You might still be beaching it this weekend, but we are now LESS THAN A WEEK from kickoff of the 2009 football season. For the real die-hards, the season probably starts this weekend, with fantasy football draft day.If you are one of these football stat freaks, you have probably already scoured the stats. Think you are you ready to draft? Think again. You might be able to put together a statistical powerhouse, but if you want your 11 to look as good moving through the hotel lobby as they do between the lines, you’ll need to keep these best-dressed drafting tips in mind:
Quarterback – The best signal-callers will go in the top few rounds, and in this group, the guys who throw the most TDs are also the most “GQ.”
THE PASSES: Bret Favre’s cowboy jeans are a no-no, and there’s no telling how he’ll mesh with the Vikes. Conventional wisdom would be to spend an early pick on Tom Brady, and while Mr. Giselle may win another ring, his great numbers and refined but rugged look are not enough to win our prize.
THE PICK: While he doesn’t have as much “natural talent” as Brady, and his hair can be a little Howdy Doody, Peyton Manning is the Wall Street to Brady’s SoHo. Most of the time you see him (selling satellite TV or hawking cell phones), he’ll be decked out in his #18, but if you catch Manning in a post-game presser, the guy always looks flawless: impeccably-tailored suits and a knack for working the very tricky pocket square to perfection. The only question: can he put up numbers without Marvin?
Wide Receiver – These guys are out there: in the formation and when it comes to style…choose wisely.
DROPS: Chad Ochocinco is going to haul in a bunch of catches, but he needs to learn the same lesson as so many other young guys: you don’t paint over wallpaper. In other words, if you are going to rock something as radical as a bottle-blond Mohawk, you had better ground it in something classic but cool. Do not try to combine too many trends. Ochocinco would do well to grab on to a few color-tipped cardigans as tightly as he holds on to TD catches.
THE CATCH: What’s fur look like over washboard abs? If any NFLer might bring back Namath’s mink, it would be T.O. on the sidelines in the considerably-colder confines of Buffalo. Terrell Owens was known for feuding with his QB in Philly and San Fran, but no one will ever forget his tearful tribute to Tony Romo in Dallas…crying eyes behind a great pair of reflective aviators. T.O. will score you points on Sunday and his Kanye West-inspired “hip-hop meets preppy” look delivers all week long.
Defense – Everyone wears their best bespoke suit on draft day, but its tough to find 11 guys on one side of the ball who can keep it together for a career. Sometimes, it’s the accessories that make the difference.
BLITZIN’ BENGALS: Only one team in the league can boast a guy who founded his own label specializing in designer bow ties. That’s right, Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones loves the nerdy neckwear so much, he makes his own. With the always-adventurous Tank Johnson joining the team this year, the Bengals should look good; but, as any viewer of last year’s “Hard Knocks” knows, Roy Williams is a little too in love with sweatpants to give Cincy the edge here.
THE RING IS THE THING: Some years back, we got to see him in a regular stream of sport-cut suits, but even when he’s just been pulled off of the practice field for an interview, the Ravens’ Ray Lewis always looks put together – and you know he’ll put together plays. Add in safety Ed Reed’s Miami-inspired cool and big play potential and you’ve got a defense that isn’t so much old as it is aging well.
Plus, like a great pair of basic cuff links, a Super Bowl ring accessorizes with anything.
