Imagine, for a moment, that you’re Bart Starr, a legendary quarterback, a hero to those who wear processed curds on their head, pretty much an all around prince of the planet. You’re 72 years old; you just want to sign your merchandise, make sure your bladder’s still working properly and sneak in an occasional nap before “Wheel Of Fortune” comes on at 5:30. And all of a sudden you start receiving these letters in the mail from an 81-year-old woman named Ruby who says he owes her $2 million for damages inflicted on her in 1966.
“And now, the time has come for you to pay — to pay for the many injuries you caused me. … No I am not a push-over Mr. Starr — and no, I do not need the money — but I intend to see that you pay for your wrong doings (sic) to me …,” said the first letter, dated Oct. 30, 2006, which an agent quoted in part in the affidavit. “How much is it worth to preserve this ‘image’ presented to the public these many years of who and what you are?”
“I am going to be vindicated one way or another,” Young’s first letter said, according to the affidavit. “You know very well that any and all tabloids, TV news casters (sic) such as ABC, CBS, NBC, would simply devour this story. … And thereby, I would collect money from these sources. But, I first want to give you the chance to pay me back in dollars rather than exposure.”
While we raise a skeptical brow toward the notion that “TV news casters” would simply devour the story of a 72-year-old former quarterback perhaps maybe possibly boinking a woman 40 years ago, we support Ms. Young in her desire to knock the old athlete oft the loft perch of his screened-in porch. After all, if her “lawsuit” can gain traction, can you imagine the letters we’re gonna get from 80-year-old former USC coeds directed to Mister Matt Leinart in 2061? You know what you did, Starr; you know.
The guy who made that my-lord-it’s-everywhereTom Brady tribute video has come out with a new one, devoted to SHOTY Tournament quarterfinalist Ben Roethlisberger. It’s moderately amusing, but we mostly enjoy that it briefly features our famous Big Ben photos and ends with the line “Should have started Charlie Batch …” That can’t be a good sign.
An interesting article on Tom’s Hardware reveals that the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) is preparing to introduce drug testing at all of its gaming competitions next year. Ignoring the kneejerk observation that gaming can be a drug all on its own (we frequently test positive for Lumines), there are two ways of looking at this development. The CPL having to test for drugs sends an unfortunate message about gamers we’ve known for quite a while — some of them just like to cheat. On the other hand, such serious measures imply that professional gaming (or, sigh, “eSports”) is being treated in the same manner as “real” sports, with all the rules and repercussions that accompany them.
The founder and president of the league, Angel Munoz, is clearly concerned about dubious drug activities in league events. “The potential for [drugs] being an issue absolutely concerns me. It should concern anybody in eSports, because as the stakes get larger, as in any sport, people will look for an edge.” In case you were wondering, some of the chemical concoctions under consideration are crystal methamphetamine and Ritalin, both of which could be used to enhance mental alertness and twitch reflexes.
Luckily, Munoz rules out the banning of Red Bull and the like, mostly because it would prove too difficult to regulate. He must also be astutely aware that gathering a large group of gamers (apologies — cyberathletes) and robbing them of caffeinated beverages is an invitation to unmitigated disaster.
An interesting article on Tom’s Hardware reveals that the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) is preparing to introduce drug testing at all of its gaming competitions next year. Ignoring the kneejerk observation that gaming can be a drug all on its own (we frequently test positive for Lumines), there are two ways of looking at this development. The CPL having to test for drugs sends an unfortunate message about gamers we’ve known for quite a while — some of them just like to cheat. On the other hand, such serious measures imply that professional gaming (or, sigh, “eSports”) is being treated in the same manner as “real” sports, with all the rules and repercussions that accompany them.
The founder and president of the league, Angel Munoz, is clearly concerned about dubious drug activities in league events. “The potential for [drugs] being an issue absolutely concerns me. It should concern anybody in eSports, because as the stakes get larger, as in any sport, people will look for an edge.” In case you were wondering, some of the chemical concoctions under consideration are crystal methamphetamine and Ritalin, both of which could be used to enhance mental alertness and twitch reflexes.
Luckily, Munoz rules out the banning of Red Bull and the like, mostly because it would prove too difficult to regulate. He must also be astutely aware that gathering a large group of gamers (apologies — cyberathletes) and robbing them of caffeinated beverages is an invitation to unmitigated disaster.
