Greatest. Headline. Yet. From BrooklynPaper.com (and a huge nod to NYhoosier.com for this too)
Gina Carano Tells Craig Ferguson MMA Is ‘Kind of Like Sex’ (FANHOUSE)
Michael Strahan Is Now The New Face Of Vaseline For Men (Awful Announcing)
Did your Congressman vote for or against the bailout? (via The Big Lead)
Story From NPR on Robert Downey, the Senior (via Pop Candy)
Gawker gets the nod for this (yeah, right, cause they need my support) about a brawl that broke out on Sunday during the Brooklyn Kickball League’s final night of playoffs – Brooklyn Kickball Brawl: “Brother Fighting Against Brother”
This is the league we played in this year (knocked out in the first round of World Cup-style playoffs, unceremoniously). And I was there for this fiasco!
Ok, I was in the bar. But rumor was a full beer was heaved at someone – which is surprising with this crowd, because that’s really more of a meathead move.
Disappointing way for the season to end. This is the same kickball league that made Jimmy Traina’s SI.com Hot Clicks for hosting an International Tournament! (their fourth annual, in fact). Cooler heads did end up prevailing and according to BrooklynKickball.com the finals are rescheduled for next week.
But seriously, what sort of retaliation wouldn’t be justified for having a full beer hurled at you?Flamethrower?
A 10-year study at Oregon State University has revealed that Iditarod-competing Huskies are ridiculously well-oiled machines…
“A roughly 55-pound sled dog can burn up to 12,000 kilocalories per day – the equivalent of 24 Big Macs. A human athlete, to sustain Iditarod-level performance for just one day, would have to eat, *and* efficiently process, the equivalent of 72 Big Macs.” (DogBlog.com)
Though the stats are pretty staggering, knowing that the Iditarod is a 10-20 day race where the dogs mush for 1,100+ miles (temps, can be as low as -40 degrees fahrenheit), I wouldn’t say that the revelations here blew my mind. What is most impressive, however, is that these dogs can break down anything:
“Sled dogs eat a commercial race diet, but it can be supplemented by anything from salmon to congealed lard, all of which they’re able to convert to fuel.”
Hence, the relevance of the Big Mac analogy above. I can’t even jog after eating a turkey burger, by the way.
Short of going back in time and studying beasts that did battle in the gladiatorial arena, I think we might have found nature’s preeminent competitor here.
Link:
Iditarod Dog Athletic Supremacy Explained (Discovery.com)
Zo & the Old General
On-court rivals Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing will team up for Obama Rally in Broward County in the all-important state of Florida tomorrow (SunSentinel.com)
Natalie Gulbis Essay Contest
The finalist have been selected in the Natalie Gulbis “Who’s Behind Your Success” Essay Contest (sponsored by RSM McGladrey). Lot of worthy candidates for the prize of spending a day in Vegas with Natalie. (WorldGolf.com)
Low Brow Discussion Will Not Be Allowed at Sports Talk Radio Station
FM-Station WMVN (101.1) in St. Louis will soon be converting from dance-music to sports, and station chief John Kijowski says, “We will be absolutely a 100 percent sports-talk station,” he said. “Talk about bimbos, hookers on our air? No way. There’s no need to dumb it down. Just because you’re a guy doesn’t mean you have to talk about that stuff. We will take a local, regional and national approach to mature sports talk.” (STLToday.com)
Parent Banned From Youth Football Over Bad Play
Finally, a unique spin on an old fable. A parent in Amherst, OH barked at the coach of his son’s 9-and-10 year old football team, and demanded he call a specific play. (A sweep, resulting in loss yardarge. Police then arrested parent Eric Frambach, whose been charged with disorderly conduct and is banned from practices and games moving forward. (SeattleTimes.com)
Wild story I pulled from The Telegrath…
After competing in next month’s World Championships, storied women’s squash player Vicky Botwright will retire from the game, and become the Head of Squash in Manchester – home of England’s Squash Association (WISPA) and the National Squash Centre.
Botwright moves on from a career that is marked by some of the most incendiary PR tomfoolery Pro sports promotion has seen since the turn of the century…
At the 2001 British Open, a 16th-ranked Botwright entered the court wearing only a bikini top and thong for an early round match (see the photos below from SquashPics.com). She claimed the traditional squash attire (and I guess speedos, bike shorts, tank tops by extension) was too constrictive. On account of this being completely ridiculous, she was not allowed to compete until she got dressed.
