NFL athlete, ESPN analyst, and soap opera star Mark Schlereth
One of my regular readers recently pointed me to this Denver Post column about a former NFL player who was able to shed the pounds by livin' la vida low-carb. It turns out 3-time Super Bowl winner and former All-Pro offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos Mark Schlereth trimmed down from his 300-pound playing days in the National Football League by implementing a controlled-carbohydrate nutritional approach. When I heard about this, I KNEW I had to interview Mark. To my delight, he agreed!
In Episode 120 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore", we hear from Mark Schlereth describing his post-NFL diet and exercise regimen, the struggle he had maintaining the weight requirements placed on him by constantly eating, how he has transitioned his life to focus more on his television career and family, and his ideas for some non-football books that he's been working on. It was such a privilege to speak with Mark and I hope you enjoy listening to the interview as much as I did conducting it.
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 120:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 120 [25:13m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
Mark Schlereth always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Winning three Super Bowls with two different teams, turning down a 6-year, $42 million contract extension to retire from the NFL only to be given an immediate opportunity to become a football analyst for ESPN, getting noticed by the producers of the daytime soap opera Guiding Light to wiggle his way into a reluctant acting career, and so much more. Life is good for this former offensive lineman who had 29 surgeries during his NFL career, mostly on his knees. Now he sees what is most important and pursues those things. In other words, there's more to life than football. How refreshing!
Check out these outtake bloopers from Mark playing Roc Hoover on Guiding Light:
Catch up with more low-carb advocates like Mark Schlereth by:
What do you think about Mark's strategy to eat most of his 60g total carbohydrates before noon each day while eating a high-fiber diet? With an intake of around 30g net carbs consumed a day, what's your impression of his diet and exercise routine? Discuss my interview with Mark Schlereth in the show notes section of Episode 120 and express your thoughts about this incredible man's journey from beefy offensive lineman to the fabulously fit and trim man he is today thanks to livin' la vida low-carb!
You'll want to listen to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" next week as I present a special two-part interview on Monday and Thursday with a nutritionist who actually supports the tenets of the healthy low-carb lifestyle! Yes, it's rare these days, but you can find a few independent-thinking minds who are brave enough to admit that low-carb living indeed works for some people very well and should be implemented. Don't miss that interview!
We've got LOTS more interviews coming up for you in the coming weeks from a former Kimkins member who wants to share her concerns about Heidi Diaz, a fitness guru who only recently discovered the carbohydrate connection to obesity and disease, a previous contestant on "The Biggest Loser" weight loss reality show on NBC-TV, and the author of a book who clearly understands the unique insulin connection in the weight loss and health problems that plagued our society. All this and so much more to come in the next few months! THANKS for listening!
But the draw of this movie is THE George Clooney who has notably appeared in the television show ER and in a series of hit blockbuster flicks like The Perfect Storm, Ocean's Eleven, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and countless others. This new movie set to release in early 2008 will be Clooney's most ambitious one yet since he is so heavily vested in its success. I wouldn't be surprised to see this film about the birth of professional football in the 1920's nominated for a few Academy Awards.
Dressing up in period costume was a neat part of being an extra
Although I was only on set for four total days, it felt much longer! It wasn't all glamour and glitz, but it was worthy of several blog posts I wrote here about being on the "Leatherheads" set. Check 'em all out at my "Leatherheads" links blog post.
If you'd like to see even more stories from extras on the "Leatherheads" set, then you will definitely want to check out the new web site called TheLeatherheads.com. The brainchild of fellow "Leatherheads" extra Jim Fair, this is the perfect companion for the movie and serve as a bit of nostalgia for those of us in the North and South Carolina areas who were privileged to play the role of an extra.
This site is still a work in progress, so be sure to check back often for updates. Click here to read the stories of the other extras on the set. THANKS for creating this site, Jim, and I'll cherish my own special "Leatherheads" page at your web site.
The leather helmets worn by the football players in "Leatherheads"
When I stood in line for about three hours trying out to be a football-playing extra in "Leatherheads" in December 2006, I thought to myself, "This is crazy! There's no way that I'll ever have the chance to be in a major Hollywood movie starring George Clooney, Renee Zellweger, and John Krasinski!"
Boy, was I wrong!
