TAMPA, FL When legendary rapper Snoop Dogg toes the Gaither High School sideline in Snoop Bowl VII, he'll be staring at a menacing figure across the field. Former Buccaneer Great Mike Alstott, (Tampa Bay's All Time touchdown leader), will serve as the head coach for the Tampa Bay All Stars.
The Snoop Bowl pits Snoop's Los Angeles youth football team against an All Star team from the host city of the NFL Super Bowl. Last year Snoop Dogg's pups rolled over Matt Leinart's Arizona All Stars 33-14. This year the gauntlet has been thrown down in Tampa, and the A-Train has gladly accepted the challenge.
This is a great opportunity, Alstott said. This gives us a chance to work with young kids, help develop their skills and show them how much we care for them. Getting to coach against Snoop will be really fun, and in the end we're going to raise a bunch of money for charity.
Historically the Snoop Bowl has raised over $50,000 for charity. With the inclusion of Alstott, this event is sure to be a tremendous success. The A-Train is as well known in the Bay area for his charitable doings as he is for breaking tackles and scoring touchdowns. Over the years the A-Train has done significant work with All Children's Hospital, the Children's Cancer Center, local firefighters and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Snoop Bowl VII will be no different, with proceeds benefitting the Mike Alstott Family Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Children's Cancer Center and All Sports Community Service.
The Tampa Bay team will have plenty of star power guiding them from the sidelines as well. In addition to Alstott, those committed to participate as coaches are: Michael Clayton WR- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kevin Carter DE- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Andra Davis LB-Cleveland Browns, Raheem Brock DL-Indianapolis Colts, Greg White DL- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Max Starks OL-Pittsburgh Steelers, Bryant McKinnie OL-Minnesota Vikings, Jared Allen DE-Minnesota Vikings, Andre Johnson WR-Houston Texans, Travis Johnson DT-Houston Texans, as well as many of the best high school and youth football coaches in the Bay area.
The stars won't just be on the sidelines. They'll be in the stands as well. Historically the Snoop Bowl has attracted as many A-List singers, actors and celebrities as the other top Super Bowl week events. "Anything I do is a celebrity event," Snoop said, laughing. "It's a football weekend; why not watch a bunch of future NFL stars come out and play?"
Snoop Bowl VII is hosted by Capture Entertainment and Productions, and kicks off January 31, 2009 at 1:00 PM at Gaither High School in Tampa. The game will be broadcast on Bright House Sports Network. Bright House Sports Network, the leader in local sports, is a 24-hour local sports network dedicated to sports fans in the Central Florida and Tampa Bay areas.