sports

A College Football Rivalry Immortalized by Map Bunnies

Kara Kovalchik

For some folks, this coming weekend is all about the leftovers and department store sales. For others, it’s unlimited time to sit back and watch one college football game after another.

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The Peoria Chiefs, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, joined the list of LeBron James' bashers when it staged a "LeBron James NBA Championship Replica Ring Giveaway" after the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat for the NBA title. There was no ring, of course. The Chiefs claimed to explore the possibility of skipping the fourth inning to mirror James' disappearing act in the fourth quarters against Dallas. Minor league baseball promotions are almost always creative. Many times they're... READ ON

Bud Shaw

Bud Shaw is a columnist for The Cleveland Plain-Dealer who has also written for the Philadelphia Daily News, San Diego Union-Tribune, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The National.

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The Best and Worst Minor League Stadium Promotions

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10 Mostly Obscure Indy 500 Facts Sure to Impress Your Friends, at Least on a Slow-Lane Kind of Day

1. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway spans 253 acres and includes a golf course. The track publicity department points out that Churchill Downs, Yankees Stadium, the Rose Bowl, the Roman Colosseum and Vatican City can all fit inside. It's a good thing they never did that. The pre-1981 infield in Turn 1, famously known as The Snakepit, could make Woodstock look like church. The Pope would not have approved, or at least would've demanded shades on his windows. 2. Ray Harroun won the inaugural 500-mile race... READ ON

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Bruce Jenner, John Wayne and a Newborn Baby: 18 Curious Draft Picks

It's a guarantee that in this year's NFL Draft, a future Hall of Famer will be selected after someone who never plays a down in the league. What we can say with equal certainty (well, almost) is that no team will try to draft a newborn baby, select a Hollywood movie star, scout from the back of a trading card, pick a Nutri-Systems doctor/poker buddy or even a barefoot kicker at the top of the first round. On occasion, teams have gone to great lengths to get it right and failed. Other times, long ago,... READ ON

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On Redheaded Quarterbacks and Whether Linemen Can Swim

Quarterback in the NFL is the position that drives the franchise, sometimes into a sinkhole that swallows reasonable chances of success for years on end. No wonder teams spend so much pre-draft time prodding, probing and analyzing quarterbacks. The decision is so costly and important that the term "pre-draft" as it pertains to the evaluation and measuring of QB prospects has been expanded to include college career, choice of high school prom date, kindergarten teamwork skills and, this year, conception.... READ ON

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Amazing Tales From the Boston Marathon

Runners dressed as Forrest Gump, Elvis, Bozo the Clown and the Cat in the Hat all crossed the finish line in front of me at the Boston Marathon one year. So did a shirtless participant running backwards, possibly in search of a Nike endorsement. A magic marker message was scrawled where you'd expect to see his chest: "Backwards Man -- It Do Just." "In front of me" is not the same as "ahead of me." "Ahead" would suggest movement on my part, perspiration even. Not standing at the finish line as... READ ON

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More Measurables! Comprehending the NFL Combine

Certain people can feel a storm approaching. Their joints ache. The NFL Scouting Combine sends a similar physical warning for me, but the symptoms are usually migraine-related. I felt it coming a few days before the NFL Network televised the event that ended last week in Indianapolis. ESPN draft expert Todd McShay showed up on TV telling a studio host of the latest measurable he sniffed out concerning one member of the Draft Class of 2011. “He has an 11-inch hand-span,” McShay said of USC’s... READ ON

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The Cleveland Curse

Help. Somebody. Anybody. Dr. Phil. Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo. Buffy The Vampire Slayer. We're not picky. No need for archaeologists to take a flyer on finding a hellmouth in Belize. We got you covered. Basketball season. Football season. Baseball season. Any time of year will do. We do not yet have a losing Lingerie Football League team but only because that inaugural season of the Cleveland Crush (I wish I were making that up) doesn't roll around until Fall. You may think this is... READ ON

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Bud Shaw's Year in Review

In 2010, retired heavyweight Mike Tyson appeared on Animal Planet. As a pigeon racer. The Pittsburgh Pirates fired a pierogi mascot for ripping the team on Facebook. A Norwegian cross country skier blamed failing to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics on watching too much porn. A Phillies fan purposely threw up on a man and the man's daughter during a game. An NFL executive asked a draft prospect if his mother was a prostitute. Baltimore Orioles player Brian Roberts missed the last... READ ON

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Say What? When Athletes Are Misquoted

Note: Tomorrow night at 7pm, Bud Shaw will be speaking and answering questions at the mental_floss store in Chesterland, Ohio. Stop by and say... READ ON

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Cliff Lee: Wild and Crazy Guy

The most dominant postseason pitcher of his era, Cliff Lee of the Texas Rangers might like to tell you his success can be traced to serious introspection in a thinking man's game. Sounds feasible enough. He could make that case, except for one catch. He's given it no... READ ON

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Jason Plautz

Jason Plautz started as an intern for mentalfloss.com in 2007 and now does quizzes and posts about politics, sports, movies, and anything else that crosses his radar.

