Sports Hollywood - Ten Questions with Kristen Strawbridge

10 Questions with Kristen Strawbridge

Wanna know why the Bulls lost 60 games last season? They were staring at their cheerleaders during game! Just look at "Luvabull" Kristen Strawbridge.

Kristen grew up in Mississippi, where she followed the Atlanta Braves ("the only team in the south"). She then traveled to Indiana University, and helped put herself through school with money from beauty pageant titles.

At Indiana, Kristen started the "GO IU Girls" cheerleading squad and appeared at all of Bobby Knight's basketball games. Notice that Bobby wasn't throwing any chairs during those last couple of years? He was busy staring at Kristen, too.

In 2000, Kristen tried out for the "Luvabull" cheerleaders of the Chicago Bulls. All those dance and baton twirling lessons during her childhood paid off, and she made the squad.

KRISTEN REPORTS FROM
THE FINAL FOUR!

There was only one downside to being a Chicago Bulls cheerleader -- you had to watch the Bulls. But Kristen kept herself busy with dancing, kicking and yelling while the Bulls kept themselves busy with falling, missing shots and yelling on the court. Sadly, as the season wore on, Kristen got a lot more applause than the Bulls did. (And why not? She can jump higher than most of them.)

Kristen's next big career move was acting. She did a lot of work out of Chicago, and then she ran into old Mississippi friend Lance Bass (of *NSYNC), who was shooting his new film On the Line in Chicago. She spent a couple of days working with the film's stars, Lance Bass and Joey Fatone (also of *NSYNC), and decided it was time for a career -- and geographical -- change. After that, she packed her bags and moved to California, where she has already landed parts in three films!

TEN QUESTIONS

SportsHollywood: What was it like working Lance and Joey from *NSYNC?

STRAWBRIDGE: They are great guys! Not only talented, but nice and fun as well. Lance is from Mississippi, too, and I met up with him and some mutual friends after Easter lunch at Monk's Pub. Then Lance invited us to jump into the train deck scenes of his film! I just tried to be a good Chicago host to everyone that week. I did enjoy hanging out on the set, and it definitely confirmed in my mind that moving to LA was necessary. I did a lot of acting in Chicago as well, and it was a great place to start.

SportsHollywood: Favorite sports movie?

STRAWBRIDGE: I have many favorites, but of course my favorite is "Hoosiers"! I once watched it 14 times in a month because during the month of March, the IU movie channel shows it basically on repeat.

SportsHollywood: Favorite sports team: the Bulls?

STRAWBRIDGE: Very funny. I grew up loving the Braves. At a Braves-Marlins game in Miami in 1998, Tom Glavine gave me the baseball he was warming up with before the game. It was a perfect day! The jersey is one of my good luck charms that I wear during Braves games. I'll be wearing it a lot this month since we are winning it all this year!

SportsHollywood: Are there a lot of professional baton twirlers in Mississippi?

STRAWBRIDGE: Interesting question...I never claimed to be a "normal" person! My mom and I spent many hours in the car driving to lessons, competitions, fittings, etc. My school didn't have a marching band, so by age 10, I filled the void and performed at all sorts of functions in the delta. During halftime of the high school football games, I would perform my signature routine to Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible!"

SportsHollywood: Who is your favorite athlete?

STRAWBRIDGE: It is impossible to choose one, so how about a top five? This week's top five: Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, and John Paxson.

SportsHollywood: The Chicago Bulls have won six championships in the last eleven years -- which championship team were you cheerleading for?

STRAWBRIDGE: I had the privilege of cheering on the Bulls during their worst season in history. We savored every win though....just like a playoff victory!

SportsHollywood: Ever date a Bull?

STRAWBRIDGE: Under our contract, we were not allowed to date any of the Bulls players....but who said anything about the other teams?

SportsHollywood: When you were at Indiana - ever have to dodge a chair?

STRAWBRIDGE: Come on, that happened over 14 years ago! I graduated without any chair incidents.

SportsHollywood: Tell us a juicy Bobby Knight story.

STRAWBRIDGE: I don't think it is in my best interest to divulge any Coach Knight gossip...wouldn't want to be on the General's bad side!

SportsHollywood: What's your most famous pageant title?

STRAWBRIDGE: Famous or funny? For some reason, I won a lot of titles associated with animals. Being the 1996 World Catfish Queen was quite an experience!

Interview by Rodney Lee Conover and Jeff Hause

Kristin Strawbridge Film: On the Line; Puddle Jumper, Bachelorman Cheerleading: "GO IU Girls": LovaBulls" MISC: Can kickbox and twirl a baton, was run over by Lance Bass in on the Line... ... And, of course, "1996 World Catfish Queen!"

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