While I waited outside of the Skydome (aka Rogers Centre) yesterday to watch the Blue Jays face the division rival New York Yankees, I threw my hands up in the air (as I’m known to do sometimes) and I said, “A. O. Gotta let go,” and then I stated, with no shortage of gusto, “I wanna celebrate and live my life,” and then added, “A.O. Baby, let’s go.” A beat seemed to rise from the streets, a mic was thrust into my hands, a crowd surrounded me, and I sang dammit, oh and we danced, oh yes. It was a moment only Ferris Bueller (or maybe Parker Lewis) could have pulled off. That’s how I remember it anyway.

The story you might hear from others (all hogwash), was that a man in low cut red shorts, white tank top, yellow headband and a beautiful fake mustache with a brief speech, grabbed the attention of the crowd. Behind him, from a white van parked next to the curb, music began to play. The song was Taio Cruz’s Dynamite. A choreographed dance ensued. Choose which version you want to believe.

These Flash Mobs are a truly a great idea and a lot of fun to randomly witness. I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying a group of people dancing in a public setting with no other reason than to entertain and surprise others. So if anyone from that Flash Mob reads this, thanks a lot. You rock. Also, I’d also like you to pay attention at 1:21 of this video, because you can see the greatest jacket on the planet belonging to the gentleman in the black cap in the foreground.

On field Flash Mob?

In the 8th inning, a choreographed dance deprived Bautista, gets another at bat and kabooms another homerun into left field giving the Jays a 3-2 lead and eventually, a victory on a beautiful, dance filled night.

Bautista hits second homerun of the game, and league leading 40th this season.

The FIFA 2010 World Cup of Soccer is upon us and everyone is flying their flags and sporting their team’s colors. So the question is, who are you rooting for? For those of you who don’t care, there’s an option for you on there too.

Remember the question isn’t who do you think is going to win, it’s who do you WANT to win (Please retweet this link or post it on your Facebook page using the buttons below. Let’s see which country has the best following).

To vote, select your answer, then click the “vote” button at the bottom of the poll.

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Torontonians Love Soccer

Torontonians Love Beer

The love of soccer and beer are understandable, but there is one thing I didn’t understand…

Why are Torontonians protesting against Austin Powers and his mojo? I'm so confused.

As my beard grew, so too did Team Canada's chemistry.

Canadian heroes: Yzerman, Iginla ... my beard.

Canada may never know how it came to be, but what's important is that we won.

I’ve heard a lot of criticism of this year’s Olympic games and can’t deny there have been issues. Being a Canadian, I’ve been quick to defend my country, but more recently I’ve decided to take a more objective look at the games. Here are some facts.

The death of the Georgian luger before opening ceremonies was tragic. Let’s leave the fact at that and any questions about the track’s speed and the Georgian’s inexperience to the experts. We may never know.

The hydraulics failure during the opening ceremonies was embarrassing. Despite what many thought was a moving ceremony, the focus seemed to be on the hydraulics failure that left one arm of the Olympic cauldron stuck in the ground.

There’s an ugly chain link fence surrounding the Olympic cauldron. Spectators would like to get closer for better pictures.

Bad weather has caused delays, cancellations, and dangerous conditions on some courses throughout the Olympics. Many are criticizing the IOC for picking a city with such mild winters.

Biathlon officials and organizers made several mistakes. They held some athletes too long and released some too early at the events starting line.

Now, before we start defending the games or dubbing them the worst ever, let’s take a quick look at some other Olympic disasters and see how they match up against Vancouver.

1972 Munich Summer Olympics - The Munich Massacre.  “Five Arab terrorists wearing track suits climbed the six and 1/2 foot fence surrounding the Olympic Village in Munich, Germany. Once inside, they were met by three others who had gained entrance with credentials. Within 24 hours, 11 Israelis, five terrorists, and a German policeman were dead” (Source). This is a brief synopsis. Please check out articles for more details.

