Some sports stars are spotlight mainstays, and their frequent appearance across the Internet, TV commercials and magazine covers cement their place in the general public’s brainspace. But there are plenty of other athletes that aren’t immediately recognizable to the average person, and such was the case in Charlottesville, Virginia, when one local news reporter was so interested in talking to potential Powerball winners that he or she didn’t realize that St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams defensive end Chris Long was the person being interviewed.
That was positively brilliant, for every reason possible. I’m not going to lie to any of you readers here; I wouldn’t have recognized Chris Long in that scenario either. First, everybody knows that sunglasses are the perfect disguise for any situation, and a Levi Garrett racing cap is another good way to avoid looking like a powerhouse NFL star. With that mustache, Long would be right at home on the set of Reno 911 as Travis Junior’s brother or something, and he’s built to be more interested in American Gladiators’ Powerball more than the lottery kind.
His actual answer was brilliant, as well. While some NFLers would have tried to make it clear that they are quite famous, Long was content to just make up a story about getting a time share with his old lady and buying a bunch of boats. It hardly sounded out of place coming from his mouth. Maybe a future in acting, perhaps on HBO’s Ballers Season 2, is in Long’s future.
Chris Long, who actually went to high school in Charlottesville and probably watched NBC 29 on a regular basis, was happy to have been a part of this groundbreaking news story.
The son of former NFL great (and Broken Arrow actor) Howie Long, Chris Long probably doesn’t need to win the Powerball to live a comfortable life, as he’s one of the most notable defensive players in the league. But there’s no harm in trying for an early retirement. And hey, at least he wasn’t like that guy who said he would spend his winnings all on hookers and cocaine.
