Over the past year, for many of you steady-burn.blogspot.com has been a bastion of hope in a cruel, cruel, brutally unfeeling World. (... my definition of many might be jaded, and unrealistic)
But, like those who have gone before me, I'm moving on. My new address is the ultra-slick STEADYBURN.NET Hats off to the crack web development team of Jeff (Buzz My Blog, Buzz Pirates) and Bryan (GrandmasterB) on the new site design. Those guys did a bang-up job. And special thanks to Mike Cuz (Cuzoogle) for making the connect.
As has been the trend in this fledgling economy, I sold this blogger domain at a significantly reduced rate, to this kid...
When young Bruce "ballbuster" Mackallaster (pictured above) reaches the age of majority, expect updates here from him...
NOW, Go check out my first update to the new, improved Steady Burn on, what else, but some of Roller Derby's finest!
Barack Obama says, Yes We Can!...go for it on 4th and 22 from your own 8-yard line, with three minutes left in the fourth quarter up 56...
"The Obama camp has bought “billboard space” within nine video games, all from Electronic Arts: “Madden ’09,” “NBA Live ’08,” “Burnout Paradise,” “Nascar 09,” “Need For Speed Carbon,” “Need For Speed Pro Street,” “NFL on Tour,” “NHL ’09” and “Skate.”
Screenshot from NBA 08 (Sun-Times News Group)
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, these virtual ads need to be downloaded, but are slated to run right up until the election in 10 battleground states - Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada and Ohio.
I'm thinking about doing a weekly update on Guinness World Records being broken. Just in the last week, L. Ron Hubbard was awarded two (World's Most Published Author!, World's Most Translated Author) and the band Weezer secured five with a music video! (Largest Game of Dodgeball, Most People in a Custard Pie Fight, Most People Riding on a Skateboard, Largest Air Guitar Ensemble, and Longest Guitar Hero World Tour Marathon.)
Here's a YouTube retrospective of the t-shirt record being broken (thanks to commenter Thomas for the tip!)
There's certainly not a surplus of goodwill in pro sports these days. For instance, Buck and McCarver brought up retaliation about a dozen times during last night's broadcast of the Phillies - Dodgers game.
In stark contrast, it was a Good Samaritan act by a fellow competitor that helped Chrissie Wellington to her second consecutive Ironman Triathlon World Championship women's title...
"The 31-year-old triathlete from Britain had a lead of about 5 minutes when her tire went flat near the 90-mile mark of the 112-mile bicycle ride. Air canisters she carried didn't work, she said, but Rebekah Keat of Australia came to the rescue.
Keat stopped, gave Wellington another canister, and the defending champion was on her way again. It cost her about 10 minutes and the lead, which she quickly regained and held throughout the marathon run." (Associated Press)
Wellington said the help bestowed upon her "epitomizes everything great about the Ironman."
There's no record of where Keat stood in the pack when she stopped to help Wellington, but according to Ironman.com, she did finish in 15th place in the women's pro division, and 270 overall. So presumably several, if not many, other racers passed by Wellington while she had a flat, and gave her the so long, sucka! treatment.
After the rip-roaring success of the politically charged Great "Bailouts" in Sports History, I decided to go back to the well and poll the sports blogging intelligentsia on issues quasi-related to Decision '08. This week's topic:
BEST SPORTS PLATFORMS FOR THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
It may seem a little (or entirely) taboo right now, given the economic ground and pound, however, I'll point to a story in this week's New Yorker by Peter Boyer (The Appalachian Problem) on Obama's campaigning in Appalachia, in an attempt to siphon votes away from McCain and take the state of West Virginia . Boyer brings up former Democratic Governor Mark Warner, who fought an uphill battle to get into office, and repaid the voters of the region by getting Virginia Tech into the ACC. Since VT joined the conference, their men's basketball team earned its first NCAA Tournament berth, and the football team was able to expand Lane Stadium. All the while, creating heightened interest in V-Tech sports in and around the region - translating into additional revenue, not to mention jobs, in the state.
