Pro athletes don't do anything halfway. So studly New York Jets safety Bret Lockett wasn't content simply to pose with a strategically placed faux-leather football for his PETA anti-fur campaign. Instead, he decided to play spread offense and turn his ad unveiling into a whole weekend. First, he helped PETA dedicate our Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters to longtime supporter and Hollywood heavyweight Sam Simon. 

Later that evening, Bret hosted an unveiling party at Hampton Roads hotspot the Granby Theater, greeted fans, and talked about why fur should be sidelined. "What really hurt me was when I saw that an animal was still able to move and lift [his] head up after he was completely skinned," he said. "It brought tears to my eyes."

© Charles Long Photography/PETA

And the next night, he went with the PETA gang to laugh aloud as Bill Maher made fun of hunters and other animal abusers in his stand-up performance. All weekend, wherever he went, Bret dined on vegan food, sported PETA T-shirts, and enthusiastically discussed animal rights issues with fans who approached him.

It's easy to see why No. 26 is No. 1 for animals.

At the same time as vegan star running back Arian Foster and the Texans are making my hometown proud on the field (Bayou City, represent!), PETA has announced its 2012 list of the Top Five Vegetarian-Friendly NFL Stadiums.

Football is played with a ball called a "pigskin" (often erroneously), but folks who are fans of both team sports and animals will find a growing variety of cruelty-free foods to enjoy on game day at arenas throughout the NFL. So even if your team is stuck in the basement this year, you can still score a victory for animals way up in the cheap seats by hitting up the concession stand for some vegan goodies!

© Levy Restaurants

Check out the Top Five Vegetarian-Friendly NFL Stadiums:

1. Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Eagles

As the Eagles battle for the top spot in the always-tough NFC East, Philly fans can take pride in the fact that Lincoln Financial Field tops PETA's list of vegetarian-friendly stadiums for the third year in a row, thanks to its awesome array of meat-free options, which include a mock-steak sandwich, a "chicken-steak" sandwich, a seitan brisket, and veggie burgers and dogs.

2. Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots

Pats fans have more mouthwatering vegetarian options than Tom Brady has offensive weapons. Gillette Stadium moved up from number four on PETA's list of vegetarian-friendly stadiums, thanks to its black-bean burger, grilled portobello mushroom burger, and grilled veggie flatbread wrap. Meanwhile, fans continue to devour the stadium's standby favorites—veggie dogs and veggie burgers.

3. O.co Coliseum, Oakland Raiders

Rookie head coach Dennis Allen may be experiencing some growing pains in Oakland, but Raider Nation has cause for celebration: O.co Coliseum made PETA's list of vegetarian-friendly stadiums for the fifth year in a row. With a veggie dog, black-bean burger, and veggie burrito leading the charge, fans of the Silver and Black can turn their health around by enjoying delicious, protein-packed vegetarian meals.

4. Georgia Dome, Atlanta Falcons

Matty Ice is playing like an MVP, but the MVP of the Georgia Dome's concession stands may be the mock-meat Sloppy Jane, made with peppers, onions, molasses, and brown-sugar barbecue sauce. Also available and fresh off the burner (no Michael Turner pun intended) are veggie dogs and veggie burgers, possibly the best duo since Roddy White and Julio Jones. You don't have to pose in a PETA ad as Tony Gonzalez did to enjoy these options.

5. Ford Field, Detroit Lions

The Lions may be dropping in the standings, but Ford Field has climbed in our rankings of the best meat-free fare. Outstanding dishes such as vegan sloppy Joes, hearty veggie burgers, hummus with vegetables, and fruit cups with chili lime salt dominate the concession stands here the same way that Megatron dominates on the field.

Scoring honorable mentions are the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium, the St. Louis Rams' Edward Jones Dome, the San Francisco 49ers' Candlestick Park, and the New York Jets' and New York Giants' MetLife Stadium.

With so many healthy and animal-friendly foods available almost everywhere you go, there's never been a better time to go vegan than right now!

