(photo by Noah Friedman-Rudovsky for the New York Times)

An awesome New York Times article on Bolivian wrestling.

(via Susan)

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Unlike Timbo, I haven’t taken a vow of hatred toward the Olympics, watching bits and pieces of the games here and there. Here are some choice stories, controversies, and generally bizarre things I’ve spotted along the way:

1. Ugly Girl Cut From Opening Ceremony - Replaced by “cute” lip-synching 7 year old
   
2. “Don’t call me a Nimrod!”
   
3. Chinese women’s gymnastics team wins all-around gold, amidst questions and accusations that many of the team members are not, and will not turn 16 in this Olympic year– the requirement to be eligible for competition in the Olympics.  Decide for yourself– the average weight of each respective Chinese gymnast is 77 pounds!
   
4. Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian was disqualified after throwing away his medal; vows to quit Greco-Roman wrestling.
   
5. Lisa Leslie of the USA Women’s Gold Medal Basketball team wants to make it clear that she is better than everyone else– by wearing ALL of her gold medals, from 4 games, during this year’s medal ceremony.  We get the message, Lisa.
   
6. Cuban Taekwondo athlete Angel Matos banned for life after kicking a referee in the face in response to his disqualification, for taking too much injury time during the bronze medal match:
   

(images courtesy of gadling.com, NBC, beijing2008.cn, Peter Parks, ESPN.com)

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If a portmanteau is a combination of two words, then chess-boxing is a sportmanteau.

You heard me right: this sport is a combination of chess and boxing. Started by the Hip-Hop Chess Federation (RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan is apparently a huge chess buff), competitors alternate in the ring between three-minute boxing rounds and four-minute rounds of speed chess. Between rounds, competitors only get a one-minute break to take off and put on gloves, and to ponder strategies with coaches. Ultimately, a winner is determined by knockout, checkmate, or referee decision. It’s hard to believe, but elite chessboxers claim the hardest part of the sport is not taking a beating in the boxing component, but rather, coming down from the adrenaline of boxing to be able to thoughtfully play chess. Check out the Time Magazine article on the sport.

(via Phil, via Blattman)

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The UK’s Guardian Blog has put together a hilarious LOLBush compilation based around our commander in chief’s exploits at the Olympics.  A personal favorite:

(via Ben; Via Guardian)

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‘Nuff said - if you’re into that kind of thing. Here’s a skit from the ESPN Espy’s Award Show that broadcasted on Sunday. I’m choosing to believe that Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly ad libbed this skit, because they’re each funny enough to do it.

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This from the Dodgers-Indians game the other day– something doesn’t seem quite right with these attendance statistics…

[image via HH]

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Though China has five Olympic mascots (”The Fuwa”), several others never made it past the drawing board.

A Blogadilla exclusive: rejected Chinese Olympic mascots.

Maomao - Lil’ Mao Zedong.

Melmel - The Melamine Cat.

I take pleasure in knowing that I’d be shot for doing this if I lived in China.

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Appliance Golfing - Reuters Link

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Such was the life for Landon Shuffett– now 13, and still crushing out opponents. Take a gander…the Tiger Woods of pool, anyone?

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Oh Heywood, you did beat me to it. But here’s the background that makes these early 80s clips worth watching: this video has only recently been released, and was shot by Juan Martin, who shot the footage for Spanish television. He has been holding onto it for years, and for MJ fans like myself (and Heywood), old video like this is digital gold!

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This is too good not to post…Vintage Michael Jordan: 1986 Nike Italian Summer exhibition; Shattered backboard. Classic.

(Beat you to it, Nerol! )

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A very clever British ad.  How aware am I?  Clearly not aware enough!

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As CollegeHumor.com says, “So what if it was their second date? She was the one!”

Ya gotta feel bad for this guy…but at least he got a free beer!

(From SteveB; via CollegeHumor.com)

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Here’s a background short on Baron Davis and Emanuelle Chriqui’s film, One Shot, that we profiled last week. Is this what professional athletes from Hollywood do in the off season?

[Editors note from Heywood]: Blogadilla is pumped to welcome long-time reader and contributor Nerol Someones as a new author. Be (somewhat) nice to the guy- we’re glad to have him!

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Baron Davis of the Golden State Warriors, A.K.A. B-Diddy, A.K.A. Boom Dizzle; has just added another A.K.A. to his moniker: Rollergirl.

Check out this bizarre, but comical short film of the Baron, directed by Emmanuelle Chriqui, better known as Sloan from the HBO series Entourage:

(Thanks Loren; via Fanhouse)

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I was flipping through the channels today and just as I happened to pass over gymnastics, I saw this– Alyssa Brown of Canada during her floor routine at the 2008 American Cup tries something a bit too difficult for her and gets absolutely pwned!

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You gotta respect a sport that involves high explosives:

(via Heather)

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I got this in a used bookstore. 1972. Naked Yoga. Awesome.
[click on the tiny photo for multiple images; NSFW, though nothing vulgar]:

Step 1 - Get a Persian rug.
Step 2 - Grow long, frizzy hair.
Step 3 - Strip.
Step 4 - Get comfortable with seeing your own buttocks hovering over your head.

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According to his last wishes, the remains of Robert “Evel” Knievel will be set on fire and launched over the Grand Canyon.
Given his recent passing, his final numbers can now be tallied:

•Wives: 2
•Longest Coma: 29 days
•Pelvis Fractures: 3
•Number of Broken Bones: (sources vary from 35 to 40)
•Total Number of Days in the Hospital: 36 months
•Number of Times Running an Anaconda Mining Company Earthmover into the Butte Montana City Powerlines: 1
•Number of Mountain Lions Jumped at One Time: 2
•Greatest Number of Cars Jumped at One Time: 19
•Greatest Number of Greyhound Buses Jumped at One Time: 14
•Convictions of Assault with an Aluminum Baseball Bat: 1
•Arrests for Solicitation of a Prostitute: 1
•Liver Transplants: 1
•Back Taxes Owed in 1983: $1,600,000.00

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While the University of California marching band is sometimes overshadowed by Pac-10 nemesis Stanford, you’ve got to hand it to Cal for their recent Nintendo-themed half time show against Washington State. As a friend pointed out, in the “Pong” sequence, the people must have had to run at least 40 yards in each direction!

(Thanks Ben!)

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