We reported on gossip yesterday that Kardashian and Sanchez were an item. There were suggestions that the pair were seeing each other whenever Kardashian was in New York. Not so, say sources close to the star, and there’s also no truth in her and Tim Tebow having a thing. In fact, the reality star says she’s through with dating footballer players as a whole. And who’s to blame? Reggie Bush, that’s who.

The same sources who spilled the beans over the footballer ban told TMZ that her split with Bush was particularly heart-breaking. As a split with one NFL player was very negative, it goes without saying that relationships with other men who play the same sport will … end, er … the same way? Kardashian logic, I guess.

Anyway, the NFL collective shouldn’t be too disheartened. This is, after all, the woman who said “I do” to Kris Humphries, so we’re not talking about the most committed decision-maker in celeb-land. Speaking of Monsieur Humphries, it’s curious that NBA players have not been announced as out-of-bounds. You’re still in Kim’s Krosshairs, boys. Perhaps Kris did something right after all.

Do you think Kardashian can stick to her new self-imposed rule? And how much do you want her to take up TMZ’s suggestion of dating Tiger Woods? The lack of a ‘K’ in his name won’t be good for branding, but he’s newly available and, going by his reputation, probably feeling frisky at some point in the next fifteen seconds.

[Via TMZ]

Kim Kardashian is Done With Dating Footballers is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s nearly Super Bowl time again, a.k.a. the time of year where half of America sits down to watch some flashy commercials with a bit of football in between.

The big game itself takes place on February 5th, but below are sneaky teasers of two of the commercials that’ll run this year.

First up is a pretty lame-looking effort from the SOPA-lovin’ Go Daddy. And no, I’m not saying that because of the SOPA issue – it’s just a bit yawnsome, with crappy acting (courtesy of Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels) and tedious innuendo that Frankie Howerd would turn his nose up at. Yeah, there’s a bit of flesh, but meh, so what?

Next up is a muuuuuch better attempt from Volkswagen. Remember last year’s VW ad, with the kid using the Force to turn on his Dad’s car? Well, Volkswagen have returned to Star Wars, employing a choir of dogs to bark out ‘The Imperial March,’ also known as Darth Vader’s theme. It’s titled ‘The Bark Side,’ and is fairly adorable, with a genuinely funny ending:

Again, I understand these are teasers, so there are likely to be more fleshed-out versions come the big day. There’ll be an estimated 100 million people watching these, and Go Daddy needs to win some people back, I hear …

So what do you make of these? Anything to rival last year’s crop (which, you may recall, included Eminem driving through Detroit like a badass and a Bud Light dog party)? Or do you skip the ads to fetch a fresh beverage?

See also: Adweek Reveals Best Commercials of 2011

Super Bowl 2012 Commercial Previews Include Nudity, Dogs, Star Wars [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

At least manning spent this week able to throw a football, the problem is he has not been able to practice with the team or play in a game all season, and without being able to evaluate his on field performance the Colts will not be able to decide if he is able to play next year.

The Colts General Manager wants to have the best of both worlds, keep Manning and Draft Luck.  Unfortunately this doesn’t make much sense for the team.

The Colts are up against the NFL’s hard salary cap, an issue even with less star power than Manning on the roster.  Manning makes up for glaring deficiencies elsewhere on the field, but with him starting and Luck on the bench, those deficiencies will be even more magnified as they will have to cut much more talent to keep both in uniform.

In there lies the rub, if you draft Luck (and the ridiculously high salary he will command) just to sit on the bench, where are you going to get the money to give Manning a team he will be able to bring back to the Super Bowl?

This is a familiar situation for the Mannings (and Luck is a close family friend).  Archie Manning, Peyton’s father, advised Peyton’s brother Eli against putting himself in exactly the same situation with the San Diego Chargers.   When Eli was drafted by the San Diego Chargers, they already sported an established quarterback in Drew Brees. So Eli refused to sign and demanded a trade to the New York Giants where he has won a Super Bowl.

Should the Indianapolis Colts stick with Peyton Manning or go with Andrew Luck?

Luck or Manning? Colts Can’t Have Both is a post from: The Inquisitr

There are certain things in life that make us all question what we know to be true and the success of Tim Tebow and the Denever Broncos are definitely one of them.  They were said to be a team in transition.  Tebow was not even their starting quarterback at the beginning of the season.  There were rumors that he didn’t have what it took to be the all-star he was in college.

