I haven’t posted in DAYS, since I started this blog in March of 08 I haven’t taken as many days off as I just did. I apologize. I will say though that it has rejuvenated me and was well-needed. So get ready for a (hopefully) barrage of awesomeness coming at you today and every day hereafter until my death.
Buckle up.
Featuring a super-muscular body, South African teenager Caster Semenya is the favorite to win the gold in the 800 meter race at the World Athletics Championships tomorrow. However, she’s also having to fight against the IAAF, the world racing authorities who made her take a gender test 3 weeks ago and are awaiting the results.
Molatelo Malehopo, general manager of Athletics South Africa, disputes the accusations: “She is a female. We are completely sure about that and we wouldn’t have entered her into the female competition if we had any doubts. We have not been absent-minded, we are very sure of her gender. We are aware of the claims that have been made but our aim at the moment is to prepare Caster for the race this evening.”
I am most shocked by the fact that a gender test takes longer than 3 weeks. Can’t the racing officals just sneak a peek the next time she showers?
Michael Seme, one of her coaches told South Africa’s News24 website: “We understand that people will ask questions because she looks like a man. It’s a natural reaction and it’s only human to be curious. People probably have the right to ask such questions if they are in doubt. ‘But I can give you the telephone numbers of her room-mates in Berlin. They have already seen she has nothing to hide.”
Sounds like she and the roommates have been having some FUN!
We’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.
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.
Paddy 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.
I 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]
Sometimes 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?
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]
Germain Arena, in Estero, Florida was home to a teeming crowd of 100 people who turned out this past Saturday to see Terry “Hulk Hogan,” Bollea talk about a subject he knows all too well, the high cost of property taxes.
“Times are tough, man – for me, too,” he said. “It’s been a tough couple of years for me, and now I’m dog-paddling back on my feet.”
Through his divorce which was finalized in late July, Hogan became acquainted with the issue.
“I had no idea how bad it was,” he said. “I have no home right now, but I’m going to buy another one when I get back on my feet. That’s what this event is all about. Putting a little money back into people’s pockets.”
At no point did Hulk tear off his shirt and rip it into shreds.
Appearing as a spokesman for a http://www.GuaranteedLowerPropertyTax.com, a site where for the mere pittance of $995 they will appeal the property taxes currently being levied against you. Never one to mince words, Hogan described the site’s actions as “It’s kind of like what (President) Obama wanted to do but couldn’t get done,” he said — SCATHING political commentary.
“We’re all in the same boat,” Bollea said. “No one is immune to this. The economy keeps going down, and it’s up to us to be champions . . . and keep getting up. It’s not about how many times you get knocked down, it’s how many time you get back on your feet.”
If you can’t trust a down-on-his-luck aging wrestler then I just don’t know WHAT to think…
Stretching from July 26th to August 2nd, Belfast, Ireland saw an influx of athletes entering the city. The residents would be forgiven if they didn’t automatically look upon the athletes for their skill, after all, it’s not often that a city sees an influx of hundreds of dwarves all at once.
With hundreds of competitors, from over 20 countries and ranging in age from 2-70, the 5th annual games — held every 4th year in a different locale — were a huge success. Among the events included in the games were track and field stapels like the 10, 20, 40, 60 and 100 meter track races, the tennis ball throw, Frisbee throw, cricket ball throw, shot, discus and javelin. The fun didn’t end at the track though, among the other events there were football, basketball and even that CLASSIC Summer Olympics game, hockey.
Now, I’m not the greatest athlete, but I can at least hold my own in pretty much any game. That said, I think I might get housed by these athletes.
Except the 2 year old, I’d totally CRUSH that kid.
[The Chive and Belfast 2009] H/t Barstool Sports
A mere 17 years after he was brutally — and unfairly — beaten by some Los Angeles police officers, leading to near-catastrophic riots in LA, Rodney King is ready for revenge. As part of a charity boxing tournament, he will finally get a chance to fight back against the police, taking on a Philadelphia cop.
Fresh off stints on VH1’s “Sober Living” and “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,” King is primed to make this fight count, insisting it will be totally legit.
“I take this very seriously,” King stated in a press release. “Never felt better — physically and in the mind.”
“I know some people will see the irony here . . . But I would have fought anyone who was worthy.”
I think the more accurate statement is “I would have fought anyone, so long as I was getting paid.” but either way, Rodney gets to finally take a swing BACK at a cop and I for one am only sad it took 17 years.
Simon Aouad, the police officer King will be up against is no angel himself. Arrested in 2006 and charged with drug possession, delivery and paraphernalia, Aouad had attracted attention when an intruder tried to break in and Aouad chased him away with multiple gunshot. This way the crowd won’t feel bad rooting against a hometown cop, I like it, smart move by whoever organized this thing.
The fight will be on September 12, in Philadelphia and also on the card will be Scott Cummings whose sole claim to celebrity is that at different points he was the bodyguard for Michael Jackson and Donald Trump. Now THAT’s a resume!
We already have seen the creative advertising campaigns for Spanish soccer club, Getafe, thanks to a partnership with Burger King, the team will also have some creativity on the field.
As part of their scary ad campaign using the BK King, next season’s Getafe uniforms will feature a BK logo on the outside of the shirt. The really innovative part though is on the INSIDE of the new uniforms where a picture of “The King” will be, upside down!
Now, when a Getafe player scores and pulls his shirt over his head to celebrate, as many soccer players do, the King’s face will be right-side up for the cameras.
Concerned that soccer players may not be smart enough to figure out how to properly show off the King, the shirt comes with instructions. The only potential problem here is that Getafe just barely avoided relegation and are not known for their goal-scoring prowess so there may be limited opportunites to show this off.
[CNBC]
Anxious to have an NBA team sign him, the Summer of Insanity tour, brought to you by Stephon Marbury just keeps cruising along. Here is Stephon in his ride going One Toke Over the Line.
It’s a shame the Jailblazers don’t exist anymore, he’d fit in perfectly. Maybe too perfectly…
The Slanch Report has started an online petition asking the MLB Network to air the Dock Ellis no-hitter he threw on June 12, 1970 against the San Diego Padres. The moment was a seminal piece of baseball history and is certainly worthy of being rerun.
Please join us in this cause and sign the petition below so we can all share in this special and fantastic moment of baseball history. THANKS!
SIGN THE PETITION HERE! AND PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND PASS THIS ALONG!
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