Archive for the 'Awesome' Category



02
Jun
09

England Discovers Sunglasses

British citizens automatically seem to be a little bit classier, a little bit smarter and certainly more cultured, just by nature of their accents than Americans. However, then I see this article, from the science correspondent of the Telegraph, I start to rethink the way I see the Brits.

Here’s the actual headline from the story:

England Cricket Team’s secret weapon – sunglasses

The England cricket team are to use a secret weapon in this summer’s international matches: coloured sunglasses.

PD*18897753

Read the whole article if you’re so inclined, but basically it turns out that dark lenses make it harder for cricket players to see the ball and that with lighter glasses they can see the ball easier. AMAZING!

Michael Vaughan, former England captain and batsman, said he regularly wears black-tinted sunglasses to help him pick out the ball in bright conditions. He said: “I wear black iridium sunglasses.

“I used to wear them when it was windy to help keep the wind out of my eyes. When it was sunny or slightly bright it would help reduce the glare.

“With the amount of time we spend outside, a lot of the players find it helps relax our eyes if we are wearing sunglasses and it can help you pick the ball up quicker.”

The Brits have had scientists and optometrists working on these revelations in secret, in order to maintain their competitive edge over the rest of the cricket world.

Sometimes I wonder how a worldwide empire can collapse, then I read this story…

[Telegraph]

29
May
09

Setting the Bar Awfully Low

Some proud University of South Carolina fans put this ad in The State, South Carolina’s largest newspaper; way to go Gamecocks, you’ve won by being middling. Congrats!!!!115898[Sporting News]

29
May
09

Jessiqa Changes the Pace of the Race

As race organizers prepared for an F1 race in Monaco, team representatives requested that they remove an ad that was along the course because it was too distracting for the drivers. The ad, for Martini liquers, features Californian model, 29 year old Jessiqa Pace, and the ad apparently was too steamy for the drivers to handle.

Scottish former driver David Coulthard said: “The drivers have asked for the poster to be taken down because it’s distracting them.”

During trial runs, former champ Lewis Hamilton crashed just yards from the site of the billboard. The hubbub didn’t stop Jessiqa from having a good time though, she spent the weekend partying on a luxury yacht with the various F1 teams.  “All the attention is overwhelming,” she said, “I find it really funny. Obviously it’s very flattering that I’m distracting the drivers so much, but I’d feel terrible if someone got hurt. They’re all very handsome men and are very popular with the girls. There is one driver who I think is a cut above the rest but I’m keeping it secret.”

I can’t imagine what was so distracting…

[Daily Star]

29
May
09

And It’s the Luv Guv By Inches

29luvgov_600Marylou Whitney, a octogenarian heiress and horse racing enthusiast and her husband John Hendrickson own two horses named after former New York Governor Spitzer’s quick fail from grace after revelations about prostitutes came out. One, named “The Ninth Client” after his name in FBI files and the other is named after the NY Post’s excellent headline after the scandal broke, “The Luv Guv.” Formerly named “Town Prowler,” after the precipitous decline of Mr. Spitzer, Whitney and Hendrickson opted to change the 2-year old thoroughbred’s name. Since then, Luv Guv has struggled, taking 10 tries before winning his first race, but this next weekend he’ll be vying for the longest leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes.

If Luv Guv were to win, theoretically it could lead to a hilarious awkward moment where current Governor, David Paterson — a extracurricular paramour in his own right — would be presenting the trophy to Whitney and Hendrickson.

The owners insist that the changing of the name was not solely because of Spitzer. “There’s been a lot of love govs,” Mr. Hendrickson said, mentioning, among others, James E. McGreevey, who resigned as governor of New Jersey in 2004 after disclosing an affair with a man.

“We’re not trying to poke fun at him,” Mr. Hendrickson said. “We are Republicans, but we did support him. I think we each gave $10,000, and we like him. We thought this was a fun name.”

Fortunately, the NY Times managed to get a comment from horse racing enthusiast, former NY Senate Majority Leader, Skidmore College alum and sometime-facist, Joe Bruno who was a big rival of Spitzer’s. “I thought it was hilarious. The situation with the governor was pretty tragic and reprehensible, and I think for them to kind of weigh in to lighten the mood of all that was going on around such a real tragedy, I think was great.”

The Times contacted Spitzer for a comment but he declined.

After the jump, stay tuned for another neat connection between to owners and Governor Paterson that goes way back in horse racing history.

[NY Times]

Continue reading ‘And It’s the Luv Guv By Inches’

28
May
09

No Puck For You

Darren Helm ultimately scored the winning goal in overtime to help the Detroit Red Wings return to the Stanley Cup finals against their opponent last year, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before that, he singlehandedly made the Blackhawks look silly by skating around and through their defense holding onto the puck for way too long in their zone, it’s a pretty impressive game of keep away.

27
May
09

What Do You Call Cheese That Isn’t Yours?

While everyone in America was getting drunk at barbecues on Monday, across the ocean near Gloucester, England, throngs of spectators and participants got together for what is now a 200+ year tradition, the Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake. Thousands of spectators come to watch the 5 downhill and 4 uphill races with the winners taking home the greatest prize of all, the 8 pound Double Gloucester cheese wheel they were chasing. The Big Picture, as ever, has some incredible hi-res shots that you should check out, in the meantime, let me whet your appetite here.

c05_19133435

The usual injuries from this event are concussions and broken bones, but really, when you consider that you get to take home 8 pounds of cheese, I think it’s well worth it. However, I am slightly disappointed in the size of the cheese wheel, they should have varying sizes, I want to see people try and take down like a 8 foot diameter cheese wheel. As loyal reader The Sister noted in passing this link along to me; these are real elite athletes (even if they are British.)