Although it wasn't as a football player, I did indeed have that chance to be on the movie set in early March portraying the doorman at the Emerson hotel filmed in downtown Greenville, South Carolina where Clooney's character delivers a line to me and I give him an incredulous look back. Way cool!
A few weeks later, they asked me to come back to play the role of a fan during the football game scenes filmed in Travelers Rest, South Carolina for the "Leatherheads" movie, a romantic comedy set in the 1920's around the time professional football was born. Although the pay rate for being an extra is only $7 an hour, just to be on that set with Clooney, Krasinski, etal. was indeed an experience I won't soon forget.
Everyone was dressed up in 1920's attire from head to toe
Wearing a big wool coat, scarf, hat, dress pants, shirt and tie, and dress shoes is definitely not the attire of the 21st century, but that's exactly what the men wore day in and day out back then. So we had to dress the part whether it was 85 degrees outside or 45 degrees. It was like we stepped back in time seeing each other dressed like this and the women were all dolled up with their cute hats and bright makeup. I swear, all the women looked exactly alike! Gorgeous, of course. ;)
Is that George Clooney posing with Jimmy Moore?
As you can imagine, there have been literally hundreds of people working as extras for the "Leatherheads" movie and I was privileged enough to meet quite a few of them. One of the most popular extras has got to be Greg Helker, aka G.C. As in "George Clooney"--yep, that's him in that picture with me above. What a great guy, too! The man was so gracious and humble to everyone who spoke with him and wanted to have their picture taken with "Clooney" (actually, he looks a little more like late-night talk show host Jay Leno than Clooney in person).
In fact, I remember Greg wearing a white T-shirt with the message "I'm Not Clooney" at the football tryouts in December. What's really funny is he was just as star-struck as the rest of us on the set watching all the movie stars. Yep, even the Clooney look-a-like was glad to be a part of this movie. It was great to meet you, Greg, and I hope to see you in the film (is that YOU or Clooney, hmmm? LOL!).
What's a football movie without cheerleaders, right?
There were all kinds of extras used in the movie, including football players, referees, fans, members of the press, vendors, and cheerleaders. Many of the extras were dressed completely by wardrobe and others of us brought some of our own clothes which were supplemented with items from the movie set. There were special privileges given to the people who were in 100% vintage costume for close-up shots and they took great pains to keep this period film as authentic as possible.
George Clooney watching the monitor as John Krasinski stands by
On Thursday, filming of "Leatherheads" resumed in Charlotte, North Carolina (about 100 miles north of my hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina) and the wake-up call that day for me was really, really, REALLY early...2:30am! EEEK! What's really bad is I didn't get to sleep until midnight, so I barely got any rest at all that night. Why was I up so early? Extras were told to report to the check-in between 4-7am. I wouldn't get home that night until nearly 8:00pm!
Yep, it was a long day for us, but we had to cram in a full day of filming which turned out to be the opening scenes of "Leatherheads" where (NBC's The Office star) John Krasinski's character Carter Rutherford is playing college football for Princeton against Penn. We moved around all over the stadium doing the same scene over and over again from different angles and it different positions. I don't think the average Joe and Jane can even begin to realize all that goes on behind-the-scenes to make a two-hour movie look the way it does. It's amazing!
George Clooney gabbing it up with John Krasinski on the set
During Thursday's filming, we got to see George Clooney and John Krasinski a LOT (but regretfully I have yet to see Renee Zellweger in the four total days I worked on the set--darn!). In fact, Clooney was dressed in regular clothes for the scenes we shot in Charlotte since he was not on the field portraying his "Dodge" Connolly character that day. But since he is the director of "Leatherheads," he had to be there to make sure the movie looks exactly like he wants it to.
David Webb consults with George Clooney about the next scene
Of course, Clooney couldn't direct "Leatherheads" all by himself, so he got ample help from his 1st Assistant Director David Webb. Man, what a pro this Webb guy is! From the first time I saw him on the set in Greenville a month ago, I could tell right away he knows exactly what he is doing and would keep the day flowing right along. He's the one who would say "Action" through the bullhorn. Of course, all of us extras were also accustomed to hearing him say "Cut--back to 1" which meant we would be doing the scene over...AGAIN! :) But you knew when he said "That's a wrap" that they got the shot they were looking for.