An interesting article on Tom’s Hardware reveals that the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) is preparing to introduce drug testing at all of its gaming competitions next year. Ignoring the kneejerk observation that gaming can be a drug all on its own (we frequently test positive for Lumines), there are two ways of looking at this development. The CPL having to test for drugs sends an unfortunate message about gamers we’ve known for quite a while — some of them just like to cheat. On the other hand, such serious measures imply that professional gaming (or, sigh, “eSports”) is being treated in the same manner as “real” sports, with all the rules and repercussions that accompany them.
The founder and president of the league, Angel Munoz, is clearly concerned about dubious drug activities in league events. “The potential for [drugs] being an issue absolutely concerns me. It should concern anybody in eSports, because as the stakes get larger, as in any sport, people will look for an edge.” In case you were wondering, some of the chemical concoctions under consideration are crystal methamphetamine and Ritalin, both of which could be used to enhance mental alertness and twitch reflexes.
Luckily, Munoz rules out the banning of Red Bull and the like, mostly because it would prove too difficult to regulate. He must also be astutely aware that gathering a large group of gamers (apologies — cyberathletes) and robbing them of caffeinated beverages is an invitation to unmitigated disaster.
An interesting article on Tom’s Hardware reveals that the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) is preparing to introduce drug testing at all of its gaming competitions next year. Ignoring the kneejerk observation that gaming can be a drug all on its own (we frequently test positive for Lumines), there are two ways of looking at this development. The CPL having to test for drugs sends an unfortunate message about gamers we’ve known for quite a while — some of them just like to cheat. On the other hand, such serious measures imply that professional gaming (or, sigh, “eSports”) is being treated in the same manner as “real” sports, with all the rules and repercussions that accompany them.
The founder and president of the league, Angel Munoz, is clearly concerned about dubious drug activities in league events. “The potential for [drugs] being an issue absolutely concerns me. It should concern anybody in eSports, because as the stakes get larger, as in any sport, people will look for an edge.” In case you were wondering, some of the chemical concoctions under consideration are crystal methamphetamine and Ritalin, both of which could be used to enhance mental alertness and twitch reflexes.
Luckily, Munoz rules out the banning of Red Bull and the like, mostly because it would prove too difficult to regulate. He must also be astutely aware that gathering a large group of gamers (apologies — cyberathletes) and robbing them of caffeinated beverages is an invitation to unmitigated disaster.
The poor soul unfortunate enough to have been caught in the extreme closeup lens of a Getty Images photographer last week, seen here, is New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Hollis Thomas, who yesterday was suspended for four games by the NFL for violating its steroid policy.
Thomas says the substance he tested positive for, clenbuterol, is a key part of his asthma medication; he does not deny using it — it is banned — but said he didn’t realize it was in his prescription asthma drugs. (You know, all the kids we knew with asthma in school were always about 50 pounds and wearing coke-bottle glasses. Asthma’s moving up in the world, we see. Good work, asthma!) The Saints are appealing the suspension, though it’s difficult to see where they could go with it; Thomas admits using the drug, and even though his reasons might be absolutely justified, the rule is the rule, and it is banned.
Steroid Nation looks at the drug itself and thinks something weird is going on; if clenbuterol is truly only a cortical steroid — ones usually used in asthma inhalers — it shouldn’t transform into an anabolic steroid, which means there’s no real reason for it to be banned. But they’re still researching the claim over there. Regardless, it doesn’t look like a Merriman situation here; just an unfortunate one, no matter what happens.
Thomas would be available for the playoffs, were the Saints to make it. We’d suggest hiding from the guy with the camera extremely close to his face.
EA was kind enough to provide the name of its upcoming SSX installment for Wii: SSX Blur. But despite a projected March release date, developer EA Montreal remains vague about the project that was revealed five months ago.
Producer Alex Hyder did imply extensive use of motion, saying, “We wanted to take the soul of the franchise … and Wii-ify it,” but stopped short of defining the specific mechanics. Let’s just hope this series doesn’t get butchered the way Activision did Tony Hawk for its Wii debut.
Imagine, for a moment, that you’re Bart Starr, a legendary quarterback, a hero to those who wear processed curds on their head, pretty much an all around prince of the planet. You’re 72 years old; you just want to sign your merchandise, make sure your bladder’s still working properly and sneak in an occasional nap before “Wheel Of Fortune” comes on at 5:30. And all of a sudden you start receiving these letters in the mail from an 81-year-old woman named Ruby who says he owes her $2 million for damages inflicted on her in 1966. 
