Bud Shaw is a columnist for The Cleveland Plain-Dealer who has also written for the Philadelphia Daily News, San Diego Union-Tribune, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The National. He is a monthly contributor to mental_floss.
On February 5th, the New York Giants and New England Patriots will meet in Super Bowl XLVI. We're not in the business of predicting Super Bowl winners, but we can guarantee there will be lots of stupid questions asked of the participants. Here are some past examples, excerpted from Bud Shaw's Media Day Exposé two years... READ ON
Twenty years ago, Reebok introduced us to "Dan and Dave." Once American sports fans moved beyond their game of word association -- "Who?" -- the two men involved became part of one of the most memorable marketing campaigns in history despite a letdown of Olympic... READ ON
STEVE MARCUS/REUTERS/Landov Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will star in a one-man show on Broadway titled Undisputed Truth. It is not a comedy. You could've won a lot of money back on June 28, 1997, betting that the man responsible for one of the most bizarre incidents in sports history would one day work with Spike Lee on a Broadway production. But 15 years after he bit the ears of opponent Evander Holyfield during a WBA title bout, that's exactly what Tyson is... READ ON
Temper tantrums often lead to ejections, suspensions, and fines. But these 12 athletes went the extra mile and actually physically hurt themselves,... READ ON
© ART FOXALL/UPI/Landov Milwaukee Brewers' star Ryan Braun will start in left field on Opening Day. As the reigning National League Most Valuable Player, Braun can take the occasion to thank God, country and family for his blessings as long as he keeps a little gratitude in reserve for baseball arbitrator Shyam Das. Das registered the tie-breaking vote on Braun's appeal of a 50-game suspension stemming from an Oct. 1 positive drug test for elevated levels of testosterone. Braun didn't dispute the... READ ON
At Super Bowl XV in New Orleans -- my first Super Bowl -- wildman defensive lineman John Matuszak of the Oakland Raiders nominated himself as a most unlikely Bourbon Street chaperone. "I'm going to see that there's no funny business," The Tooz said. "I've had enough parties for 20 people's lifetimes. I'll keep our young fellows out of trouble." A day later, Matuszak didn't just break curfew. He shattered it, rolling in at 3 a.m. Dick Vermeil, the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland's... READ ON
© Louis Lopez/NewSport/Corbis Denver quarterback Tim Tebow's pastor reportedly said the reason for the Broncos' success in 2011 wasn't luck or teamwork. "It's favor," Wayne Hanson said. "God's favor." In college basketball, the St. John's Red Storm recruited the son of a Nigerian minister. The player's name? God's Gift Achiuwa. Texas Rangers' star outfielder Josh Hamilton said God told him he'd hit a home run in Game 6 of the World Series. Despite Hamilton's two-run homer, the Rangers lost in... READ ON
In a job application for Regency Furniture posted online, free agent guard Delonte West checked the "full-time" box and answered "yes" to the question, "Have you ever been convicted of a crime?" To the followup -- "If yes, describe in full" -- West wrote, "Misunderstanding." In September 2009 while West was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Prince George (Md.) County police stopped him around 10 p.m. near his home after he cut off a police cruiser in his three-wheeled 2009 Can-Am Spyder... READ ON
In February 1993, Cleveland Indians' catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. arrived at spring training with an aching back aggravated by the drive to Florida. How could an athlete in his prime get injured behind the wheel? An athlete who survived the rigors of the catcher position 150 games per season? Why was a man of means driving in the first place? A sarcastic and shallow sports columnist (OK, it was me) suggested he must've been driving a Yugo. Probably a Yugo with a bumper sticker that mocked the traffic around... READ ON
5 Questions: Great "Scott"!
Troy McClure Film or Actual Terrible Movie?
Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” was written by Shel Silverstein.