Producer Grant Heslov chats it up with John Krasinski
Although we never heard from him on the set, you could see "Leatherheads" producer Grant Heslov walking around observing and quietly giving his input during the filming of various scenes. You may recall Heslov as an actor in such hit movies as True Lies, Dante's Peak (one of my favorite films!), Enemy of the State, The Scorpion King and the Academy Award-nominated Good Night, and Good Luck. Now he's been working with Clooney since August 2006 in a movie company called Smoke House.
George Clooney was constantly moving throughout the day
Speaking of the aforementioned Clooney, he was everywhere on the set that day. In fact, at one point he climbed up in the stands smacking his gum (yep, the man didn't stop chewing for even a moment the entire day!) and coming within just a few feet of us extras. We weren't supposed to talk to him, but a few extras got in some comments to him anyway. Constantly keeping us loose by giving acting instructions with a bit of dry humor, you can tell Clooney absolutely loves his roles as director and actor in "Leatherheads." I am confident that he is going to do this movie justice and make it fantastic.
John Krasinski signs an autograph for a fan
To be honest with you, I didn't even know who John Krasinski was before this movie. I'm just not a big fan of the style of comedy on The Office. I just don't get it. Sorry. But this guy is absolutely hilarious! Even still, when the camera was rolling he was all business and did his job extremely well. Like I said in my previous post, he was more than willing to run the length of the field for his scene and then run back to his starting position for another take rather than hitching a ride back. Classy guy! It'll be interesting to see if he keeps that same good head when he becomes a superstar like Clooney one day.
Catching John Krasinski's back side with extras looking on
There was one scene that you'll see at the beginning of the movie where Krasinski's character runs in the end zone for a touchdown and he is swarmed with people running up cheering for him. A group of guys lift him up on their shoulders like a hero and he's pointing to the crowd. Anywho, they had to do that scene over about three or four times because the extras were inadvertently pushing John's head into the camera which doesn't make for good filming. Their new instructions were to "Get excited, but not TOO excited." How's that work? :)
Football players watch Clooney and Krasinski strategize
For all the glamour and glitz that comes with being a Hollywood star like George Clooney, the reality is a movie like this takes a lot of hard work, grit, and endurance to make it happen. Of course, the payoff for the big boys involved will be when this $60 million movie makes $300 million at the box office when it releases in late 2007/early 2008. But being an extra is not a job I would want to try to support a family on. Not by a long shot, no matter how thrilling it is to do it.
With that said, I have now left the "Leatherheads" set for the last time and it has been a fun ride. They'll keep on filming in North Carolina for about another month and then it will go to production where the fate of the scenes that all of us extras are in lies in the hands of the person with the scizzors on the cutting room floor! Cross your fingers that they will keep a few of my scenes intact. :) I'm pretty sure the 20-second doorman scene will remain if nothing else.
We each got a "Leatherheads" keychain as a memento from the film
Would I do something like being an extra in a movie again? Heck yeah, in a heartbeat, baby! But I couldn't do this kinda work every single day of my life for the money they pay. Give me blogging about the low-carb lifestyle and a "normal" life thank you very much! THANKS for the memories, George Clooney, John Krasinski, and the rest! And Renee, too bad we didn't see you in person, but I'll look for you on the silver screen. Good luck to "Leatherheads" at the Oscars!
A shot of football actors during filming of the movie "Leatherheads"
Ever since I thought I might have a chance at being in "Leatherheads," the upcoming 1920's period film which is actually a romantic comedy about the birth of professional football directed by and starring the one and only Hollywood superstar George Clooney (do you see him in that picture above--probably not since it's so small, but he's the one wearing #7 on the left-hand side), I've kinda felt like good things were about to happen for me.
Then when I got the fateful call late last month that the casting director wanted to use me as an extra in what is sure to be a blockbuster flick when it comes out in early 2008, I was totally surprised but overjoyed at the opportunity.
There's Jimmy Moore in his doorman costume in "Leatherheads"
A few weeks ago, I experienced my first time ever on the set of the "Leatherheads" movie during the taping of a scene where I portray the doorman of a hotel. That was an awesome time since my character was the only extra in the scene that Clooney's character actually talks to. They miked me up to give a line back, but then decided I didn't need one. YES I DO! PLEASE! LOL!
