Athletes with Food Named After Them
Signature shoes? Nah. Falling in the top 10 in jersey sales? Forget it. In my eyes, the ultimate sign of respect for an athlete is when he gets a food item named in his honor, delighting those who chow on the grub in or out of season.
Across all sports, fans have seen plenty of instances where players' names grace the menus at some of our favorite restaurants or inside stadiums. We hope that the food in question imparts some of their skills.
Of course, that never happens, but that doesn't mean that eating these food items named after athletes is a bad thing—and here are some players who have their own signature dish.
Tim Tebow (The Jetbow)
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Are any of you surprised to see that journeyman quarterback Tim Tebow had his own sandwich in the famous Carnegie Deli once?
Following the addition of Tebow to the New York Jets in 2012, the deli honored the former two-time national champ and Heisman Trophy winner with a meaty sandwich that matched the left-hander's bulky frame.
Weighing an estimated 3.5 pounds, the "Jetbow" was stacked with roast beef, American cheese and a few other toppings before being squeezed between rye bread for a hard-hitting meal.
There's no word on whether Tebow ever actually attempted to chow on one.
Jeremy Lin (The Jeremy Lin)
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When Linsanity hit New York City in 2012, then New York Knicks player Jeremy Lin—currently with the Charlotte Hornets—may have gotten a ton of attention, but it wasn't until 2014 that he got his own sandwich.
Kind of crazy, right?
After moving to the West Coast, a sandwich shop named Ike's Place added "The Jeremy Lin" to its menu to honor the point guard. The sandwich consists of turkey, Voodoo heat chips, avocado, havarti cheese, onions, lettuce and tomato, with sriracha sauce recommended.
Lin's hoops game may have dropped off a bit from the Linsanity madness, but at least he can enjoy a tasty sub that bears his name.
Ben Roethlisberger (The Roethlisburger)
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Since 2004 when the team drafted him, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been the face of the franchise, solidifying himself as one of the best Steelers ever.
For that reason, Peppi's Old Tyme Sandwich Shop in the Steel City wanted to reward Big Ben with his very own delicacy—"The Roethlisburger," which is about as big of a burger as you'd expect from something named after a 6'5", 241-pound quarterback.
If you feel like stuffing yourself, go ahead and try to eat the 12-ounce patty, 12-ounce hot sausage, onions, cheese, lettuce, tomato, hot peppers, pickles, mayo eggs and, yes, even a chunk of butter.
One thing is for sure: You're going to feel sacked after taking down this whole burger.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Le Zlatan)
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Who says that the French are so prim and proper? This hamburger that's named after Paris Saint-Germain forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic might beg to differ.
More than a handful of a burger mountain, the sandwich features over a pound of meat and is topped with onions, bacon and a trio of cheeses—cheddar, Emmental and blue—causing this to be both messy and delicious.
With such toppings and the overall size, Doddy's Cafe—which debuted the menu item in 2013—even boasted that "Chuck Norris couldn't fit it in his mouth," according to the Guardian.
I guess if there's one thing Chuck Norris can't do, it's eat the Le Zlatan hamburger.
Tom Brady (The Tom Brady)
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For all intents and purposes—even amidst this whole Deflategate scandal—New England Patriots signal-caller Tom Brady is the best quarterback of the past 20-plus years, maybe ever.
With four Super Bowl titles and two league MVPs during that time, Tom Terrific has accomplished a ton.
So it's no surprise that at least one place would want to name something on its menu after him, which is exactly what Boston restaurant Mr. Bartley's did.
Described on the menu as "a role-MODEL," The Tom Brady is a burger with cheddar, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onions and a side of fries, which makes the concoction as succulent as Brady's passing skills.
Maria Sharapova (Sugarpova)
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It takes a lot of physical fitness to win five Grand Slam singles titles and be asked to pose for numerous magazines, so I have a hunch that Maria Sharapova isn't scarfing down too much of her "Sugarpova" candy.
Still, that doesn't mean she wasn't proud to introduce the candy line to fans in 2012.