WISPA quickly admitted this to be a lavish publicity stunt, the brainchild of director Andrew Shelley, who scripted the whole thing. Nevertheless, it set off a media frenzy, as Botwright was dubbed the Lancashire Hot Bot, at one point vaulting into the top-10 in the Google search term rankings. Seven years later, the scandalous photos still show up first when you search for her on Google.
Of course, Botwright was moderately to fully aware (how could she not be?) of what she was voluntarily letting herself get involved in. In yesterday’s Telegrath, she’s quoted saying:
“It was the governing body’s idea and obviously was completely staged. I didn’t go to one of the meetings I was supposed to attend and that was my punishment. Always go to a meeting – that’s the key!”
The World Squash Championships run from Oct. 11-19, and shortly thereafter Botwright will takeover as Chief. And barring any unforeseen stunts at next month’s event, retain the title of squash’s most recognizable yet controversial figure.
Links:
Vicky Botwright ready to expose new role for British squash
SQUASH BOSSES GET THEIR KNICKERS IN A TWIST
The Dodger clinched the NL West title on Thursday, and are playoff bound. Rafael Furcal is just psyched he doesn’t have to report to jail at the end of this season.
Week 4 NFL Power Rankings (NE Patriots Draft)
Thanks For Choking Again Trojans (MoonDog Sports)
Lil’ Wayne Is Not Only a Packers Fan, He Is Also a Blogger; Awesomeness Ensues (FANHOUSE)
THE JENNY CRAIG ALL-STARS (The World of Isaac)
Tale of the Tape: Wall Street Vs. New York Mets (SI Extra Mustard)
Natalie Portman broke up with her boyfriend Debra or whatever he’s called, so that her an I can get back together.
Some say this doesn’t qualify as getting back together, since technically we were never together. Others simply tell me: give up, it’s never gonna happen. Haters. (via Pop Candy)
Olivia Wilde: Thank You For Being So Hot (MoonDog Sports)
VLADE DIVAC’S FACE IS A BIG PROBLEMA FOR THE LADIES (Epic Carnival)
Video: Kimbo Slice’s Attempt To Kill David Blaine (Awful Announcing)
Gambling 2.0: Bet On Obama-McCain Debate (Busted Coverage)
McCain (not) on Letterman (The Sound of Young America)
Sunday Night baseball ratings for the Yankees finale weren’t great. (via The Big Lead)
Blood doping is assaulting our sports landscape as brutally as any other rule-bending plague out there.
The latest sport to fall victim – race walking, on the World Class scale of…
MOSCOW — Five Russian race walkers, including world record-holder Sergei Morozov, have been suspended for two years for doping. Morozov, Viktor Burayev, Vladimir Kanaikin, Igor Yerokhin and Alexei Voevodin were sanctioned by the national federation for testing positive for the endurance-enhancing hormone EPO, the All Sport news agency said Tuesday. (AP)
Enhancement drug scandals in race walking. Is cheating officially everywhere?
Link:
5 Russian race walkers banned for doping (MiamiHerald.com)
The Olympic brass is already hard at work with the logistics of the London 2012 Games.
London – Olympic organizers issued detailed design rules for the 2012 London games Wednesday, including a mandate that at least some toilets in the Olympic park do not face the holy Islamic city of Mecca. (The Seattle Times)
The committee – deemed the Olympic Delivery Authority – says they’re dedicated to creating an atmosphere that appeals to as many people from different cultures as possible.
More details like this to be flushed out I’m sure.
Links:
2012 Olympics rule: Toilets that don’t face Mecca (Seattle Times)
Olympic Delivery Authority
Little did we know that United States’ victory last week in the Ryder Cup would not only mark the U.S.’s first victory in competition since 1999, but also a two-for-two in International team golf events in the past month.
I’m not sure what’s more impressive, ending that near-decade long drought, or this…
On Aug. 22, Team USA capped off an impressive 14 1/2 to 9 1/2 victory over an International squad, in the annual College Park Cup, which is basically the Ryder Cup for amputee golfers.
The College Park Cup, first held in 1998, was founded by College Park Industries, a company that specializes in the manufacturing prosthetic limbs for athlete amputees. CPI also hosts the Extremity Games, an extreme sports competition for those who’ve lost limbs that was inaugurated last year.
Check out this amazing clip of a man demonstrating amputee golf…
Links:
Amputee golfers do well at international tourney (St. Petersburg Times)
NAGAgolf.org
