10 Athlete Food Brands

What do barbecue sauce, vineyards, and candy bars have in common? Athletes. That's right, they're things that sports figures and personalities endorse, own, or pitch. And why not? Why should celebrities like Paul Newman or reality TV stars corner food endorsements?

After years of tackling, slugging, or racing at extreme speeds, and putting their bodies on the line, you can't really blame athletes for using their fame and success to sell a few candy bars, or for packing on the pounds by eating ribs drenched in a barbecue sauce they're peddling. Why shouldn't they nurture grapes and make wines they can sip, feet kicked up, admiring their name on the label?

So here's a list of 10 professional athletes, past and present, who have developed food brands. Of course, there are famous ones, like Reggie bars, named for the "Straw That Stirs The Drink," and another baseball legend's chocolate treat namesake, Babe Ruth's Home Run Bar, not to be confused with Baby Ruth bars, named after President Cleveland's daughter.

Like these two candy bars, many have been discontinued though avid collectors have kept them in circulation, so their packages, ads, and wrappers can still be found online. But plenty are sold in stores today, like Fred Smoot's energy bar, and a few like Peggy Fleming's wines and Andre Reed's barbecue sauce even donate a part of their profits to local charities.

Click here for 10 Athlete Food Brands Slideshow.