Nevertheless, it was still a fun experience and I thought that was the end of my work as an extra on a Hollywood film. But then I got another call from the casting office for "Leatherheads" earlier this week asking me if I would like to do some more extra work. Uh, let me think about it...HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU SAY YES?! They said filming would begin on Thursday and last through Saturday if I could make it. You bet your sweet bippy me, myself, and I will all be there.
One of the old-timey cars used on the set of "Leatherheads"
What a weekend it was! The scenes were shot in a town about 45 minutes from my house called Travelers Rest, South Carolina and were all about simulating a football game during the movie where Clooney's team, which he is the quarterback, along with John Krasinski from NBC's The Office, who portrays the rising star of this new football league, are on their way to the big championship game. That's where some nearly 400 or so extras were strategically placed in certain sections of the stands and given instructions to cheer, react, and make the moviegoer believe we are responding to what's happening on the field. Through the magic of CGI, we'll be about 20,000 people when you watch the movie. COOL!
I don't think people have any idea how much time and energy goes into making a two-hour film happen, but I will tell you it's quite exhausting. And I've only been on the set for a few days--I can't imagine what it's like to be a member of the crew for the 5:00am reporting time to be on set and then working until past 8:00pm most nights. You think I'm joking, but those are the grueling hours so they can try to squeeze in every last second of work into each day to make the film what it needs to be.
It was surreal seeing everyone dressed in 1920's attire
You won't hear me complaining about it, though, because this is Hollywood baby! The hourly pay is only $7.00 for extras, but I'd do it for FREE just for a chance to be seen in a film expected to be watched by millions of people worldwide on the silver screen and then when it comes to DVD. Although my second experience on the set began on Thursday, they actually began shooting these scenes in Travelers Rest last Sunday when the co-star of "Leatherheads" Renee Zellweger was on the set. Oh dang, I hate I missed that and wish I'd been there! I still haven't seen her yet.
The extras who were there on Sunday and then again on Wednesday said I was lucky I didn't work those days because the heat was so unbearable. We had record-high temperatures here in the Upstate of South Carolina with the highs reaching in the mid-to-upper 80's in the middle of March. That wouldn't be bad if this was a movie set on a beach or if the costumes were shorts and T-shirts. But they had everyone wrapped up in layers of wool coats, scarfs, and top hats like they wore in the 1920's that got just a wee bit toasty under the baking sun.
This was my outfit as a football fan in "Leatherheads"
When I arrived on the set on Thursday, there was a significant cooling trend that came through and kept the highs in the lower 60's. Ahhhh, much better. Even still, it was very windy, cloudy, and a fine mist of rain was coming down for a while during our filming (FOOTBALL WEATHER!). In fact, at one point the rain began coming down hard enough that they sent us all back inside to eat lunch while they waited for Mother Nature to cooperate. I suppose unpredictable weather is one of those things that filmmakers deal with and can't really control.
We ended up waiting in the extras holding area for about seven hours before a member of the casting crew came in and said, "Okay, you can go home for the day." Yep, that's how it goes. The natives were getting restless from being bored out of our minds doing nothing and we were hoping for more action come Friday. We weren't disappointed. After another 5:00am call time, we were on the set by 8:00am and got in a LOT of filming of various takes, retakes, retakes, and...(did I mention we had some retakes? Hee hee!) before lunch came at 2:00pm.
There were several times when the camera passed right in front of where I was sitting, walking, or standing. It's all orchestrated to make the scene look as authentic as possible. Unlike my scene as the doorman where I'm pretty sure I will be seen, it's hit or miss whether these scenes that the camera caught me in will actually show up in the final cut. We'll just have to wait and see when it hits the big screen.
One of the scenes was with Clooney doing the Statue of Liberty play where Krasinski was supposed to come behind him for the handoff. Unfortunately, these are actors and not athletes, so we saw a few fumblerooskis and dropped balls along the way. It was funny because all of the extras in the stands would start booing them. But it was all in good fun, though, and they eventually pulled the scenes off to make them look believable. Clooney threw a pretty good spiral, too!
