8:00 PM CSN Baltimore has video of Marcus Smith, a U.S. soldier who dressed as a minor league umpire to surprise his children at a Bowie Baysox game with a home visit from Afghanistan.
7:45 PM A Japanese Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was swept out to sea during last year's tsunami washed up on a shore in British Columbia last month. The bike's owner asked that the motorcycle be displayed at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee as a memorial to the tsunami victims.
7:30 PM Buffalo Bills receiver David Clowneytweeted the results of his HIV test which came back negative. And to the critics of his decision to share his results, Clowney added: "Some people are Ridiculously stupid ... And can't see the bigger picture about things that are important in this world."
The folks who run the Australian Open — who happen to go by the ultra-creative handle Tennis Australia — have always known that tennis alone is not enough to keep the people entertained. This is why they’ve done a lot of work in recent years to make the event not just a tennis tournament, but an experience. Go see Roger Federer emasculate some teenage Kiwi during the day, and then catch a burlesque show at night.
Sounds like a fantastic mix, doesn’t it? Well it seems that not everybody down under agrees with our moral sensibilities here at SbB, especially when it comes to one show in particular. The show Absinthe opened at the Spiegeltent on Monday night, and apparently it offended some of those in the attendance. I guess they don’t find racial slurs and simulated masturbation to be family entertainment, the fascists.
The BRISBANE COURIER-MAIL reports that Aussie TV ratings for this year’s “Glam Slam” were actually down from last year’s final. Over 33% less viewers tuned in Australia’s Channel Seven to see Maria beat Ana than those that watched Sharapova lose to Serena Williams in 2007.
Ana Ivanovic knows the secret to getting calls to go her way - by blowing a little kissy-kiss to the judge:
Here’s the Serbian slamstress puckering up during her Australian Open match against Caroline Wozniacki. Her delectable demeanor worked, as Ana beat her Danish opponent in straight sets. And it’s not just court officials who are enraptured by Ana’s beauty.
The MELBOURNE HERALD-SUN reports from the Australian Open that “comments by tennis commentator Roger Rasheed about Venus Williams’ behind have prompted a number of complaints.” Rasheed, a former pro tennis coach, recently “had a slow motion replay of Williams’ bottom during her match against China’s Yan Zi.”
Despite the predictable criticism from prudish viewers, tournament broadcaster Channel 7 said it would not discipline Rasheed (wonder if they consulted Tiger Woods first). The only problem we have with Rasheed’s comments were that they were directed at the wrong Williams sister.
We give you, Serena (from her younger, happier, pre-Tastykake days).
Novak Djokovic is making a name for himself on the court - not just for his tennis skills, but his impersonations of fellow racketeers.
After his opening match at the Australian Open, the silly Serb does his take on Maria Sharapova’s serve:
According to AGENCE FRANCE PRESS, Sharapova’s only slightly amused about Djokovic’s joking. She called his antics “kind of boring,” while assuring fans, “I’m sure you guys are going to get bored of it.”
But it’s not all sour grapes, as Maria adds, “It’s fun any time you can get some entertainers out there.”
The question is: can she dish it out as well as she takes it?
Some tennis fans in Melbourne wonder why should soccer hooligans have all the fun.
TENNIS WEEK reports that police had to use pepper spray on unruly fans during a first round match at the Australian Open. The confrontation caused a five-minute delay in the match between Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez and Grecce’s Konstantinos Economidis.
A group of fans started chanting insults at other spectators. When police came to remove the offending chant-leader, the crowd “became aggressive and threatening,” prompting the pepper spray use.
Authorities have instituted a zero-tolerance policy on bad behavior at this year’s open, due to a large-scale fight last year between Serbian & Croatian fans. But it’s hard to keep passions contained when it comes between such old rivals as the Chileans & Greeks.
Thankfully, the LONDON DAILY MAIL is keeping us abreast of the Australian Open (OK, we’re a day late), and we’re happy to report that there is definitely some interesting, uh, news bouncing around Melbourne.
Austrian Tamira Paszek is the talk of the tournament so far, thanks to her near opening-round upset of 3rd Seed Jelena Jankovic, and “lunging around in a flimsy vest and straining sports bra (that) would have left many venerable members of the All-England Club choking on their strawberries.”
We hadn’t noticed Paszek until the Brits brought her up. So we endeavored to find a few more photos of her - for confirmation’s sake only.
