By Michelle Jarvis
Contributing Author

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The Cleveland Browns may have lost to the San Diego Chargers in Week 13, but their quarterback Brady Quinn has given all his skeptics in the “Dawg Pound” something to think about.  Quinn’s pursuit for the starting job was nothing short of rocky.  After going through a quarterback battle with Derek Anderson through training camp, it was unclear who would be leading Cleveland’s offense heading into their opening day.

After weeks of competition Quinn ended up landing the starting job out of camp.  Although, after he was named the starter, questions were asked by those around the league: did Quinn have what it takes to help this team bounce back from a 4-12 2008 record? 

The Ravens D' was too tough for the Brady Bunch!!

He started off with a 0-2 record heading into a week 3 divisional match up facing Baltimore’s stingy turn-over happy defense that lead to his benching and Anderson taking over.  Anderson, however, didn’t fare any better for the Browns and Quinn returned to the starting position in week 8. 
               
Cleveland fans had all but given up on their supposed franchise quarterback, when in week 11, facing another struggling franchise in Detroit; he threw for a career high 4 touchdowns and 304 yards.  Many chalked it up to facing a weak Lions’ defense but his performance appears to have helped him connect with his receivers and start to build a bridge of trust with them.  Bringing them into week 13 and hosting the red hot San Diego Chargers, Quinn shocked fans by quickly hitting Mohamed Massaquoi with a 13 yard touchdown to start the Browns on top of the Chargers early in the first quarter.  Quinn showed poise as he held strong in the pocket (something he has struggled with all season long) and scanned all receivers before throwing his first touchdown pass of the day.  Unfortunately the Chargers defense did not continue to bend easily, as the Browns’ offense was unable to score again until the 4th quarter. With the Chargers’ offense holding a 27-7 lead, Quinn propelled his team down the field three times and in the process threw two touchdown passes to Jerome Harrison, with the last attempt resulting in a field goal.
               
An onside kick was attempted but the Browns were unable to recover, resulting in a 30-23 loss.  While it may be yet another disappointing loss for the fans of the struggling Browns, the strides this offense was able to make against a tough San Diego defense ranked 8th against the pass and 12th overall in the league, can be considered something fans of this team can see as an accomplishment.

Quinn has the Browns looking ahead!

The emergence of Quinn, who showed a “never give up” attitude may just be what this team needs to advance to the next level.  With a team of young offensive players developing alongside Quinn, mixed in with the already dynamic Cribbs, and a Rob Ryan defense being built, this team may not be that far off from making a return to form.

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Any sports fan will tell you that unless your team is struggling, you could really care less about the ownership.  When your team is winning, the typical sports fan is concerned with what the team is doing on the field, not what is going on behind closed doors.  In Miami this is no longer the case. It is the ownership that is bringing in the buzz, and in a good way.  Sure, the Miami Dolphins and their much talked about wildcat offense made the play off’s last year, but it is the new share holders in the franchise that are all the talk with Miami fans, particularly with us women.

Being involved with sports is nothing new to the Williams sisters!

Music icons, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams have all purchased shares of the Dolphins. In addition, Stacey Ann Ferguson – otherwise known in the music world as “Fergie”, is now rumored to also be in the mix to purchase a share of the Dolphins as well. Each of the above mentioned women have brought along the followers of their music, fashion, movies, and sport to this team.

These iconic female superstars have opened the doors for a new wave of women fans to the sport of football.

From sweet smelling scents to stinky Football players, J-Lo has it covered!

Ladies sports apparel is proving to be big business and it continues to grow. When you walk into a Shenk & Title or any other sports store the amount of women’s apparel has doubled from previous years.  Women now have entire sections with different styles of clothing with our favorite team’s emblems on them to choose from. The sports world is taking notice in the spike of women interested in supporting these teams.  With so many franchises struggling right now, the addition of fans can only help them to build.

If influential women continue to become more involved in football, it can only continue to help the NFL fan base expand.  These five icons are a great start in helping women become more exposed to football and giving women the ability to enjoy it by making it more exposed and relatable to them.