Golden Bachelor Mel Owens Unveils No-Nonsense Dating Checklist
Oh, brilliant—another reality star lecturing us on love like he’s dishing out playbook secrets. Here’s Mel Owens, the 66-year-old Golden Bachelor fresh off his Los Angeles Rams glory days, setting casting boundaries that would make NFL coaches nod in approval. The former linebacker-turned-sports attorney dialed producers up with a crystal-clear directive: “Age range 45 to 60—no wig miracles, no artificial hips.” Yes, he actually called the women “cuts,” blaming NFL jargon when a producer winced. I told you so: when athletes bring locker-room lingo to reality TV, chaos ensues.
Mel’s audition criteria isn’t just a random rant. He wants women who can keep pace with his daily workouts—because nothing screams romance like matching reps. According to his chat on the MGoBlue Podcasts With Jon Jansen, Owens bristled at the idea of softening his standards: “This is not The Silver Bachelor,” he barked, “it’s The Golden Bachelor.” Producers apparently begged him to soften the blow for the ladies, but Mel refused. After all, he survived nine seasons dodging tackles; a few sensitive feelings won’t stop him now.
Why is Mel voluntarily starring in this televised matchmaking circus? He claims he thrives on the unknown. Reports from ABC’s press release highlight his career pivot: from NFL star to financial advisor to founding Namanny, Byrne & Owens, a Southern California law firm specializing in sports injuries and workers’ comp. Along the way, he met his first spouse—the mother of his two sons—before shifting focus to fatherhood and coaching neighborhood soccer and baseball teams. Now, with those seasons behind him, he’s ready to rerun love’s first down.
Meanwhile, if you’re keeping score on Bachelor Nation alumni, brace yourself. Grant Ellis handed a final rose to Juliana Pasquarosa last spring, only to announce their split via Instagram less than three months later. Joan Vassos bucked the trend, exchanging engagement vows with Chock Chapple on The Golden Bachelorette’s Bora Bora finale, proclaiming, “I want to wake up next to you,” and apparently meaning it. Then there’s Jenn Tran and Devin Strader, whose post-show romance fizzled faster than a deflated football.
So, what’s next for Mel’s quest? Will a fit, 50-something win that prized Golden Bachelor rose, or will Mel ask producers for an encore of wig and joint disclaimers? Stay tuned, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned covering these escapades, it’s that we can’t have nice things—especially when reality TV players enlist football analogies in matters of the heart. And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have nice things.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News; MGoBlue Podcasts With Jon Jansen; ABC press release
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
