hey i've been lurking for a loooong time, but finally registered! but i found this article interesting, and thought i'd share it!

'The Bachelor' longs for more passes

By Gene Frenette
Morris News Service

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jesse Palmer was sitting on the patio of a Ponte Vedra Beach oceanside hotel room Monday, reflecting on how much his life has changed in recent months.

"It's exciting. You don't often get a chance to make a second first impression," said the New York Giants quarterback.

Here's the kicker: Palmer wasn't talking about his newfound fame as beau du jour on the ABC reality show, "The Bachelor," where TV viewers have seen a group of 25 women vying for his affection whittled down to four. He was referring to trying to earn pointers with his new boss, Tom Coughlin, the former Jaguars coach who begins his first minicamp this week with the Giants.

But until the remaining three episodes of Palmer's romantic soap opera are aired, the 25-year-old Canadian knows his fans who never watched him play football have no grip on reality.

People get confused about the game that really matters. It's not whether Jessica B., Tara, Mandy Jaye or the villainess Trish wins his final approval. It's about the former Florida quarterback trying to keep his backup job with the Giants.

Palmer stands on shaky ground. The franchise just traded for top draft pick Eli Manning, signed Kentucky standout Jared Lorenzen and is expected to sign another veteran, possibly luring Neil O'Donnell out of retirement.

Don't get the wrong idea. Palmer wants to find a lifetime partner. It's just not as important as continuing to collect an NFL paycheck for the next decade.

"Ideally, ('The Bachelor') is a footnote somewhere along the way," said Palmer, who took part in the Tom Coughlin/Jay Fund Celebrity Classic, an auction/golf tournament that benefits cancer-stricken children. "I'd much rather be remembered for this game that I've been playing since I was 7 years old than a TV show that I did for two months. Football is my passion."

But in agreeing to make a different kind of pass on national television, Palmer has attracted a new audience. They care most about which girl he picks, not the four picks he threw last December against the Carolina Panthers — the last of three losing starts while replacing the sidelined Kerry Collins.

"(Palmer) is a young guy cast into a difficult situation," Coughlin said. "His performance was spotty — good plays, bad plays. Just like the Giants football team last year."

General Manager Ernie Accorsi has been publicly critical of Palmer's decision to appear on the show, even though taping ended on March 8 and never interfered with the team's offseason program. Palmer looks upon "The Bachelor" experience the same way as last summer's vacation through Europe.

"Those are great things to have later in life," said Palmer. "You don't want to look back and say, 'I wish I would have done this.' 'The Bachelor' is a fantasy in the sense that you go on television, meet 25 women for the first time, one who may be, after four or five dates, your soul mate. Maybe. Maybe is the fantasy. Maybe I do have a small romantic side that kind of buys into that.

"My parents, when they were 24 years old, eloped after only dating for five months. Twenty-seven years later, they're still together. We have a big family that's all very close. I want that. The chances of that happening (on 'The Bachelor') are really slim. But there's no telling when or where you fall in love."

Jesse Palmer is seeking a long-term relationship. He'd just rather secure his future with some NFL team, then worry about finding the right woman.

I found this article at http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/050504/SPT_palmer.shtml

I actually do really like Jesse. But some of these comments do not make his intentions seem so great... i don't know if the writer just put his comments in this context but it almost sounds like he doesnt really want to be there