Speaking of the aforementioned Mr. Krasinski, who I admittedly had never heard of before this (I just don't get the comedy on The Office), he was a hoot on the set. We were about 100 feet away from him sitting in the stands, but you could hear him cracking jokes and keeping the football actors, extras, and crew loose on the set. I'm sure his name will become QUITE familiar after this co-starring role in "Leatherheads" with Clooney and Zellweger.
One more thing that was funny about Krasinski was when they had him running the length of the field down the sideline for a big play and he'd have to do the take about 10 times. Instead of hopping on the camera cart, he simply turned around and sprinted back to his starting position. That's impressive for an actor although he did look a bit lanky running down the field. I'm sure the magic of Hollywood will make him look like a pro! :)
We were graced with a little extra excitement when one of the football-playing actors portraying the character of "Big Gus" (you'll know exactly who this is when you see the movie--he'll be hard to miss because of his weight) noticed a member of the paparazzi hiding in the woods ostensibly trying to take photos of Clooney for his newspaper or magazine. When "Big Gus" saw this guy, he suddenly started pointing and yelling to the top of his lungs, "Hey, hey, get out of here. I see you, you've been outed. Now get out of here."
Of course, everyone on the set looked in the direction "Big Gus" was pointing and saw an embarrassed photographer scrambling to get away fast enough. As the guy tripped several times while attempting to leave, all the extras start laughing at him and then cheered "Big Gus" for spotting this creep. On Wednesday, police actually snuck up behind another photographer and arrested him, according to the extras who were working that day. The officers found him covered in kudzu attempting to camoflauge himself. It obviously didn't work! Are these people THAT hard up to get a photo of Clooney? Sheez!
I won this "Leatherheads" banner during a drawing on Friday
During some of our downtime in the extras holding area on Friday, they had a drawing for some "Leatherheads" knick-knacks. My name was pulled out of the jar and I won that banner you see above. It'll be a nice reminder of my experience in the film. But I'll have many more memories in my head watching Clooney in his role as both actor and director. This man is very good at what he does and showed it quite often over these past few days. What an honor it was to be a part of his film.
This is the "thank you" letter they gave to the "Leatherheads" extras
As we were wrapping up work on the film for the weekend, all the extras got a signed letter from the Extras Casting Director for "Leatherheads" named Tona B. Dahlquist thanking us for being a part of the movie. Um, I think WE should be the ones thanking YOU for the opportunity to be a part of something like this--so, THANK YOU! I don't know how people do this for a living with all the hard work that goes into it, but it sure is exciting for those of us who live somewhat "normal" lives in comparison.
But my Hollywood experience isn't over yet! They've asked me to travel a couple of hours north to Charlotte, North Carolina for more scenes as a football fan this Thursday, April 5th. If the call time is 5:00am, then I guess I'll be getting up at 2:00am that day to get ready and then drive there. It'll be a long day I'm sure, but hopefully it will be worth my while if I get into the movie for a few more glancing seconds. I'm excited. I'm stoked. Ready or not, world, here I come. :D
Remember when I blogged about trying out to be an extra in a movie written, directed, and starring Hollywood superstar George Clooney back in mid-December? They're filming his latest flick "Leatherheads" a few miles down the road from me here in South Carolina.
I decided to attend the open football-playing extras tryout in December for the novelty of the experience and it really was a lot of fun joining over 1,000 other men of all shapes and sizes from the Upstate of South Carolina attempting to grab a taste of some cinematic magic for themselves.
But I knew from the get-go it was going to be a very long shot that I would ever step on the set of "Leatherheads" since they could only choose 50 men total to make up the various football teams in the movie. I held out hope for the best, but was bracing to be rejected.
They were specifically wanting Caucasian males 20-35 years old, between 5'9" and 6'3" tall, and weigh 160-250 pounds to fit the prototype of the 1920's football players. While playing football in high school or college was not required, the applicant must have been considered athletic.
I qualified on all fronts (although barely since I'm 35 and 6'3" tall), but never seriously expected the producers to call me since I didn't play football in high school or college. This wouldn't have even been a remote possibility before my 190-pound weight loss on the Atkins diet in 2004 when I started out at 410 pounds. But good things happen to people in the strangest ways sometimes.
When January came and went with nary a word from anyone about the "Leatherheads" movie, though, I just assumed the opportunity had passed me by this time and honestly had forgotten all about it by now.