Then he took over as a starter and things have really taken off. The Broncos have won 7 of their last 8 games and he has become somewhat of a phenom.  His last six games have been won with Denver trailing going into the third quarter.  The scenario is the same week after week.  Tebow looks like he doesn’t know what he is doing through the first three quarters.  His passes don’t snap and he has a flair for launching the ball over  a receiver’s head or skipping it off the ground.

Then comes the fourth quarter.  He runs, he scores, he makes plays like no one has ever seen.  For one of the worst ranked offenses in the NFL he becomes electric.  Then the Broncos win!

Some attribute it to luck and some to skill, but not Tebow.  Tebow is completely unapologetic for his rock solid faith in Jesus Christ.  This has caused him to become the recipient of a lot of scorn.  People tease him.  They even have named his sideline prayers as “Tebowing”.  Denver is in first place in their division after a win over the Chicago bears in overtime (again down by ten in the third quarter) and Tebow might be the third starter elected to the All-Star team.  Whatever he is doing seems to be working!

Is Tim Tebow a star or just lucky?

Tim Tebow: Faith and Fury is a post from: The Inquisitr

“I’m committed to UCLA,” Combs said, according to Scout.com. “I was silently committed to UCLA for a while, but now was the time.”

Justin’s decision to play for the Bruins comes just one day after the team fired head coach Rick Neuheisel, following a 50-0 loss to rival USC.

Combs, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound cornerback at Iona Prep in New Rochelle, N.Y., says he is not concerned about the fact that UCLA does not have a head coach because his love for the school is “so strong.”

“I have faith in the program that everything will be OK,” said Combs explained. “I trust and know that everything will work out.”

When asked his feelings on Justin’s choice to head out west and play for the Bruins, Diddy told Access Hollywood:

“As a parent, today is one of the proudest moments of my life. This is everything a father could want for his son, for him to excel at what he loves to do and is truly passionate about. Justin is a shining example of what hard work, determination and a strong mentality can achieve. I am honored to call him my son and am happy that he is fulfilling his dream.”

To see a highlight film displaying Justin Combs’ defensive abilities on the football field, check out the clip below:

Justin Combs, P. Diddy’s Son, Commits to UCLA is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dear Aaron Rodgers, The next time your Green Bay Packers play the Minnesota Vikings, please take it easy on them.

Your 45-7 win against them was just so overwhelming. You do not have to complete 23 of 30 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns. You even extended your single-season NFL record by notching your ninth consecutive game with a passer rating exceeding 110.0 (140.3) and breaking Brett Favre’s team mark by throwing at least two touchdowns for the ninth consecutive game.

Come on Aaron Rodgers, you broke this little girl’s heart for beating the Minnesota Vikings. Next time, take it easy.

Aaron Rodgers Breaks Little Girl’s ‘Heart’ for Beating Vikings is a post from: The Inquisitr

In a television interview, Jerry Sandusky, former defensive coordinator for Pennsylvania State University’s football team denied that he is a pedophile. The interview may have agitated other victims as The New York Times revealed that 10 additional victims have come forward as well against him.

This will be an additional problem for Sandusky who was indicted earlier this month on 40 counts of sexually abusing eight young boys.

During the TV interview, Sandusky said:

“I could say that I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids, I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact. I shouldn’t have showered with those kids.”

Sandusky has been formally charged already in the sex abuse of eight children. The acts were reportedly to have taken place as early as 1994. The scandal led to the firing of legendary coach Joe Paterno and three university officials.

10 More Victims for Jerry Sandusky is a post from: The Inquisitr

We’ve seen stupid memes like planking, owling, horsemanning and batmanning.

Now comes another one, Tebowing. If you watched the Denver Broncos game last Sunday, then you should have witnessed how Tim Tebow led his team’s astonishing fourth quarter comeback. It was after the game when Tebowing was born, as the quarterback knelt and started praying.

The website Tebowing.com defined it clearly, “to get down on a knee and start praying even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.”

According to Jared Kleinstein, the site’s founder, he was watching the game with his friends when Tebow led the team and saw Tebow Tebowing.

“Everybody was jumping up and down, and we noticed Tebow Tebowing.”

Tebowing.com founder Jared Kleinstein with his friends after watching Tebow Tebowing

Stupid and harmless as these memes are, planking has claimed the life of an Australian man last May while doing it on railings and falling from the balcony.

