September 01 - As the 2010 NFL pre-season steams ahead, sports reporters across America are seeking out stories on players, teams and coaches they can get their hands on, because the nation's appetite for all things NFL is ferocious.
Consider the most recent news reports about NFL star, Troy Polamalu. The talented Pittsburgh Steelers' 5 ft 10 strong safety is making headlines across the country. In fact, the story is so big that it has also been picked up in Canada.
Now I know what you're thinking. Maybe he got badly injured and is out, or maybe he got arrested for running an illegal cock fighting ring. Or maybe he was videotaped waving an unlicensed UZI around while smoking crack cocaine?
No, no and no. What the press are having a field day with is the fact that the Steelers' play maker has recently had his thick mop of hair insured for a whopping $1-million through well-known insurance brokerage, Lloyds of London.
Huh, I can almost hear you say as you finished reading the last sentence. Yup it's true. After signing a lucrative sponsorship deal with international shampoo brand, Head and Shoulders, Polamalu was required to insure his jet black locks.
Just what would happen if anything damaged Polamalu's 3 feet of hair is too scary to contemplate. One, there is little doubt Head and Shoulders would dump him like a used tea bag. Two, his opponents would have nothing to grab onto.
But as exciting as Troy Polamalu's hair is, I'd like to focus on something far more interesting like from a betting perspective the Steelers are lined up to face the Panthers in Week 4 on Thursday, September 2. Here's are the odds at BetUS:
