If the name Dan Orlovsky rings a bell, you probably know him for two things. He’s the quarterback who infamously ran out of the back of the end zone in 2008 as a member of the Detroit Lions. The move is considered such a bone-headed move that when Cody Kessler did the same thing in 2016, pundits wrote that Kessler pulled a Dan Orlovsky. The name also might ring a bell because of his takes as an NFL analyst on ESPN.
It turns out that there’s now a third reason why the name rings a bell. Earlier this week, Orlovsky said he’s completely against men getting pedicures. The subject came up after football fans learned that Florida Gators football coach John Sumrall, a no-nonsense tough guy, loves getting pedicures. Orlovsky appeared on Mike Greenberg’s Get Up show and made his feelings known.
“I have never gotten a pedicure,” said Orlovsky with right hand up as if he swore on his life he’s never taken part in one of life’s greatest pleasures. “I never will. I am completely against pedicures for dudes. [If] you’re a dude, you’re not supposed to get pedicures.”
Greenberg pushed, asking why, but Orlovsky could only say that he’s “so against it.”
“You should not be getting pedicures,” Orlovsky added, prompting Duke legend Jay Williams and basketball analyst Monica McNutt to shake their heads in disgust. Williams teased Orlovsky that he must have awful feet, and Orlovsky agreed.
“I’d rather have awful feet than get pedicures,” Orlovsky doubled down.
To be fair, the clip I saw of Orlovsky’s take is what I found clipped on social media. It’s possible that Orlovsky later offered a more in-depth explanation, but I haven’t seen one. And I likely won’t. It’s unfathomable to me how a once-pro athlete can say with a straight face that taking care of your feet is somehow an abomination.
And, to be fair, I didn’t get my first pedicure until I was in my mid-30s. I grew up in an environment where men didn’t get pedicures. I also grew up with an extremely religious background, where men embraced their tough exteriors, literally and figuratively, and the idea of self-care meant resigning to all semblance of masculinity.
Enter Kobe Bryant.
How Kobe Bryant convinced me to get my first manicure
I was a young reporter at The Orange County Register helping cover the Lakers the season they traded for Pau Gasol. In my short time around, I knew right away the importance of self-care from the late Kobe Bryant, who was no stranger to soaking his feet in a whirlpool before games, among other routines now adopted by many of today’s NBA stars. I was in my early 20s at the time, and still nearly a decade away from getting my first pedicure.
But the seed was planted. Then I met a woman I was dating at the time who told me verbatim, “If a pedicure is good enough for Kobe, it’s good enough for you.”
I had no comeback and gave in.
The idea of wearing sandals puzzled me because my feet were always a wreck.
Flaky, peeling skin on the heel.
Pointy toenails.
Calloused feet on this flat-footed writer.
Now, it’s a monthly ritual. The routine has recently pushed me to buy a pair of BIRKENSTOCKs and rock them nine out of 10 times when I’m not required to wear long pants.
But my experience shouldn’t convince someone like Orlovsky. Take the advice from the countless pro athletes who get pedicures: Kobe, Shaq, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade, to name a few NBA legends.
I don’t do the gym these days. Boxing is my workout. Five days a week you’ll find me in a boxing gym here in Mexico City, where the training is the toughest I’ve ever encountered, compounded by the high elevation. But what I’ve learned is that pedicures have helped my footwork. I can pivot without feeling pain at the bottom of my foot, thanks to pedicures that tame the thick, hard patches of skin.
Hell, even the legendary Evander Holyfield gets pedicures. He knows the importance of footwork, which, yes, includes taking care of your feet.
Hear that, Dan?