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11 Strange Things You Might Put In Your Gas Tank

With gas prices continuing to jump up and down, there's increasing attention on finding viable alternative fuels. You may know all about electric cars or natural gas, but what about the coffee car? Here are some unusual alternative fuels that could find their way into your gas tank -- and a few that shouldn't. 1. Coffee A British team (the same people behind the BBC show Bang Goes The Theory) outfitted a 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco to run on coffee grounds, arguing that because coffee contains some carbon... READ ON

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What Happened to Starting Races With Real Pistols?

When Usain Bolt, Wallace Spearmon and the rest of the field line up for today's 200-meter race, they'll kick off the race not at the fire of a pistol, but a noise triggered by an electronic gun. Did previous Games use actual... READ ON

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The 21 Countries With One Olympic Medal

Earlier today, we quizzed you on the countries that have won more than 100 Olympic medals. Now it's time for the other side of the equation. Twenty-one countries have won just one medal. Here are the stories of the national heroes who brought those medals home.... READ ON

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Lunchtime Quiz: Track Listing (Another Numerical Edition)

Another week, another party, another playlist that needs ordering. I'm sticking with the numerical theme -- I'll give you a snippet of a lyric and it's up to you to put them in numerical order. Take the Quiz: Track Listing: Another Numerical Edition Try previous Track Listing quizzes: Chronological, Geographical, Alphabetical and the first Numerical... READ ON

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Are Mermaids Real? 11 Myths the U.S. Government Has Addressed

Usually the government sticks to reality, but there are a number of times where agencies have investigated or weighed in on more mythical ideas. From mermaids to Santa Claus, here are 11 legends that the government has acknowledged, even if just to deny. 1.... READ ON

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After Elections in Delaware, Politicians Literally Bury Hatchets

Image credit: A Chesapeake Journal As the election season kicks into gear and all that negative rhetoric hits the airwaves, it's worth remembering that politics isn't always so nasty. And no place is that more clear than in one Delaware town, where politicians mark the end of campaigning by literally burying the... READ ON

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On This Date in 1974, Cleveland's "Ten Cent Beer Night" Went Horribly Wrong

Image via Homage.com To bring fans to see the miserable Cleveland Indians play the Texas Rangers on June 4, 1974, management decided to sell 10-ounce cups of beer for only 10 cents. More than 25,000 fans showed up for the event, but management forgot one small detail: drunk people get restless. Among the more tame incidents was a woman who flashed the crowd from the on-deck circle, a father-son team mooning the players, and fans jumping on the field to meet the outfielders. Then, in the bottom of the... READ ON

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11 Amazing Under-the-Radar Sports Dynasties

You've heard all about the great Yankees teams, or the Chicago Bulls dynasty that won six championships in eight seasons. But can they top a 452-game winning streak? Or how about 17 consecutive championships? From squash to horseshoe pitching, here are some of sports' best little-known dynasties. 1. Heather... READ ON

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11 Athletes Who Had Their Own Cereals

Plenty of athletes have adorned boxes of Wheaties. But only the best can take it a step further and market a brand of cereal dedicated entirely to themselves. Several athletes have used a limited edition cereal line to raise money for their favorite charities or boost their profiles -- here are 11 of the stars that managed to work their way onto the breakfast table 1. Flutie... READ ON

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From Sonic Youth's Guitars to LA Tubas: 4 Famous Stolen Instruments

1. Sonic Youth’s... READ ON

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9 of the Biggest Trades in Baseball History—And How They Worked Out

Danny Groner

The Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins pulled off a blockbuster deal on Tuesday night that sends Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, and others to Toronto in exchange for several young players an

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Why Is the NBA Shot Clock 24 Seconds?

Ethan Trex

The NBA’s 24-second shot clock was invented in 1954 by Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone, who wanted to force teams to pick up the pace of games.

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