Allow me to endorse Tebowing. Kneeling and praying, though just pretending, seems to be a safer alternative. What do you think?

The Next Internet Stupid Meme is Tebowing is a post from: The Inquisitr

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has issued an apology for the suggestive photos that came out of him and porn star BiBi Jones.

The pictures were taken and posted on BiBi’s Twitter account apparently to get him more followers. BiBi, who tweets under the handle xxxBiBiJones, had 110,000 followers on Twitter.

The pictures were taken while Gronkowski was on a a trip in Arizona to visit some friends. That’s where he met the star of “Naughty Nanny 3″ and “Lesbian Seductions 35.” The photos were taken in a bedroom, implying intimacy between the two, with Jones wearing the #87 Patriots jersey.

While Jones admitted that she often sleep with athletes, she said that:

“Nothing happened. I wish something had, but nothing happened.”

For his part, Gronkowski apologized for the incident:

“I didn’t intend anything to hurt the reputation of anyone on the New England Patriots or on behalf of Robert Kraft (team owner). It’s just a simple picture, that’s all.”

Yeah, right. What do you think? Was it just a simple picture?

Patriots Tight End Apologizes for Pictures with Porn Star is a post from: The Inquisitr

For the fifth consecutive year, the Dallas Cowboys is America’s favorite professional football team. The survey by The Harris Poll also revealed that The Pittsburgh Steelers move up from 4th last year to number 2 on the list while the Green Bay Packers remain at number 3. The New England Patriots moved up from 6th to 4th and the Bears from 9th to 5th this year.

The survey also revealed that over half of Americans (55%) say they follow professional football. It may be a slight increase compared to last year’s 53% but this year is the highest following since 1998.

Looking how your team fared in the survey?

The Detroit Lions moved up 11 places on the list from number 30 last year to number 19 this year;

The Miami Dolphins moved up 8 places from a tie for number 21 to number 13;

The Oakland Raiders dropped 8 places, from a tie at number 17 to number 25;

Two teams moved up 7 places each– The Washington Redskins, from number 15 to number 8, and the New York Jets, from number 16 to a tie for number 9; and

Two teams dropped 6 places each– the New Orleans Saints, from number 5 to number 11, and the Arizona Cardinals, from number 11 to a tie at number 17

The survey also asked football fans who they think would win the Super Bowl. A quarter of Americans who follow professional football (24%) believe the Green Bay Packers will win the Super Bowl, while 23% think it will be the New England Patriots.

It is obvious with this survey that football remains one of the favorite sports to follow by Americans. Good thing the season went on despite the initial issue between the player’s union and team owners.

Going back to the survey, did you know that even party lines are evident with people who follow football: Independents at 53%, Democrats at 56% and Republicans at 62%.

Dallas Cowboys is America’s Favorite Football Team; Packers to Win Super Bowl (Any Objection?) is a post from: The Inquisitr

After teaming up with swimsuit models, Electronic Arts Inc. is taking on some of football’s biggest stars for an exclusive reality show entitled Battlefield 3: Operation Gridiron.

The show will air on Spike TV this fall and will take quarterback Drew Brees, linebacker Clay Matthews, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and defensive end Jared Allen into real-life combat scenarios inspired by the videogame Battlefield 3.

The football stars are provided with the ultimate in combat training, followed by working as a team to accomplish a live simulated operation.

Webisodes of the show are posted on the Battlefield Facebook page with the finale airing on Spike TV on October 24 at 12:00am EST/PDT.

All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees stressed on the message of his experience, saying:

“Taking to the battlefield in these real life war settings was really exciting and eye-opening. Every day men and women face challenges similar to what we tackled in this show but with potential dire consequences. Filming this show once again reinforced my respect for the soldiers who fight every day for our freedom.”

Battlefield 3 will be available October 25, 2011 in North America for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 videogame entertainment system and the PC.

Battlefield 3 is one of the most anticipated games this year. Let’s see if drumming it up with football stars can translate to sales.

EA Teams Up with Drew Brees and Company for Battlefield 3: Operation Gridiron is a post from: The Inquisitr

USA Today and Facebook will join forces in 2012 to launch the 24th annual Super Bowl Ad Meter. For the first time, consumers everywhere can help in deciding the winner for the Ad Meter.