The goal in the race is to conceivably catch the cheese wheel, but being that it gets a one second head-start and can reach speeds up to 70 mph, the winner is usually the first person across the line at the bottom. Interestingly, during WWII, due to rationing, the race was held using a wooden wheel with a small piece of cheese inside it instead.

[The Big Picture]

After the jump a heap more of the awesome photographs. Enjoy!

Continue reading ‘What Do You Call Cheese That Isn’t Yours?’

26
May
09

Mr. T Dominates “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”

I’m not sure how I feel about the Cubs’ “tradition” of bringing in celebrities and such to lead the crowd in “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” no one else is Harry Caray and almost always does it result in awfulness. Then again, it leads to plenty of easy blog posts so…

Here’s Mr. T taking the reins and leading the crowd.

26
May
09

No Way Jose

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Jose Canseco finally made his MMA debut yesterday, entering to the song “Wild Thing” against 7′ 2″ 33o pound Hong Man Choi in Yokohama, Japan. Unlike Canseco’s last foray into the ring — against noted pugilist Danny Bonaduce — where the fight was called a draw, this one ended in a clear decision; 77 seconds into the fight Canseco tapped out.

“That’s a big man,” Canseco said after the fight. “I ran into one of his left jabs and that almost knocked me out. You have no idea how scary it was facing a man that big.” Canseco landed the first punch of the evening an instant into the fight but that was the extent of his inflicted damage, from then on Canseco danced around the ring doing his best to avoid the long reach of Choi. While trying to get away from Choi, Canseco grabbed at his knee at one point and then tried to kick Choi a second later, Choi pushed the former baseball star to the mat and started pummeling his head. Once more left with just the coward’s way out, Canseco tapped out.

“I hurt my knee back home real bad but I didn’t want to disappoint the fans,” Canseco said. “I knew that at some point during the fight my knee was going to give out and once I was down I knew I wasn’t going to get up. He’s just too heavy to move.”

I am incredibly confused though about one thing; when Canseco fought Bonaduce his body was COVERED in tattoos but against Choi, Canseco just had a couple arm tats, what happened to the other ones? For photographic comparisons, take a gander after the jump.

[The Sporting News and AP]

Continue reading ‘No Way Jose’

25
May
09

Nationals Utterly Fail Once More

rosseveltI don’t know what it is about the Nationals that makes them desire to suck so much, but this team is clearly run by people who are not paying attention and don’t care. First there was the debacle with the misspelled uniforms, and now, available at the stores at Nationals Stadium you can have your very own Teddy Rossevelt bobblehead. Whoever he is.

I can see how they would get Roosevelt’s name wrong, I mean, it’s not like he was a major force in American government like Jerry Ford. This is just more piling on ol’ Teddy, first they never let him win in any of the races, and now this!

Hey Nationals, obviously no one is paying any attention to anything going on either at the stadium or with the team. Hire me. I’ll pay attention, although, paying attention to the Nats is pretty difficult… Also, what is it about Maryland-area stadiums complete inability to use the English language?

[DC Sports]

25
May
09

Don’t Stop Believing

During the end of the channel 5’s newscast on Friday night the news team seemed despondent, the Cavs were about to go down 2-0 to the Orlando Magic and it looked like Cleveland’s hopes for a title were being dashed in an instant. Someone forgot to remind the folks at channel 5 that LeBron wasn’t done.

I love the reaction of the woman anchor who clearly is not that into sports but has gotten into the excitement even though she has little idea what’s going on. Then there is the male anchor who says,”Someone took the shot” Hey newscaster guy, his name is LeBron, he’s the most recognizable athlete in Cleveland history. Learn it.

22
May
09

I Don’t Care If I Never Come Back Because I’m Drunk, Drunk Drunk at the Ball Game

Home Run Derby always puts together great collections and this one of some of the best drunk related baseball jerseys is another winner. I highly recommend checking out the full thing but here are my two favorites.

la-russa-093-bac-jerseydrunk-cubs-fans-jerseys[Home Run Derby]

22
May
09

Now Here’s a Good Use of the Mustaches Category!

tootjoslinberlin

The crowds have been streaming in to Anchorage, Alaska for this weekend’s main event, the World Beard and Mustache Championships. This year over 100 entrants are expected from all corners of the globe; some of the biggest names involved this year include, “Elmar Weisser of Germany, two-time full beard freestyle world champion…Up-and-comer Gunnar Rosenquist of Sweden, whose super-gnome whiskers have propelled him through the ranks in the full beard natural category…[and] Austria’s Franz “Schani” Mitterhauser has won awards in the Beard Olympics, Superbeard, International German and European Championships.”

Phil Olsen, self-appointed captain of Beard Team USA though thinks that this is America’s year.  “The Germans have always dominated,” he admitted. “They invented the game, made the rules, defined the categories and hosted most of the championships. They’ve brought the art up to a much higher level than we’ve been able to. But my mission, for the past 10 years, has been to make the U.S. competitive, a powerhouse. We’ve got ’em now on our home turf. Beard Team USA is fired up. We’re expecting to do really well.”

The competition’s judges will evaluate beards and mustaches in 18 categories, “everything from Kaiser Wilhelm moustaches to goatees, sideburns and gigantic full formations woven into fanciful shapes that bring to mind illustrations in old fairy tale books.”

All the profits from the event will be donated to a local Alaskan charity, might I suggest Beards for Tots, providing youngsters who are unable to grow facial hair a way not stand out amongst their peers.

There are plenty of tickets still available and Anchorage is a short flight from anywhere (providing you are already in Siberia) so you should jump at the opportunity.

After the jump, join us at admiring some of our favorite beards that showed up to compete, and of course, there is a larger gallery that you can check out here.

[ADN]

Continue reading ‘Now Here’s a Good Use of the Mustaches Category!’




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