Although sports fans have been deemed psychologically healthier by the earlier studies, the fact that their physical health leaves something to be desired should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever watched a commercial during a football game (and I’m not talkin’ about prostate medication). All the beer, pizza, and nachos served up by scantily-clad domestic goddesses (ha!) pushes up the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and early death. The silver lining in all this is that Ben Roethlisberger telling Steelers fans to eat more whole grains and veggies may actually work, if he doesn’t give them a heart attack with any interceptions over the weekend first. So this weekend, why not switch out those Doritos with some Sun Chips and slather some hummus on a tofu burger instead of downing those messy wings? Right, and the Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl this year.

A day doesn’t go by without another story of layoffs, shut-downs, market crashes and/or some other indicator of the sinking economy. That said, there is one sector that remains red hot, sports collectibles. Last year, before the credit crisis, a single vintage baseball card of Honus Wagner sold for $2.8 million dollars. What would it be worth today now that equities are down 30%, joblessness is up and the worldwide financial market is in the midst of its biggest slowdown since the Great Depression?According to one expert, COO of memorabilia auction company Sportsbuy.com, Eric Beckerman, if it went on the market today it would fetch the same if not more than its price from last year. Beckerman says that sports memorabilia, especially vintage, benefits from several trends that are largely unaffected by the current economic climate. These include the fact that unlike other investments, there has never been a “bubble” of sports memorabilia, second by its limited nature there is a relatively small amount of product available and its not as if someone can go out and get Babe Ruth to sign a few more balls. Finally, in addition to the investment benefits of having a generally appreciating asset, there is an emotional connection to owning sports memorabilia that generally doesn’t exist with bonds, annuities and many other asset classes. He cautions against selling all of your stocks and running out and buying sports collectibles but does say that those who enjoying owning a piece of sports history have benefited financially from the hobby and will almost certainly continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Lucky for Gary Vee he has a whole slew of Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to drown his sorrows after being outbid for the best seats at the Jets’ new Meadowlands stadium. David Findel, the owner of a mortage-lending firm, plopped down an astounding $400,000 for the two 50-yard-line seats, outbidding Vaynerchuk and Nobu owner Drew Nieporent. Findel resisted a frenzied full-court press (yes, lame basketball reference in football story) from other bidders seeking the coveted spots, but the 43-year-old Brooklyn native flashed more cash and wound up with not only the best seats in the 82,000-seat stadium, but a bundle of bragging rights too.

If the ongoing saga of Brett Favre keeps you up nights during the off season in breathless anticipation, you may want to check out the international version of the story being played out by David Beckham. Playing for the Galaxy doesn’t appear to be in line with Beckham’s goal of making England’s 2010 World Cup team with America’s lackluster soccer image and Beckham logging so much time on the bench. AC Milan is trying to tempt the star to play on loan starting in January, despite protest from the Galaxy, a move that would bring Beckham back to center stage. Can the U.S. stand the loss of fashion maven, Vicky, though? No, darn it, Europe can’t have her back!

Equipped with oxygen, a special neoprene suit and a huge parachute, Holly Budge broke new ground (though not literally) by being the first person to skydive over the world’s highest peak. For the low, low price of 13,000 pounds, the “Everest Skydive” is a truly one-of-a-kind experience that’s been fifteen years in the making for British company High and Wild. Nigel Gifford, who runs the company, decided to blend his love of jumping with his experience as a Himalayan guide to create this unique tour, which includes some first-time jumpers tandeming with experts, begging the question, where exactly does one go after jumping over Mount Everest? Victoria Falls in a barrel?

With commercials still airing about Michael Phelps, it’s hard to believe that the time has come to gear up for the next Winter Olympic games, but get your credit cards ready (if they’re working). Applications for 70% of tickets are being accepted starting today and running through November 7 using a system “…designed to thwart scalpers trying to snap up tickets to the best events.” Prices run from $25 for some events up to 1100 smackeroos for a seat to the opening ceremonies. Sign me up for some ice dancing!

Oracle President Charles Phillips kicked off Monday’s keynote at the annual OpenWorld conference with plenty of back patting and the announcement of two new units and a handful of new products. The software company has played it like Pac-Man in last 44 months, gobbling up and acquiring 50 companies, consequently doubling its workforce. While Pac-Man apparently had a previous engagement filming an “I Love 1980″ VH1 special, Oracle managed to book another fierce competitor, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. The 14-time Olympic gold medalist yammered on about his training schedule and nauseating diet, never once offering to strip down to his skivvies–me thinks Phelpsie needs a better agent. Yes yes, if I could swim like the spawn of a tryst between Zeus and a dolphin, I’d lend my mug to any conference, birthday party or bar-mitzvah who put up the cash, but I’d at least have the courteousness to show up in my Speedo.

