Deadspin: foreign sports

This Week In Foreign Sports

Leitch — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 16:06:56 EST

Their terminology is confusing, they're often not allowed to touch the ball with their hands and occasionally royalty shows up to watch for a few minutes before heading back to the castle. It's weird sports from other lands, which when you get down to it, are no more ridiculous than ours.

News item: Scotland midfielder Paul Hartley faces the prospect of being bombarded with ladies underwear for the rest of the season after revealing he wears a pink thong under his shorts. [UEFA.com]

Note to Terrell Owens: This is how opening your big mouth can be made to work for you, not against you.

News item: A majority of Australian Super 12 players believe they have teammates who are battling serious alcohol and gambling problems, according to a survey released by their players' association today. [ABC.net]

This shatters our notion of Australian rugby players sitting around playing Uno and watching Montel Williams.

News item: Women's curling is sure to receive a lot more exposure this year, thanks to a new international calendar that features nude and scantily clad female curlers. [Globeandmail.com]

Time to replace our "Men of the PBA" calendar.

This Week In Foreign Sports: Take Off, Scouser

Leitch — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 13:42:55 EDT

We tend to find European sports terminology hilarious, mainly because it points to how equally absurd American sports terminology is. To someone not familiar with the lexicon, "a blooper to left" is nonsensical babbling. So here's a look at the big news of the week in odd, confusing sports in other lands, with our translation.

Sir Alex Ferguson claimed Wayne Rooney has a "chip on his shoulder" because he's a Scouser. Fergie was asked about the temperament of the England star who was sent off last week for sarcastically applauding in the referee's face. [BBC News]

Scouser: a person hailing from the city of Liverpool, who speaks a dialect called "scouse." Often stereotypically associated with loafers, thieves or scoundrels — in other words, as if Don King were born in England.

Organizers of what they claim will be Germany's largest brothel on Thursday unveiled the building, which is set to open in time for the 2006 World Cup soccer tournament. ... "Sex and football go together," said spokesman Norman Jacob. [World Cup Web]

An alternative to going back to the hotel and "scoring an own goal," if you know what we mean.

Due to the large number of ODI games in Series 3, we've made a few changes for this game — you now select 4 Batsmen, 2 All-Rounders, 4 Bowlers and a Wicket-Keeper. [Fantasy Cricket Club]

It's Fantasy Cricket, but somehow we know we're still going to get stuck with Gus Frerotte.

This Week In Foreign Sports: Korfball Rules!

Leitch — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 13:10:45 EDT

We tend to find European sports terminology hilarious, mainly because it points to how equally absurd American sports terminology is. So here's a look at the big news of the week in odd, confusing sports in other lands, with our translation:

• "We'll start with the News of the World's interview with Gilberto in which he says he tried lots of times to convince Robinho to come to Arsenal ... . He seemed interested until that giant thighed cunt Roberto Carlos told him the food in England was terrible so he moved to Madrid instead." [Arseblog.com]

British soccer bloggers — it's like having tea with the Queen every day.

• "Virender Sehwag hit three fours as India raced to victory off 14 balls, although the winning runs came courtesy of four byes way down the leg side by Blignaut." [The New Zealand Herald]

India scored the winning runs on the portion of the field behind the batsman, due to errors, which ... ah screw it, you're on your own.

• "Wellington have the wood on Canterbury, except when it comes to the Log of Wood." [Korfball World]

The sport is Korfball. The Log of Wood is the symbol of national Korfball supremacy in New Zealand. Look, if we were making this up, we'd make it a lot more believable. And after a hard day of Korfball, why don't we all meet 'round the pub for a pint? If you see Roberto Carlos, say cheers.

This Week In Foreign Sports

Leitch — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 16:37:45 EDT

We tend to find European sports terminology hilarious, mainly because it points to how equally absurd American sports terminology is. We all might know what "a blooper to shallow left" means, but to anyone not intimately familiar with baseball terminology, that s just nonsensical babbling. So here s a look at the big news of the week in odd, confusing sports in other lands, with our translation.

• "Muttiah Muralitharan, Sri Lanka's master spinner, has dismissed rumours regarding his alleged connection with a Mumbai bar dancer and, through her, with the betting syndicates." [CricInfo.com]

Ha, strippers and the mob. And you were saying what about cricket being boring?

• "For the record, Tigers' coach Pat Howard instructed Lewis Moody to drive over to Leeds (a three-hour round trip) and apologise in person to the bloke he punched during an Guinness 'A' League game last Monday." [Planet Rugby]

The sports agents were driven out of England along about the 14th century, apparently.

• "When the skies are clear, AFL football is a game more suited to the day. At night, when the dew descends, as it did at Subiaco on week one of the finals, or there is a combination of natural and artificial moisture, it can degenerate rapidly. [The Herald Sun]

Now on the Weather Channel, the Aussie Rules Football standings.