The 20 Biggest Cradle Robbers in Sports

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Like a fine wine, older dudes seem to get better with age. If you need more evidence than my word, just consider all the members of Club Geriatric with younger (often, much younger) beautiful women in tote. I think we can all agree it's no coincidence that money and/or fame seem to be a prerequisite for this truth. I mean, you never see swimsuit models dumpster diving with bearded, leathery hobos.

So, it's no surprise that in world of sports, more than a few graying sports legends and power players have found themselves the object of affection of a woman young enough to be a daughter, or even a granddaughter.

Hey, some girls place a premium on financial security—sometimes love follows, sometimes pragmatism rules—and for the wizened Hall of Famer or franchise owner, the nature of the relationship matters little.

Hey, who are we to judge how people spend their Golden Years and those of a more recent generation who grant them companionship. Okay, well...sometimes there are plenty of reasons to ask questions or level a little scrutiny.

These are 20 Biggest Cradle Robbers in Sports.

20. Bastian Schweinsteiger, German Footballer

Image via hotsportswives.com

German footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger might not be much to look at age 29, but he does have a pretty good job playing football for Bayern Munich. And sometimes that's all it takes. 

Schweinsteiger has been dating stunning German model Sarah Brandner, six years his junior, since 2010. Brandner has appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. 

19. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets

Image via GQ & 4onlyusnews.blogspot.com

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez hasn't made a habit of robbing the cradle. In fact, the one time he did rob the cradle, it's quite possible that it was a complete accident. He met the broad at a bar after all. 

In February 2011 Sanchez, now 25, made headlines when it was reported that one of his conquests had been bragging about hooking up with the quarterback on Facebook. Too bad Eliza Kruger was a 17-year-old high schooler at the time. 

She's 18 now…in case he has any lingering feelings. 

18. Juan Roman Riquelme, Argentine Footballer

Image via argentinepassion.files.wordpress.com & football.co.uk

Argentine footballer Juan Roman Riquelme may be a free agent who is unable to find a job, and in fact hasn't done anything of note in years, but the 34-year-old probably isn't losing much sleep over the situation. 

Actually Riquelme probably doesn't worry about his sleep schedule in the slightest, considering he's dating 26-year-old Argentine model Yésica Toscanini. 

17. Mike Comrie, Retired NHL

Image via Zimbio

Remember when Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan were fighting over that nasty little brother of one of those kids from the Backstreet Boys? Those were the days. 

Today Duff is 24-years-old and married to prematurely retired NHL player Mike Comrie, who is eight years her senior. They've been together since 2007. 

16. Anton Zingarevich, British Premiere League's Reading Owner

Image via dailymail.co.uk

In 2012 Russian business tycoon Anton Zingarevich, age 30, became the youngest owner of a British Premier League team in history. Nothing like a billion dollars to attract a hot young wife. 

In 2009 Zingarevich married blonde Belarusian bombshell Katsia Zingarevich, a 22-year-old model who has absolutely no business standing next to a nerd like Anton. 

15. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees

Images via Zimbio

Yankees stud Derek Jeter's dating resume is a who's who of women you would give your right eye to spend just one evening with. The Jeet does have a thing for younger ladies, but he's kept it pretty reasonable so far. 

Today, Jeter is 38 and his past lady loves include Jessica Alba, 31, Jessica Biel, 30 and his most recent flame, Minka Kelly, 32. 

14. Rick Fox, Retired NBA

Image via Zimbio

Retired NBA player Rick Fox may have retired from the game, but obviously he's still got the moves. 

The 43-year-old Fox landed 31-year-old smokin' hot actress Eliza Dushku in 2009, and the couple are still together. 

13. Wladimir Klitschko, Boxer

Image via Zimbio

Not only did boxer Wladimir Klitschko rob the cradle with actress Hayden Panettiere, their size difference makes it look like he robbed an actual daycare. 

Klitschko dated Panettiere from 2009-11; he was 33 and she was just 20 when they started dating. 

12. Michael Jordan, Retired NBA

Image via Zimbio

In 2007 NBA legend Michael Jordan agreed on a divorce settlement with his ex-wife. The divorce cost MJ a cool $168 million, one of the most expensive of all time. 

A year later he began dating model Yvette Prieto. Today, Jordan, now 49, and Prieto, now 32, are engaged to be married. Hello, prenup. 

11. Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

Images via Zimbio

Rumors have persisted throughout the summer of 2012 that Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander has been making romantic times with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover model Kate Upton. 

Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. But if they are the 29-year-old Verlander has almost a decade of wisdom on 20-year-old Upton. 

10. Jason Kidd, New York Knicks

Image via Zimbio

After a particularly nasty divorce from his first wife, Joumana Kidd, baller Jason Kidd traded in the drama for a Playboy Playmate. Every man's dream! 

Kidd, who is currently 39, and Hope Dworaczyk, who is currently 28, dated from 2007 through 2009 before calling it quits. 

9. Jason Kidd, New York Knicks

Image via Zimbio

Apparently Hope Dworaczyk wasn't quite young enough for Jason Kidd, because after they broke up in 2009 he almost immediately hooked up with former model Porschla Coleman. 

At 27-years-old, Coleman is just a year younger than Dworaczyk, but she's still 12 years younger than Kidd. 

8. Gary Lineker, Retired Football

Image via Zimbio

Retired English footballer Gary Lineker began dating Welsh model and television presenter Danielle Bux in 2009; they have since married. 

Lineker is a spry 51-years-old and Bux is just 33-years-old. 

7. Chuck Norris, Martial Arts Ass Kicker

Image via Zimbio

Professional ass kicker Chuck Norris divorced his first wife in 1988 after nearly 30 years of marriage. Apparently he played the field for quite awhile because he didn't marry again until 1998. 

Norris, now 72-years-young, walked the marriage plank again with former model Gena O'Kelley, now 49-years-old, and the two have been roundhouse kicking potential intruders ever since. 

6. Hulk Hogan, Wrestler

Image via Zimbio

Wrestler Hulk Hogan had been married to his wife Linda since 1983 before the couple divorced in 2007. The divorce cost Hulk a fortune, so he decided to upgrade to a newer model. 

Hulk, now 59-years-old, began dating Jennifer McDaniel, who is now 36-years-old and looks exactly like his daughter, in 2008. The couple wed in 2010 and will likely divorce in 2013. 

5. Tiger Woods, PGA Golfer

Images via Zimbio

We all remember the unpleasantness that was golf legend Tiger Woods' split from his more age-appropriate wife, Elin. It's permanently etched in our collective consciousness. 

Well, after Tiger, now 36-years-old, split with Elin, he decided to go just a bit younger. He's currently dating 23-year-old Alyse Lahti Johnston. 

4. Frank Gifford, Retired NFL

Image via Zimbio

Broadcaster and former NFL player Frank Gifford married television personality Kathie Lee in October 1986. It was the second marriage for both of them and has somehow survived to this day. 

Today the fidelity-challenged Frank is a very aged 82, while his Today Show co-host wife Kathie is just 56-years-old. 

3. Pete Rose, "Retired" MLB

Image via Zimbio

Major league disgrace Pete Rose left his wife of over 20 years and began dating wannabe model Kiana Kim in 2009. The two even went on The Howard Stern Show to brag about their sex life.

That would have been disgusting either way, but considering Rose is 71 and Kim is in her 30s, it made it all the more revolting. 

2. Robert Kraft, New England Patriots Owner

Image via Boston.com

Apparently the relationship of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, age 71, and desperate wannabe actress Ricki Noel Lander, age 32, was a well-known thing in Boston well before July 2012. 

It didn't become a thing that the rest of us knew about until the two appeared in one of the weirdest, creepiest, freakshow audition tapes of all time in July 2012. Let's just say "ew" and leave it at that. 

1. Bobby Petrino, Former Arkansas Coach

Image via BustedCoverage

As if Bobby Petrino wasn't already disliked enough outside the state of Arkansas before the motorcycle crash heard round the world and the subsequent sordid scandals, the details of which would emerge at a painfully slow pace. 

At the time of the accident the 51-year-old married Petrino had a woman clinging to him from behind, but it wasn't his lovely wife Becky. But rather a 25-year-old former student athlete named Jessica Dorrell, whom Petrino had recently hired to work for the football program. 

Oh, and they were sleeping together. And Dorrell was engaged. Ew. 

Speaking of Cradle Robbing!

This photo may or may not have been doctored.

I'm just kidding. The legendary Joe Namath and I are not romantically involved, but I'm working on it. 

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