Mark Sanchez to Plan Broadway 'Date Night' With Teammates

Consider this a win for all those beefcake Broadway fans out there. New York Jets' star quarterback Mark Sanchez attended the 64th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday night. One may think that it was an attempt to see-and-be-seen, but Sanchez arrived at Radio City Music Hall with a rooting interest, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The quarterback has seen "Billy Elliot," "In the Heights" and "Memphis" multiple times. "Memphis," a 1950s interracial love story, is one of this year's best musical nominees. He's rooting for it to win, says his brother.

Well, what do you know! "Memphis" ended up taking home the award for "Best Musical." Thus, giving Lakers fans a reason to be optimistic.

Sanchez is also said to know all the words to the musical "In the Heights," the 2008 winner of the award for "Best Musical." If one were a pretentious theater-goer one could say that he is a lover of the critically acclaimed musicals with a soulful lean. However, I for one am not a theater-goer, so I refuse to categorize Sanchez. In fact, my experience at the theater started and stopped with my work as an understudy for an 8th grade production of "The Mikado."

As Sanchez's brother will tell you, it's rare to place a football star -- or any professional athlete, for that matter -- in the category of Broadway aficionado. But Sanchez is ready to be the torchbearer. In fact, for his next Broadway excursion he plans to involve a few of his teammates.