The countdown to the GGP draft is officially on. The smack talk, of course, started weeks ago, spearheaded largely by Anita. Luckily, no one but me is terribly sensitive to it. Maybe this season will teach me not to take personal offense to someone calling Adrian Peterson a bitch. I doubt it though. I'm nothing if not unreasonable. Just ask Melissa who had to stop me from putting my fist through a wall last year when the Vikings lost their Super Bowl hopes on that Saints interception.
Maybe I should stop dropping random names and introduce you to the crew. Are you ready for some ladies who love football?!
Let's start with the Big Boss cuz, shoot, I know where my bread is buttered. Our Commish is none other than the lovely Jordan Zucker. Jord runs a fantastic website called Girls Guide to Fantasy Football, though she may be better known as annoying intern Lisa from the hit TV show Scrubs. Jordan loves football and cooking, so gentlemen, take a number and get in line. She's the ish. Jordan will be coming at you all season with her series on cooking special dishes based on top NFL match-ups.
Next up on the list is our resident Olympic gold medalist and Celebrity Apprentice, Summer Sanders. Summer has won more Olympic medals than I've won games of Scrabble (which is saying something as I'm a damn ninja when it comes to cheating at Scrabble) and is additionally a tv show host. Just looking at her resume is making me tired. She's a killer athlete, personality and humanitarian. Basically anything you can do, Summer can do better.
Then there's the league sweetheart, Miss Melissa Hope. Melissa is another one with a dizzying array of life accomplishments. Melis is your quintessential Manhattan gal, though she's a lot nicer than Gossip Girl would have you believe she's capable of being. She's known for her ability to bring people from all walks of life together and knowing when it will work. She comes from a wonderful dichotomy of a sports and casting background. She lives and dies for Big Blue, though I've seen her get really rowdy for the New York Green Machine. Girl loves the game and her NY teams.
Never one to be left out, we are joined by the beautiful and multi-talented Tina Cervasio. After years of working as a sideline reporter covering the Boston Red Sox, Tina made the move back to NYC where you can catch her working on the sidelines for the New York Knicks and the New York Red Bulls.
And we have the fabulous Anita Marks. Anita is maybe the most terrifying foe in this league. When it comes to football, chick doesn't mess around. If football was a religion, Anita would be the Popess. (That word barely makes sense written. I'm gonna use it a lot.) Anita played professional women's football for 5 years and is currently a radio personality on New York's WFAN. Despite her slender stature, she would probably whoop Ray Lewis in a fight and would DEFINITELY own me. I'm a lover, not a fighter. That's actually untrue, but this is my blog post and I will give myself a good reputation if I want to.
Susan Shan, our resident Asian sensation, is an independent sports analyst and writer. Susan's favorite one-on-one interview came at the ripe young age of 16 where she chatted with Donovan Mcnabb after winning a national sports writing competition. You can check out all of Susan's work on her blog. I dare you to find a sport or a player that Susan can't talk you in circles about!
Amanda Rykoff is our resident OCD chick. She may actually be the only acceptable Yankee fan I've ever known. Amanda runs a spectacular blog and I'd call her a social media whore if that term wasn't so socially unacceptable. Let's call her a social media lady of the night. Amanda is an ex-lawyer and former co-host of the ESPN podcast Play Ball. When she isn't using Foursquare to check in at the synagogue, she's putting her extremely talented photography skills to work.
Lauren Deford Spencer is the former Executive Producer of WNBC Sports and Producer of NBC's Olympics. This Emmy nominee is one of the most talented writers and sweetest human beings I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. (Compliments don't fall lightly from my mouth, so this one is legit!) Lauren is still lamenting over the ending of Lost, but will soon be comforted by a brand new baby on the way!
Melissa Jacobs launched The Football Girl in September '09 to provide a source for women and others to get off the sidelines and get engaged in the x's and o's of the greatest game there is. Melissa brings a rich career in the sports industry, starting out as the youngest executive producer ever at KNBR Radio in San Francisco and continuing on to ESPN, where she helped start the Talent Production Department and served as a talent producer for SportsCenter, NFL Lines, Outside the Lines and more. She also helped produce Jim Rome is Burning and served a managerial role at the ESPY Awards. While at ESPN, Melissa won two Sports Emmys for her work.
And let's not forget the always delightful and unfortunately (for her) roommate of mine, Gina Corrao. Gina breathes Eagles football, much to the chagrin of her Giants fan boyfriend. Miss Corrao is a graphic designer extraordinaire, so when you see a smoking hot Hooters chick, tip your cap to her. They don't actually look that good. Gina, along with Anita and myself, represent the Browns in a ZogSports two-hand touch league. Gina and Anita go for the sport and the competition. I go for the beer. I'm an embarrassment to my very competitive team.
Melissa Ferdinand is a part-time ninja and a full-time portrayer of Snow Off-White at the Disneyland ripoff, Cartoonville. She enjoys spear fishing, baking exotic pies and grudge paintball matches. When she isn't playing fantasy football, she can be found deep in Alaska crossing building an igloo off her bucket list. (Disclaimer: All of this may or may not be true. I have never met Melissa and she did not send me bio information. Everyone was warned I would make things up. I feel this could be close to the truth, though.)
Laree Brantley is another Big Blue die-hard and a fantasy sport expert. I truly believe if she could find fantasy ping pong, she would play and get all sorts of worked up about it. Laree works in music licensing, but her real passion is sports. This Virginia native admittedly sobbed like the woman she is when the Giants took their last Super Bowl. When I locate the photo evidence, I will share it with y'all.
Ann Marie Sclafani is our fashionista, being an extraordinary jewelry designer and occasional guest on The Shopping Channel. Though by day she is an incredible design and merchandise talent, by night she is the Bill Belichick of Girls Guide Pro. She is sly and sneaky and always looking to scam a good trade out of the rest of the girls. She's known for her ability to get away with it, too!
Lastly, here I am, Katie Des Londe, the likely author of this blog as I absolutely know the least about football of the whole gang. When my employer, the New York Mets, isn't making me totally insane, the true love of my life, the Minnesota Twins, is. I additionally am the co-host of the talk sports radio show "What's Brewin'". I can usually be found playing amateur sabrematrician and incessantly and obsessively refreshing boxscores. While my heart belongs to the Minnesota Vikings, I'm going to take the advice of my fantasy football coach and occasional arch-nemesis James and not draft ALL Vikings. Just mostly Vikings.
So there you have it, your not-at-all comprehensive detailing of your Girls Guide Pro. Stick with us, kids and maybe you'll learn something. Or maybe you'll laugh as we fumble along. There's only one way to find out.
