Uncommon Sportsman - The official blog about uncommon sports

Uncommon Snips - Olympic Edition (again)

by Axion on Feb 9, 2010 12:20 AM EST in News Comment 0 comments

In this edition of Uncommon Snips: the Aussies get to keep their 'roo, the story of a bald man's hair/performance enhancing drugs, why Lindsey Vonn is the winter Michael Phelps, winter didn't show up at the Olympics, Ireland threatens to riot, Canada has never won a gold medal in a Games they've hosted, and a nice guide on what to look for when you watch curling.

Blog - North of the Border | Kangaroo can stay, says IOC | NBC Olympics
The billboard-sized boxing kangaroo can stay, says the IOC. You can just hear them now across town: "Aussie...! Oi! Aussie...! Oi!" And that's how you know this is going to be a fun Winter Games.As athletes, coaches, and fans make the drive in from Vancouver's airport, many will cross the Cambie Street bridge, which links a southern part of the host city with downtown. The Olympic athlete's village sits off to the right. You can't miss it. A two-story tall, green and gold flag ripples with the Australian Olympic team's most recognizable symbol -- a golden kangaroo with big red boxing gloves.
Lund embracing baldness, and it's paying off | NBC Olympics
Getting kicked out of the Torino Olympics and labeled a drug cheat just hours before the 2006 opening ceremony remains a low point in American race Zach Lund's life, a chapter brought on by his usage of a hair-restoration drug and never checking if the product complied with anti-doping rules.

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Noriki Tamura shows the Mao dog at his Japadog cart on Vancouver's Burrard Street. The Mao dog is in support of Japanese figure skater Mao Asada's pursuit of the podium at the 2010 Olympics.

Street vendor puts on the dog for popular Japanese figure skater

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Running in the 2010 Krispy Kreme Challenge

by royhobbs on Feb 7, 2010 4:46 PM EST Comment 5 comments

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You can kind of see the guy in the middle, how he's ready to hurl at any second.

Anyway, 'twas that time of the year again, and I found myself in Raleigh, North Carolina for the 6th Annual (second time for me) running of the Krispy Kreme Challenge, an event held every year in North Carolina for people to torment their bodies, as well as to raise money for North Carolina Childrens' Hospital.

The format is quite simple - runners start at the NC State belltower, and then run 2.2 miles to Krispy Kreme, where they down twelve original glazed Krispy Kreme donuts, and then run 2.2 miles back to the belltower. All in 60 minutes or less. Easier said, than done.

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33rd America’s Cup Race 1 Open Thread

by Jonny Dub on Feb 7, 2010 4:19 PM EST Comment 7 comments

Today the Vince Lombardi Trophy will be hoisted by the greatest professional football team in the world. But the Lombardi Trophy is nothing compared to the oldest sporting trophy in the history of mankind.

History has shown what those will go through and sacrifice to capture the cup. Yachtsmen have failed and even died in attempts to win. It defies logic to dedicate so much time, money and livelihood to just a sport. The Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, British royalty are the type of characters who chase this holy grail. The 2010 America’s cup is undboubtably the most maddening edition of a yacht race that spans three centuries.

In one corner you have a team that hails from Switzerland… Team Alinghi. Alinghi is backed by gizllionaire drug lord Ernesto Bertarelli. Team BMW Oracle, now known as USA-17 is headed by yet another gizllionaire Larry Ellison.

In short only these two teams, rather than the more than ten we are used to, are foolish enough and egotistical enough to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a single event that could be realistically decided in the first 10 minutes. The technology being applied to these two boats is ridiculous. These boats move more than three times the speed of the wind… defying all traditional science. USA-17 doesn’t even have a mainsail, it uses a wing! A wing so massive it dwarfs that of a Boeing 747

We’ve never seen, nor will we ever see again in our lifetimes such infuriated amounts of research, time and money being thrown at a sailing race. The next edition of the America’s cup will most likely turn back the clock to traditional monohauls and sails. So this is it! If you don’t follow the America’s Cup there is no better time to start. And if you do, this is the race you tell your grandchildren about. The resources dedicated, along with the ludicrous soap opera between these two team makes this perhaps the most single important sporting event of all time. And the 33rd America’s Cup Starts Tonight!

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Lingerie Bowl 2010 - L.A. Temptation vs. Chicago Bliss

by Axion on Feb 7, 2010 3:27 PM EST in Events Comment 3 comments

I'm this happy. via thesportsunion.com

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It's finally here! The Lingerie Bowl 2010! This ain't your father's powder puff game, y'all. With the first complete season behind them, the Los Angeles Temptation and Chicago Bliss have emerged champions of their respective conferences, ascending to the climactic finish that is the Lingerie Bowl VII.

The bad news: This is a pay per view event. It costs $9.95. It will be broadcast at LFLus.com starting at 8PM EST/5PM PST. Also, the LFL's site is running like crap, I hope they can get it fixed before show time, but as kick off approaches, they're just going to be getting more traffic. Last item; they already played the game last night.

More info here and here.

[Note by Axion, 02/07/10 5:06 PM PST ] The Open Thread is probably a moot point since they can't handle the demand. If you do watch it anyway, you're invited to leave your comments below.

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