Rackers To Battle Favre For NFL's Sexiest Man
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It has been quite a year for Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers.
In November he inked a contract extension that will keep him with the Cards through 2009. In December an outstanding 2005 season led to his first career Pro Bowl selection. In the regular season finale, he earned a spot in the NFL’s record books with his 40th FG of the year, the most ever in a single season. The Pro Football Hall of Fame was so impressed that it asked for his shoes and the ball from the historic boot.
All of that, however, pales in comparison to news he received this week.
Rackers has emerged from a field of 64 to enter the championship round of the FOX Sports “NFL Sexiest” man contest. He earned a spot in the finals with a stunning upset of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the semi-final round. Brady may be a three-time Super Bowl champion and Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year but it was Rackers who earned 52% of the 63,000 votes cast on-line.
“I’ve been called a lot of things but ‘sexy’ has never been one of them,” said Rackers when informed of his upset win over of Brady. “Did you ever see in the movies where they play the mean practical joke on the geeky kid by electing him prom king? This kind of has that feeling.”
Neil now goes against Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre in the finals. Favre earned his way into the championship round by defeating 49ers rookie QB Alex Smith by a margin of 59 to 41 percent of the 59,000 votes in that bracket.
Fans can vote through a link at
www.azcardinals.com or through
www.foxsports.com (keyword:sexiest). Voting concludes next Wednesday, January 18 and the winner will be announced on the FOX NFL Sunday pre-game show prior to the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 22.
Rackers began his trek to the finals with a first round victory over San Francisco receiver Johnny Morton, Rams running back Marshall Faulk, and Seattle safety Michael Boulware, gaining 51% of the 56,000 votes. He then garnered 38% of 42,000 votes to edge a field consisting of Denver safety John Lynch, Houston quarterback David Carr and Tampa coach Jon Gruden and advanced to the Final Four and his match-up with Brady.
Click here to vote!