The Most Unexpected Sports Power Couples
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Sports power couples we didn't see coming
Admit it: You didn't see this whole Aaron Rodgers-Danica Patrick thing coming. Us either. But, like you, we are totally here for it. Unless you root for Da Bears, of course. Then you'll never forgive Patrick, raised a Bears fan, for dating the superstar Packers QB.
Anyway, this new power couple got us thinking about other sports romances that seemingly came out of left field. Here are the most unexpected sports couples.
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Baron Davis and Laura Dern
The former point guard and the big-time Hollywood actress may be the most unexpected/mysterious couple in a while. We have plenty of questions: How did they meet? What common interests do they share? But do we actually want the answers? Sometimes mystery is a good thing, and we should all agree that this nonsensical relationship is a very good thing.
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Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn
Vonn and Woods linked up in 2013 following each of their divorces, and it was Woods' first public relationship after a very ugly falling out with his ex-wife. The unlikely pairing lasted a few years, even though Vonn is a Broncos fan and Woods is a diehard Raiders fan. They went their separate ways in 2015, but they're still on decent terms.
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Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari
The only thing more surprising than the very unassuming quarterback settling down with the former "Laguna Beach" star is his ability to trick NFL teams into giving him boatloads of money.
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Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko
I mean, who hasn't watched "Remember The Titans" and said, "that little girl is definitely going to marry a Ukranian heavyweight boxing champ?"
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Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky
The most unexpected part of the Dustin-Paulina romance is how quickly it escalated. The pro golfer made sure he didn't waste much time locking up The Great One's daughter, proposing to the model after less than a year of dating. Now they're married with two kids.
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Andre Agassi and Barbra Streisand
Agassi's marriage to Steffi Graf is a real "power couple" headliner because of how dominant they both were on the tennis court, and his prior marriage to Brooke Shields was brief but also noteworthy. But let it not be forgotten that Agassi dated Streisand in the early '90s – an experience he said was "like wearing Hot Lava." My god, the '90s were weird as hell.
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Nomar Garciaparra and Mia Hamm
The former shortstop and former soccer star were both stars in their respective sports and have been married since 2003, but it's easy to forget about their relationship considering how private they've always been. I even had to Google to see if they were still together. (They are, so congrats to them.)
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Dion Phaneuf and Elisha Cuthbert
One of the great benefits of being a (former) star with the Calgary Flames is that you can woo famous actresses from Calgary. Unfortunately for guys not named Dion Phaneuf, there aren't a lot of famous actresses from Calgary.
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Serena Williams and Brett Ratner
I'm not sure how the tennis superstar linked up with the Hollywood director in the early 2000s, but Williams reportedly dumped him after he blew her off to hang out with Diddy. It was probably for the best.
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Derek Jeter and (insert famous woman's name here)
Adriana Lima, Minka Kelly, Jessica Alba, Mariah Carey, Vida Guerra, Jordana Brewster, Jessica Biel, Tyra Banks, Vanessa Minnillo, Hannah Davis -- did we forget anybody? It's not necessarily surprising that Jeter – a beloved superstar athlete in New York – dated any one of these women in particular, but moreso that he dated so many famous women that you could field a baseball team with his star exes.
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Laird Hamilton and Gabrielle Reece
This one falls under the category "Unexpected Only Because It Makes Too Much Sense." It's the perfect union of surf & sand.
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Jrue Holiday and Lauren Cheney
Jrue Holiday only played one season at UCLA before heading to the NBA, but that was long enough to meet his eventual wife, former USWNT midfielder Lauren Cheney. They were both dating other people while in college, but got together afterward and have been married since 2013. Apparently, it all started with Lauren saying Jrue was cuter than Darren Collison, so condolences to Darren Collison.
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Kristi Yamaguchi and Bret Hedican
A love forged on ice is a strong one apparently, as the former Olympic figure skater has been married to the former NHL defenseman for nearly two decades.
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Heather Mitts and A.J. Feeley
There's nothing a quarterback loves more than being matched up with nice mitts, so it makes sense the former USWNT defender and former NFL QB would wind up together. They were married in 2010 and have a couple of kids together.
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Aly Raisman and Colton Underwood
The two-time Olympic gymnast was asked out on Twitter by Underwood, a tight end who has spent some time on NFL practice squads, while at the Rio Games in 2016. She took him up on the offer and they were together for about six months before an amicable split.
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Genie Bouchard and Super Bowl Bet Guy
In an epic display of "shooting your shot," a random Twitter dude asked the Canadian tennis star if he could take her on a date if the Patriots came back to beat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. They did, and she agreed to the date. It's still somewhat unknown if they're actually romantically involved, but they've been hanging out alone together since then, and that's an outcome that's unexpected enough.
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Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
Vince McMahon's daughter began dating one of wrestling's biggest stars while they had a scripted romance during the early 2000s, then it turned into a marriage that has been going strong for a decade and a half. Wrestling may not be real, but love is!
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Greg Norman and Chris Evert
While it's not necessarily shocking that a golf great would link up with a tennis great (think of the country club dates!), this one was particularly unexpected for a few reasons. Both Norman and Evert split with their longtime spouses for each other in 2006 -- and Evert's spouse, former Olympic skier Andy Mill, was Norman's best friend. (Now ex-best friend, for obvious reasons.) Norman and Evert's marriage only lasted 15 months.
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Alex Rodriguez and, well, take your pick
Much like his former teammate Derek Jeter, A-Rod has had a number of high-profile relationships over the years. His current girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, came as a surprise, but he's also been linked to a number of other celebrity women -- including Demi Moore, Kate Hudson, Cameron Diaz, Madonna, and wrestler Torrie Wilson. At this point, you have to expect the unexpected with Rodriguez.
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Charlie Whitehurst and Jewel
Who will save your soul? Clipboard Jesus, apparently. After her divorce from Ty Murray, a nine-time world champion rodeo cowboy, in 2014, Jewel started dating Charlie Whitehurst in the spring of 2015. Their relationship wasn't public until the pair showed up on the sideline for the first national title game showdown between Clemson and Alabama.
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Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian
Who can forget America's Most Hated Couple? The high-profile marriage between the reality show star and the NBA journeyman lasted just 72 days, meaning they didn't even make it to the All-Star break of an NBA season. The public is still convinced they only got married because it made for good reality TV.
Credit: Getty Images
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