In the same light, I'm suggesting Obama vow to get Memphis out of Conference U.S.A, to appeal to the economically liberal, socially conservative voters of Tennessee. (And Alabama's UAB faithful.)
If he so chose, he could mix in some lackadaisical foreign policy while catering to the Memphis populus - who can see Germantown from their houses (nod to Scott from WaitingForNextYear.com for that one!)
Here are some other campaign promises the sports blogosphere would like to hear coming out of the political arena in the final month of the race. And Since Obama and McCain already downplayed anti-steroids legislation (thanks Phil, from CheatorBeat, for that), they could use something to get sports fans going...
"[The candidates] should focus their campaign on adopting the 'Francesca Football Plan' which involves replacing the final two NFL exhibition games with regular season games. This plan, which I first heard mentioned by WFAN Legend (in his own mind) Mike Francesca, would expand the NFL regular season to 18 total games and in doing so would push the SuperBowl back two weeks to the Sunday just prior to Presidents Day. This would create an official, govt. sanctioned three-day SuperBowl Holiday weekend and subsequently do away with the most 'called-out' workday of the year." (Chris "Shorty" Smith, BadChoiceMilk)
The incremental plan to increase the amount of football is as brilliant as Francesca is insufferable.
Have you seen the Mike Francesca Show? Who in their right mind would watch that one gurgle for a half-hour late Sunday night when you're faded from a full-day of football?
Jimmy Traina from SI.com has a simpler suggestion for how our chief commander could improve the NFL: "Whoever is elected president needs to make the Monday after the Super Bowl a national holiday"
The Super Bowl is already a well established, polished glutton fest. But this would set off a spending spree that would rival black friday. It would all be contained to beer and protein, but still. (plus I think I'd like to live in country where those things helped drive the economy). The real benefit, however, is the money saved by companies closing on a clear no-work work day.
Bares mentioning that I'm actively looking for a politician to run for office on the four-day work week platform. The Super Bowl holiday could seamlessly be included as buffer.
NBA blogger Trey Kerby (The Blowtorch) would like your candidates to abolish the shooting game at the All-Star Game, and mandate a one-on-one tournament.
The score of last year's All-Star game was 134-128 - 260 points, yet almost an unwatchable game. It's a combined point total that's only rival is that of the Dow Jones Industrial losses over the last week. What do they have in common? Both are pretty boring to follow, yet there is undeniably something wrong happening.
Forget NBA All-Star regulation though, what we need is NBA relegation. I'd like to see the president vow to protect against lame duck teams who mail in the end of the year so they have 25% chance of getting the #1 pick in the lottery. You tank, congratulations, welcome to the D-League. Have fun spending a year throttling post-pubescant 19-year olds (that run, and run, and run) in Sioux Falls for a year.
Here are some additional ideas to get people flocking to the polls:
Here's a thought - make instant replay mandatory in every sport. Everything is reviewable, especially missed calls. (Moon Dog Sports)
"There needs to be a plus one system playoff for D1 college football. The top 4 play and the winners play in a final game. This will keep the pundits happy that still want to keep the smaller bowls, and it will still allow for a lot of pork barrel spending at the AT&T Cotton Bowl, AutoZone, Liberty Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Brut Sun Bowl, Capital One Bowl,Champs Sports Bowl..." (Ethan Jaynes, NESW Sports)
...etc., etc., etc., etc. (great ref. to pork barrel spending!)
"Being that Ohio is a battleground state, Obama should campaign to get better coaching for the bengals and browns. I'd say the same about michigan...but mccain's already conceded it and the lions are a lost cause anyway." (Dan, InGameNow)
Swing states are going to make or break this election, and both candidates have already vowed to examine and take down programs that aren't working (I think they were mainly talking about government bureaucracy, however.)
Do your civic duty, and vote for the platform that will get our presidential candidates your vote on November 4:
Part Seven in an on-going series on kickball that I feel is determined to continue deep into the cold weather months...
After all, the National Power Poll was just issued this week! Here are the top-16 as compiled by Kickball365.com.
