Machochip

Kellogg's Shows Michael Phelps The Money, Health Freaks Pissed

2008-08-20T16:45:00Z

A Wheaties sponsorship is standard after an Olympic champion wants to rake in the endorsement dough. It's like Disneyland and every Super Bowl champion MVP: the two are traditionally destined for each other. But when you're as big as Michael Phelps, tradition means absolutely nothing when a sugary, flaky, breakfast treat offers you more money than a company that packages cardboard as something edible.]]> Olympic legend Michael Phelps will appear on boxes of the Kellogg's brand sugar cereal, drawing sharp criticism from health experts worried about the message he'll be sending to children across America. "I would not consider Frosted Flakes the food of an Olympian," said nutritionist Rebecca Solomon of Mount Sinai Medical Center. Obviously Rebecca Solomon hasn't been keeping tabs with bloowwwwgs! Phelps is hardly a "traditional" athlete when you think about his 12,000 + calories diet. And we don't want this punk influencing our kids anyway. We'd rather have Henry Cejudo influence them. But, seriously guys. Wheaties tastes like dirt with ground-up rubber as sprinkles, que no? Breakfast of a champion? Frosted Flakes! Phelps signs with cereal [NY Daily News] Image [Just Jared]

Should The Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered To 18? Let's Discuss After This Kegstand

2008-08-20T16:10:00Z

We've always been of the mind that if your country thinks you're old enough to choose its leader or shoot off a rifle on foreign soil, you should be able to buy a beer. But then again, we also thought this bigfoot was real, so our judgment isn't the best. That's why when 100 presidents of American universities started to debate whether the drinking age should be lowered, we did a double take. It's like your parents offering to take you to liquor store to refill your bottle of Jack (because, you know, drinking and driving is bad). Is it a trick by the enemy? No, says Manhattanville College President Richard Berman, it's just time to reexamine things.]]> "There's a lot of things that I think make the debate timely," Berman said. "Whether it's our kids giving their lives at 18 to save this country, I think the issues about voting and responsibility to vote." Uh... yeah, sure whatever you say there Rich. Let's see if some of your students can give some more coherent answers.

"Colleges already have kids drinking that are 18, 19, 20, so why not make it legal?" college senior Frank Furbacher said.

"I think people should consider lowering the drinking age and increase the driving age," added Rich Stephenson of Larchmont.

"I think there are certain circumstances where people are responsible at 18 to drink," added senior Joshua Zaloga. "[There are] other circumstances where there aren't people responsible."

Well, whoever's responsible should just make sure Alicia Sacramone stays away from the drunk guys. Earlier: Gymnast Alicia Sacramone Has A Mean Left Hook Let Debate Begin: Drinking Age Back To 18 [WCBS] Image [ebaumsworld]

FOX Tries To Clamp "The Watchmen"

2008-08-20T15:30:00Z

When it comes to Hollywood and its production companies and studios, we're oblivious to the politics and practices involved like Europeans are with non-topless laws on beaches in the United States. So, when we heard FOX was fighting over copyright infringement against Warner Bros. over the production of "Watchmen", we scoffed.

At the heart of Fox’s suit, filed in February, is the contention that it never ceded rights to the property. And according to the federal Judge Gary Allen Feess, Fox retained distribution rights to the graphic novel penned by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons through a 1991 claim. Furthermore, Feess appears to agree that under a 1994 turnaround deal with producer Larry Gordon, Gordon acquired an option to acquire Fox’s remaining interest in "Watchmen," which was never exercised, thereby leaving Fox with its rights under the 1994 agreement.

]]> "We will be asking the court to enforce Fox’s copyright interests in ‘The Watchmen’ and enjoin the release of the Warner Bros. film and any related ‘Watchmen’ media that violate our copyright interests in that property." And then cursed...loudly.

Surprisingly, Fox said it would rather see the film killed instead of collecting a percentage of the box office.

Oddly, the movie is already set to release Spring of 2009 (March 6), so could they possibly pull it altogether and leave us caressing the trailer, the only footage released, on our laptop screens? FOX will try and pull it...but we'll say NO! Trailer below if you missed it before. [Ed: This version loads a lot faster.] Fox's 'Watchmen' lawsuit heats up [Variety] Image [WB]

Goal Of The Day: Sergio Aguero Needs No Stinkin' Appendages.

