In the old days, folks wanted to "Be like Mike".
Never in a million years did I think they'd want to "Be like Kimbo".
But an article with the Washington Times shows Santana Moss -- star wide-receiver for the Washington Redskins and fan of the EliteXC heavyweight -- injecting a little fire into his off-season workout by turning to mixed martial arts training for a much needed shot in the arm.
That decision was inspired by his interest in the aforementioned brawler and has apparently caught on with teammates like Antwaan Randle El.
From the starting wideout:
"If it was just run, run, run - that's something I could do, but I was losing some of my muscle mass. But I'm not losing as much this year. I think the grappling [helps]. When you are on the ground wrestling with a guy - that's how it is when you catch a ball and you're tussling with a guy and trying to get out."
It's interesting to hear athletes of their caliber venture into the world of mixed martial arts based on an interest in Kimbo Slice. While it's easy to see his "Hollywood" appeal, it's even easier to see his conditioning isn't exactly the stuff of legend.
In his fight against James Thompson, Slice was all but carried out of the ring on a stretcher from fatigue and exhaustion.
Still, that doesn't matter to most fans, famous or not. What does matter is that Kimbo hits hard and has an undeniable presence. One that has spilled over into the mainstream sports world. The marketing and endorsement possibilities are practically endless.
Who knows, it could be only a matter of time before we see "Air Kimbos".
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