Archive for August 18th, 2009

18
Aug
09

Soccer Players Have to Turn to Amway to Pay the Bills

joannalohman.ashxWe’re all well-versed in the inequities between men’s and women’s sports, here’s another fun example. In the European soccer leagues men get transferred for many millions of Euros, just this past June Brazilian superstar Kaka and his silly moniker were transferred for €57.5 million. In the US, the struggling Women’s Professional Soccer League has seen several of her players, including some of the biggest names, such as fellow Brazilian Marta Vieira da Silva turning to Amway to supplement their incomes.

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Three Washington (DC) Freedom players have also signed up with the household products company thanks to their pittance-like salaries of $25,000 – $40,000. Considering Amway likes to promise 6-figure salaries to dedicated and successful sellers, that’s quite the upgrade. The Freedom players are also hopeful they can solicit their teammates to sign up too.

It’s a sad state of affairs for professional athletes when you’re working full-time as a commercial real estate broker, as Freedom midfielder Joanna Lohman (left)does, plus her “part-time” gig, playing for the Freedom which takes 3-5 hours a day, 6 days a week and you aren’t able to make ends meet.

18
Aug
09

Kind of an Expensive Mistake

paddypowerPaddy Power is a British bookie with a reputation for paying out to his winning bets early. This past weekend, after only 36 holes at this past weekend’s PGA Championships, the bookie paid out nearly $2 million to those who bet on Tiger Woods to win the tournament. At the time, Tiger Woods was leading the championships by 4 strokes and was at 1:5 odds. Of course, Tiger didn’t end up taking home the trophy, being bested by Yang Yong-eun of South Korea.

“It takes a special kind of dimwit to turn what should have been our best ever golf result into our worst,” Paddy Power said in a understated statement.

The only thing that prevented Paddy Power from losing even more millions of pounds was the extreme long-odds of Yang turning in the winning round, he was a 150-1 shot before the tournament and at 16-1 before the last day of play.

Talk about premature ejaculation…Paddy’s girlfriend is probably a very unsatisfied lady.

[Daily Star]

18
Aug
09

How to Build a Championship Baseball Team

zambranoI would happily be willing to be paid $20 million a year. I would be even more overjoyed to receive such a salary for playing baseball. While I might be a dallier, for that kind of money, I’d be pretty willing to make sure I’m staying in shape and taking care of myself. Clearly, Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano and I disagree.

On the DL for the last fortnight for back spasms, Zambrano told reporters yesterday that the biggest hurdle to his return is himself.

“My problem is I’ve been lazy,” Zambrano said. “There are things in life that you don’t like but you have to do. I don’t like to do abs, but I will have to start doing my abs every day and be serious about my abs.”

Then again, this is also the same player who once went on the DL with shoulder soreness from using his laptop too much…

Can you believe the Cubs haven’t won a World Series in 100 years. Personally, I’m shocked.

[ESPN]

18
Aug
09

Louisana School’s New Nazi Mascot Not a Crowd-Pleaser

lp1m16d7Sometimes referred to as the “Our Harvard on the Bayou,” Nicholls State university is located deep in cajun country in Thibadoux, Louisana. It is there that the famed Nicholls State Colonels achieve athletic success; although it is not all easy going for the Colonels. Named after a confederate military man, in 2004 the school’s president announced that “The Colonel is and will remain the mascot designation for Nicholls State University and its intercollegiate athletics program.” That may be true, but he was also anxious to change the mascot’s design from the antiquated racist version that roamed the sidelines (right). Despite the student body and alumnae campaigns to retain the older version, the school’s president retired the old colonel. Additionally, a short-lived effort via student contest to change the mascot to the nutria also failed.

After 5 years, the school has finally come up with a new version. Finally, at long last the community can put behind it this long era of racist mascots. Or at least that was the idea…

It didn’t quite work out that way.

Instead, the school’s new mascot design has sparked controversy and anger from students and alumnae alike. I don’t see what the big deal is, the old southern prospector-type mascot was removed! Although, in its place was a new design that made the colonel look like a Nazi instead. I guess that’s improvement? I mean, at least they’re moving ahead a century right?

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Oops!

“It looked like a Nazi soldier — a very angry Nazi soldier,” said Nicholls alumna Hollie Garrison after seeing the new iteration online. “My jaw dropped. I was speechless. I kind of thought it was a joke.”

“I was appalled,” said [2009 NSU graduate Matthew] Marant, 23. “The new image seems evil, faceless and inhuman.”

What an innovative and creative way to intimidate their opponents, clearly the Civil War wasn’t drawing a proper amount of fear from modern-day athletes. After all, when has a Nazi EVER been a bad idea?

The school has subsequently pulled the image off their website and are reportedly headed back to the drawing board. Of course, the next one will probably come out looking like Idi Amin or Pol Pot…

[Yahoo]




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