August 19, 2008

Developing: Michael Phelps Still Awesome

This morning CNN gave the "developing story" banner to one Michael Phelps, who was taking questions. Frankly, I can't believe this didn't get breaking news treatment. CNN ought to be ashamed.

A larger screencap of CNN's front page

Posted by D-Mac at 12:04 PM | Comments (2)

This Is One Way To Put It

This is the strangest way possible to headline a story about a local Olympian who won a gold medal.

Local Olympian Stops Rowing Before End Of Race [NBC 10]

Posted by D-Mac at 08:12 AM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2008

Texting Her Way To Gold

Ahh, yes, the Olympic Trials for gymnastics (held at our own Wachovia Center) are over. Or maybe not. I think they are. The gymnastics trials are the only one where you'll find its competitors texting immediately before their performance. I think, at least. Okay, maybe rhythmic gymnastics, whatever that is.

Johnson, Liukin claim first two spots on gymnastics team [Inquirer]

Posted by D-Mac at 07:53 AM | Comments (0)

August 14, 2007

Table Tennis, Gymnastics Finally Come To Philly

If you remember, last year Philadelphia's bid for the 2016 Olympics was crushed, because local officials couldn't bribe Olympic officials well enough, or something.

Any chance of the Olympics actually coming to Philadelphia, of course, would be protested by every other person in the city because it would make their commute longer for a few weeks, and there'd be a ton of annoying foreigners around. Fair enough. But it's all a moot point, as the Olympics have about as much chance of happening in Seaside Heights as they do in Philadelphia.

But that doesn't mean certain Philadelphians can't hang on to false hope! As you may remember, people were all super excited that Philly became an "Olympic Partner," a designation that didn't mean anything and was shared by Birmingham and Central Oklahoma. Perhaps Philadelphia has as much chance of getting the Olympics as Central Oklahoma.

And, as such, Philadelphia is now hosting both the gymnastics and table tennis Olympic trials for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Philadelphia previously landed the US Olympic team's gymnastics trials set for June of next year. [Philly Olympic committee chair Joe] Torsella says Philadelphia is one of only two US cities -- the other is Las Vegas -- to host two Olympic trials: "Each event is a building block for the future. You begin to build a relationship with people, athletes, organizers and the sport as a whole.”

Yes! Philadelphia, ping pong capital of the East Coast! Are they holding the Olympic trials at Bob & Barbara's?

Philly to Host 2008 Olympic Ping-Pong Trials [KYW 1060]

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August 06, 2007

Philly To Welcome Russians With, Uh, Vodka

Hey, guess who's in town later this week! The Russian national baseball team! And guess who they're playing! An adult men's softball baseball team from Philly! And... oh, just read the item from Inqlings.

Russia's national baseball team, on a U.S. tour as it preps for the Beijing Olympics, will visit Friday to play a 1 p.m. game against the Greater Philadelphia Men's Adult Baseball League Stars at La Salle University. Two players are from Philly's sister city of Nizhny Novgorod, so the International Visitors Council of Philadelphia will extend an official welcome. Golden Gate restaurant in the Northeast will host a postgame dinner, and the IVC seeks a "vodka sponsor" to donate 45 bottles. Tax-deductible, says the IVC's Nancy Gilboy.

Need I remind you that we, America, inventors of base ball, did not qualify for the most recent Olympics, though we've apparently qualified for 2008 in Beijing. The team attributed its success to having the right whiskey sponsor.

Also, forty-five bottles? Each player in this game is going to get his own bottle.

Update, 1:07 p.m.: From the Craigslist casual encounters post titled "some cock from the soviet block": "We are a group of russian guys on a mission to convert as many women as possible to the red side. If interested, send a pic!!! The rockets are up and ready for lift off." One can only assume these are the same people.

Talking sports [Inquirer, down the page]

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March 06, 2006

Finally, a way to introduce those sagging Olympic ratings

A new online game could probably be a big hit for Vancouver 2010:

With Philadelphia Will Do and puppy curling, you ain't getting any work done today.

