The Dynamo Dating Game
The Dynamo's Jamaican beat: Long Lovel Palmer excels at goals from a distance &sister confidence
Getting up close and personal with your favorite Houston Dynamo player is no impossible task.
Especially if you go to Drink Houston on Saturday for Cruz'in for A Cure, a fundraiser and party organized by Dynamo defender Danny Cruz to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).
Cruz and the Dynamo set a goal of raising $30,000 for LLS and this night will be a major part of that push. The centerpiece of the campaign? A bachelor auction of 11 Dynamo hotties.
Who should you bid on? Let CultureMap's dating personality quiz be your guide.
Jamaican midfielder Lovel Palmer must have some athletic genes — not only is his sister Olympic sprinter Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Palmer didn't even play soccer until he was a teenager, preferring cricket in his youth. Since transferring from Jamaica, he's shaken up the Dynamo lineup with his strength and speed. He took time to answer all the crucial questions for CultureMap in anticipation of being auctioned off for a date.
Stats:
26 years old from St. Elizabeth, Jamaica
Zodiac sign:
Virgo
Give us your idea of a perfect first date:
"Honestly, I don't know. I never really date a lot, but I'll come up with something."
What's the craziest thing you've ever done to impress a woman?
"My sister is a professional athlete, she runs track for Jamaica, she's an Olympian. So I would go a to a girl and say, 'Hey, my sister Brigitte Foster, she's an Olympian medalist ... basically just try to use my sis."
Do you believe in love at first sight?
"Yes, I do."
What's your favorite date movie?
"I like chick flicks. I'm definitely into them. I like to know what the girls are thinking."
If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
"A poodle. Girls love dogs.
If you were playing a game on a date, would you let your date win?
"I would definitely try to win, but it depends."
On what occasions do you dance, and are you any good at it?
"No, I'm not a good dancer, but I would try regardless."
Who is your celebrity crush:
"Angelina Jolie."
Do you open doors for women?
"Yes, I do."
Give us your best pick-up line:
"Seeing you is like Visine for dry eyes."
Do you have a nickname? If so, what's the story behind it?
"Well, my name is Lovel Palmer and my pop's name is Lovel Palmer, so they would call me Junior."
What's your most annoying habit?
"I like my alone time."
What's your biggest pet peeve?
"Keeping the place messy, like if my roommates put the dishes in the sink without washing them."
Sarah's appraisal: $3,700
He may be a shy guy, but his love of chick flicks and Jamaican accent make Palmer a winner.
Caroline's appraisal: $3,500
Love the accent. Love chick flicks. Love poodles. He may come off soft-spoken, but this guy had the guts to walk up to an Olympian (his sister's competitors) and try to score her digits. That's the total package, if you ask me.
Longtime sportswriter Chris Baldwin's appraisal:$4,600
Palmer scores spectacular goals — the type that get shown in endless replays. He often does it from distance and few players in the MLS match his skill on the long ball. Plus, he's part of a Jamaican influx that's changing the way players from his country are thought of in soccer.
How could you not be entertained at dinner with Lovel? You'll get stories that you'll be telling for months.
First instinct makes one lean toward deducting some cash for Palmer using his much-more-famous sister to try and score dates. But if you really think about it, it shows that he's comfortable with who he is and not obsessed with being overshadowed by big sis. Retired NBA star Reggie Miller should be taking notes from this twentysomething.