2008-08-20T14:45:00Z

The Brazilian defense must have shat itself when their body-up strategy on Sergio Aguero managed to unsuccessfully stifle his progression. How were they supposed to know he didn't need his legs or his head to score a goal? This was the first of Aguero's double and the first of the three goals that laid the Brazilian team to rest. Better luck ~~next year~~ in four years, dudes. More Machochip "Goal Of The Day" here. Video [Sapo]

Bulges Over Broadway? David Beckham: The Musical In The Works

2008-08-20T14:00:00Z

David Beckham is the biggest soccer player in the world, so if there's anyone that could be the focus of a musical that brings in Mamma Mia! type numbers, it'd be him. That's why this week talks are underway to bring David Beckham – The Theatre of Dreams to London's West End. We can't wait to see the huge poster of whoever plays Becks with cucumber down his pants encompassing most of London when this hits. According to Mark Archer, the songwriter...]]> “With football and celebrity now firmly established as new secular Western religions, The Theatre of Dreams is set within a cheering football stadium – the modern-day church. The music is powerful, gospel-like rock to establish clearly football and Manchester United as a religion." And if that wasn't enough to make you gag (especially any EPL fan who doesn't like the Red Devils), check out some of the lyrics.

On meeting Posh, Beckham sings: A change has come around, As I worship this ground, With you in my life, We’re turning the world upside down.

Little known fact--in the play, that line is about Posh. But our sources say the songwriter actually stole it from an interview by Becks about Ruud Gullit joining the Galaxy. Let's hope for the librettist's sake this turns out better than that situation did. David Beckham musical set for West End stage [Daily Telegraph] Image [Kickette]

'Member?: After Swimming That Long, We're Surprised She Can Hold Up That Peace Sign

2008-08-20T13:30:00Z

Whas Happened In Sports Last Night

Women's Marathon Swimming: Russia's Larisa Ilchenko took the first gold medal in marathon swimming, an event that makes its poor competitors swim 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles in American. She's cute, so we're happy she didn't get struck down by the dreaded Triathalte swimmer's disease during her hour, 59 minute, 27.7 second swim. My God, we don't know if we can even walk that long. [UPI]

MLB

Yahoo

Men's Boxing: Dzhakhon Kurbanov of Tajikistan was bounced from the games after he bit his opponent, Kazakhstan's Yerkebulan Shynaliyev, in the shoulder. Nice to see Mike Tyson's legacy truly lives on in the boxing community. [SF Gate]

Paraguay's Leryn Franco Finishes Second To Last, First In Our Hearts

2008-08-20T04:05:00Z

Lerynita! Que paso! Sad news in the sports world today as Paraguay's Leryn Franco--the lovely Olympian we fell in love with after we discovered Bia and Branca Feres--skewered her chances of competing for another day when she fell really short of the leaderboard. Leryn Franco finished second to last, leaving her out of the Olympics for the duration of the games, but providing her plenty of time to create another calendar. Please! You know, she can do a mid-2008 to 2009, 18 month calendar and sell that sucker for $5 at any participating Barnes 'N' Noble. Now that would be some gold.

She competed this morning, finishing second-to-last in the qualifying round with a throw that was 12 meters short of her personal best.

]]> Paraguayan heartthrob breaks our collective hearts [Yahoo] Being Hot Won't Make You A Good Olympian [Fan IQ] Image [Getty, Reuters, AP]

Audio Clicks: The Pinker Tones Tell Us To Calm The Hell Down.

2008-08-19T22:50:00Z

We need to break our regular broadcasting because everyone over at this post is simply making it way too damn hot in here. So let's all sit back, relax and watch this kaleidoscope of wonder brought to us from David Navas and The Pinker Tones. More Machochip "Audio Clicks" here. Video [YouTube]

Machogear: Inflatable Pool Cooler Is Perfect For Labor Day.