Football season is about to, well, kick off. It's fitting that in a sports league with so many teams named after animals—the Bears, the Eagles, the Dolphins, the Lions, etc.—there are plenty of players who show compassion for our furry, feathered, and finned friends. Here are 11 current and former NFL pros whom the animals are glad to have on their team:

Sedrick Ellis (New Orleans Saints)

New Orleans Saints player Sedrick Ellis lives up to his team's name in his PETA ad encouraging folks in the Big Easy and elsewhere to make plans to take care of animal companions before emergencies happen.

©Photo: Josh Williams Photography. Grooming: Brandie Hopstein

Arian Foster (Houston Texans)

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster makes my hometown proud with his outstanding skills on the field and makes animal advocates cheer for his embrace of healthy and humane vegan foods.

Foster image: AJ Guel Photography| cc by 2.0 

Lance Briggs (Chicago Bears)

Playing in the Windy City, linebacker Lance Briggs knows what cold weather can feel like, which is why dogs don't belong outside in the wintertime, as his PETA ad explains.

©Photo: Jimmy Fishbein www.jimmyfishbein.com

Glenn Dorsey (Kansas City Chiefs)

Also speaking up for cold dogs is Glenn Dorsey, who posed for a PETA ad with his dog Bugsy, of whom he said, "Bugs don't care if we win or lose, he's still gonna love me."

©Photo: Matthew Collins, Makeup: Melissa Blayton

Aaron Curry (Oakland Raiders)

Aaron Curry posed with his rescued dog Laila for a peta2 "Be Your Dog's Biggest Defender" ad urging people not to chain their dogs.

© Photo: Christopher Record, Makeup: Adrian Howe

Willis McGahee (Denver Broncos)

When he played for the Baltimore Ravens, Willis McGahee, now on the Denver Broncos, bucked the cruelty of fur by baring his tats—and much more—for a red-hot PETA "Ink, Not Mink" ad.

© Photo: Ken Penn/www.kenpenn.com, Grooming: Tomara Watkins for Stilista Agency

Terrell Suggs (Baltimore Ravens)

Another Ravens player happy to show his skin to save animals' hides, Terrell Suggs is one of the toughest linebackers in the NFL, but he considers the production of fur "cruel and evil" and will never cross the line by wearing it.

© Photo: Gabrielle Revere/www.gabriellerevere.com, Makeup: Demi V./www.DemiV.com

Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta Falcons)

Tony Gonzalez, a six-time Pro Bowl veteran, also stripped down for PETA, alongside his wife, October, to declare, "We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur!"

© Photo: Robert Sebree, Hair: Eric Sebbag for The Cloutier Agency, Makeup: Camille Clark for The Cloutier Agency

Ricky Williams (retired)

Ricky Williams, a vegetarian, hosted PETA's faux–chicken-wing taste test, crowning Gardein's vegan buffalo wings the winner.

Michael Strahan (retired)

Former NFL star Michael Strahan has a new job as co-host of "Live With Kelly and Michael," but PETA helped keep him occupied making a public service announcement for "backyard dogs."

© StarMaxInc.com

Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, who are both lactose intolerant, teamed up with dairy-free brand So Delicious for a promotion benefiting the couple's charitable foundation—and anything that encourages nondairy living also helps cows used for milk.

Brees photo: Ian Ransley Design | cc by 2.0 

Even if you have no hope of making it to the Super Bowl, you can still be a champion for animals—learn how.

The TV networks have been notably, um, unenthusiastic about running PETA's Super Bowl ads, so this year PETA is planning to take its message directly to the players and fans by placing billboards in the teams' hometowns of New York and Boston as well as Indianapolis, which is hosting the game, making an irreverent plea for people to put down the chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday.

Chickens © iStockphoto.com/Sunnybeach

Why Worry About Wings?

It's estimated that some 600 million chickens are killed for the wings consumed just during the Super Bowl. Yikes! And that's after the abuse they all suffered through on factory farms.

Not only is this wing-eating obsession cruel, it also shows a lack of imagination. After all, there are so many mouth-watering alternatives to the old same-old same-old. For vegan game-day treats that will satisfy the most ravenous sports fan, check out these recipes for fab finger foods that won't cost birds their limbs.

Try Tasty Alternatives!

