Sports/TV: Jerry Rice

The #1 reason I actually watched Dancing with the Stars this season is Jerry Rice -- the greatest wide receiver to ever play in the NFL. Fortunately, he spent most of his career and best years with my favorite team, the 49ers. [Bay Area sports fans have almost been unfairly blessed to see other great athletes like Willie Mays, Joe Montana, and Rick Barry play here on a regular basis].

It's been a privilege to witness Jerry Rice display his precision moves on the [American] football field and translate that to the dance floor (with the help of his dazzling dance partner Anna Trebunskaya, reason #1.5 to watch). Their final performances were a hoot to watch. He's a great guy off the field who deserves all the positive attention he wants.

I remember that around 15 years ago, I found myself standing at the opposite end of the bar from Jerry at a local restaurant (I wasn't drinking so I wasn't imagining this - and all my buddies spotted him first). He wasn't overtly drawing attention to himself and seemed to be hanging out with friends just like any other regular person that night. He was gracious and polite to all the fans who interrupted his conversations with his friends for a hand shake and/or an autograph and/or a closer look at what I imagine was his first of what would be many Super Bowl rings.

I've avoided posting this earlier for fear of jinxing his run into the finals. No matter how much I try to rationalize things, I become very superstitious when it comes to games. In the end, Jerry got further into the finals that I thought possible. Even before the show started, I predicted his toughest competition would come from Stacy Keibler (reason #2 to watch) who I've only seen once or twice on a WWF wrestling show while flipping channels on the weekend. I'm definitely no dance expert, but she just looks like she'd be a great dancer or beach volleyball player. Drew Lachey ended up winning, but I fast-forwarded through his and all the other performers to chop the viewing time to about 15-20 minutes per episode.

Now Jerry Rice is one of the ex-Jocks in a game show on Spike TV where "Average Joe" contestants see if they can outdo professional athletes. It was hilarious to see Jerry's competitive streak emerge as he continually burned these guys on a football field, then turn around and give the guys a friendly hug after it was over. [And cool to see ex-SF Giants third baseman, Matt Williams again. Bill Romanowski and Bo Jackson will make appearances in later episodes].

My best wishes to Jerry Rice to achieve the same sort of commercial success that teammates Joe Montana and Steve Young have enjoyed after retiring from football.