Δευτέρα 17 Μαρτίου 2008

101 Sports education - Part 1

The main difference between sports in USA and Europe is straightforward the element of entertainment. It's not like in US people don't care about winning, it's just the fact that people enjoy sports, sports came into life to amuse and be a productive and enjoyable part of their lives. Even when it's about fans and supporting your team those people have their way of cracking me up, check this video: UGA was playing at Auburn in 1996 and their mascot Uga tried to bite Auburn’s Robert Baker after he scored a touchdown!!!!!



Now, don't get me wrong, college sports are a whole different story and the arenas are always filled with young (Irish) students from the campus; no typical families on Sundays...and check out this article about fan cheering and another 1 pointing out that people had enough of drunk and abusive college fans, raising 1st Amendment issues; isn't it always about freedom of speech???
Actually, having attended both events I can tell there are too many similarities, only 1 big difference: alcohol is NOT served in Greek courts unless you are a VIP..
Back to professional sports: big markets lead to higher expectations, big stars performing and on to the point, BIG TIME entertaining!
When people want to protest they act ridiculous (- ly funny)...just check those Bucks fans putting brown paper sacks on their heads and heading into their teams arena, sitting down and watching their team play as a show of total shame for said team's inability to prosper.
When we talk about Greece it gets even more anti-entertaining... win or go home. An enormous amount of pressure is constantly put on the players and coaches to perform while being unpaid for extensive periods is considered normal... As for fans, you know the deal, the land of "kafroi"...As a result todays' Greek authorities are still contemplating about the ability of a typical Greek family to safely attend a classic Sunday sports event (in the fear of extensive and dangerous altercation)...and this is the land where Olympics where invented!!!

Anyway, this is a blog, not a politics forum, so in the name of entertainment, check out the following pics:

NBA: Where Looking at the Cheerleaders Gets You in Trouble' Happens...Trust me fellas, a sporting event is a terrible place to go on a date…a fancy restaurant or the movies are a much safer bet. Why? Well, because if you go to a ballgame, something like this might happen:



That poor,poor,poor guy. Can’t even do a little gawking at the Mavs dance team...

Shaq is plain simple the funniest guy ever to play the game...At the time this happened, I was of the opinion that this dive by Shaq into the stands was excessive. After reviewing it a few more times, I stand by my initial take. He didn't need to do this, but after all, Shaq is a performer, and this is at least part of what the Suns signed up for when they traded for him so they'll just have to put up with theatrics like this along the way, because Shaq wants to make damn sure that if he's going to go all out like this, that we all notice when he does.



Now the funny part. A couple days after the above mentioned unnecessary and excessive diving into the stands we have the same play only this time it's Shaq and bench (acting like wussies) instead of Shaq vs. fans..



What cracks me up, though, is how everybody moved out of the way, even guys at the end of the bench who weren't close to getting hit -- it was like magnets repelling from each other, or cockroaches scattering when you turn on the light.

The Rockets these days are having great times enjoying an astonishing 22 (and counting) wins in a row. It's all about karma, when you r having fun the whole team can go on and do an impersonation of 41 years old Dikembe Mutombo who apparently always seems to sound like a drunk Cookie monster!!!



Bonus material on Deke...“It was named after pasta…”



Finally, it's all about the game..Check out Jason Maxiell's ridiculous, gravity defying rejection on Tyson Chandler...Chandler was elbows over the rim, and Maxiell got up from a flat-footed position to swat it out of bounds..'Nuff said, block of the year!

Κυριακή 2 Μαρτίου 2008

Stuff White People Like...

A site that’s been circulating widely around the ‘net the last few weeks has been Stuff White People Like. Someone sent it to me about a month ago, and I immediately bookmarked it, intending to post to it but eventually forgetting about it. I’ve seen it mentioned elsewhere a few times lately, so I figured I’d post it up today. Funny stuff there. I actually spent a solid two hours yesterday laughing out loud at my desk as I was reading through it working on a project.
The more you read the more you will be amazed by the accuracy of this statement... That website is simply awesome, apparently stereotyping white people works…who knew! Be sure to check the comments section too, some very creative lines coming up...

My favorites include:
White people love to pass, it’s no secret. In basketball, it’s kind of a must so that white guys can carve out a niche and guarantee acceptance on a team (From Pete Maravich to Larry Bird to John Stockton, Scott Skiles, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash...) One explanation is that white people still feel guilty over slavery, colonialism, and the crusades so passing is a way to make up for it. But more importantly, it makes them feel good to help others.
White people love to be outside. But not everyone knows that another thing they like to do is make people feel bad for wanting to watch sports on TV or play videogames. Usually, they will see that you are preparing to enjoy your life and they will say “hey, lets go for a hike in the park,” and most people will say “hey, thanks but I’ve been working all week and I’m really excited about watching this game,” and then they will respond “don’t be a lump on the couch, you’re wasting your life away, etc…” If you ignore them, they will eventually go away.
95% of white males have at one point in their lives, experienced yellow fever. Many factors have contributed to this phenomenon such as guilt from head taxes, internment camps, dropping the Nuclear bomb and the Viet Nam War . This exchange works both ways as asian girls have a tendency to go for white guys. Another factor that draws white guys to asian women is that white women are jealous of them.Take for instance the fact that asian women well into their 30s and 40s retain teen / college girl looks without the help of botox, yoga or a trendy diet (future posts). Asian women also avoid key white women characteristics such as having a mid life crisis, divorce, and hobbies that don’t involve taking care of the children. Should white guy / asian girl marry, they produce hybirds that are aestically pleasing, but are very annoying. This practice is also a means by which white people can catch up to the asian peoples in the population race, as most of the hybirds often act white rather than asian.
The number one reason why white people like not having a TV is so that they can tell you that they don’t have a TV. It is effective in making other white people feel bad, and making themselves feel good about their life and life choices.
Plain and simple, white people don’t just like Apple, they love and need Apple to operate. Apple products tell the world you are creative and unique. When you ask white people about Mac’s they will say “oh, it’s so much better than Windows,” “it’s just easier to use,” “they are so cutting edge,” and so forth. What’s amazing is that white people NEED to meet people who use Windows to justify themselves spending an extra $500 for a pretty looking machine. Knowledge of Apple products can be useful in a number of social situations. If you see a white person with a Mac, an easy way to approach them is to say “Is that a Powerbook? What OS do you have?” They will happily start talking to you, after the requisite five minutes, you can invite them to an 80s night.

White people spend a lot of time of worrying about poor people. It takes up a pretty significant portion of their day. It is a poorly guarded secret that, deep down, white people believe if given money and education that all poor people would be EXACTLY like them. In fact, the only reason that poor people make the choices they do is because they have not been given the means to make the right choices and care about the right things. But it is ESSENTIAL that you reassert that poor people do not make decisions based on free will. That news could crush white people and their hope for the future.

Honorable mention: Farmers Markets, Non-profit organizations, Yoga, Snowboarding, Lawyers, Bottles of Water, Arts Degrees, Study Abroad, Standing Still at Concerts....more to come!!!

I sure managed to save the best for last...
THE 10 RAP SONGS WHITE PEOPLE LOVE (to dance):