2008-08-19T22:25:00Z

Ready to jump into your pool but you don't want to leave your beer on the diving board? Do you feel guilty because you're making your little escuincle run over to the ice chest every twenty minutes to get you a cold brew? Does your in-pool drunkennes impair you from actually getting another beer? Well, dudes. We think we found the answer to all of your Labor Day party problems with this Inflatable Floating Swimming Pool Cooler ($29). ]]> With room for 18 cans and labeled cup holders, this raft is the ultimate inflatable cooler. Perfect for pools or lounging in the lake, your cooler float has an insulated center compartment for cans and ice surrounded by an inflatable ring with six built-in cup holders to keep everyone's cans accessible and easy to identify. Now your kids can actually have fun with their cousins and friends, instead of having Papa call him/her over with "Oye, Junior. Get daddy another Budweiser." Inflatable Floating Swimming Pool Cooler [Kegworks] Image [Kegworks]

Spain's Synchronized Swimmer's Christmas-Like Swimsuits Banned

2008-08-19T20:30:00Z

Here's the deal: you can wear glittery sequence on your suit during a synchronized swimming routine, but once you start adding actual lights and batteries to your swimsuit, then expect the IOC to charge in and say, "Joder! Que hatheth?"

“It got very sophisticated because obviously the battery doesn’t last long and then we had to look at circuits and interrupters, so we have been working on it around two months with a crack team,” swimmer Andrea Fuentes said.

]]> “It looks a bit like Christmas lights,” added the Spaniard, one half of the team that won silver at the last world championships and are favourites for a medal in Beijing. Wait a minute. Lights underwater: check. Batteries underwater: check. Admitting you have a "crack" team trying to solve your crazy swimsuit: check. The general Spanish Olympic team hasn't been making the brightest decisions lately, have they? Synchronized-swimming lights off for Spain [Yahoo] Image [Yahoo]

Heads Up: Keep Your Eye On The Ball.

2008-08-19T19:45:00Z

Brazilian goalie Clemer goofed yesterday during Vasco V Internacional when he misjudged the bounce of a ball that was traveling no more than 2mph and kicked it into his own net. Saude! [The Spoiler]
Some bloggers are completely perplexed by the dance routines performed by Beach Volleyball's Olympic cheerleaders. As long as they aren't drowning you like mermaids, then we're cool. Shake on, shakers. [Busted Coverage]

With Leather

Bloggers are asking: Is US Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone the next Anna Kournikova? Hi. No. Hell no. There is a difference between cute and hot. [Deadspin]
Rafael Nadal is on the cover of New York Magazine and Guanabee is all goo-goo-gah-gah over it. [Guanabee]
Sumo wrestlers will use whatever can induce the munchies. Unfortunately, one sumo wrestler was caught red-handed. [Brahsome]
Jessica Alba is actually really pretty when she's not bad-mouthing Latinos. [Cuzoogle]
Michael Phelps has a new, eager admire named Lindsey Lohan. Could he be the one to make her straight again? [Deadspin]

Men's Olympic Soccer Final Set After Argentina Ejects Brazil Out Of The Semifinals

2008-08-19T18:50:00Z

Have you ever seen a more disheveled Brazilian team? A pudgy Ronaldinho and his club were absolutely pummeled by the speed and accuracy of each and every Argentine on the pitch today. After a silent first half, Argentina's Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid) scored within five minutes in the second half to basically seize all samba power from the Brazilians who ended up with only nine men after they diverted from their "let's try and win tactic" to a more "let's kick shins relentlessly."]]> "I was really happy with Aguero today. He scored two goals and he played fantastic," Argentina coach Sergio Batista said. "This team has committed themselves to each match at the Olympics to try and win the gold medal. "This is what they will continue to do against Nigeria in the final. Nigeria is a really strong team, we want to savour this win over Brazil first." Can we officially confirm a super baby is on the way? Argentina will take on Nigeria in a rematch of the 1996 final on August 23rd. Argentina rip Brazil apart to storm into men's final [Yahoo] Image [AFP]