USA Today first created the Super Bowl Ad Meter in 1989 after noticing an increasing trend in consumer interest in Super Bowl ads. The Ad Meter tracks the second-by-second responses of a panel of viewers to ads during the Super Bowl and ranks them from best to worst. Ad Meter results have long been the industry-leading tool used to measure public opinion surrounding Super Bowl ads.

Stressing their role for the Ad Meter, Mike Hoefflinger, director of global business marketing at Facebook, said:

“The creation of the USA Today – Facebook Super Bowl Ad Meter is going to give millions of people the ability to not only interact with the various Super Bowl commercials, but to rate the ads and share with their friends on Facebook. Making the Ad Meter social brings it to an entirely new level and we’re proud to be a part of it.”

David Payne, senior vice president and chief digital officer of Gannett Co., Inc., said about the Ad Meter:

“The impact and influence of Ad Meter over the years has been astounding.  Through this partnership with Facebook we’re giving consumers a voice with the opportunity to rate and share the ads with their friends. Social media is changing the face of consumer engagement and this partnership more than ever, puts the consumer at the center of the conversation around advertising’s biggest annual event.”

So, starting next year, the Ad Meter will be rebranded as USA Today – Facebook Super Bowl Ad Meter. Rating the ads will also take place through an app that will be hosted on Facebook and USAToday.com. The app will allow consumers to view the ads both online and via mobile, rate the ads and share them with their friends.

With Facebook’s involvement, it would be safe to say that the Ad Meter will be truly representative of a wider audience’s sentiment.

USA Today to Rebrand its Super Bowl Ad Meter with Facebook is a post from: The Inquisitr

Helping Americans understand soccer… here is an image that may come in handy.

[via]

It’s Kind of Like Tetris is a post from: The Inquisitr

News nugget one: EA released the first two videos of the game in action, more of which below (SPOILER: It totally looks like Madden 11). News nugget two: Peyton Hillis will be the next Madden cover star after he trashed Michael Vick in the finals of the cover vote with a convincing 66% slice of the vote.

The video clips cover gameplay and presentation respectively. The former shows off the all-new collision system, defensive A.I. enhancements, and a highly requested feature: custom playbooks.

The second showcases all the stuff you’ll click through after your third match. You know, the team run-outs with the mascots and cheerleaders, broadcast cameras, etc. To be fair, Madden games do TV-style presentation better than any other sports game, but it’s ultimately extraneous to the final quality of the game.

[Via press release]

[VIDEO] First Madden 12 footage released, Hillis confirmed as cover star is a post from: The Inquisitr

Madden NFL 12 will be released with customary timeliness this year, even if the real thing ends up being called off. Speaking at a recent event, EA Sports head honcho Peter Moore confirmed Madden NFL 12 will arrive in stores on August 30th:

“We’ll be shipping this year, regardless of what the labor issues are, whether they’re resolved or not,” explained Moore. “Madden 12 will be shipping on August 30th 2011, regardless of what happens with the league itself.”

Grand stuff, if you like this ‘gridiron’ business. Incidentally, if you’re still interested in who appears on the next Madden‘s cover, remember that EA is urging people to vote here. The choice is now down to the final four players: Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick, Peyton Hillis, and Adrian Peterson.

[Via Joystiq]

EA confirms Madden NFL 12 to ship August 30th is a post from: The Inquisitr

So you might have heard this Madden thing is sort of big. So big, in fact, that it comes out yearly.

True to form, Madden NFL 12 is due out August 11th on various gaming platforms. But before the game appears, it needs a cover. And before the cover appears, it needs a star! That’s where you come in. Madden publisher EA has opened voting in Madden’s Cover Competition, letting you select which of the 32 candidates will have their mug on the front of Madden 12. Rumor has it there’s … some sort of curse?

The voting process is essentially a knockout tournament, and although 31 of the 32 candidates are players, there’s a twist this year: “The 12th Man.” That’s a nod to the hardcore fans of the Seattle Seahawks. They’re facing off against Patrick Willis of the 49ers in the first round.

Head over to ESPN to have your say!

[ESPN, via Kotaku]

Voting is open!: Choose Madden 12′s cover star is a post from: The Inquisitr

It seems that death by boredom isn’t the only risk undertaken by watching the Superbowl.

As minutes of your life tick by at a lame-ass Sunday night party wherein everyone consumes squeeze cheese and has to be up too early the next day for any proper fun to be had, there is another possible fatal horror that awaits you. Roofies in the Budweiser? Listeriosis from undercooked cocktail weiners? Nope. It appears that cheering on the losing team could lead to a- I’m not making this up- fatal heart attack.

