For better or worse — and for most of my life, it’s tended toward the latter — I am a Philadelphia Phillies fan. That being said, I was just as horrified as everyone else when a drunk jerk at a Phillies game intentionally vomited on an 11-year-old girl back in April. Thus, I’m happy to report that he is now behind bars… and that he’s really from New Jersey. [More]
sports
Texas Longhorns Selling Electricity To Fans
By 8.2.10
You can buy t-shirts, bobbleheads, cutlery, camping gear, computer gear and, oh, bobbleheads, based on your favorite college teams. So, what’s left to brand? How about the power coming into your home? That’s what’s happening in Dallas, where the University of Texas and Texas A&M have begun selling electricity and natural gas under the Texas Longhorns Energy and Aggies Energy brands. No word on whether you’ll get hit with rolling blackouts if the teams hit a losing streak. [More]
Top 10 Disgusting Stadium Food Vendor Health Violations
By 7.26.10
ESPN has put together a report on stadium food vendor health violations. Some of the violations are pretty damn gross. We’ve picked 10 of our “favorites.” [More]
Nothing Will Silence Those Damn Vuvuzelas
By 6.16.10
If the sound of vuvuzelas — those ubiquitous plastic horns used by thousands of soccer fans — has made your World Cup viewing experience seem more like a visit by a horde of 17-year cicadas, Consumer Reports has a message for you: tough luck. Nothing short of muting your TV’s sound will silence the noisemakers, though there are a few ways to make them less annoying. [More]
ESPN3 Coming To Some Xbox Live Consoles
By 6.15.10
Have a Gold Xbox Live account? Want to catch the latest in bass fishing, Aussie rules football and high school volleyball? You may just be in luck. ESPN has cut a deal with Microsoft to provide its streaming ESPN3 service — which includes all of these events, as well as the latest in cricket and poker — to many Xbox 360 owners with Gold accounts. Okay, you’re not limited to just those sports. ESPN3 also has the FIFA World Cup, a selection of MLB games — and the Scripps National Spelling Bee. [More]
Nationals: If You Want To See Prospect's Debut, Buy Tix To 3 Other Games
By 6.1.10
Daniel is a beaten-down Washington Nationals fan looking to be in the crowd when top draft pick Stephen Strasburg takes the mound a week from today. He said the game was suddenly sold out after the Nationals indicated when Strasburg might make his first start, and then Daniel got this email from the team, declaring intentions to shake down fans to buy tickets to other games if they want to see Strasburg’s debut: [More]
Jets Fan Sues Patriots For Cheating, Loses
By 5.21.10
A Jets fan who sued the New England Patriots on behalf of other fans has lost his case, says Reuters. The case concerned the “spygate” scandal in which the Patriots were caught videotaping the signals from the Jets’ sideline. The fan was seeking “damages of $61.6 million representing the cost of tickets for Jets-Patriots games at Giants Stadium from 2000 through 2007, covering Belichick’s tenure as coach, and wanted that sum tripled under federal racketeering laws.” [More]
Soccer Team Gives "Refund" After Epic 4-0 Beatdown
By 5.11.10
The Seattle Sounders got beat 4-0 by the LA Galaxy, prompting one of the players to suggest that fans deserve a refund and apology from the team. It seem the ownership agrees. Sort of. They’re offering a one game credit to season ticket holders as compensation for the crappy play. It’s not a refund exactly, but its almost one. [More]
Intentionally Vomiting On Children Is Not A Good Way To Express Love For The Phillies
By 4.16.10
Oh Philadelphia, we know you love the whole “we boo Santa” image, but we must say that intentionally vomiting on an 11-year-old girl is a bit much, even for you. [More]
Too Jerky For Jerky: Ben Roethlisberger Dropped From Endorsement Deal
By 4.13.10
If you want to make lots of money selling “Big Ben’s Beef Jerky” you’re going to have to behave like a gentleman, Mr. Roethlisberger. Today the owner of Pittsburgh-based PLB Sports, Inc., said he was terminating his five-year business relationship with the Steelers’ QB. [More]
MLB.tv Decides Entire Planet Is A Blackout Area
By 4.9.10
The MLB.tv banner ads that brag, “NO BLACKOUTS!: Blackout and other restrictions apply” may be more accurate than we initially thought. Owen tells Consumerist that he was unable to watch a Cubs/Braves game, even though he was trying to watch well after the game was over, when blackouts should no longer apply. [More]
Did NBC's Coverage Of The Winter Olympics Suck?
By 3.1.10
As a product, NBC’s broadcast of the 2010 Winter Olympics seemed pretty disappointing to a lot of online users. TechCrunch points out that a recent analysis of comments on Twitter, blogs, and forums, shows a wide range of dissatisfaction with NBC’s coverage, with the biggest percentage focused on content: 19% of the complaints were about the tape delay of events (what a former NBC sports exec once called “plausibly live”), and 20% were about there not being enough actual sporting events shown. [More]
Watch Baseball With No Blackouts – Blackout Restrictions May Apply
By 2.26.10
Andrew sent us this perplexing banner from MLB.tv. He saw it on the Atlanta Braves’ web site. “NO BLACKOUTS!” it proclaims. Then at the bottom: “Blackout and other restrictions apply.” Well, at least the banner ad is honest. [More]
AT&T Drops Tiger Woods
By 12.31.09
AT&T ended its sponsorship of Tiger Woods today. As a driving force for the ditch, company sources cited “increased fraudulent activity” inside his pants. [BBC] [More]
Zombie Brands: Not Just For Retail Anymore
By 12.2.09
We’ve followed the nationwide invasion of zombie retailers such as Sharper Image, Circuit City and Linens ‘N’ Things–brands that go bankrupt, then reappear on the web or in the same strip malls they originally roamed. Zombie brands don’t just exist in retail, though. Mainstreet.com rounded up a horde of re-animated brands that includes a magazine and a major-league sports franchise. [More]
Reader Says He Was Tackled At Walmart For Not Showing Receipt
By 11.16.09
Robby didn’t feel like showing his receipt to the Walmart receipt checker, and when the guy came after him, Robby ignored him. That’s when other shoppers started closing in on him, and why he started running.
Televised Sports Battle: Who Is Astroturfing Whom?
By 10.24.09
Front groups for cable and satellite companies pretending to represent the interest of sports fans? Mysterious “sources” and leaks? This is nothing new to Consumerist readers, but our estranged siblings at Deadspin have some great information on a lobbying and PR war between thinly disguised groups working on behalf of DirectTV and the big cable companies, and their battle over fans and fees. Or is it?
Prove You're Financially Literate And Win At Online Soccer!
By 10.12.09
We’re not sure what “soccer” is—it looks like it might be some sort of real-world Quidditch without the brooms—but Visa and a bunch of soccer players have released a fancy-schmancy (for a website, at least) online version that tests your financial literacy. You can try it out at financialsoccer.com instead of working this morning.