If your party guests insist on being served wings, try the meatless variety, like Gardein's buffalo "wings"—the choice of the NFL's Ricky Williams—or just roll your own!

If "fantasy football" for you means a stadium where healthy foods are more abundant than foam fingers, check out this year's ranking of the top five most vegetarian-friendly stadiums in the NFL.

1. Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles)
   Defending last year's title, Lincoln Financial claims top honors again with a "dream team" of tasty, healthy vegetarian options for Eagles fans. Their taste buds get some Philadelphia freedom from boring burgers and dogs, with faux-steak and "chicken-steak" sandwiches, a brand-new seitan brisket, veggie dogs, black-bean and garden burgers, and vegetable wraps. In premium dining areas, fans can also choose a grilled vegetable hoagie, fresh roasted vegetables, hummus with pita chips, fruit, or a vegetable platter. 
2. O.co Coliseum (Oakland Raiders)
   With the Raiders showing signs this season of turning things around, it's the perfect time for fans to turn around their health by enjoying low-fat, protein-packed, delicious vegetarian meals. The team already has one "super bowl" this year: the delicious veggie burrito bowl. The stadium also offers the classic veggie burrito, veggie dog, and veggie burger in concessions and a chipotle black-bean burger, grilled portobello sandwich, grilled vegetables, hummus, crudités, and fruit in premium areas.
3. Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers)
   Packers fans might be inspired to do the Aaron Rodgers championship belt touchdown dance after sinking their teeth into a mouthwatering, meat-free bratwurst or veggie burger. They can also stay lean and green with such choices as the grilled vegetable pasta salad, peanutty dan dan noodles, spicy orange chili glass noodles, vegetables with hummus, quinoa, warm black-eyed pea salad, baked potato, and the classic PB&J.  
4. Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots)
   Gillette Stadium has more delicious vegetarian options than the Pats have weapons on offense. This is the stadium's first time on our list, but we're betting that with foods like these, it won't be the last. Choices include a veggie burger and veggie dog, hummus with vegetables, and fruit cups, and in premium areas, a vegetable gyro and a fresh fruit plate.
5. Georgia Dome (Atlanta Falcons)
   Between sampling the delicious vegetarian options and watching Tony Gonzalez climb the all-time receptions list, Georgia Dome is the place to be for animal-friendly football fans. Birds of a feather are flocking to the concessions stands for veggie burgers, veggie dogs, PB&J, vegetables with hummus, salads, and fruit cups. In premium areas, fans can order grilled vegetable pasta salad, peanutty dan dan noodles, spicy orange chili glass noodles, quinoa, warm black-eyed pea salad, or an Eden Organic berry mix.

Scoring honorable mentions are the San Diego Chargers' Qualcomm Stadium, the Seattle Seahawks' CenturyLink Field, the San Francisco 49ers' Candlestick Park, and the Detroit Lions' Ford Field.

Football fans don't have to leave their health to a last-minute Hail Mary. They can start and finish strong with foods that don't cause unnecessary roughness to their bodies or to animals and that taste so good that fans won't care if they get fined for excessive celebration.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

My husband probably thinks that I watch Atlanta Falcons games with him to be supportive of his favorite team, but I'll confess, it's for tight end Tony Gonzalez.

Last Sunday's game was especially cool because toned Tony edged out Cris Carter and Marvin Harrison to become second in career receptions, with 1,104 catches. He now trails only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. But Tony got one reception that Rice never did: a warm reception from compassionate folks everywhere for the naked anti-fur ad that he and his lovely wife, October, starred in.

Tight end indeed. 

Written by Michelle Sherrow

In the wake of news reports that Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett recently acquired a "pet" alligator, whom he named Nino, PETA sent the defensive back a letter giving him a heads up that owning an alligator is unlawful in Arizona without a special permit and is heavily regulated in Florida (where Dockett acquired Nino). We've offered to help Dockett find a suitable permanent habitat for Nino.
 

ljmacphee/cc by 2.0

 
Alligators in the wild roam freely and protect their territories, travel long distances, and thrive in the rivers and lakes that they call home. They never become "tame," and forcing one to live in confinement only makes for a frustrated and unhappy animal. Not only is this unfair to this gator, it is also dangerous for everyone.