Puppy Curling [Games Arcade via Deadspin]

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February 27, 2006

Bode Miller is totally awesome

Some people don't like outspoken athletes, especially when they don't back up their outspokenness with winning. Not me. Give me a team with Terrell Owens, Latrell Sprewell, Ty Cobb, Barry Bonds, Vijay Singh, Ron Artest, Kobe Bryant, John Daly, Ron Artest, Freddie Mitchell, &c.

Wouldn't that be an awesome team, no matter what they played? Sure, they might bicker and fight and lose every game, but that's the fun of it! I'd buy season tickets.

Another person I'd want on my hypothetical team -- I think they'd play Arena Football -- is drunk skier Bode Miller, who Metro interviewed on the final day of the Olympics:

Don't you feel like you lost a great chance?

Not at all. I wasn't the one who had great expectations of results. I'm very satisfied of what I did here — I did my best. Sure, I didn't win a medal, but I'm still proud of what I accomplished.

C'mon, any regret?
None. I came here to have fun and to live the Olympics at my best. Quality of life is the most important thing to me. I didn't want to come here, shut myself in my hotel room for two weeks and then come back with no medals.

Are you talking of your friend Daron Rahlves?
Exactly. At the end, we got the same results. But, thanks to many parties, I was very "Olympically active." And that's good.

Bode Miller totally just went to the Olympics to drink and get laid. And then he turned Olympics into an adverb. This guy is awesome. Do they sell Bode Miller jerseys? I bet they're cheap after that stinker of a performance he turned in.

Bode just wants to have fun [Metro]
Join Bode [Nike.com]

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February 24, 2006

'Metro' ruins it for Sasha Cohen

Yesterday, the Metro asked this question:

And, later that day...

Bastards!

Arakawa wins ladies' gold -- Cohen gets silver after major errors; bronze for Slutskaya [AP/NBCOlympics.com]
Yesterday: We knew those Swedes were up to something!

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February 23, 2006

We knew those Swedes were up to something!

The question up for debate in today's Metro:

Way to be supportive. Why do you want the Soviets to win?

U.S. Editions [Metro]
U.S. Olympic Team Increases Medal Lead Over Hated Soviets [SportsPickle]

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February 21, 2006

Quickies: He's outta here!

• Little late on this one, but Phillies organist Paul Richardson is retiring after 35 years. It was nice to see him in the CBP concourse the first two years of the park, though. [AP/Yahoo!]

• In Bucks County, things are going so well people are still up in arms over a bad video game nobody's heard of except for people protesting it. If I ever have a really bad idea that I want to sell, I'm just pepper it with references to killing cops, eating babies and gutting puppies. Hmm, maybe I should do that here. [Bucks County Courier Times]

• Of course, the cops did just catch two eighth graders who made bomb threats. So maybe everything is safe up there. Seriously, though: Bomb threats? How 1999. [Bucks County Courier Times]

• And, hey, the U.S. men's hockey team managed to advance to the gold medal round of the Olympics without even playing. Now that's sport! U-S-A! U-S-A! [AP/Philly.com]

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February 17, 2006

Quickies: Short bus

• The reason local boy Johnny Weir finished fifth in the Olympics? They changed the bus schedule. Or maybe he was secretly worried about how he was looking in front of his new pal Vai Sikahema. [ESPN.com]

• Geeze. I can't believe that Jessica Pressler quoted a girl saying that Jennifer Aniston "was sooo nice." That's made me angrier than anything else she's written in the Times! [New York Times]

• In Bucks County, they're doing what's important, i.e. passing resolutions saying a certain video game sucks. Oh, yeah, and they want to ban it from being sold in America. Sigh. [Bucks County Courier Times]

• Don't bother playing Powerball, because I have it on good authority that I already bought the winning $365M ticket. [AP/Yahoo!]

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February 16, 2006

Vai Sikahema shows his Olympic mettle

If you haven't been watching the Olympics -- and judging by the ratings, you haven't -- you might not be aware of Coatesville native Johnny Weir, the prima donna figure skater who's America's best hope for a medal.