So, imagine my surprise when my cell phone rang around 5:00pm on Tuesday afternoon from a "Private Call." I always wonder if I'm gonna get a telemarketer when that shows up on my caller ID, but this time I decided to take the call anyway. I'm so glad I did!
On the other end of the line, the very nice lady said, "Hi, I'm from the 'Leatherheads' movie and we'd like to know if you are still interested in being an extra in the film?" Um, let me think about it...YES, yeppers, yip-yip-yippee! I couldn't believe I actually got the call two days shy of March because they've already started filming a couple of weeks ago.
Even still, here was the call I had been waiting for but not really ever expecting. WOW!!! She said I needed to come by the set in Greer, South Carolina on Thursday morning around 9:00am to get fitted for my football gear that I will wear (similar to what Clooney is wearing in the picture at the top of this post) in the movie. She said they didn't have a size 13 black-laced shoes for me to wear, so I should bring some if I have them. Well, it just so happens that I DO have a pair of black shoes!
She also asked if I was available on Sunday for filming and I asked what time. "It will be all day long," she responded. Oh, okay...er, yeah! I'm there, baby! This is the movies, the "chance of a lifetime" that I previously blogged about. Yee haw! What an extraordinary opportunity to experience something I can tell my grandkids about someday. Although the funky looking football uniforms will take some explaining. :)
Pinch me right now because I can't believe I'm gonna be in a movie with George Clooney and Renee Zellweger! How many people can actually say that?! Can you tell I'm just a little bit excited about this right now? I know I need to calm down and focus on what they will have me doing and I will. Consider this my little celebration party for getting the part. Wheeeeee!
I'll be sure to provide blog updates on my "Leatherheads" experiences as they happen so you can know how it's going. At this point, I don't know how long they will need the extras. But filming should be finished by May. I'm gonna enjoy this while it lasts and do my best to make everyone proud. THANKS to everyone who wished me well in this dream of mine. Now, it's a dream come true!
2-28-07 UPDATE: I just got back from getting fitted for my costume for the film and found out at that time that I WON'T be a "football-playing extra" as I first blogged about. Actually, it turns out they liked my height and broad shoulders, so I will be playing the part of a doorman of a hotel in the 1920s.
This is actually even better because I am going to be the ONLY doorman in the film which means I should end up in the final cut unless they don't use my scene at all. I'm still scheduled to be on the movie set all day on Sunday, so forgive me if my blogging that day is skimpy. This is literally ONCE IN A LIFETIME and I'm gonna enjoy every moment of it! THANKS for all of your well wishes and I will continue to update you about this unique experience.
Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest days for grilling out
If you are livin' la vida low-carb, then you probably are among the tens of millions of Americans who proudly own a grill and is firing it up this Sunday just in time for the big game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. Are you ready for some football and food?! Yeah, baby!
Although fans down in Miami at Dolphin Stadium won't be allowed to use a grill for tailgating this year since it's been outlawed (go figure on that one!), that won't stop some 62 percent of grill owners from putting some snacks and appetizers on the barbie, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association's (HPBA) State of the Barbecue Industry Report released this week.
"With millions of Americans cooking on the grill, this popular Sunday is the perfect occasion to cook up delicious grilled food," HPBA Communications Director Leslie Wheeler said. "We are seeing year-round grilling as a major trend among Americans. In 2006 alone, grill shipments reached an industry record high, supporting the fact that more than 60 percent of grillers are grilling year-round."
With a record-breaking 17 million grills sold in 2006 alone, representing a greater than 15 percent increase over 2005, it seems people are rediscovering the joy that comes from cooking sizzling steaks, vivacious veggies, and just about any other food to throw on the barbecue! I suppose you can partially credit the sustained popularity of the low-carb lifestyle for showing people meat is very healthy for you to eat and a grill makes that meat taste so much better than a skillet ever will.
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association knows grilling
The Arlington, VA-based HPBA is an organization of 2,700 members who are tirelessly dedicated to providing information, education, and advocacy for anything and everything dealing with grilling and barbecue. They have certainly taken note that Super Bowl Sunday is hands down the most popular day for grilling during the winter months and one of the Top 10 days for grilling all year!