We hope Dockett will take us up on our offer, and in the meantime, you can help by spreading the word about the miserable lives led by exotic animals kept as "pets."
 

Written by Jennifer O'Connor

Have you ever wondered what an uncooked McNugget looks like? Or who were the first vegans? How about who an NFL blogger would rather not have on the "skins" team? It's all here in our Friday afternoon helping of Internet Soup.
 

• Can you say "McNausea?"
• A much happier meal: A 12-year-old pianist strikes a high note for chickens.
• Actor and activist Meggan Anderson stars in a video showing what it would be like if humans were the experimental subjects.
• The bacon is bringing itself home in the form of raw sewage.
• A saber-toothed vegetarian would have really mowed through a salad.
• Which man opposed slavery, supported women's rights, and was vegan in the 1830s? 
• A vegetarian makes her meat-laden airplane meal take flight. (Please do not try this at home. Or on a plane.) 
• NFL.com doesn't want certain guys posing nude for PETA. It's OK, fellas, we'll still let you.
   

Written by Michelle Sherrow

clarkmoody/CC by 2.0

Here it is: PETA's third annual list of top vegetarian-friendly NFL stadiums. Football and food fans will rush to try the tasty eats available at these concession stands.

1. Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles)
Flying high at number one is the Eagles' Lincoln Financial Field, where protein-packed mock-steak sandwiches, faux-chicken sandwiches, veggie dogs, and veggie burgers are coming off the grill faster than DeSean Jackson in the open field.

2. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland Raiders)
The only things scarier than a masked Raiders fan are the artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol lurking in meat. Fans of the Silver and Black who want to be around for seasons to come should choose the stadium's delicious vegetarian options, such as veggie burritos, veggie burgers, and (in premium seating areas) meat-free fajitas.

3. Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers)
At Lambeau Field, Packers fans are picking up hearty, meat-free fare—including veggie bratwurst, veggie burgers, and baked potatoes—quicker than Charles Woodson picks off errant passes.

4. Georgia Dome (Atlanta Falcons
Dirty Bird fans can get a clean bill of health if they stick to the stadium's heart-healthy vegetarian options, such as veggie burgers and veggie dogs. Falcons fans who like sweets and are sweet to animals can also enjoy vegan chocolate-chip cupcakes.

5. (Tie) Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs)
Why has Arrowhead long been known as the loudest stadium in football? The crowd has been clamoring for more vegetarian options! Well, they got 'em. PETA recommends the lentil or veggie burgers instead of artery-clogging barbecue as well as the baked potatoes and (in premium areas) pasta with marinara sauce.

5. (Tie) Ford Field (Detroit Lions)
With Ndamukong Suh helping turn the franchise around, the Mu Shu Tofu Wrap at Ford Field is soon to be the Mu Suh Tofu Wrap. Lions fans can also sink their teeth into mouth-watering veggie burgers, fruit cups, and (in premium areas) grilled vegetable pasta salad with grilled zucchini, red onion, and red peppers.

Congrats to all the winners. And now the big question: Who's hungry?

Written by Karin Bennett

I think I'm finally morphing into a football fan. First, I learned about all the excellent veggie fare at football stadiums, and today PETA released an exclusive interview with hunky football tight end Tony Gonzalez, and his gaga-gorgeous wife, October.

After their sexy shoot for a new anti-fur ad for PETA, the couple sat down to talk about the benefits of a plant-based diet. In the interview, Tony calls the cruel treatment of animals on factory farms "appalling" and describes how his health improved dramatically after ditching meat and dairy products two years ago.

On the many benefits of his mainly plant-based diet, Tony says, "I'm going into my 13th year in the NFL, and I switched over [to a plant-based diet] two years ago. … [T]he day after a game, everybody's sore … and I'm jumping rope and they're looking at me like, 'Man you're supposed to be the old guy on the team. You're acting like you're the youngest guy on the team.'"

I may be Tony's newest admirer, but I have no doubt that many of his longtime fans will follow his lead and explore meat-free cuisine.

Written by Karin Bennett