1.) Frosty Balls (VA Recess) 2.) Meatballs (FL West Palm/FL Beach) 3.) Hey Whoa (NY Gotham) 4.) Kick Asphalts (VA Dominion) 5.) Screw the Team (FL Riptide) 6.) Young Guns (FL West Palm/FL Beach) 7.) Menace 2 Sobriety (DC Rock Creek, DC Memorial) 8.) Off in Public (DC Liberty, DC Memorial) 9.) Blue Balls (VA Recess, VA Shore) 10.) Dumpster Fire (NY Freedom) 11.) We Kick Your Balls (AZ Valley) 12.) Friends With Benefits (VA Dominion) 13.) Gonzo (VA Alexandria, VA Arlington) 14.) Sofa King Good (CA Hollywood) 15.) Best Coast Ballers (CA Gold Rush) 16.) Gym Class All Stars (DC Monument)
Folks, you can rank anything in sports - as long as you power rank it. Kickball is no exception.
The rationale is broken down at Kickball365 as well. I'm assuming a certain subjective approach regardless. It's hard to factor in the competitive nuances of each respective league. For instance, we learned months back that there is a vigilante terrorist group trying to bring the DC league down (see The Mooks of Kickball, part 3). Who knows how this affected some teams' R.P.I.?
Here's a photo of the cleverly named, #1-ranked Frosty Balls celebrating victory at the Founders Cup in Las Vegas...
I'm ranked pretty high in most Cure songs played on jukeboxes in the Metro-NY area over the last six months. You can pretty much rank everything in life.
This kid is what those in the Hip-Hop industry like to call young money. And that photo begs the question: Is their a form of unorthodoxed racing that Red Bull doesn't sponsor?
"Leonardo Panayiotou, a four-year-old go-karter at the same track Lewis Hamilton first made his mark, has received £15,000 in sponsorship to pursue his motor racing dream. Despite his tender age, Leonardo races a 60cc kart as speeds of up to 50mph. A consortium of sponsors spotted the youngster racing at Rye House Kart Raceway, in Hertforshire, and came forward with the money." (Four-year-old racer picks up £15,000 sponsorship deal)
I want to go fast! His parents better hope he doesn't change his life goal (to be, like, a fire fighter, or spiderman) between now and four years, when he'll legally be allowed to race competitively.
A major event of the WFTDA season takes place this weekend, with 12 of the top derby squads on the East Coast meeting in Wisconsin for the annual Derby in Dairyland. A shot at the Nationals in November at stake.
True to form, this tournament plans to offer more than just fine Hell on Wheels competition, with live music, dancing, and coerced trips to roughhouse saloons i'm sure being offered. So, if you're in the Madison area - go gallivant. (I would!)
Host and notoriously charitable team, the Mad Rollin' Dolls, will be auctioning off plastered busts of several of the team members' chests during the weekend as well. The proceeds go to benefit breast cancer awareness. Here's the model of the Mad Rollins' Chop Suzzy.
More info on Derby in Dairyland can be had at www.derbyindairyland.com. Check out this video of the Mad Rollin' Dolls giving a tour of the city of Madison below...
I take fashion pretty seriously...especially, when the clothing involved asks that we suspend all notions of practicality. And double especially, when it's some form of cuckoo [golfing!] lingerie.
Looking to create the online athletic couture unveiling of the season, this was sent my way by UK designer boutique Mio Destino.
The golfing bra is, quote, "the answer for all golf lovers who feel they neglect their lady."
"So the next time your partner asks if you ‘fancy a tee?’ she won’t be putting the kettle on, oh no! She will be opening her lingerie drawer and whipping out the fun new set from Mio Destino"
The golfing bra is nearing the final stages of development (I'm thinking the dangling golf balls on tassels might get left out of the on-the-course version), and the set is available for £300.
The folks behind the "Don't Vote" video are asking folks to share it with five other people. (video is actually called, simply, 5 Friends). And bloggers are taking the extra step by posting it and linking to five other blogs.
