NFL Players Invited to White House for Iftar Dinner
NFL Players Invited to White House for Iftar Dinner
Two of the nicest guys in the world, Minnesota Vikings safety Husain Abdullah and his brother Arizona Cardinals safety Hamza, attended the annual ‘iftar’ dinner last night at the White House to celebrate Ramadan, a holy month in the Muslim calendar.
- Iftar is the meal that Muslims eat at sundown, when they break their daylong fast during Ramadan. President Obama has hosted an annual ceremonial iftar celebration each year since he took office, inviting members of Congress and his administration to dine with members of the Muslim community and ambassadors from predominantly Muslim nations.
Like all Muslims, Abdullah fasts — no food or water — from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, which this year runs from August 1-29. Over the course of his career, Abdullah has worked with Vikings trainers to develop a dietary plan to keep him fueled for the often grueling training camp schedule.
“I’ll hydrate, (and at) 2 a.m. get a protein shake, kind of a meal-replacement thing, and I’ll eat some food if I’ve got it,” Abdullah said. “Then just have dinner and breakfast. … It takes some mental toughness. I’m starting to get used to it. I’ve been doing it since I was 7 — I’m 26 now. It’s not overly difficult. (Source)
For a full transcript of Obama’s dinner speech and complete guest list, go HERE.
The Abdullah Brothers on Facebook.
As always, thanks for reading~
delinda@athlebrities.com
US Soldiers & The Beautiful Game In Iraq
US Soldiers & The Beautiful Game In Iraq
There are no famous names in this post…no celebrities or smoking hot athletes like Melo, Rafa or our kitten to swoon over…but there are a few heroes and an amazing example of why we call soccer the ‘beautiful’ game.
US soldiers, paratroopers, and platoon sergeants took part in a humanitarian mission in eastern Baghdad, where they- along with civil affairs soldiers- handed out soccer equipment in support of FC Unity, a London-based organization working with Coalition and Iraqi officials in eastern Baghdad to provide the citizens of Iraq a platform for development and education through a series of soccer programs…
And enhancing the mission-US-Iraqi military teams were pitted against different local Iraqi soccer clubs all based in the eastern districts of Baghdad to play a few friendly matches…
God knows our boys need a break. After three US soldiers were killed yesterday in a road-side bomb, I can only hope the beautiful game gave our boys some much needed respite from the larger battle which they are part of.
So this holiday weekend, take a time-out and think about the meaning of Memorial Day. Raise your glass and toast those who have been killed in the line of duty…toast to those who are STILL there…and toast to the fact we have a global sport that can touch so many lives even in the time of war. While I may not support the war, I do support our troops and admire their sacrifice.
Have a safe and happy holiday weekend kids…lets bring our troops home soon.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com