All you really need to know about Weir is that he's flamboyant. Got it? And, so, the other day Vai Sikahema -- NBC 10 sports anchor and former Philadelphia Eagles returnman (and Gold Gloves boxer) -- hung out with Weir for an interview.

The day didn't go well at first: The PR person only gave them an hour. Weir was a half-hour late. But! He said to Vai, "Honey, I've got all day!" -- and at that, things apparently got worse for Sikahema: Weir called himself "Princess," made Vai try on outfits and shopped for "Dolce something-or-other." An excerpt:

We spent nearly three hours together. He took me to stores that I'm certain no former NFL player had ever been in.

I don't mean the fashion. I mean the sizes. Most women would kill to have his body. Five-nine and I'd guess 125 pounds. That would make him the same size as my wife.

Actually, Vai, he's a buck thirty-four, but pretty good guess. Anyway, Enrico over at The 700 Level puts it succinctly: "The article is one of those you have to read it all to get the full effect." Indeed. Sikahema even has a funny closing line! Sikahema doesn't say this, but my guess is after hanging with Weir, he went back to his hotel room and did like a million pushups. He's gotta work on his figure to keep up!

Vai, Weir Shop For Chanel [NBC 10]
Johnny Weir [NBCOlympics.com]
Johnny Weir & Vai Sikahema Go Shopping [The 700 Level]

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February 15, 2006

Let the Olympics officially begin!

Phew. It's good to know our local journalists covering the Games can still stuff their faces the same way over there.

Phil Sheridan | Found: A cheesesteak in Turin [Inky]

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February 13, 2006

Blogicized: Winter be gone

• Ahh, yes: Let the pseudo-spring temperatures return! It was nice to see you, Old Man Winter, but don't stick around for too too long. [Philadelphia Weather]

• The Phillies don't have a front line pitcher this season. Please note: The preceding sentence could have been written pretty much in any year. [Beerleaguer]

• Patrick Murphy, running for Congress in Pennsylvania's eighth district, once penned a column for a college newspaper. Of course, it was when he was a professor at West Point, so it's not the typical "Cafeteria food sure does suck!" fare. [Above Average Jane]

• Reasons not to watch figure skating coverage this year: 1. There's nobody you know. 2. One competitor didn't put a hit out on another competitor this year. 3. The rule barring female skaters from wearing pants was recently lifted. [Pesky'Apostrophe]

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Olympic feats of journalism

The opening paragraph from the Toronto Star in a column by Rosie DiManno about some of the speedskating events:

TURIN,Italy -- The most astute observation yesterday -- gracious, too -- came from the glorious Anni Friesinger, she of the extraordinary bosom, cleavage revealed in such eye-popping fashion with a downward yank on the zipper of her skin-suit whilst bending over at the waist to suck air just beyond the finish line at the speed-skating oval.

Holy Shit. The Olympics are awesome. Why aren't I covering this?

Klassen bronzed at result [Toronto Star]
Anni Friesinger [NBCOlympics.com]

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February 09, 2006

Birmingham 2016!

Well, just as the Olympics are about to get started, our own fair city has been designated as an official "Olympic partner." Whoo! Alright! Yay!

Wait, what does that mean?

According to the Inquirer article, being a "community partner" means... uhh... it means that the Olympic committee knows you're a city in America. Also, this has "no bearing" on the city's possible Olympic bid.

After seeing a list of other sites that are possibly bidding for the olympics and are also Olympic partners, well, it seems like Philadelphia is the annoying kid who kept whining until they made him an Olympic partner:

Besides Philadelphia, the list of U.S. candidates is likely to include Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston and Washington. By the way, Houston became an Olympic community partner last fall, Chicago last month, and San Francisco is about to join the ranks. [...] The community partnership program, which also includes Birmingham, Ala., and central Oklahoma, is a relatively new venture for the USOC.

Ooh, Birmingham or Philadelphia! How will they decide which place to hold the Olympics at? Erhm.

Philadelphia named Olympic 'partner' [Inky]
Nov. 10, 2005: A (new) way to lose money? Count me in!

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