Another reason grilling on Super Bowl Sunday has become more popular in recent years is convenience, the HPBA has found. It's a fast way to get a delicious and nutritious meal for your entire family or for a house full of hungry football fans. Now, grilling is one of the most preferred methods for making dinner in the United States all year long.
"When you factor in the 70 percent of Americans who cite easy clean-up as a huge perk, grilling for the big game at home is a convenient, no-mess way to pull together a feast big enough for a football team or a pack of die-hard fans," Wheeler added.
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association has these six tips and suggestions for making your grilling experience on Sunday afternoon a pleasurable one:
1. PRE-GAME PREPARATION
Plan ahead to ensure that you'll be watching the game instead of still preparing the food. Prepare the food ahead of time by marinating meats on Saturday. On game day simply remove from the refrigerator and throw on the grill.
2. EQUIPMENT CHECK
Eliminate a last minute run to the local store for charcoal or propane by checking levels on Saturday.
3. TRY SOMETHING NEW TO GRILL
Burgers, steaks, and chicken are the most popular foods for the grill, but try some other appetizing ideas to feed your friends like grilled pizza, grilled veggies and even grilled fruit (can you say honeydew and cantaloupe?!). Click here and here to find some amazing tailgate and grilling recipes from the HPBA.
4. GRILLING RECI-TIPS
- Using skewers? Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent veggies from sticking.
- Before grilling, trim the excess fat from meat to avoid flare-ups.
- Place vegetables and fruits at the outer edge of the grill to prevent burning.
- When grilling, use tongs or spatulas to move or turn meats instead of a fork to minimize the loss of juices.
5. FIRE UP THAT GRILL WISELY
Before lighting up the grill, apply non-stick spray on the grates. The protective spray cuts down the clean-up time afterwards.
6. CLEAN-UP IS A SNAP
For charcoal grills, line the bowl with aluminum foil. After grilling, and once the grill and coals are cool (as a rule of thumb, always allow coals to burn out completely and let ashes cool at least 48 hours before disposing), simply discard the foil with the coals and ash, then wash and reline with foil for the next time.
FIRE HAZARD NOTE: If you must dispose of coals and ashes before they are completely cooled, then place them in heavy duty aluminum foil and soak with water completely before disposing in a non-combustible container.
Get even more tips, recipes, and other advice for grilling out on Super Bowl Sunday and every other day you decide to cook out on the barbecue for your family and friends by visiting HPBA.org.
Keep the pigskin lovers happy on Sunday with this snack
This absolutely tantalizing appetizer will be perfect to munch on while you watch the Indianapolis Colts demolish the Chicago Bears on Sunday...um, what was that? You think it's gonna be "da Bears" who come out on top over Peyton and the boys? Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see now, won't we? :D
But there is one thing we can agree on: GOOD FOOD! Especially when it is low-carb, you just can't go wrong and this recipe I am about to share with you hits the spot for anyone who is livin' la vida low-carb and even if you are watching your calories. ENJOY the game and cook up plenty of these for everyone to eat up. And it's healthy, too! Sweet!
LOW-CARB CHICKEN KABOBS
1 pound boneless chicken breast 4 tablespoons Tabasco sauce 1 tsp each salt & pepper .5 tsp garlic powder bamboo skewers (soak in warm water for 10 minutes)
Slice chicken thinly into equal strips. Sprinkle each of them evenly with garlic powder, salt & pepper on all sides. Place chicken strips & Tabasco sauce in a Ziploc bag, squeezing out the air and marinate for up to 30 minutes. Drain marinade and thread chicken strips onto bamboo skewers.
Grill as desired for about 3 minutes on each side until they are done! Makes 15-30 and goes great with your favorite dipping sauce (watch out for hidden sugars in the store brands, though!).
Make it a "super" low-carb party when you put it all in a "bowl." :)
George Clooney and Renee Zellweger star in "Leatherheads"
Today I had the privilege of doing something that some would consider "once in a lifetime." There was an audition being held about 30 minutes from my home in Greenville, South Carolina to appear in an upcoming Universal Pictures film featuring Academy Award-winning actors George Clooney and Renee Zellweger called "Leatherheads."
Read this Greenville News story about the tryouts that attracted well over 1,000 Caucasian football player to be featured extras in what is sure to be a blockbuster and quite possibly Academy Award-nominated film for Best Picture of the Year in 2007.