As the weather cools, the epic battle between Ohio and Michigan begins once again, but global warming may be sending the beloved buckeye north to enemy territory. Tailgating parties will be going political this fall thanks to the organization, Save the Buckeye, who hopes the campaign will bring the issue of global warming home to fans even if evidence doesn’t yet show the buckeye fleeing to cooler climes. Experts say it’s only a matter of time. Maybe they could change their mascot to the palm nut.

You may want to rethink the term “dumb jock” in light of new research from the Human Research Lab at the University of Chicago. Taking a phrase such as “It’s a hard grounder to third that he takes of the short hop and fires a bullet to first for the final out,” and studying the brain activity of sports players and fans as compared to those unfamiliar with the sport indicated that the players and fans were using a completely different section of their brain when picturing the scene. This link between language comprehension and learned motor skills causes fans and players to use more of their brains when listening and they process the information faster than had the descriptions been of everyday tasks. So when you’re dozing in front of the college games on a beautiful October Saturday, pat yourself on the back: you’re working the most important muscle of all.
(Photo Credit: Diego Cervo/iStockphoto)

Work got ya down like the weight of a Chinese diver? Lin Ye, a psychological consultant in Shanghai has diagnosed the country’s widespread sluggishness as “Olympic Syndrome“:”TV viewers and their families shared fun and excitement so that their home atmosphere became better [and] they temporarily forgot about worries in their work…they were unable to adjust their mood so quickly.” Ye suggests getting up off the couch and doing a little physical activity themselves might help, preferably with a couple new friends to spice things up. They’ve been telling Americans this for years, but the only diagnosis we got was obesity. Geez.

Lucky for Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson and Alicia Sacramone, Michael Phelps doesn’t break out the blush brush or accent his brown eyes with volumizing mascara. The trio of adorable U.S. gymnasts will appear in CoverGirl ads, joining the company of other famous CoverGirls like Rihanna and Drew Barrymore. The flipping, cartwheeling and swinging squad actually signed a deal with the cosmetics company before their trip to Beijing, allowing a CoverGirl team to create custom make-up looks for each of the gymnasts. The team’s silver-medal success and the individual achievements of Nastia and Shawn will mean more ads and maybe a little more moola. Kudos to CG for skipping the tacky eye shadow a la that little 14-year-old Chinese gymnast. Note: bright blue eyeshadow doesn’t make you look older, just straight out of the 80s.

President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea, the new hero of golf widows everywhere, has told his officials to lay off the tees and clubs in light of poor economic conditions, fearing it “”sends out the wrong message” to fellow countrymen. The game is extremely popular, but comes with a hefty price tag that forces a number of golfers into other countries to find cheaper options; membership to a club may cost $250K to $500K with guest passes reaching $250 per person for a weekend round. Wow, and that’s not including beer…

Physicians Formula doesn’t view the Olympics’ third place finishers as losers, just maybe a little pale. The cosmetics company plans to send all of the Games’ bronze medal winners a lifetime supply of bronzers in honor of their achievements in Beijing. Luckily U.S. gymnast Alicia Sacramone, who got bumped from a bronze following questionable judging on the vault, already seems to have the tan thing down.

Pamela Anderson might not be a great swimmer in real life but she played one on TV, and now she wants to practice a little mouth-to-mouth on America’s Olympic fave, Michael Phelps. “Swimmer’s bodies are the best and he is the best of the best. He really is. It’s the way he shakes his arms out before he jumps in the pool. . .” Sure, he’s sporting a skin-tight suit and she’s looking at his arms. Who knows, maybe he’s in the market for a couple of flotation devices.

Sure, Forrest Gump got a packed house for his ping-pong match, but for the ladies of table tennis, it’s time for a makeover. “We are trying to push the players to use skirts and also nicer shirts, not the shirts that are made for men, but ones with more curves,” noted the VP for the International Table Tennis Federation. Citing tennis players’ combos of sport and style and, let’s face it, incredible amounts of attention paid to the leggy beach volleyball gals, the federation is trying to avoid this year’s half empty stands for future events. If high school women’s sports teams wore Catholic school girl skirts, maybe we wouldn’t need that pesky Title IX law.

The first fashion meets swimming rumor popped up earlier in the week with word Michael Phelps had landed a top model, but unfortunately Phelps put the kibosh on discussing his love life. So, onto the next buzz about an Olympic swimmer out of the water and into the world of high-end fashion: Dara Torres, the 41-year-old super mom and super swimmer, may strut the runway for designer Charles Nolan. Nolan reportedly saw the doe-eyed athlete on a “Today” segment and decided she would be a fabulous addition to one of his shows. Now this is how athletes turn into models, without stripping down and baring all–looking at you Amanda Beard.