A study was published in Clinical Cardiology, measuring “emotional stress” in populations following the 1980 and 1984 Superbowls. In 1980, Los Angeles fans dealt with a loss, while in 1984, there was a win. The results were pretty surprising:

In the study, there was a 15 percent increase in cardiac related deaths among men, associated with losing, and a 27 percent increase in heart related events in women from Super Bowl team losses. In older adults, circulatory heart related events increased 22 percent. The risk of heart attack and other related cardiac events was directly linked to emotional stress of watching a home team loss.

Robert A. Kloner, MD, an author of the study, explains:

“Physicians and patients should be aware that stressful games might elicit an emotional response that could trigger a cardiac event. Stress reduction programs or certain medications might be appropriate in individual cases.”

Do you feel that watching events like the Superbowl gets your heart rate up?

Today in ‘can kill you’ news- the Superbowl might precipitate fatal heart attacks! is a post from: The Inquisitr

West Orange-Stark quarterback Reggie Garrett died Friday night after collapsing during a football game.

Garrett, a senior, collapsed on the field and began “twitching,” according to reports. The teen’s teammates “fell to one knee,” and “cried and cried” as efforts were made to revive Garrett, who was taken to Memorial Hermann Baptist-Orange Hospital emergency room at around 8:30pm. At 9:30pm, he was pronounced dead. Garrett’s fellow players learned of his death during the game’s fourth quarter.

ABC describes the team’s reaction, and spoke with Garrett’s coach:

Garrett’s touchdown pass gave the Mustangs a 21-0 lead, and they won the game 27-6, but players and coaches gathered at the 50-yard line after the game. Most were in tears, while some were on their knees and others were hugging one another.

“Coaching this game for 40 years — it’s really not that important is it, when something like this happens,” Mustangs coach Dan Hooks said. “You talk about a great kid, friend, a teammate — these kids all thought of him.”

Garrett is said to have suffered from at least one seizure in the past, but an autopsy is planned to determine his exact cause of death.

Texas high school football player Reggie Garrett dies after touchdown pass is a post from: The Inquisitr

They say timing is everything and this is especially true when it comes to snapping the perfect photograph. It is even more true when it comes to snapping those incredibly embarrassing photos that can now haunt you through the Internet.

via FreshPics

10 incredibly well timed sports photos is a post from: The Inquisitr

EA’s most reliable cash cow has just trotted into town, its swinging udders heavy with warm, milky profit. Yes, it’s Madden NFL 11, the latest entry in the evergreen Madden series of football games. The title launches tomorrow, when I expect game stores to be packed with keen wannabe egg-throwers. But what do the critics think of this latest iteration? Hm? Let’s find out!

Destructoid (full review here) thinks the development team have designed a football game for everybody, and awarded a stonking 9.5 out of 10:

“Dancing on the fine line of making an eminently accessible game that’s still deep enough for the hardcore fanbase is a tightrope-balancing act that often sinks lesser developers. But EA Tiburon has demonstrated that they’re clearly up to the challenge.“
9.5 out of 10

IGN (full review here) strikes a different tone in its review, arguing that this year’s game has abandoned the hardcore player:

“I think it’s clear that this year’s Madden is geared toward the mainstream football fan; someone who just wants to come in after playing a game of catch outside and get their hands on some real NFL talent. For that audience Madden NFL 11 delivers. However, if you’re the type of player who sits alone in your living room combing the free agent wire for a player to add to your beloved franchise, I think this year’s Madden is going to leave something to be desired.“
80%

Game Informer (full review here) acknowledges that some of the flaws from previous titles have been fixed, but too many remain:

“Madden NFL 11 is a clear step forward for the franchise, but as fun as the additions are, the fact that some of its glaring mistakes remain is like getting a new stud quarterback even though the offensive line still needs an upgrade. You’re going to score, but you’re still a team with weaknesses.“
88%

GameTrailers (full review here) calls this Madden a true step forward for the franchise, and continues in full-on gushing mode for much of its review:

“Some annoying issues have finally been rectified, the presentation has received an overhaul, and the brand new GameFlow play calling requires some work, but provides a worthy payoff. Couple all this with great running and tackling and you have a product that’s worth full asking price.“
91%

Madden NFL 11: Review Round-up is a post from: The Inquisitr