Clay Matthews could definitely steal my girlfriend and probably yours too, bud. Upon scheduling this interview, my girlfriend did a quick Google search to put a face with the name.

As images of “The Clay Maker” flipped across her iPhone, she said, “Wow. This guy is a complete stud.” The accompanying far away look in her eyes told me all I needed to know; that if given the chance, she would shed me the way Matthews sheds opposing double teams.

Aside from getting the ladies flustered off the field, Matthews has established himself as the best pass rusher in the NFL, thanks to a successful start to his career that rivals any linebacker in NFL history.

In five seasons, Matthews has made the Pro Bowl four times, been selected as an All-Pro twice, been named NFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 and won Super Bowl XLV.

I was fortunate to speak with Clay about his career, his lineage and the Campbell’s Chunky “Sacks for Soup” campaign.

Talk about the partnership with Campbell’s Chunky Soup.

For the past year I teamed up with Campbell’s Chunky and created the “Sacks for Soup” campaign. For every sack that I was able to get last year, Campbell’s Chunky donated 2,000 cans of soup; 1,000 to a local Green Bay food bank and another 1,000 to the opposing team’s city. To date, we’ve donated over 40,000 cans of Chunky soup. For every sack, they also donated $1,000, so we were able to get around up to $20,000 for my foundation (CM3 Charitable Fund), so it’s been a fantastic campaign; one that not only provides for myself, but gives back in the process of doing so.

What’s your favorite kind?

My favorite kind thanks to the Green Bay weather and obviously a play on the Packers is the Hearty Cheeseburger. They’re all fantastic, so it’s hard to choose, but just like on the commercial, I like the Clam Chowder and the Spicy Quesadilla as well. They’re all really good, so I have to say all three.

I thought they’d make you a special kind called “Bear Chunks” for the way you’ve annihilated Chicago Bears quarterbacks in your career.

I’m willing to try! I don’t know if it would be a big seller, but I’d be all for it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Watching the latest commercials for Old Spice’s new Champion line of antiperspirant, body spray and body wash, it’s pretty easy to tell Greg Jennings has a great sense of humor. The Super Bowl champion and two time Pro Bowl selection (2010, 2011) didn’t disappoint when we discussed petting a grown man like a dog, his hate for Bears fans and who has better balls: Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers.

Was it weird to pet a grown man like a dog?

Oh man it was real weird. It was spooky because it looked so realistic; it’s unbelievable, the process.

What’s the deal with Old Spice and how did you guys team up?

It’s all about the new Champion Scent and I was just working with Old Spice and the new ad campaign. There is more to come, but the first ad, me with my dog, just letting everybody know that if you believe in your “smelf”, anything can be possible. Your “smelf” is all about “smelf confidence” and making sure you can overcome anything getting the viewer and the fan to realize you can overcome any type of adverse situation if you use this Champion Scent from Old Spice.

So that was your dog in the ad?

That wasn’t technically wasn’t like, “my dog”, but it definitely was “my dog”.

Seemed like there was a connection there some good chemistry like you and Aaron Rodgers.

Absolutely — “You did it Roscoe!”

Aaron Rodgers seems like a very low key guy who is easy to get along with- is that true? Does it make the relationship easier and more productive?

Absolutely. Any time you can have a guy that is as down to earth and easy going as he is it makes the relationship and what we do together on the field, and off the field, that much easier. When you can relate with someone on and off the field, it makes the work environment that much easier.

You’ve caught passes from obviously Aaron Rodgers and earlier in your career Brett Favre- who throws the ball harder?

I always have to tip my hat to Aaron simply because he is younger; I was with Brett in his latter stages. He has storied about guys with broken fingers on his resume, but when I was here definitely Aaron.

Who throws the more catchable ball? And what makes a ball more catchable?

They both throw the most catchable balls. And that said, NO Homo. But they both have balls that…I don’t even like to talk about it. They both throw a really good uh… (laughing) balls.

How bad do you personally hate Bears fans?

Uhhh, pretty bad.

When you get into games and say you’re playing a non-divisional rival, are you more motivated or are you always at the same level whether it’s a team like the Bears or not?

Um, pretty much it’s a different intensity overall of the game, the atmosphere. When you’re playing a team like the Bears or a division rival. Vikings even, Lions even. It’s just a different intensity. But when you’re out there competing it really doesn’t matter as an individual you go out there w the mindset that you gotta beat your opponent every single snap. That’s my mindset and as far as the Bears are concerned I shouldn’t really hate them, I should love them- they’ve always been so gracious to us (laughing). I had to get that in there.

Growing up in Michigan were you a Lions fan?

I was, I was. I hesitate to say I was a Lions fan because I was more of a Barry Sanders fan. I hated the Lions; but I loved Barry Sanders. I rooted for them because of him. But it was tough man. It’s great to see them having success now just because I’ve grown up watching them my entire life, but I don’t want them to have too much success, but, you know how that goes.

How different would your life be if John Skelton was your QB?

Uhh — a lot different. It would be a ton different.

Listen to the full interview here.

For more information on the new Old Spice Champion Collection, check out the website here.

Sometimes, “smelf-confidence” can be misplaced. Maybe it’s that booger you have hanging out of your nose that you’re unaware of, your wife that’s overly “friendly” to your homies on game day, or just that funk that emanates from your body that you’ve gotten so used to you don’t even notice anymore.

