Sports
Ultimate Tazer Ball
Another sport that, like mobile phone throwing, arose in the 21st century, flourished briefly, involved new technology, but then fizzled and disappeared.How the game was played, according to wikipedia:
The UTB website is now defunct, but can still be partially viewed via the Wayback Machine.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Apr 21, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Sports
Bear vs Man
New York, 1937.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Apr 19, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Sports, 1930s
Mobile Phone Throwing
It's a sport that got its start in Finland in 2000. From wikipedia: "participants throw mobile phones and are judged on distance or technique. World record holder is Tom Philipp Reinhardt from Germany with a throw of 136,75m."But the competitions seem to have ended. The last title winners listed on wikipedia are from 2014. I can't find any more recent elsewhere. Perhaps people are reluctant to throw their smart phones?
Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 16, 2019 -
Comments (4)
Category: Sports, Telephones
Burning Baseball Fields
Although the practice is not advised, apparently it's fairly common for people to try to quickly dry out wet baseball fields by dousing them in gasoline and burning them.One such case was recently in the news: "Baseball field closed due to 'poor decision' to douse it in gas, set it on fire"
@GameTimeCT @amityathletics @SPBowley
— NortonAmityTeacher (@AmityNorton) April 6, 2019
Field Maintenance at Governors Field in Ridgefield. First responders currently on scene. Game being moved? Environmental Hazard? pic.twitter.com/9eKd2JcBJC
But youtube offers up many more examples.
via reddit
Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 10, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Sports
Bridge player caught doping
A doping scandal has rocked the world of competitive bridge. The World Bridge Federation announced that top-ranked player Geir Helgemo has been suspended after he tested positive for synthetic testosterone and the female fertility drug clomifene while playing in the World Bridge Series in Orlando, Florida.Of course, these drugs don't enhance or otherwise affect one's ability to play bridge. But apparently the World Bridge Federation is recognized by the International Olympic Committee, which means the bridge players need to follow the same anti-doping rules as Olympic athletes.
More details: globalnews.ca
Posted By: Alex - Sat Mar 09, 2019 -
Comments (3)
Category: Drugs, Games, Sports
Golf Ball Hits Airplane
Back in in 1969, a golfer accidentally managed to hit a plane with his ball. The ball went through the plexiglass windshield and into the cockpit.Which raises the question: Do golf balls pose a potential hazard to planes? This is discussed in a thread over at aviation.stackexchange.com, and the consensus seems to be, not really. Even if a golf ball were, somehow, to get into a plane's engine, it's probably small enough that it wouldn't cause damage.
Oakland Tribune - Jan 16, 1969
I was curious about how often golfers hit planes. Apparently, not often. But some googling yielded this video, which purports to show a golfer hitting a 757 with a ball. Though no one in the YouTube comments seems to believe he actually hit the plane.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Mar 06, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Sports, Air Travel and Airlines
Follies of the Madmen #406
Joe Louis lives in your car's engine.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 15, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Business, Advertising, Sports, Technology, 1930s
86-year-old trapeze artist
Betty Goedhart first tried the trapeze at the age of 78, after a career as an ice skater. So she had an athletic background. Even so, she's got some seriously good genes.More info: fox news
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jan 14, 2019 -
Comments (2)
Category: Sports, World Records
The rookie rower who failed to cross the Atlantic
Even though he had only been on the ocean once, while taking the Newfoundland ferry, Arthur Russell figured he could row across the Atlantic. He practiced for two years on his rowing machine and then set off from Halifax harbor. Six hours later, he had to signal for help and was rescued.
Edmonton Journal - May 31, 1990
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jan 11, 2019 -
Comments (4)
Category: Boats, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Sports, 1990s
The Jump-Roping Rabbi
Rabbi Barry Silberg set a world record in 1975 for jumping rope for five hours. According to Guinness, the current record, set in 2009, is 33 hours 20 minutes. That's not even close. So why such a huge difference? Did shoes get better, or something?
Moline Dispatch - June 25, 1975
Green Bay Press Gazette - Mar 31, 1975
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jan 10, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Sports, World Records
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction books such as Elephants on Acid. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Our banner was drawn by the legendary underground cartoonist Rick Altergott. Contact Us |