Love's the name of the game: These sports stars have romance in their names

This Valentine’s Day, Mid-Day brings you a list of famous sportspersons whose very names evoke love

“What’s in a name?” wrote Shakespeare. Quite a lot, actually, especially when you’re a famous sports star with romance in your name, and it’s Valentine’s Day.

Sports and love may sound like polar opposites, but sometimes the ‘twain do meet. At least for some sports stars whose names actually evoke romance. On Valentine’s Day 2021, we take a look at sports stars whose names light the spark of love on V-Day.

Bobby Valentine (baseball)

Bobby Valentine. Pic/AFP

Why is former American baseball player Bobby Valentine on this list? It’s obvious; read his name. Nicknamed Bobby V, he has played for some of the finest teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), viz. the Los Angeles Dodgers (1969, 1971-72), California Angels (1973-75), New York Mets (1977-78) and Seattle Mariners (1979). He also went on to take on the role of manager for teams such as the Texas Rangers (1985-92), the New York Mets (1996-2002), and the Boston Red Sox (2012). The 70-year-old is currently the athletic director for Sacred Heart University. He is married to Mary Bianca, the daughter of former Brooklyn Dodgers player Ralph Bianca, and they have a son, Bobby Jr.

Valentino Rossi (MotoGP)

Valentino Rossi. Pic/AFP

Valentino Rossi (get it?), known as one of the greatest racers of all time, is also one of the biggest heartthrobs in the world of racing. With a huge fan following, he sets pulses racing, not only on the circuit, but also off it. Rossi was born in the city of Urbino, Italy. His father Graziano is a former motorbike racer. Rossi fell in love with racing at a young age and was passionate about karting. He is a record-equalling nine-time Moto GP world champion and stands third in the list of those with most titles. Nicknamed 'The Doctor', he is the only racer to compete in over 400 races in his career. Rossi has become a legend over the past two decades and is still giving younger racers a run for their money. The 41-year-old Italian will be racing for Petronas Yamaha Racing Team in the 2021 season.

Andy and Grant Flower (cricket)

Andy and Grant Flower. Pic/AFP

The Flower brothers are probably one of the most loved brother duos in the world of cricket, and why not? The two former Zimbabwe cricketers coupled their batting talent with a calm and composed approach to the game,which was quite a delight to watch during their career. Born in Salisbury, Andy and his younger brother Grant pursued cricket at a young age and were one of the finest players in their group. The brothers made their debut in 1992 and were the mainstay of the Zimbabwe cricket team for a decade. Grant played 67 tests,scoring 3,457 runs, and 221 ODIs, scoring 6,571 runs.Brother Andy, known as one of the finest batsmen Zimbabwe has produced, played 63 tests, scoring 4,794 runs, and 213 ODIs, with 6,786 runs to his name. Together, the duo is famously called 'Flower Power'. Andy Flower retired from international cricket in 2003,while Grant Flower retired in 2010.

Danny Rose (football)

Danny Rose. Pic/AFP

Could a surname get more romantic than Danny's? The English footballer is quite the charmer, even when he is not tackling strikers from the opposition. Rose is one of EPL club Tottenham Hotspur's finest defenders and has played 156 games and scored 8 goals since his 2007 debut for the team. Born in South Yorkshire, Danny also has a younger brother, Mitch, who plays for Notts County. They come from a football family; former player Michael Rankine is a cousin. Danny Rose has also played for other clubs, such as Leeds United, Watford, Peterborough United, Sunderland, Bristol City and Newcastle United.

Joe Hart (football)

Joe Hart. Pic/AFP

The England footballer's name may be missing an ‘e’, however, it is pronounced ‘heart’. Born Charles Joseph John Hart in Shrewsbury, he is one of the finest goalkeepers England has produced in recent times. Joe's father Charles sold gym equipment, while his mother Louise was a nursery teacher. Not many are aware that before his professional career in football, Joe Hart also played cricket in his younger days. Hart was part of the Shrewsbury CC team, and also in the youth squad for Worcestershire's cricket club. He is most famously known for his 12-year stint with EPL club Manchester City, having appeared in 266 games. He currently plays for Tottenham Hotspur. Since his international debut in 2007, Hart has appeared for England in 75 games. Hart married Kimberly Crew in Italy in 2015, and the couple has a son named Harlow.