While Old Spice can’t help you with your incompetence, or your slutty wife, it can help you with your scent. The Old Spice Champion collection has an Offensive Odor game plan that breaks down as follows:

Old Spice Champion Body Wash Gel Douche

It’s first and 10 and you’ve got a long way to go to get clean, AKA to the end zone. Strip down like John Travolta at an all-male bath house and hit the showers with your bottle of Old Spice Champion Body Wash Gel Douche in your, ahem, hand. Before you apply it to your body, take a whiff and notice the effective, yet not overly apparent scent. What does it smell like, you ask? I’d say it’s similar to the Original Scent of the Original Old Spice, yet toned down a few notches, like John Travolta when he’s out with his wife. Lather up — we’ve got a drive to “consummate” here.

Old Spice Champion Body Spray

It’s second and six after a solid gain on first down thanks to the effectiveness of the Old Spice Champion Body Wash Gel Douche. Now that you’re out of the shower, let the all-out assault of the Old Spice Champion Body Spray on your body begin. Apply it liberally, like Obama wants to apply his healthcare bill. Cover your body in it and you’ll notice quickly that has a refreshing scent like you’d expect from any Old Spice product, but it also has the refreshing tingle and scent of Original Scent crossbred with baby powder. You may say, “Oh, Paul, baby powder, what’s the deal man? I’m a man, man!” Yes you are, but your lady isn’t. She’s the one, after all, nuzzling your body with her ample bosom, so let’s keep her bosom happy. Game, set, you.

Old Spice Champion Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant

It’s third and one. You’re moving the ball down the field in an efficient manner, but efficiency doesn’t sell, sex does. So slather on the sex, AKA Old Spice Champion Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant, and assault the opposing team’s (or any lady of your choosing) front line! “Believe In Your Smelf” and fire that pigskin over them mountains — go deep! Thanks to the scent of the Old Spice Champion Deodorant, you’ll already have the requisite confidence to cock your arm behind your head, exposing your great smelling armpit, and find your #1 wide out Greg Jennings running a fly pattern to an easy TD!

The Old Spice Champion Gold Collection is available in somewhat limited edition via the website here, or at any reputable store in your area.

If you look at the 2012 Super Bowl lines, the NFC has been a heavy favorite with the dominance of the Green Bay Packers this season. With Aaron Rodgers having an amazing season, the Packers had all the momentum as they were plowing towards a potential undefeated season.

This weekend they hit a pretty big speed bump in the form of interim head coach Romeo Crennel and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have had a miserable season, starting the year with high expectations following a successful 2010 campaign. Ravaged by injuries and squabbles between the head coach and the GM, the Chiefs have been a mess all season.

But they have talent on defense, and now they have a solid quarterback in Kyle Orton to ride out the season, and Green Bay found out how difficult it is to go undefeated in the NFL.

But was this just a speed bump, or did the Chiefs expose some problems with the Packers? Aaron Rodgers is a stud and all the pundits were crowning him the king of quarterbacks even while others like Tom Brady and Drew Brees were also carving up defenses with the new rules. But Green Bay now has a problem on the offensive line with backup tackle Derek Sherrod breaking his leg and starter Bryan Bulaga getting an MRI today for a sprained knee. Aaron Rodgers may be great, but he’ll come back down to Earth if other teams can get pressure on him with four lineman like the Chiefs did yesterday. Just ask Tom Brady about his last Super Bowl appearance.

Speaking of Brady, he gave a lesson to young Tim Tebow yesterday as the Patriots spanked the upstart Broncos. The Patriots and Steelers look like the class of the AFC after the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Colts failed to show up yesterday, but the Steelers have a tough road game tonight in San Francisco with Ben Roethlisberger trying to play on a gimpy ankle.

Back to the NFC, Drew Brees put on a show yesterday. For all the talk about Aaron Rodgers this season, Brees is poised to break Dan Marino’s record for most passing yards in a season. We also have two rookies this season with over 3,000 yards, so anyone trying to tell you Aaron Rodgers is having the best season for a QB in NFL history needs to put this in context. By holding back hits on receivers and quarterbacks, the NFL has turned this into something resembling arena football. Stats are inflated.

That said, it’s still shaping up to be a Green Bay/New Orleans shootout on the NFC side. Should be fun to watch.

As part of our Decade Debates for sports, editors from Bullz-Eye.com and The Scores Report addressed the 10 biggest betrayals of the decade. The top item was easy, as the Brett Favre saga consumed the sports world for several years, and Packer fans had to see him in a Vikings uniform.

1. Brett Favre retires his way to the Vikings.

After two or three years of flirting with retirement, Brett Favre (supposedly) hung ‘em up for good at a teary press conference in March of 2008. But his career wasn’t even close to over. A month later he tells the Packers that he wants to come back, so Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson schedule a trip down to Mississippi to talk it over, but Favre cancels at the last minute. Enough is enough, they decide – the Packers move on. But Favre can’t understand (now that he wants to unretire, again) why the Packers won’t just release him. He really wants to play for the Vikings, so he can stick it to Ted Thompson, because Thompson didn’t want him (after he said Favre could come back, twice) but TT won’t have any of that. The savvy GM works out a deal that sends Favre to the Jets, but despite some MVP-caliber play over the first dozen weeks, he never really invests himself in the team. He injures his throwing arm and the Jets go into a tailspin, missing the playoffs. He retires again and the Jets grant him his release, so now he’s free to sign with the Vikings. Packer Nation throws up in its mouth. In two regular season games, Favre torches the Packers (throwing for 515 yards, seven touchdowns and zero interceptions) in the game in Green Bay, basically burning Lambeau Field down. In Favre’s dream scenario, the Vikings beat the Packers again in the playoffs en route to a Super Bowl win. Will it happen? God, we hope not. – John Paulsen

Check out the entire list and leave your comments.