Posts: 21 Rank: 117
Member Since:
10/21/2005
Location:
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Posted: 10/9/2007
An excerpt from the new book The Worst of Sports written by our own Jesse Lamovsky, Matthew Rosetti, and Charlie DeMarco. Available in bookstores now. Order it now.
An Olympic Water Polo Battle Royale that Embodied the Cold War Struggle
The tension was palpable when the Hungarian and Soviet water polo teams splashed into the pool for their 1956 Olympic semifinal match in Melbourne. Soviet tanks sat in Budapest and a Hungarian populist revolt had just been put down with unreÂï...
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Posts: 802 Rank: 17 Joined:
6/20/2007
Location:
Norristown, PA
Posted: 10/9/2007 11:10:41 AM
I applaud your desire to do something new on TPP, but creating intensity about water polo creates an unintential parody much like the old SNL synchronized swimming skits with Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest.
Read this article in the voice from the Campbell's Chunky Soup commericials to see what I mean.
Posts: 300 Rank: 25 Joined:
12/7/2006
Location:
East Lansing, MI
Posted: 10/9/2007 11:12:06 AM
Although I thought it was Barney, hip-hop and blue jeans that ended the Cold War.
So in class today we had a discussion on editing stories with "racial connotation", and one kid said he'd run a story about black people eating fried chicken and one about an asian kid winning a math-a-thon. While it's general knowledge knowing you don't publish a story with obvious racial implications for fear of being beaten/raped, and besides the fact this kid is obviously an idiot, the best part was the Filipino girl who got really upset and yelled at him for a good 20 minutes in class.
I don't think I've ever been so turned on in my 20 years of life. Not only is she really hot, but she had such passion and rage in her voice that I only heard from Melodic Death Metal singers. It was like an angel raining fire down from the heavens.
Posts: 173 Rank: 36 Joined:
8/29/2007
Location:
Boston, MA
Posted: 10/9/2007 11:14:56 AM
It was a historically accurate brief of the direct relevance of Olympic water polo to the bad blood between Hungary and the Soviets and.. what in Jesus' name this article blowed a chode.
Posts: 607 Rank: 21 Joined:
12/8/2006
Location:
north babylon, NY
Posted: 10/9/2007 11:21:05 AM
Way to pick the BEST article from your book in a cheap attempt to get me to buy it. You REALLY sold me with this one. I can't wait to read the next one about the intense Badmitton match between East and West Germany in the 1980 Olympics.
Posts: 2115 Rank: 5 Joined:
2/27/2007
Location:
Ventura, CA
Posted: 10/9/2007 11:25:48 AM
Good morning gorgeous.
JDL - I don't even read your articles, but I still like you as a person.
Filth - Maybe you can clear up the whole "black people are afraid of the water and can't swim" thing. Supwitdat?
Mr. Vertigo - Last night, while I was cleaning your loafers with a tampon, a can of Kiwi black wax, and a lighter, I noticed that the cushioning in your leather chair was getting a little compacted, so had a baby lamb sheared and had your chair restuffed. I'm sure you could tell the difference this morning. Gratis.
Posts: 802 Rank: 17 Joined:
6/20/2007
Location:
Norristown, PA
Posted: 10/9/2007 11:26:00 AM
Intense Tiddlywinks battle between Australia and New Zealand. There was a lot of bad blood there. There were some very aggressive squops by the Kiwis and for a moment it looks like Ferguson and Mankins were going to get into a slap fight, but cooler heads prevailed.
Posts: 607 Rank: 21 Joined:
12/8/2006
Location:
north babylon, NY
Posted: 10/9/2007 11:35:24 AM
"The Olympic official hadn't seen that much blood in a pool since the goalie for the German femaile team had a sudden visit from 'Aunt Flo' in the middle of a match."
Posts: 802 Rank: 17 Joined:
6/20/2007
Location:
Norristown, PA
Posted: 10/9/2007 11:48:51 AM
Black people can't swim (me included) and are afraid of water (me included) because poor people only get a chance to play sports that don't need a lot of equipment (football, soccer, basketball, boxing). They never got exposed to sports with a lot of overhead (hockey, organized baseball, tennis, swimming) so being an adult and suddenly thrust into water is terrifying.
in funny or just the articles that you put up on the site. Oh, I get it now, buy the book if you want the funny, but the filler is free.
In defense of water polo, it is the most exhausting activity a person can engage in... outside of mass genocide.
Disclaimer: the above line was a variation on a quote from a popular movie, the author of this post hereby disclaims any credit for the creation of the original quote, and only varied it to fit this situation and amuse himself. DLamp - Fuck off.
Posts: 903 Rank: 3 Joined:
12/7/2006
Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Posted: 10/9/2007 11:59:14 AM
So here's my story from filming yesterday (it's this short skit for msn.com, should be up early next month). I get to the production studio on Hollywood Blvd at 11. They get me some water (not even Peligrino, cheap fuckers) and tell me it will just be a short while, so I pick up a Pro Wrestling Insider from 2005 and get to reading about people that are now dead. At 1 they tell me their ready, but we're not shooting here. So we walk two blocks to an editor's apartment. We get up there, they unfold his futon, and tell me to get down to just my boxers and all I can think is, "Fuck. Not again..."
And to catch up from everything I've missed: 1) Anna? Nope. Thanks for playing though. 2) I went to UCLA. It's an amazing place, especially if you've got the Yellow Fever. 3) Quail Man should be up tomorrow. Fucking TO... 4) Who do I play this week, and what's the bet?
Posts: 300 Rank: 25 Joined:
12/7/2006
Location:
East Lansing, MI
Posted: 10/9/2007 12:00:22 PM
when I worked at scout camp a few years ago, each camper was required to do a swim test to make sure what their swimming level is, and if their parents beat them (apparently no one beats their kids in up north Michigan, I never saw any bruises where "daddy pushed me a little too hard on the swing set") , but anyway, I remember one kid's conversation very well...
Scout Camp Counselor: "Okay kids, into the water!" Black kid: "...naw...." SCC: "Come on Jermaine, everyone has to." J: "I don't plan on swimmin' here." (takes bite out of grape freeze-pop) SCC: "Why not?" J: "I ain't no fish!" SCC: Look Jermaine, at least go into the white area and splash around for a little." J: (goes over to white swim zone, takes off shoes, and stomps the water) "Ugg.." SCC: "That's not so bad, is it?" J: "All I'm gonna do is leather-working and take naps here anyway."
My firey Filipino left class right at the end, so I couldn't ask her out to a date at Steak and Shake, so now I have to wait 'til Thursday to actually speak to her.
Posts: 277 Rank: 26 Joined:
5/31/2007
Location:
Gilbert, AZ
Posted: 10/9/2007 12:06:12 PM
Enjoyed the excerpt.
Memorable sports events rarely are driven simply by the matchup on the field/court/pool of play - but rather the extraneous events, rivalry's, relationships and political/social climates surrounding it. Here's a country that is absolutely getting trounced and raped by another - but for one brief moment in a pool halfway across the world, Hungry beat them in more ways than one.
That game propelled Hungry to be amongst the world powers - leading the charge against communism and fascism and enlightening the social culture of Eastern Europe! Thank you Hungry Polo team from 1956!
