The Olympic medals that will be handed out at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be among the heaviest medals in Olympic history. They will stand out in Olympic history for their unusual design. The Vancouver 2010 medals are based on two artworks of an orca whale (Olympic) and raven (Paralympic) by Canadian artist Corrine Hunt. Canadian architect Omer Arbel created the undulating design of the medals. The medals are struck nine times as part of ta 30-step medal fabrication process. The Royal Canadian Mint will produce 615 Olympic and 399 Paralympic medals for the 2010 Winter Games. You can learn more about how they were made here and here.
Sports Authority has cut a deal with Nintendo to start carrying Wiis and the Wii Fit line of products in its stores. Sports Authority stores will now have a dedicated Wii Fit Plus Experience area that provides Wii Fit Plus demos. Trainers will also be on-hand to lend advice and insight into the Wii Fit Plus experience. Sports Authority has also set up an informational website called thewiiauthority.com.
Kotaku reports that Sports Authority president David Campisi says the company was working on the deal with Nintendo for about a year.
Campisi told Kotaku. "This is about getting the nation fit. This could be really, really game changing."
And now for something completely different... as Monty Python would say. A Japanese lingerie brand has created a bra that can also be used as a putting mat. The lingerie brand believes the putting bra will be of interest to Japanese young women, who are becoming increasingly fond of golf. More Japanese young women may be taking up the sport of golf but this bra is completely ridiculous and impractical. Putting greens and bras are two totally different items that should be kept separate. Take a look:
Supreme has partnered with artist Damien Hirst for a Holiday 2009 line of t-shirts and skateboard decks. The products will be available on Supreme New York's website on November 23rd. Highsnobiety has more photos form the collaboration here.
Reuters reports that there is shortage of chicken wings. This is sad news for hungry sports fan who like to attend chicken wing restaurants and watch the game.
U.S. Agriculture Department, in its monthly production report released on Tuesday, forecast broiler production to be down about 3.5% this year.
Meanwhile, USDA reported wholesale wings cost about $1.55 a lb this week in the northeastern United States, while boneless chicken breasts were at $1.12 a lb. Two years ago chicken breasts were about 10% more expensive than wings.
Demand for chicken wings, boneless or otherwise, typically peaks on Super Bowl Sunday, which falls on Feb. 7, 2010.
But the price inversion, where breasts are cheaper than wings, may last longer as consumers eschew higher-end restaurants.
The good news is that the Reuters article says boneless wings are coming to rescue.
Coming to the rescue are so-called "boneless wings," small bits of chicken breast meat that are breaded, flavored, fried and served.
"A boneless wing is a complete misnomer but consumer acceptance has been rather good," said Jim Robb, economist at the Livestock Marketing Information Center.
Technically, the boneless wings were never were chicken wings. They are actually made from chicken breast meat. These actually sound far better and easier to eat then chicken wings.
Now here's something you don't see everyday. This is a performance by the Bad Boys who are competing in the 1987 Crystal Light National Aerobic Championships. The group -- who is from San Francisco -- performs to Devo's "That's Good" and they are amazing. The spandex, the porn stache, the slouchy socks, that matching B's, the amazing Rockettes high kicks: these guys are very serious about their aerobics. So what's not to love? It's energetic! It's high impact (we feel sure they had shin splints after the competition ended)! It is unbelievably gay! We've already watched it three times.
Best line of the competition: "Describe our act in one word? We're Hot." Yes, that's Alan Thicke as the announcer and we are quite peeved that we don't get to see the next group compete, who apparently was from Texas. Those who want to make fun must first complete the entire routine without gasping for air or having a heart attack on the spot. Take a look:
Nike's Jordan Brand has unveiled the 25th anniversary Air Jordan 2010 shoe. Jordan Brand created the Air Jordan 2010 to pay respect to the Michael Jordan's legacy of in basketball while also passing on the tourch to the talented Team Jordan athletes, such as Dwyane Wade, who will be the first to debut the Air Jordan 2010 shoes.
"The celebration of the Air Jordan 2010and our 25th anniversary are the pinnacle of a year full of milestones for me," said Michael Jordan. "With each shoe, consumers have pushed me to take the next AIR JORDAN beyond their wildest imagination. The Air Jordan 2010 marks the future of Jordan Brand and proves there are no limits to what this Brand is capable of creating."
The AIR JORDAN 2010 goes on sale on Saturday, February 13, 2010 at a suggested retail price of $170. More information can be found on the Jumpman23.com website.
