antwaan Randle El and Antonio Brown is respectable but nothing spectacular.



Edge: Green Bay



Intangibles:

The Packers were among the worst hit team for injuries this year as they had to overcome. The list includes some of their key contributors in starting TE Jermichael Finley, Starting RB Ryan Grant and Starting LB Nick Barnett. All of these players are vital to the Packers but some kind of way GM Ted Thompson and HC Mike McCarthy continue to plug the holes so they don’t sink the ship. That shows resiliency not only by the front office but for the players as well as the backups have come in and held the team steady throughout the season. Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson, and Clay Matthews provide leadership and their even-keeled coach keeps them at an even pace not to get too high or too low in any series of events

The Steelers had to endure the Big Ben saga that seemed to take over the summer and also losing him for the first quarter of the season. Charlie Batch came in and played admirably and led them to a 4-1 record over that span. This team probably is the toughest mentally you will ever come across. Remember in the AFC divisional round when they were down 21-7 to the Ravens and all hope seemed lost? Remember when the Pats blasted them at home and everybody jumped off the bandwagon? I do, and every time this team faced some type of adversity they have resoundingly taken care of business. This is a team that is used to winning so this won’t to big of a stage for them to handle. Mike Tomlin is a tough minded coach who doesn’t concern himself with nothing other than winning football games.

Edge: Steelers

This should be an epic game featuring two of the storied franchises in the NFL. Both teams have an already decorated trophy case and would like to add to their accomplishments. It’s sad that this is the last game of the season and maybe even beyond that with the cloud of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming labor dispute between the owners and players. So everyone should enjoy this game. Call over you family and friends and forget about all of life’s everyday problems and enjoy America’s game for one evening. Enjoy the lavish accommodations that Jerry Jones has bestowed upon us for this grand finale to the season rather if your swinging your terrible towel or wearing your cheesehead. So with all that being said here is my prediction

Steelers 28 Packers 24