A lover of sweet things, Sharapova made sure that her treats were as sugary as possible; anyone who craves Sour Patch Kids, like myself, absolutely loves the stuff she is selling.
Russell Wilson (DangeRuss Dog)
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I wonder what Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was more excited about getting: a foot-long hot dog that was named after him or the massive contract extension he just inked with the team?
OK, that's sort of a no-brainer, but at the very least, I'd like to think that Wilson celebrated his new millions by chowing on a "DangeRuss Dog," which was served up to the 12th Man during Seattle's NFC Championship Game last year against the Green Bay Packers.
Topped with some of Wilson's favorite foods like mac 'n' cheese, caramelized onions, jalapenos, sriracha and blue and green tortilla chips, the $12 dog seems like more of a problem to take down than Wilson on the football field.
Carmelo Anthony (The Melo)
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As much of a handful as Carmelo Anthony is on the offensive end, when healthy, nothing stacks up to the handful that is his sandwich at Carnegie Deli.
Known as "The Melo," this behemoth contains a whopping 3.5 pounds of pastrami, corned beef, salami, bacon, lettuce and tomato, filling up a stomach like Melo can fill up buckets on the basketball court.
With the sandwich going for about $22, Carmelo could purchase 1,039,772 of them with his current 2015 salary of $22.875 million—or he could just smile at the fact that he has a menu item named after him at, arguably, the most famous deli in the U.S.
Chad Johnson (Ochocincos)
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From Doug Flutie to Terrell Owens, plenty of players have earned their very own cereal.
But since Chad Johnson's cereal is arguably the most outrageous of them all, he is the best example to give.
After officially changing his name to "Ochocinco" prior to the 2008 NFL season, the former Pro Bowl wideout released a cereal named, what else, "Ochocincos," which were basically Cheerios with Johnson's face all over the box.
The cereal was made to help raise money for Johnson's favorite charity, but unfortunately, the phone number on the back of the box actually led to a phone sex line.
Oops, hope the cereal tasted good at least!
Andrea Pirlo (The Pirlo)
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If there were any concerns over the reception that longtime Italian international soccer player Andrea Pirlo would receive upon his arrival in Major League Soccer, I would say that those doubts were set aside rather quickly.
That's because Pirlo—who debuted for the New York City Football Club earlier this year—got a sandwich named after him at No. 7 Sub in the Big Apple.
Simply named "The Pirlo," the soccer magician's sandwich seems as sweet and timeless as his game on the pitch, with salami, mozzarella, zucchini and pickled blueberries on the sub.
If it makes me play soccer like the man it's named after, I'll happily drop about $12 for this thing.
Marshawn Lynch (The Beast Burger)
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One of the most popular players in the NFL thanks to his "f you" attitude toward the league and tough-nosed style of play, it was probably just a matter of time before Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch got a food item named after him.
That happened early in 2014, when, prior to the Hawks' NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers, Beast Mode was honored with, what else, "The Beast" burger.
Two patties, bacon, cheddar cheese, onion rings, lettuce, onions, and tomato made up this hefty hamburger, along with a side of fries and, of course, Lynch's favorite candy, Skittles.
With a price of $15, one has to go beast mode on this burger to try to eat the whole thing.
Stephen Strasburg (The Strasburger)
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The former No. 1 overall selection of the Washington Nationals in 2009, right-hander hurler Stephen Strasburg sure did make a quick impression on the Nats faithful.
That's because the ballpark in which the team plays honored the stud pitcher with his very own hamburger, introducing "The Strasburger" for fans to chow down while Strasburg mows down opposing hitters.
Weighing a ridiculous eight pounds and topped with American cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickle chips and secret sauce, all while served with a side of fries and pitcher of soda, the burger isn't for the faint of heart.
Of course, with something that big, you shouldn't attempt to eat it alone for fear of dying of a heart attack—oh, and because it costs $59!
Sure, I would love to try one of these things, but give me an army of eaters to help me out, or it ain't happening.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
