February 05, 2006
Desis in the NFL, Super Bowl edition (updated)Sports
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Brandon Chillar |
While Americans watch four hours of ads lightened up with a couple minutes of football, let’s take a look at the desis in the NFL. First up is Brandon Chillar, a St. Louis Rams linebacker whose parents are Indian and white:
After graduating from high school, he played college football in the Pac-10 for the University of California, Los Angeles, where he gained prominence on the Bruin defensive unit. After graduating from UCLA, he joined the Saint Louis Rams in 2004. Having a father, Ram Chillar, of Asian Indian descent, Chillar became one of the handful of Indian Americans or Asian Americans in the NFL. [Link]
Has a well-developed frame with good muscle definition… Also lettered in track, competing in the 100, 200 and triple jump. [Link]
The first thing he wants to buy for himself is a Cadillac Escalade… [Link]
Chillar is 6’3” (190 cm), 253 lbs. (115 kg) and 23 years old. Before Chillar, there was Sanjay Rajiv Beach, a wide receiver whose parents are Indian and Jamaican:
Sanjay Beach… spent six years in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and New York Jets. He now is an investment banker with Dain Bosworth, Inc. in Denver. He and wife Kristy have a 3-year old daughter, Kalpana, and a 6-month old son, Makis. [Link - PDF]
Beach is 6’0” (183 cm) with a playing weight of 189 lbs. (86 kg). He’s now 39.
Update: Bobby Singh, a Fiji-Canadian from B.C., played for the St. Louis Rams in ‘99 (thanks, Tidbit). He’s now an offensive lineman for the B.C. Lions and serves on the school board in Richmond.
Bobby was born on the Fiji Islands and moved to Richmond when he was two years old. His proud parents, Malkit and Mindy… decided to migrate to Canada…He signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams, where they won a Super Bowl championship in 1999. Unfortunately he had back surgery and was released after the season…
Bobby and Alexis live in Steveston where they are raising their three children, Bobby Jr… Kameron… and Alyssa… [Link]
Singh has a Super Bowl ring from his year on the practice squad of the St. Louis Rams… [Link]
Related post: Leaving it all on the field
manish on February 5, 2006 07:02 PM in Sports · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
why the hell should I get so excited over a "desi" being in the NFL? Football is probably one of the worst sports in the world...only one country plays it and they still call it "word championship". Talk about arrogance.
Talk about marketing...
talk about 'there IS more sport out there than cricket'....
its good for the community that its diversifying.....and the trend is irreversible......just yesterday came back from a weeding reception and one of my first geners friends there who just had a baby boy was busy twisting and twirling his lttle one to prepare him for 'the league'.....
indian kids always knew there could be more to life than being a doctor/engineer,its nice to see the current crop of indian dads beginning to realize that too....
Did I see 3 desi guys in a Superbowl ad about the Superbowl? I think the catchline went "this is your Superbowl".
Both these players are of a mixed ancestry.
I wonder if its even possible for a kid who is Indian on both sides to play in the NFL.
Our Indian genes are probably too timid and puny for the NFL :(
I think Dalip Singh would make a good linebacker.
I take it you're never seen a Jatt farmer.
My God! That picture of Dalip Singh is awesome! What an amazing man! A Human Everest!
xXx
my stars didnt align - but my genes are nationals-level - my kids will be champs... - skiers or racers
I'd say that desis are at a disadvantage for a sport like American "Foot"-ball, genetically speaking.
One would think that we would be pretty good a this 'coz when it comes to participating in a brawl, especially mob violence, we always rack up a pretty impressive bodycount. The problem is our usual props are not permitted (no sharp objects on the field) and the refrees are off limits (wassup with that?) and the rules...the fu***&g rules. I think its is the "rules" that turn the desis off when it comes to NFL, else we would be "world champions".
DDiA-- i saw the desi boys in that ad too, but they were eclipsed by the adorable little girl wearing the blue tee which said, "Anyone But Dallas". suck it, cowboys!
Football and brownies are two of those special things that I took an instinctive liking to in the US. And that means something since I came here after a looong time in India. Unfortunately one of the consequences of taking a liking to football is the irrational dislike that comes with it. The popularity of football among desis of all stripes in the US and Canada is stunning. Ranging from the Jatt types to the Maami/Maama types and of course the Wests and the Easts it is hard to find a silent type when the game is on.
I want a shirt which says "No One but Colts". But Steelers are okay. Even though they defeated Colts but still better than Seahawks.
I think the gene excuse is a bunch of crap. In college football, there have been a handful of Indians to play who have two Indian parents. In my opinion, the lack of desis in football is more cultural (e.g. college degree being more important than "petty" sports) than genetic.
