Football Showdown - A NY Sports Fanatic's Perspective

The best part about this weekend's Conference Championships? For this vindictive Giants fan, it's the fact that Mike "I spend my spare time impersonating Steve Martin" Smith and Tom "Tawm" Brady will be sitting at home, watching the games. "Hey, Mike! Enjoy filming Pink Panther 3! Hey, Tawm! Enjoy... cuddling in bed with Giselle!" Damn, that didn't work the way I planned it. That guy is better at life in every way, than anyone, ever.

In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers visit the Chicago Bears in the frigid tundra of Soldier Field. Jay Cutler, he of the ever-present "who just farted?" face, won in his first playoff appearance with a total of 4 touchdowns. Nice work, but he won't be playing against the Zombie Seahawks (the worst playoff qualifier, EVER, by the way). The Packers are on a roll, having played with playoff urgency since their Week 15 loss to the Patriots. Aaron Rodgers is playing out of his mind, matching Cutler's 4-touchdown performance against the much better first seed Falcons. Clay Matthews and of the rest of the Packers defense are going to make life Hell for Cutler, who will have to keep his gunslinger tendencies in check for the biggest game of his career. The Bears are a good team, and will put up a fight, but they won't be able to cut the Cheeseheads. Packers 31, Bears 21. 

In the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers play host to the New York Jets. Jets coach Rex Ryan says it's not personal this time, but the Jets will come in playing angry. It seems that's the only way they can play - although it's better than playing lazy, like another New York football team I know of. The Steelers play an efficient game of football on both sides of the ball, with Ben Roethlisberger leading a potent offense, and Troy Polamalu and James Harrison keeping that Steel City defense scarier than Linda Blair. The Jets have a brilliant running game comprised of Shonn Green and LaDasinian Tomlinson, with a terrific bull-rushing defense. This game will probably come down to who makes the right coaching moves - the bombastic Ryan or the stoic Mike Tomlin (who has an uncanny resemblance to Dr. Foreman on the FOX Network's show House). The smart money is on the Steelers, who are looking to make their biannual trip to the Super Bowl, but I'm not smart and I have no money. I'm going to go out on a long, close to the ground limb, and say Jets 21, Steelers 17.

Enjoy the games!

Chris B.

Intern

MALE TREND ALERT - Military Jackets

EVMAN has noticed one of the hottest  trends for this season is military jackets - perfect for layering on chilly winter days.  We love the jacket from Burberry's Fall Show (far left), but for the more cost-concious shopper, check out Diesel's Wittor Jacket (left). So, keep yourself warm this Christmas - it's easy to find Diesel's jacket on Amazon for a great steal.

Kick Start the New Year With Muay Thai

 

I’ve been studying martial arts since I was three years old, a practice that has instilled me with the confidence and discipline to achieve my goals.  To me, there is nothing more honest than being in the ring with someone, and it is something I recommend my readers try.  Not only is it a great workout and stress-reliever, but it also teaches you how to defend yourself.  Before choosing a gym or a style, take a free class and see which ones you like.  The last thing you want to do is join a gym full of meatheads who only want to hit things as hard as they can.  I’ve trained in many styles that have a belt system, like karate or kung fu, and while they are certainly great styles, I recently have been practicing Muay Thai.  You can learn at your own pace, and the only real test is the one you give yourself, not an arbitrary belt test.  Toby “Tigerheart” Grear, pro MMA/Thai Boxing fighter and owner of the True Warrior Fitness gym in Hollywood, is one of my favorite martial arts instructors.  He is patient and free of prejudice, and allows you to grow at your own pace.  As we approach the New Year and you start coming up with your resolutions, consider giving Muay Thai a shot. 

Marco



Winter Bronze

Winter is the season of family, food, and fun, but it is also the season where our skin color is at its most undesirable. Many people will try to correct sallow skin color by a quick trip to the tanning salon. We know how you feel, but this is not the answer. It's been known fact for some time that indoor tanning is unhealthy for your skin, but ABC NEWS recently reported that researchers say "indoor tanning is associated with a 74% higher risk of melanoma." And, according to DeAnn Lazovich and colleagues, of the University of Minnesota, "some forms of indoor tanning machines were associated with a four-fold increase in the risk of skin cancer." This is strong support that fake tanning is carcinogenic. The solution? Fake it instead of bake it.

EVOLUTIONMAN developed Moisture Protect SPF 20 BRONZE to give you that summer glow all year long while protecting you from the sun's harmful rays. No sun is necessary. Apply a thin coat to counter-act the winter blues, or multiple coats to look like you've just returned from a quick trip to the Bahamas. 

For first-time users, our easy-to-use formula makes it hard to go wrong, but we do recommend applying several thin coats instead of one thick one to acheive your desired glow. It's a good idea to cleanse and exfoliate your face beforehand to remove dry skin, and make sure you rub it in properly if you have facial stubble.