Monday, October 29, 2012

Top sports power couples

On the latest Out of Ink podcast, Matt Hurst and Josh Suchon discuss the Top Sports Power Couples. Where do Justin Verlander and Kate Upton rank? Where do we place Jenna Jameson and Tito Ortiz? Or tennis stars Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi? Or what about Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra?




-- by Matt Hurst

It's too early in their relationship to deem Justin Verlander and Kate Upton as a top-5 athlete power couple. It could happen some day, but let's allow them to be together at least a year before they crack this list. Until then, here are my top-5 all-time sports-related power couples.



5. Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson 

They may not have the star power that some others do on this list because neither of them are considered super "mainstream" but the best MMA fighter at one time and the most-Googled porn star at one time deserves to be ranked on here. Plus, Jameson and Ortiz have broken away from their stigmas of meathead and porn star. They are each past their respective careers but still ranked as some of the best in their respective genres.

4. Nomar Garciaparra and Mia Hamm 

Both of them were considered amongst the best in their sports in their primes as Nomar was in the Jeter and A-Rod discussion of the best in baseball during one of its biggest offensive booms while Hamm was the best female soccer player - maybe ever - to help set up the type of fame the likes of Hope Solo and Heather Mitts and Alex Morgan have enjoyed. Both have crossover appeal, too, as Nomar has appeared as a commentator and Hamm still receives endorsement deals.


3. David Beckham and Victoria "Posh" Beckham 

These two, based on their endorsements and worldly power, should be No. 1. But we are in the United States where soccer isn't important and the Spice Girls were as much as a flash in the pan as Carly Rae Jepsen. Sure, their relationship has stood the test of both English, American and worldwide paparazzi, so there must be true love there, but neither of them are front-page worthy in the U.S. anymore. Therefore, they rest at No. 3 on my list.

2. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe 

The original athlete/actress power couple. These two, after their deaths, still draw a ton of interest individually because of who they were and what they represented. DiMaggio, one of the finest Yankees of them all, responding to always playing hard with the quote of "Maybe there's someone in the stands who's never seen me play before." And Monroe is such a classic icon in Hollywood and Americana that she is emulated almost as often as Elvis.

1. Tom Brady and Giselle 

One of the best quarterbacks ever. One of the best supermodels ever. As far as power couples, it doesn't get much better than that. Together they are an unstoppable force that has somehow left the public to know nearly nothing about their personal lives. Hard to imagine in a country that is so insatiable for information about its stars that you can ask almost anyone on the streets and they don't know much about either outside of their lines of work. Kudos to them for that.


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