The Indianapolis Business Journalreports that Hat World, Inc. has acquired Sports Fan-Attic and its 37 stores.
Tampa-based Sports Fan-Attic Inc. operates stores in seven southern states and last year posted revenue of about $30 million.
Executives at Hat World and its parent company, Nashville, Tenn.-based Genesco Inc., see the potential to grow the concept into a nationwide powerhouse, both with new stores and by acquiring other regional players in the fragmented market.
The company likely was gearing up for such a move earlier this year when it acquired two companies that produce and market team uniforms and apparel, Wisconsin-based Impact Sports Inc. and Minnesota-based Great Plains Sports.
Hat World owns both the Lids and Hat World brands and is a subsidiary of Genesco Inc. Genesco CEO Robert J. Dennis said in a statement that the company's ambition is to build a national chain out of Sports Fan-Attic like they did with the sports hat stores.
NME reports that the Spice Girls are rumored to be the opening act for the 2012 Olympics in London.
The girl group's manager Simon Fuller said the time frame of the games would be perfect for a reunion to take place, adding that the band want to perform again before they are too old. "They will not want to be performing hits like 'Wannabe' in their 40s, but it's amazing how often people talk about another reunion. And I think if they do it, it's going to be in 2012," he explained.
The Spice Girls last tour was in 2007 and 2008 so that would make for a four year spread between tours. Wikipedia says the last tour for the Spice Girls was a success and grossed over $70 million. A performance at the 2012 Olympics could give a tour a big boost.
If you have a fear of heights and the very idea of skydiving makes you queasy, you might want to skip this video. To promote Nepal Tourism Year 2011, a group skydivers jumped over Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.
Wendy Smith, a champion skydiver with 25 years of experience, admitted that she was a bit scared at the beginning of the jump. She and two others successfully landed at the Gorak Shep, Kala Patthar plateau, which lies at an altitude of 17,192 feet right beside Mt. Everest. This is clearly a woman who likes her adrenaline fix in the morning; she is amazing. We'll stick with coffee, thanks. Take a look:
Remember that photoshoot
in Details magazine in which Alex Rodriguez demonstrated his intense love of himself by kissing himself in a mirror? Well,
apparently his narcissism knows no bounds. Us Weekly chatted with an ex-girlfriend of A-Rod's who revealed that the has two paintings of himself over his bed. Well, ok, that's a bit much but whatever. But there's more. They're not normal portraits.
A former Rodriguez fling remembers seeing portraits of the slugger, 34, as a centaur hanging over his bed.
"He was so vain," his ex tells Us Weekly. "He had not one, but two painted portraits of himself as a centaur. You know, the half man, half horse figure?"
Adds the ex, "It was ridiculous."
A centaur? Really? What in the world did Madonna think about that?
The New York Yankees are back in the World Series after defeating the California Angels. Most of the tickets went to season ticket holders but there were still supposed to be some leftover tickets available for fans. The AP says fans camped outside the stadium in front of the ticket booth for several days and were promised tickets would be available. However, when it came time for the tickets to be available the ticket booth did not open. It sounds like the perfect recipe for angry fans. Take a look:
IZOD, the official apparel sponsor of the IndyCar Series, outfitted track officials in pink IZOD shirts to support driver Sarah Fisher's involvement with the Susan G. Komen For The Cure foundation. The photograph was taken at the IndyCar season finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 10th. Sarah's car, clothes and crew were also pink. Take a look:
The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill M310 is an amazing $24,500 treadmill that is based on technology developed by NASA for astronauts to use to exercise atrophied muscles after returning to Earth. This same technology can be also useful for athletes and people with injuries that need to undergo rehab. The AlterG allows people to run or walk at a fraction of their body weight. The user wears a special pair of shorts and zips the waist into a pressurized airtight enclosure, which is suspended over the treadmill surface. By controlling the pressure in the enclosure, the clinician can reduce the
weight of the individual by as much as 80%.
You can see a video of the treadmill in action here. You can have to put on special AlterG elastic shorts, seal yourself into the circular cockpit and fill the bag with air before you can start exercising. The website also says the AlterG can be purchased for $499 a month on a five year lease-to-own plane.
Adidas Originals is releasing these special edition metallic gold and purple shoes to commemorate the Lakers championship win. The number 15 on the shoes indicates the Lakers 15th NBA championship. The shoes will be available on November 1st at shopadidas.com, NBA Store and other adidas and Lakers stores. You can see more photos of the Lakers sneakers here and here.
Reuters 
The Indianapolis Business Journal 
