StargateGirl
06-24-04, 08:17 AM
http://www.cincypost.com/2004/06/24/nick062404.html
<span style="font-family:Optima">T-shirts, ice cream help keep ties with Cincinnati
By Rick Bird
Post staff reporter
"Oohhh, Nick and those Bearcats, I'll tell ya," Jessica Simpson says with knowing exasperation in her voice about her husband's first love in sports.
On the debut of the second half of the second season of "The Newlyweds" last week viewers got to see diehard fan Nick Lachey, dressed in his University of Cincinnati Bearcat garb, slip into a funk as the team was eliminated from the NCAA basketball tourney.
Of course, Jessica was doing just fine in the pool having picked Sweet 16-bound Xavier.
"I didn't even know what Xavier was. I just thought it was a cool name," she said this week about her pick (still pronouncing the school "Eggs-avier" as she did on the show).
There have been several Cincinnati moments on the series as Nick, raised in College Hill and a grad of the School for Creative and Performing Arts, often is seen wearing UC T-shirts. There was an episode where the couple visited town at Christmas.
When asked what she likes best about Cincinnati, Simpson doesn't miss a beat.
"We are always at a Graeter's ice cream joint. We get it sent to our home (in California). Double chocolate chip. I hear they have Oreo, I want to try that." (Better known as cookies and cream).
Lachey, who headed to Los Angeles looking for a recording contract in the early '90s would form 98 Degrees with brother Drew, SCPA cl[arse]mate Justin Jeffre and Miami University cl[arse]mate Jeff Timmons.
Simpson opened for the boy band on one of her early tours. By 2000, Nick and Jessica would become pop music's hottest couple with good girl Jessica at one point getting headlines for proudly proclaiming her commitment to virginity before marriage.
The two got hitched in September of 2002. The MTV hit suddenly made the couple A-list celebrities.
While Simpson's music career has taken off with the help of the show, Lachey has had less success since 98 Degrees disbanded after releasing four platinum-selling albums.
His pop ballad release last fall "SoulO" had terrible reviews and surprisingly poor sales, especially in light of it being released when the TV show was so hot.
"At first Nick was disappointed, but now he realizes it was not the album he wanted everyone to hear in the first place," Simpson said, explaining that Lachey is now out of a contract with Universal and looking for a fresh start.
"Record companies are knocking down the door to get him because his voice is so phenomenal," she said. "This time around he's going to have full control and make the album he's always wanted to make. It's going to be more soul, more R&B."
Lachey has shown he can belt out a solid rock and soul song with the best of them, most recently teaming with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds on "For Once in my Life" in one of the more inspired musical moments of the "Nick and Jessica Variety Show" that aired on ABC earlier this year.
Lachey is not an official part of his wife's tour, although he did surprise her by coming on stage last week at her New York City concert.
Simpson wouldn't promise a similar episode at her Riverbend show.
"Nick will be in Cincinnati with me. I don't know if he will grace the stage. He scared me at Radio City Music Hall since my show was over and I was saying goodbye. It was the finale and he just came and ran on stage, threw me on his shoulder and ran off. The people went crazy."
Publication Date: 06-24-2004</span>
<span style="font-family:Optima">T-shirts, ice cream help keep ties with Cincinnati
By Rick Bird
Post staff reporter
"Oohhh, Nick and those Bearcats, I'll tell ya," Jessica Simpson says with knowing exasperation in her voice about her husband's first love in sports.
On the debut of the second half of the second season of "The Newlyweds" last week viewers got to see diehard fan Nick Lachey, dressed in his University of Cincinnati Bearcat garb, slip into a funk as the team was eliminated from the NCAA basketball tourney.
Of course, Jessica was doing just fine in the pool having picked Sweet 16-bound Xavier.
"I didn't even know what Xavier was. I just thought it was a cool name," she said this week about her pick (still pronouncing the school "Eggs-avier" as she did on the show).
There have been several Cincinnati moments on the series as Nick, raised in College Hill and a grad of the School for Creative and Performing Arts, often is seen wearing UC T-shirts. There was an episode where the couple visited town at Christmas.
When asked what she likes best about Cincinnati, Simpson doesn't miss a beat.
"We are always at a Graeter's ice cream joint. We get it sent to our home (in California). Double chocolate chip. I hear they have Oreo, I want to try that." (Better known as cookies and cream).
Lachey, who headed to Los Angeles looking for a recording contract in the early '90s would form 98 Degrees with brother Drew, SCPA cl[arse]mate Justin Jeffre and Miami University cl[arse]mate Jeff Timmons.
Simpson opened for the boy band on one of her early tours. By 2000, Nick and Jessica would become pop music's hottest couple with good girl Jessica at one point getting headlines for proudly proclaiming her commitment to virginity before marriage.
The two got hitched in September of 2002. The MTV hit suddenly made the couple A-list celebrities.
While Simpson's music career has taken off with the help of the show, Lachey has had less success since 98 Degrees disbanded after releasing four platinum-selling albums.
His pop ballad release last fall "SoulO" had terrible reviews and surprisingly poor sales, especially in light of it being released when the TV show was so hot.
"At first Nick was disappointed, but now he realizes it was not the album he wanted everyone to hear in the first place," Simpson said, explaining that Lachey is now out of a contract with Universal and looking for a fresh start.
"Record companies are knocking down the door to get him because his voice is so phenomenal," she said. "This time around he's going to have full control and make the album he's always wanted to make. It's going to be more soul, more R&B."
Lachey has shown he can belt out a solid rock and soul song with the best of them, most recently teaming with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds on "For Once in my Life" in one of the more inspired musical moments of the "Nick and Jessica Variety Show" that aired on ABC earlier this year.
Lachey is not an official part of his wife's tour, although he did surprise her by coming on stage last week at her New York City concert.
Simpson wouldn't promise a similar episode at her Riverbend show.
"Nick will be in Cincinnati with me. I don't know if he will grace the stage. He scared me at Radio City Music Hall since my show was over and I was saying goodbye. It was the finale and he just came and ran on stage, threw me on his shoulder and ran off. The people went crazy."
Publication Date: 06-24-2004</span>