I got a press release this morning about The War on Drugs – a solid indie rock band outa Philly – doing a segment on ESPN today. 2 p.m. CST on Sportsnation, if you’re interested. That’s cool, I told myself, as sports and music account for about 70 percent of the synapses my brain fires on a daily basis. It also got me thinking – what other rock ‘n’ rollers are avowed sports nuts?

Lil Wayne -
Weezy has done guest stints on various ESPN shows, including several with the impossibly white Skip Bayless. Wayne, a New Orleans native, has a puzzling grab-bag of favorite teams. Among them: the Green Bay Packers, the Boston Bruins, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Red Sox. He’s also big on tennis, apparently. He scored an infinite amount of points in my book when he released “Black & Yellow” prior to last season’s Green Bay/Pittsburgh Super Bowl. The song hijacks Whiz Khalifa’s ubiquitous “Black & Yellow” beat and flips it into a pro-Packer dis track. Did it help my Packers win the big game? Hard to say, but it certainly got me pumped (as evidenced by the 40-plus consecutive plays the day it dropped).

Craig Finn -
I’ll beat you to it: “Jay, Craig Finn isn’t a rockstar and the Hold Steady sucks.” Alright, I’m using the term “rockstar” lightly and the Hold Steady frontman’s last LP was abysmal – happy? Moving on, Finn is a die-hard Minnesota Twins fans. He chatted with ESPN about his Twinkie fandom a couple years; like ‘em or lump ‘em, the dude’s as knowledgeable and passionate as it gets. So much so that he’s even released two Twins-centric songs. Here’s a strong take on “Take Me Out to the Ballgame;” here’s the semi-regrettable homage “Don’t Call Them Twinkies.” The latter cut isn’t great, but it’s certainly better than GB Leighton’s laughable follow-up.

Stephen Malkmus -
The Pavement frontman is a certifiable indie rock deity. But as Chuck Klosterman discovered last year, he’s also a sports fanatic. “I cannot exaggerate the degree to which Malkmus enjoys fantasy sports” Klosterman writes. “He almost seems to like them more than music.” How neat as that? Mr. “Cut Your Hair” doesn’t even watch the NHL, but still participates in fantasy hockey! “My wife gets pissed when I’m on the waiver wire or live scoring on the computer when I’m cooking dinner,” Malkmus told Rotoworld in 2009. “But it’s better than internet porn, right??? – especially during dinner!” Yes it is Stephen, you glorious bastard.

Jay-Z -
Hova’s part-owner of the New Jersey Nets, a multi-million dollar commitment to his fandom. All’s not milk and honey in the world of sports ownership though, as the location that received LeBron’s talents reportedly angered Jay-Z. He’s also a notorious Yankees fans.

The Black Keys -
Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney of the Black Keys were vocal during LeBron’s self-adulatory “Decision.” The Akron natives didn’t feel ill will towards ‘Bron’s choice of Miami; lifelong Cleveland sports fans, they’re used to getting burned. Carney’s ex-wife calls Auerbach a dumb jock in her painfully revealing Salon piece from last year. So … there’s that.

Eddie Vedder -
Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder was famously tanked when he sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at Wrigley:

Turns out his commitment to Chicago sports runs deeper than embarrassing himself at baseball games, as Vedder’s an intense backer of the Cubs, Bears and Bulls. He’s pals with former Bull Dennis Rodman, former Blackhawk Chris Chelios and former Cubs pitchers Kerry Wood and Jack McDowell. As much as I don’t care for Pearl Jam, I have to admit a 1993 arrest in which Vedder and McDowell were implicated in a bar room brawl is pretty awesome. He’s a busy performer of national anthems at Chicago sporting events and often performs wearing a Sweetness jersey in concert. Alright, Eddie, you win some serious points for all that.

Snoop Dogg -
Snoop’s a big-time USC fan, with his celebrity even affording him practice time with the team in 2004. Having coached his son’s Pop Warner football team for years, he’s also Coach Dogg.

Arcade Fire -
The Grammy-winning group’s leader, Win Butler, grew up worshiping the mid-nineties Houston Rockets, his hometown team. He’s also huge on pickup basketball, a goofy/charming fact that yields goofy/charming photos like this one:

Alice Cooper - The shock-rock legend is “addicted” to golf – who knew? He’s also a Phoenix Suns fan.

Darius Rucker -
Mr. Hootie is a Dolphins fan, going as far as tattooing the hapless franchise’s logo on his leg. His beloved ‘Phins finished 7-9 last year, an unsavory season that surely prompted Rucker to cry. Nice/clumsy “Only Wanna Be With You” reference, Boller. Boom:

- by Jay Boller