"Leatherheads" is a period film that takes place in the early days of the birth of football in America in the 1920's. Clooney is set to direct and star in the film as an aging football player named Jimmy "Dodge" Connelly who attempts to recruit an extremely talented young college football star named Carter Rutherford (to be portrayed by "The Office" star John Krasinski) to play in the newly-developed professional league to provide an incentive for fans to come out and support the football games.
But a female reporter from the Chicago Tribune named Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) gets into a love triangle with Carter and Dodge that goes all the way to the brand new Commissioner of Football to resolve. This will be a historically accurate film featuring men who have the look and moves of the 1920's football players.
That's where the audition I participated in came into play. They were looking for Caucasian males 20-35 years old, between 5'9" and 6'3" tall, and weigh 160-250 pounds to fit the prototype of the 1920's football players (African-Americans were not yet a part of professional football at that time). While playing football in high school or college was not required, the applicant must be considered athletic.
Since I am 34 years old (turning 35 on December 27th), 6'3" tall, 217 pounds, and play organized volleyball, basketball, along with regular workouts at the gym, I felt I was qualified to at least put my name in the pool of applicants. Besides, why would I pass up a chance to possibly appear in a Hollywood film? Duh!
I heard about the tryouts for "Leatherheads" earlier in the week on the television news and then again on the local talk radio station. What an opportunity to be a part of something like this was my first reaction. So, why not give it a shot?
The process was supposed to last from 9AM-3PM, but it was obvious when I arrived right at 9AM that this wasn't going to be a quick in-and-out ordeal. The line of men who were waiting to be a part of this movie wrapped around the inside of the building with at least 750 people and then another 300-400 guys outside the door. And there were people of all shapes and sizes, too.
Some were big and bulky, pushing that 250-pound weight limit to the max while others were weak and puny and probably didn't reach the required height and weight. But they didn't care because this was their chance to be a star. Or so they hoped.
I had a friendly conversation with a 32-year old financial advisor named Brian who said his wife urged him to come to the audition. He said he wanted to enjoy the experience of trying out to be in a movie and that it didn't really matter if he made it or not. We had plenty of time to talk, too, finally leaving the parking lot at around 11AM with a handful of "souvenirs"--the papers we were given as our reward for coming--three hours after standing outside in the cool breeze of the morning.
Once inside the building and into the audition room, we were handed an instruction sheet and application which asked for your name, contact information, Social Security number, clothes sizes including shoes, and athletic experience. Then you stood in line to hand your application to someone who assigned you a number which was handwritten on a white sheet of paper--mine was #371--that you then took to a photographer to snap your full-body photo. Finally, an assistant producer with the film does an on-the-spot informal interview with each applicant asking about their experience playing sports.
All in all, it was quite an adventurous Saturday morning and I am hopeful for a chance to be in "Leatherheads." However, my lack of football experience in high school or college will probably disqualify me from being considered. Yet, considering my chances would have been ZERO if I hadn't lost nearly 200 pounds by livin' la vida low-carb in 2004, I consider today's tryout a BONUS in my life.
Losing weight gave me what very well could be the "once in a lifetime" shot I need to be a part of cinematic history. Okay, perhaps that's a bit hyperbolic, but I think you get the picture. It's all pretty cool if you ask me.
So what happens from here? If I am selected to attend the 1920's-styled football tryouts where they will select 50 men to fill the three teams featured in the film, then I will hear back from the producers via telephone or e-mail by mid-January. Those tryouts will then be followed by football camp/rehearsals for the shooting of the film, with the actual filming to take place in mid-February.
The movie is set to be shot almost entirely in North and South Carolina. My hometown of Spartanburg, SC is located near the border of these two states, so I'd be able to travel to the filming locations quite easily. Even if it is unlikely that I'll ever make it that far, a man can dream, can't he? I've got just as good a chance as the rest of those fellas do!
In the likely event that I am not chosen to be one of the football extras in the film, I certainly will look into other background supporting parts in the film which will be needed. This is something I'll be able to look back on and show my kids and grandkids someday. If it happens, GREAT, if not, GREAT! At least I can say I tried.
Anybody else have an experience trying out for a Hollywood movie? Did you make it into the final cut of the film? Feel free to share your story.