A taped broadcast of the the 2008 USA Rock Paper Scissors Championship airs tonight on Fox Sports Net (check your local listings). Broadcasting renaissance man Master Roshambollah to provide commentary. (via Deuce of Davenport.)
You don’t have to be getting hit over the head with news alerts to realize that tomorrow the House will reconvene to try to reach a solution, for better or worse, concerning the financial bailout proposal. Thus, I thought it appropriate to recall some of the great bailouts in sports history.
My personal contribution is Drew Bledsoe coming off the bench, after losing his starting job to a then injured Tom Brady, and leading the Patriots to victory in the 2001 AFC Championship Game, only to be relegated back to the bench for the Super Bowl.
I tasked some of the sports blogosphere to come up with other great bailouts in sports history. Here are the top-3, and many other below...
1.) The Tackle
Courtesy of Melfi, NYHoosier.com, a Colts fan who had the pleasure of experiencing this game on ESPN Gamecast. Here's a rather indulgent video of the play. The anguish of a Colts fan having to follow that game on ESPN.com, with the 18-minute delay time and the kind-of-moving football dot, warms my heart. It’s the little things that get us through these tough economic times.
....
2.) The 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals
James Christensen, from NEPatriotsDraft.com, was the first to suggest this, but his sentiments were wildly echoed by others for this one…
Isaac, from World of Isaac, gets the nod for sending in the clip of the no-call that only the most entitled of Wall Streets' out-of-work millionaire CEOs could defend…
My buddy Derek, who’s the biggest hockey fan I know, gets a shout out for this one…
The Pittsburgh Penguins were bankrupt, and on the verge of leaving the city, when the franchise’s most storied player bought the team. In a deal that had to be approved by the Federal Government, Lemieux assumed control of the team in 1996, and vowed to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Also, as part of the deal, he agreed to pay back the close to $100 million owed to creditors.
Apparently, most of that debt has been paid back. And with the addition of Sydney Crosby (who lived in Lemiuex’s house when he first joined the team), the Penguins are now selling out games left and right, and moving towards the black.
This is a bailout backers of the Bush’s plan would like you to remember, simply, because it’s worked. However, as things shake out in the financial world over the next couple days, I ask that you also keep Drew Bledsoe in mind taxpayers – he was asked to step up when Brady went down, and then discarded with near immediacy.
....
The sports blogosphere’s most distinguished statesmen stepped up with some other great examples, so here are all the honorable mentions…
A big bailout? How about MLB relocating the Montreal Expos to Washington, D.C. and christening them the Nationals? Jeffery Loria sold the Expos to MLB for $120 million, and a few years later, MLB sold the team to the Lerner family for over $500 million. Add to that, Washington, D.C. threw in a $611 million stadium with very little ownership equity. (Maury Brown, President of Business of Sports Networks, BizofBaseball.com)
The NBA stopping the Cavaliers from themselves in the early 1980s, preventing them from continuing to trade away consecutive first round picks for past-prime talent. (Kelly Dwyer, Balls Don’t Lie)
How 'bout Jeff Hostetler coming in for an injured Phil Simms (foot), winning the last 2 games of the season and the Super Bowl XXV (Chimpanzee Rage, Deuce of Davenport)
George Steinbrenner bails out the Red Sox by signing A-rod (Jodie Boduch, GossipOnSports.com)
Gretzky saving hockey any place West of Detroit (Ethan Jaynes, NESWsports.com)
Kevin McHale bailing out his buddy Danny Ainge by trading KG to the Celts (The Sports Culture) Ray Lewis NOT Convicted of Murder (Trey Kirby, TheBlowtorch.net)
Ed Hochuli coming to the rescue of the Denver Broncos in Week 2 this season. (Ryan Phillips, Rumors & Rants)
Throw your personal favorite sports bailouts in the comments below!
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.
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)
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.
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)
Hats off to the crack web development team of Jeff (Buzz My Blog, Buzz Pirates) and Bryan (GrandmasterB) on the new site design. Those guys did a bang-up job. And special thanks to Mike Cuz (Cuzoogle) for making the connect.