Go 49ers!
Tom - that was hilarious!
Word to our half desi brothers on the gridiron. It's nice to see that the National Spelling Bee isn't the only ESPN activity featuring a hint of browness.
It's nice to see that the National Spelling Bee isn't the only ESPN activity featuring a hint of browness.
I think there was a guy on the "Poker World Series" (not that it helps the genes argument). He was brown-looking, don't know if he really was. Plus, of course, on Dream Job.
If I'm not mistaken, Dalip Singh is the same guy who used to be seen in all of the Ramsay brothers' 'horror' flicks (with some nice Ramsay brand of make up).
saw the 3 brownies...
glad steelers won.. and my troy polamalu ;)
Whew!!! This guy gives me tha vapors!!
He'll definately get my attention ;D
Absolutely! If desi's want to break out of that typical generic "what is expected of them mold"...
Then more power to them!
He's a big fella.
But is he a doctor or a lawyer?
;)
My brother, a full-blood malu, is 6 foot 9 and is a jacked 250; if we had grown up exposed to sports at an earlier age and he liked football, I think he coulda been a contender. He played a lil' bball at his D3 college; now he coaches girls bball at the boarding school he teaches at. I think Indians can definitely excel at sports requiring heft-- there are a bunch of huge indian first-genners; we just need a little more social conditioning.
Our Indian genes are probably too timid and puny for the NFL :(
I was kidding!
A typical NFL game lasts for about three hours, with a 60-minute game clock, yet has only about *twelve minutes* of actual ball-in-play action.
dude kind of looks like Akshay Kumar.
Thomas Jones
It is not all size and bulk that counts. Agility, speed, conditioning, attitude, mindset also matters.
it is all about the cojones guys...
we all know size doesn't matter...right ladies? and some [gentle]men?
A freind of my sister's here has a family freind whose son just went to Rice University in Houston on Football scholarship. His jersey will say "Patel".
Bobby Singh actually won a Super Bowl ring with the St. Louis Rams. He was like a third-string guard or tackle and like a monstrous 325 lbs and around 6'4". I believe he was from Fiji originally.
Dunno how big desi players can get in the NFL, but those who are into fantasy sports will not have missed Vinnie Iyer and David Srinivasan.
Did his Dad own a motel with a gym in it ? I am kidding before you guys jump all over me.
whoa! i know vinnie iyer! his mum and sis came over for lunch during christmas break! he's actually a big guy himself....
There's a half desi guy in the NHL as well. His name is Manny Malhotra and he's a hottie: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/1/1757/
He once scored the game winning goal when he played for the Rangers. I worked for FoxSports at the time and was blown away by the fact that Madison Square Garden was chanting for a brown guy. I never thought I would see that happen
Oh when will we see desi NFL cheerleaders?
How about a brown NBA cheerleader?
http://www.nba.com/heat/dance/dancer05_gina.html
http://www.nba.com/heat/dance/dancers_index.html
Have you done a story about Manny Malhorta? He's an Indian NHL player.
http://www.mehfilmagazine.com/coverstory.cfm
Manny Malhotra? Never heard of him :) (There's a search box on the front page, top right, and a new one just above the comment form.)
manish, i didn't bother reading the last five comments-- have you heard of manny malhotra? you should like, do a story on him.
Fei, they don't call it the world championship, they call it the Super Bowl...
A lot of the comments to this post make me smile. I never realized how big a chip people outside the US carry on their shoulder about the NFL until I moved abroad to Europe from the east coast. A select few of the memorable quotes I have heard:
"The games are all about marketing and commercialism"
umm...take a look at a soccer or rugby jersey...they put NASCAR to shame
"The games are so long and they are constantly stopping and starting and calling timeouts"
Ok....soccer and rugby are generally much shorter, and there is a lot of continuous play. But the comparison is apples and oranges. Football, and baseball for that matter, are games based on set plays/pitches/downs. Basketball would be more comparable to soccer and rugby
"The players wear pads, so they can't be that tough"
Give me a break. Soccer players (footballers) are incredibly conditioned athletes, I won't argue that. But I see plenty of Oscar-worthy acting going on in attempts to either draw or block a red/yellow card from the ref.
Rugby players, again, are in incredible shape, and generally all are built pretty tough. But after watching several games in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, here is what I do know:
Rugby players have very strong legs/arms/backs with which they push and grab their opponents. They do not fy into and level wide receivers, visciously sack quarterbacks, or run at lightning speed through a line of giants to find room and break free for either a hard fought 4 yards or a highlight reel worthy 50 yard TD.
I like sports of all types. I have an open mind. And I love the NFL.