 |
|
 |
||||||
|
||||||||
You may recall how poorly the Aussies acted after being denied their beer and vegemite. Now someone’s trying to take away their fried chicken.
Two researchers from the University of Sydney’s Institute of Nutrition Obesity and Exercise, while not busy trying to fit that on their business cards, demanded that Cricket Australia drop its sponsorship deal with KFC, which they say is adding to the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic. Read more…
Authorities are cracking down on rowdy racegoers going to this weekend’s Bathurst 1000, which is reportedly the biggest auto race in all of Australia. From now on, racing fans are limited to bringing one case of beer per person. Supposedly this “restriction” will allow fans to be merely “hammered” during the race rather than “epically-blitzed.”
(The ice cream van in happier times)
Police say they’re tired of drunk patrons firebombing port-a-potties, burning couches, and destroying ice-cream vans. Which leads to our next question: why are there a bunch of couches at a race track?
Fans aren’t taking any of this lying (face) down. Rumor has it that some who are distraught over the new rule might have sneaked onto the race grounds at night and buried extra cases in the ground. More lunacy after the jump.
The British finished fourth in the medal count in the 2008 Olympics — 47 total medals, which gave them just enough for fourth place behind Russia’s 72 — but that hasn’t stopped the Brits from celebrating their national pride. Fair enough.
Most importantly for Britian, if you believe THE SUN, is that they edged out Australia by one medal. Apparently, these two countries like to have a go at each other, as they might say in politely accented fashion:
Read more…
The atmosphere at the Olympic Village for the past few Summer Games has been, in keeping with the ancient Greek tradition, quite Dionysian. Four years ago in Athens, athletes had access to more than 130,000 condoms, a response to the 2000 Sydney Games where they ran out. Not surprisingly, REUTERS reports that the Chinese government has created an atmosphere that is far more sedate at the Beijing Olympic Village: no condoms, no alcohol in the bars, not even DVDs that aren’t family films. (But visitors can still buy dirty books at the village gift shop.)
Some of the athletes aren’t too happy about having their Olympic experience turned G-rated, like Australian world champion rower Amber Halliday (on the right with partner Marguerite Houston):
American swimmer Natalie Coughlin won two gold medals in the Sydney Olympics four years ago, in addition to a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle.
The two-time gold medalist added an American record to her resume yesterday in that event, but then lost the race by nine hundredths of a second. Read more…
When Beijing Olympic officials got wind that Olympic delegations wanted to bring their own food to China, they naturally felt it was a slap in the face to Chinese culture, agriculture, etc. Much to those delegations’ chagrin, Chinese officials told them not to bring any food with them despite concerns about culture shock, contaminated foods (chickens chock full of steroids, etc.), and supply.
Unfortunately, there are some foodstuffs that China cannot naturally provide. Australia, for example, has taken to calling the new restrictions the “Vegemite ban”. Australian athletes cannot currently pack any of the leftover brewers’ yeast for the trip. (Australians believe in utilizing the whole beer, much like Native Americans and the buffalo.)
The Aussies might as well stay home if they can’t bring the paste that gives them their unique abilities. Why, it would be like taking… well, taking beer from an Australian athlete. Someone better get Beijing back on the line, just in case that was also on the list.
The Sharks, a South African rugby team, slipped an extra man onto the grass for two whole minutes without anyone noticing in their Super 14 match against the Queensland Reds last weekend. The 16th man roamed freely in the Sharks win and made two key tackles. Queensland Reds are protesting now, but you have to catch them in the act, Aussies. So sorry!
Now this is how you catch them in the act:
(Anatomy of a cheater)
The brilliant BALL IN EUROPE spotted ETB Essen trying to secure a promotion to the second division in German basketball by pulling the ol’ Maypole trick on the ref with two seconds left in the game. It’s one thing to sneak a 16th man onto a large field of play; it’s quite another to slip a sixth man back onto a tiny basketball court. Große Hoden, ETB Essen!
An Australian streaker, who interrupted a horse race by risking his life while wearing a purple wig, has avoided jail time but was told not to mix booze and the track anytime soon, the BATEMANS BAY POST reports.
Bradley Steven O’Mara faced 3 months in jail but instead must not drink at a track for one year - the ultimate punishment.
The SYDNEY MORNING HERALD claims that topless photos of Lara Bingle, Aussie model and companion to cricketer Michael Clarke, have appeared again on a German magazine’s website.
In March 2007, GQ’s German edition showed shots of Bingle in her birthday suit (possibly NSFW). The nudie pics caused quite a stir, as Lara was known for her brief bikini appearances in cricket ads - and for having an affair with married Australian football player Brendan Fevola.
The commotion was also felt by GQ’s website, as the torrents of traffic caused the mag’s Internet servers to crash.
But when we followed the Herald’s links to the supposedly new pics, we found something interesting. Or make that, didn’t find. Read more…
BECKHAM WOWS AUSSIES WHILE SNUBBING CANCER KIDS: 80,000 Aussie fans got a kick out of seeing David Beckham on Tuesday, as the L.A. Galaxy star notched a goal in an exhibition match in Sydney.
 |
Sadly, a group of young cancer survivors waiting to meet their favorite player didn’t get the chance. The SYDNEY MORNING HERALD reports that the soccer star blew by the cancer kids when he arrived at his hotel on Sunday.
A police escort had directed Beckham from the airport to the Star City Casino, where photographers and other throngs were waiting outside with the children. Beckham quickly flew from the car to inside the hotel, not stopping for anyone - including the kids.
 |
Especially hurt was Emma Byers, a 14-year-old leukemia survivor who burst into tears when she missed her chance to present her hero with a toy kangaroo gift.
But Becks claims he never saw the children, and said he would never purposefully snub any sick kids. He added, “I’m more than willing to meet them wherever they want and at whatever time that they want.”
