Konishiki site

Via Japundit and Japanjin, I came across the website of retired sumo champion (Ozeki) Konishiki.  It’s pretty interesting, he’s done some cool stuff since retiring in 1997.

Here he is on a golf course with another former Hawaiian rikishi, Musashimaru:

Expensive seats at new stadiums not selling

In recent years, pro sports teams have raised the prices of the best seats to super-premium levels, especially as they roll out new stadiums and arenas. The New York Times reports that these seats aren’t selling at the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, and blames the bad economy. I suspect that there just aren’t enough people willing to pay that much for an ordinary game.

UPDATE 5/3/2009: The Yankees have lowered prices on some of these seats.

The “No Benjamins Association”

This Bill Simmons piece explores the financial health of the NBA and its franchises. Simmons talked to a lot of league insiders over All-Star weekend and predicts multiple franchise moves and a lockout after the current labor agreement expires in 2011.

Will “Curse of the Colonel” be lifted for Hanshin Tigers?

During Osaka’s celebration of the Hanshin Tigers’ 1985 Japan Series win, a life-size Col. Sanders figure from a local KFC was thrown into the Dotombori River. The resulting “Curse of the Colonel” has purportedly kept the Tigers from winning another Japan Series since that time. Last week, the figure (minus glasses and left hand) was recovered by a worker cleaning the riverbed. Via Japundit.

Fasig-Tipton Calder Sale 2009

Last Tuesday, March 3, I attended the Fasig-Tipton Calder 2009 thoroughbred sale at Calder Race Course in Miami, an auction of two-year-olds in training. For someone with money looking to purchase a potential Kentucky Derby winner, it might be their best shot. The sale attracts the elite of the global thoroughbred racing and breeding world.

With the bad economy, prices were down from previous years, but the sale went better than some participants had feared. Three horses were sold for seven figures, with the top price of $1.6 million being paid for Cup o’ Joe, a bay colt sired by Medaglia d’Oro. The purchaser was John Ferguson, principal bloodstock adviser for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

I took the picture below during the bidding for Cup o’ Joe. Bob Baffert (white hair, facing away), trainer of multiple Kentucky Derby winners, confers with client Kaleem Shah. The current bid is $700,000 and the assistant auctioneer (at the right in front of the horse) is prompting Shah and Baffert for a bid. Shah and Baffert had come in a few minutes before and sat in front of me.

 

Kaleem Shah and Bob Baffert confer with the bid at $700,000.

Video: Commercial for “Blitz: The League”

Blitz: The League is a video game inspired by the Playmakers ESPN dramatic series of some years back. For some reason, this ad for the game is one of my favorite commercials of all time. I don’t know why we haven’t seen Lawrence Taylor doing more acting work.

Michigan Football: New Dhani Jones travel show

Dhani Jones, Michigan grad who currently plays linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals (his other pro stints were with the Giants and Eagles), will host a Travel Channel show where he goes to various places around the world and plays their games. It premieres March 16 at 9PM.

NBA player charities falling down on the job?

TaxProf Blog writes about a Salt Lake City Tribune investigation of the Form 990s of NBA player charities and foundations. The investigation found that, on average, only 51 cents of every dollar spent by the private foundations of NBA players actually goes to needy causes, “well below the 65 cents most philanthropic watchdog groups consider acceptable.”