Baseball players have always been a superstitious bunch, and until recently, not a lot of science was applied to the game. In the past 20 years or so, Bill James and Moneyball (Soon to be a major motion picture!) have begun to change that. Now, Smithsonian Magazine takes a look at the physics of cheating in baseball, with corked bats, juiced balls, and humidors.
The Latest in Horse Technology ∞
Thursday, July 14th, 2011
If you wanted to wire all of Vermont for broadband, how would you go about stringing hundreds of miles of fiber-optic cable across the state’s rugged terrain?
You’d use a horse, of course.
Worth The Wait ∞
Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
If you don’t laugh at the story of Niko Alm’s three year struggle to get his “religious headgear” recognized for his driver’s license, you may be on the wrong website.
Bravo, Mr. Alm.
An Answer to the Koan ∞
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Speaking of oppressive governments, Belarus has banned clapping. Nearly all forms of possible protest have been banned by president Alexander Lukashenko, so citizens resorted to sarcastic clapping and laughing to show their displeasure. Now this too has been banned, and even a one-armed man has been found guilty of the offense.
This Joke Kills Facists? ∞
Monday, July 11th, 2011
The Atlantic has a great piece on the riffs Chinese bloggers have made from a terribly doctored propaganda photo. It’s fascinating to see what may be the beginnings of a fight against an authoritarian government.
A subtle, but inspired, edit.
Shame on You, CBS ∞
Friday, July 8th, 2011
When televising Boston’s annual July 4th fireworks show, CBS used video manipulation to create some impossible views. The Boston.com article has an insightful graphic:
Nadir
Thursday, July 7th, 2011
Over at Walmart, you can currently pick up a baseball autographed by Pete Rose1. Some level of fan interest in the all-time hits leader in Major League Baseball remains, despite his tarnished reputation. And yet, this represents a new low point of Rose’s long relationship with baseball. See for yourself:
Think he wrote the inscription or just signed it?
The saddest part may actually be the 37% price reduction.
Footnotes:
I imagine this will disappear eventually, so here’s a picture of the listing. ↩︎
Don’t Miss The Stipple Hoodie ∞
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
Start-ups in Silicon Valley are adding ever more ridiculous perks, as detailed in this Wall Street Journal article.
The 2011 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
Tuesday, July 5th, 2011
Yesterday was America’s independence day, which means it was also time for the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest. Since its inception in 2009, One Foot Tsunami has been providing you with coverage, so you don’t have to watch it yourself1.
2011’s event started off on a bit of a sour note, as the women were removed from the men’s contest and given their own competition. While the female winner received an equal $10,000 prize2, their contest was marginalized when it came to television coverage. It took place prior to the telecast and was summarized and disposed of in the first seven minutes of the coverage. Shameful, ESPN. Simply shameful.
Nevertheless, we should not allow ESPN’s discrimination, nor the off-putting Pepto-Bismol product placement, to sully this fine event. Instead, let’s take a look at the science of hot dog eating.
By the Numbers: The Science of Hot Dog Eating
5 or more: The number of sticks of gum some competitors chew at a time, in a training exercise to strength their masseter muscles.
280 lbs of force: The bite of some eaters, stronger than that of a German Shepherd.
5 minutes: How quickly Joey “Jaws” Chestnut consumed 5 days worth of food (in the form of 30 hot dogs and buns, totaling 9000 calories).
You learn something new everyday. And today, you’ve learned something disgusting. Now, let’s dive into the best quotes from the contest.
The Best Quotes From the 2011 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti, on how he spends his time:
“Outside of eating and cooking, I read a lot of bad teenage girl novels.”
On Damon Wells emergence:
“He is a rookie out of the dumpling circuit.”
Describing what led gurgitator Sean Gordon to find his niche in competitive eating:
“As a young man, he failed to excel in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, golf, soccer, tennis, swimming, running, wrestling, handball, racquetball, curling, cricket, and shuffleboard.”
Discussing youngster Matt “Megatoad” Stonie, who ate 32 hot dogs to qualify:
“18 years old – do you think he has a future?”
On Joey Chestnut’s confidence:
He looked like Bradley Cooper at a sorority house.
In response to the weak performance of Chinese competitor Lu Ming Kui, who said he eats mostly “fish and chicken”:
“When I think of savory chicken dishes, I think of the Colonel and General Cho. Mr. Kui does not have any military experience, and it looks like limited hot dog experience.”
In regards to competitors not being the lard-asses you might expect:
“Body fat takes up valuable space for stomach expansion, which is why many competitive eaters are surprisingly fit.”
Joey Chestnut, on his failure to set a new record:
“I was having a little bit of trouble with the water.”
The results of the ESPN SportsNation poll which asked “Is competitive eating a sport?”3
Yes: 18.7%
No: 81.3%
The Results
In the end, the contest’s outcome was unsurprising. Despite a good fight from Deep Dish, Jaws remained supreme. Joey Chestnut captured his fifth straight mustard-yellow belt with 62 HDBs downed.
Meanwhile, in a simultaneous chowdown across town, disgraced/disgraceful former champion Takeru Kobayashi claims to have downed 69 dogs. As this stunt was entirely unsanctioned, his “record” will assuredly not be recognized by Major League Eating. Do it on the stage, or don’t do it all, Takeru.
Hats off to you, Joey Chestnut. Readers, if you’re looking for more hot dog-related fun, check out the wraps from the 2010 and 2009 competitions. Otherwise, please join in on the appropriate closing chant: U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Footnotes:
Even as a fan, there’s no denying that this is a revolting spectacle which probably shouldn’t be allowed on daytime television. ↩︎
An amount that seems unlikely to even cover the medical care that will no doubt eventually be needed. ↩︎
To which I must retort with this tweet from last year:
Soccer. Pfft. ↩︎
Happy Fourth of July, Everybody ∞
Monday, July 4th, 2011
Police say a motorcyclist participating in a protest ride against helmet laws in upstate New York died after he flipped over the bike’s handlebars and hit his head on the pavement.
He died the way he lived: stupidly.
