NFL's Bettis: 'I'm On A Diet...Not The Atkins Diet'

Time Magazine interviews future Hall of Famer who disses the Atkins diet

One would think that an aging veteran of the National Football League who is very likely going to be playing the final football game of his career on February 5, 2006 in the biggest stage in professional sports would be focused on the game.

But in this Time Magazine interview released on Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis spouts off about a subject he obviously knows very little about.

In the column entitled "10 Questions for Jerome Bettis," Time Magazine reporter Sean Gregory asks a series of questions to the superstar NFL player in anticipation of Super Bowl XL to be played on Sunday in Detroit, Michigan.

Nicknamed "The Bus" and weighing in at 255 pounds, Bettis almost cost his team a chance at the big dance when he fumblerooskied the football a couple of weeks ago as time was running down in the game. A missed field goal by the other team save his rear end and gave him the platform he enjoyed for this interview with Gregory.

In the interview, Bettis is subtlely asked by Gregory about his eating habits and weight.

"How do you maintain that, er, physique of yours?" an obviously nervous Gregory asks of Bettis.

The response from the All-Pro running back who is the #5 rusher in the history of the NFL was dumbfounding.

"Well, let me say this," Bettis responded. "They don't call me the Bus because I turn down a lot of, ah, food opportunities. But I'm on a diet right now. I mean, it's not the Atkins diet or anything like that. It's watching the portions, maybe."

Okay, let's process this a minute. While Jerome Bettis did not make any direct negative references to the Atkins diet in his response, he certainly left the door wide open to interpretation. What we do know is he is "on a diet right now" and it's "not the Atkins diet or anything like that."

Why would he answer that question in that way? That's like me saying, "But I'm taking supplements right now. I mean, it's not steroids or anything like that. It's watching the kind of vitamins I take, maybe." It would be ludicrous for me to answer that way unless I had something against steroids (which I do!).

So, can we insinuate that Bettis has a problem with the Atkins diet and the low-carb lifestyle? If so, then what is it? Bettis now joins the likes of fellow sports personalities professional golfer Gary Player and NBA star Carmelo Anthony in their open disdain for the Atkins diet.

If Jerome Bettis does not want to be included among those who oppose the Atkins diet, then I believe he should make it very clear to everyone. You can e-mail him at his foundation by clicking here. Ask them to forward your concerns to "The Bus" about what he meant in his Time Magazine interview when he said "I'm on a diet...not the Atkins diet."

Let me know if you hear anything back from them about this.

GO STEELERS in Super Bowl XL, but Jerome's got some 'splainin' to do about his comments against livin' la vida low-carb!