Bret Hart (wrestling)

This former Canadian WWE wrestler is one of the biggest superstars in the history of the industry. A true heartthrob, who literally wore a heart (read Hart) on his (leather jacket) sleeve, Bret was the face of WWE 's New Generation Era in the 1990s, and is known as one of the most technically sound wrestlers in the business. With his boyish charm, Bret Hart was a hit with women and respected by men. He was born in Canada to Stu Hart, another famous professional wrestler, and is one of 12 siblings. He is famously known as Bret 'The Hitman' Hart, as well as 'The Pink and Black Attack' - monikers he developed in WWE. Hart main evented WWE's flagship pay-per-view, WrestleMania on 3 occasions - WrestleMania IX, X and XII. He has held titles across five decades, beginning in the 1970s up to the 2010s, and holds a total of 17 championships in his career in WWE and WCW. He won the WWF world heavyweight championship 5 times and the WCW World heavyweight championship twice. During the 1990s in WWE, he held the WWF title for the most number of days combined, 654. Hart is infamously known for the ‘Montreal Screwjob’ that occurred in 1997 during a match with Shawn Michaels, which ended in controversy, after which he joined WCW. He returned to WWE in 2010 for a last stint and then retired. Bret Hart was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by his on-screen rival Stone Cold Steve Austin. The 63-year-old former WWE superstar was married to Stephanie Washington in 2010 after his previous two marriages ended in divorce.

Vagner Love (football)

Vagner Love. Pic/AFP

Love is pretty much in the air when it comes to this footballer. He was born Wagner Silva de Souza in Rio de Janeiro, but is famously known as Vagner Love – a name he earned during his time at the club CSKA Moscow. He was reportedly given the name ‘Love’ due to his Casanova-like lifestyle. Vagner Love has been part of various football clubs such as Palmeiras, CSKA Moscow, Flamengo, Shandong Luneng, Monaco, Corinthians, Besiktas and Alanyaspor. His most famous stint came at CSKA Moscow where in 158 matches, he scored 79 goals. He currently plays for the team Kairat at the Kazakhstan Premier League. He was also part of the Brazilian national team that won the Copa America titles in 2004 and 2007.

Ron Darling (baseball)

Ron Darling. Pic/AFP

The former American baseball player was a hit with the women during his career. Born Ronald Maurice Darling Jr. in Hawaii, he played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is of Hawaiian-Chinese and French-Canadian descent. In his 12-year-long career, Ron played for teams such as the New York Mets, the Montreal Expos and the Oakland Athletics. His time with the NY Mets was most memorable, as he even won the 1986 World Series after they defeated the Boston Red Sox in the final. Darling was also a National League All-Star in 1985, and in 1989, took home the Gold Glove Award for pitchers. In terms of number of all-time wins for New York Mets, Darling ranks fourth, with 99 wins. The 60-year-old was first married to model Antoinette O'Reilly, who also featured in a few television and film roles. They have two children. In 2004, he married make-up artist Joanna Last, with whom he has a son. In 2020, Darling was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. He also appeared in Hollywood films such as Shallow Hal, Day After Tomorrow, and Mr. 3000.

Reto Hug (triathlon)

Athlete Reto takes ‘affection’ to a whole new level. At 6’2”, Reto is a lean, mean machine. The former triathlon athlete who was born in Switzerland, he earned a name for himself during the 2000 Summer Olympics. Hug finished in eighth place with a time of 1:49:21.30. At the 2004 Olympics, he completed a time of 2:01:40.43 and was placed 40th. During the 2008 Olympics, he was placed 29th, with a timing of 1:52:04.93. Reto retired in 2012, after the International Triathlon Union ended. Hug is married to Olympic gold medal-winning triathlon athlete Nicola Spirig. The couple has a son and daughter.

Beau Belga (basketball)

'Beau' means boyfriend or a male admirer. But in the case of this basketball player, it’s an identity. He was born Beau Michael Vincent Esparrago Belga in The Philippines. Belga plays in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters basketball team. His father was a driver and his mother a housewife. He is the eldest of three siblings. He studied at Philippine Christian University in Manila and also earned a spot to play for the PCU Dolphins. Belga is a gold medal winner at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games. His awards include being a three-time PBA All-Star, a two-time PBA champion and an NCAA Philippines champion. He is currently the assistant coach for the UST Growling Tigers team.

These athletes sure have a unique connection to Valentine's Day!

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