Playing Fantasy Football Costs Us $100 Per League, Employers $9.2 Billion

2008-08-19T18:15:00Z

It's that time of the year where significant others go missing for stretches at a time... friends you haven't talked to in a while start emailing you... and suddenly starters from East Bumville State become bigger crushes than said significant others. That's right, it's time for fantasy football! But while you and your peeps are thrilled, your boss may not be. That's because the nerds at research firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas have broken down the numbers and figured out that the time employees spend on fantasy football during business hours costs companies $9.2 Billion, and only part of that is because of the paper used up to print up draft sheets from Rotowire.]]> [T]he 17-week National Football League schedule will subtract 1.19 hours of productivity per week from about 17 million Americans who participate. Using salaries information supplied by the Fantasy Sports Association, the average fantasy footballer earns $80,000 per year with 70 percent of the participants earning between $50,000 and $149,000. There are so many numbers wrong in that paragraph, it's not even funny. Have you ever tried to trade in the middle of the day with a stubborn owner? That alone takes like three hours. Reading daily updates, that's about an hour a day. And don't get me started about "the average fantasy footballer earns $80,000 per year." If the fantasy sports message boards are any indication, people making $80K a year are horrible spellers, can't form coherent thoughts and say things that would make these guys blush. Fantasy football costly to employers [UPI] Image [twincitiesdailyphoto.com]

Henry Cejudo, Son Of Undocumented Mexican Immigrants, Wins Olympic Gold In Wrestling

2008-08-19T17:35:00Z

If there was ever a story to pump us up right before we're about to venture into a Tianguis for lunch, it's the story about Henry Cejudo who defeated Japan's Tomohiro Matsunaga in the 55-kilogram (121 pounds) final earlier this morning in what Kevin Baxter from the LA Times called a "stunning win." The Los Angeles-born Cejudo barely made it out of his Olympic trials, and trailed for the three matches he participated in before the final, but perseverance and a lot of strength paid off.]]> Although he and Matsunaga were tied, 2-2, after the first period, Cejudo was declared the winner because he had the highest-scoring move, a two-point takedown. Cejudo then jumped to a 3-0 lead early in the second period to clinch the match. "This is cool. Coming out of a Mexican American background, it feels good to represent the U.S.," said Cejudo, who was born in Los Angeles. "Not too many Mexicans get the chance to do that." Fist-bump to the max, homeboy! Cejudo had previously placed 31st in last year's World Championships, so you can imagine the tension his family and friends felt each and every time Cejudo progressed closer and closer to the medal matches.

Missing, however, was Cejudo's mother, the person he has repeatedly said is most responsible for his success. "We always moved forward. We always moved forward. My mom always taught us to suck it up and whatever you want to do, you can do," Cejudo said. "And that's what I did." There were conflicting stories as to why his mother remained in Colorado. According to one explanation she had passport problems while Cejudo said she stayed home to take care of her grandchildren. But Gloria said her mother, who had a ticket, didn't come because she was too nervous to watch her son compete in the Olympic Games. "At the Olympic trials in Las Vegas, she couldn't take it," said Gloria, who added that her mother, despite being half a world away, spent much of the last day vomiting because of nerves.

We hope you can rest easy knowing your son is now an Olympic Champion! And Henry, if you want to talk to us about your amazing experience, rock us an email at tips[at]machochip[dot]com. Once again, congrats on your amazing feat! Henry Cejudo captures gold and a piece of the American dream [LA Times] Image [Getty]

Is Jasmine Lennard Cristiano Ronaldo's New Gal?

2008-08-19T16:45:00Z

Cristiano Ronaldo left Los Angeles, Ca with more than a tan if we're to believe reports that a British model named Jasmine Lennard, reportedly American Idol crank Simon Cowell's ex, stole his heart in Tinseltown. Lennard is a former British reality show, um, person ("Make Me A Supermodel") and she's been letting people know via Facebook that she's been hanging with the most sought after bachelor since

Insiders say his latest conquest is Jasmine, 22, who he met on holiday in LA last month. She now lives in California and is said to have boasted on her Facebook page that she's been 'partying like a rock star with Cristiano'. ‘She and Cristiano spent a lot of time together,’ a source tells the Sunday People. ‘Since his return they speak and text each other a lot. She hopes to fly to England to see him play football. He fancies her and they get on well.’

We're really not over Nereida Gallardo yet, but just to recap: this is the second girl he's been rumored to be "serious" about since "the break-up." At least Cristiano is spending his injury time wisely. You know the drill: Jasmine Lennard pictures after the jump. (Very slightly NSFW)]]> Cristiano Ronaldo dating Simon Cowell's ex? [NOW]