Move over Tony the Tiger because g-r-r-r-eat (or G-r-r-r-eight) swimmer Michael Phelps has inked a deal with Kellogg’s to pose on Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes boxes. Wheaties had long stood as the go-to morning meal brand for celebrated athletes, debuting the “Breakfast of Champions” series with a 1934 box featuring Lou Gehrig, but it seems Phelps’ reputation for forging his own path in the pool applies outside the chlorinated water too. The Olympic champion’s Kellogg’s boxes will debut in mid-September, but won’t include mini medals as a shot of Phelps’ toned torso is enough of a treat.

Jennifer Lopez has earned a deserved reputation as a somewhat delusional, self-obsessed star, so it should not come as a surprise that the former Fly Girl can’t figure out why everyone seems to pay more attention to Michael Phelps’s record-breaking swimming than her triathlon training. A backstage snitch at “Good Morning America,” where J.Lo had graciously stopped by to discuss her training, says the singer/actress/egotist was overhead complaining that she “couldn’t understand why everyone is talking about that swimmer. She couldn’t come up with (eight-time gold-medal winner Michael) Phelps’ name, and then she yammered on about how she was the one training for a triathlon just six months after giving birth, and how that was the big story right now, not ‘the swimmer.’”

Fourteen gold medals will probably land Michael Phelps any number of ladies who drooled over his perfect swimmer’s physique and can look over his arguable butterface (or buttisface?). Phelps Facebook fan page has already seen countless marriage proposals and a number of offers from women offering to serve as “baby mama,” but the legendary swimmer may already have a girlfriend…or two. Rumors point to either fellow Olympic swimmer and Playboy poser Amanda Beard or Gucci, Gap and Burberry model Lily Donaldson. It seems Phelps’ devotion to his sport would steer him towards a lady with an athletic streak, but let’s not forget he is also a rich, famous 23-year-old athlete.

Protests aside, there’s speculation that the unprecedented performances of Michael Phelps are hitting Hollywood where it hurts, especially for the opening of Tropic Thunder. The film’s demographic is slanted toward the over-25 crowd who also have a greater tendency to have their eyes glued on Beijing. On the other hand, Pineapple Express had a jumpstart on the Olympics by two days, giving it an edge in the profit market (and maybe the stoners haven’t figured out the Olympics are going on yet). Luckily for Star Wars makers, it would take a nuclear holocaust and, perhaps, the double funeral of Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo, to keep them from getting their fix. Best to take some notes for 2012.

Good thing Dalhausser is so tall since that blue shirt isn’t doing him any favors. Evolutionarily speaking, red gets you noticed, though that wasn’t the only reason the world was sizing up China’s gymnasts. As monkeys evolved from more primitive primates, who could only see greens and blues, the world became a much more colorful place with yellows, oranges and reds peppering the forest. The ability to spot ripe fruit in the trees and the unmistakable red of a baboon in heat gave the primates an evolutionary edge, finding food they could easily digest and locating the ladies on the prowl. So the next time you’re trying to nab the spotlight, skip the blue for raging red.

UPDATE: A study in the August issue of the journal Psychological Science has concluded that referees appear to have a bias towards competitors wearing red as well.

Anyone still discounting cheerleading as a sport may want to think again in light of new research by the University of North Carolina. With the increase in high-risk stunts and gymnastic moves, cheerleading accounts for over 65% of all catastrophic accidents among female high school and college athletes. The rise from the previously established percentage of 55% is due to new evidence revealed by the National Cheer Safety Foundation of California. The numbers are especially striking when one realizes that no other female sport has reached double-digit fatalities since 1982, but cheerleader deaths numbered 67. A high price to pay for a little pep.

…and the backlash begins. With a documentary in the making, a World Series and its own virtual version on Wii (non-alcoholic, of course), beer pong is establishing itself as the bar sport of choice for today’s drinking crowd. Though some cities and colleges are banning the game, Billy Gaines, co-founder of Bpong.com, explains that, “Beer pong is severely misunderstood. It’s a sport. It just happens to involve alcohol. People are not playing the game to get drunk but because they love the challenge of throwing a table-tennis ball into a cup with some type of liquid in it.” (Yeah, right.) From Yale to Georgetown, though, beer pong and, in some cases, all drinking games are being banned in the name of safety. (Good luck!)

Tony Hart, the younger brother of motocross freestyler and star of A&E’s “Inked” Carey Hart, died Saturday after suffering fatal head injuries during a practice at Stafford Springs Raceway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. The 21-year-old racer’s death marks the first in the six-year history of the AMA Supermoto Championship.

Gold medal winning swimmer Amanda Beard has made a big splash before the Beijing Games even kick off–Beard peeled off her red, white and blue swimwear and bared all for a new PETA ad. The Olympian follows in the naked footsteps of Pamela Anderson and Eva Mendes, standing up and stripping down to protest the fur industry.