1976 Montreal Summer Olympics -  “The Olympics were a financial disaster for Montreal, as the city faced debts for 30 years after the Games had finished. The Quebec provincial government took over construction when it became evident in 1975 that work had fallen far behind schedule; work was still under way just weeks before the opening date, and the tower was not built. Mayor Jean Drapeau had confidently predicted in 1970 that “the Olympics can no more have a deficit than a man can have a baby”, but the debt racked up to a billion dollars that the Quebec government mandated the city pay in full” (Source). On top of that, Canada, the host country, finished with five silver and six bronze medals. This was the first time that the host country of the Summer Games won no gold medals. At the time of writing this, Canada has 2 gold medals.

1976 Denver Winter Olympics – Didn’t know Denver hosted the Olympics? That’s because they didn’t. The games were originally awarded to Denver in May 1970, but a 300 percent rise in costs and worries about environmental impact led to Colorado voters’ rejection in November 7, 1972, by a 3 to 2 margin, of a $5 million bond issue to finance the games with public funds. The Olympics ended up being in Innsbruck, Austria.

1980 Moscow Summer Olympics – 65 Countries and regions took part in the US led boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games. With half the world not present, it hardly seems like an Olympics worth caring about.  For more info on the boycott click here.

1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics - “McDonald’s ran a promotion entitled “When the U.S. Wins, You Win” where customers scratched off a ticket and if the U.S. won that event then they would be given a free menu item: a Big Mac for a gold medal, an order of french fries for a silver medal, and a Coca-Cola for a bronze medal. The promotion became a near financial disaster due to the Soviet boycott which led to the U.S. winning far more Olympic medals than expected. This promotion was parodied in the The Simpsons episode where Krusty Burger runs a similar offer” (Source). This boycott was significantly smaller than the 1980 boycott, but it certainly eliminated some stiff competition for the US.

1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics – “The Atlanta Olympics were marred by the Centennial Olympic Park bombing on July 27. This bombing killed spectator Alice Hawthorne and wounded 111 others, and caused the death of Melih Uzunyol by heart attack.”

“A report prepared by European Olympic officials was critical of Atlanta’s performance in several key issues, including the level of crowding in the Olympic Village, the quality of available food, the accessibility and convenience of transportation, and the Games’ general atmosphere of commercialism. The opening ceremony, featuring 500 cheerleaders and 30 pickup trucks, was also “garish” by some observers and considered questionable in taste by many foreign visitors” (Source).

These are some of the Olympics tragedies and mishaps I’ve come across during my research. I’ve also noticed that small issues tend to be forgotten, but the large ones remain. It seems every snag during the Olympics raises the question, “Is this the worst Olympics ever?” Personally, I’m enjoying every minute of it and think people should stop being so pessimistic, but I thought I’d see what everyone else thought.

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I’m not trying to start some sort of machismo debate, but when costume selection becomes a large part of competition, most men start losing interest. I do believe figure skating is a valid sport and that the athletes are very talented, but I wish the sport was more about the technical aspects than the outfits and dance elements. I propose they do away with the sparkly outfits and replace them with streamlined outfits like those worn by bobsledders or speed skaters. This is an Olympic event, not a fashion show.

Imagine introducing a man to figure skating for the first time in his life, during the 2010 Olympics.

HER: “Come on, honey, give it a chance. The athleticism is incredible. They can spin around multiple times in mid-air.  I think you’ll like it!”

HIM: “Well okay, but there better be a BJ involved if I don’t like it.”

HER: “I sat and watched Nascar with you last weekend. Cars, driving around in circles for hours on end. Then we watched WWE wrestling.  I think you owe me.”

HIM: “That’s true. Nascar and WWE wrestling are fairly ridiculous. Okay, okay. I’ll give figure skating a chance.”

When you turn on the TV he sees this:

Most horror movies aren’t this terrifying. There should have been a warning to small children and those with coulrophobia (an exaggerated fear of clowns).

What are your thoughts on figure skating? Do you like it? Hate it? Do you think replacing the outfits with a more standard outfit might make this sport more man-friendly or is this destined to always be a primarily female viewed event?

These banners can also be seen at the PARROTS game...Get it? It's an anagram joke! HA HA ...ha?

When you run a sometimes funny mediocre website, certain opportunities present themselves. Courtside tickets to the Raptors game for instance. Everything is better when you’re closer. Prime example:

Cheerleaders! Finally close enough to grope!

So how much do courtside tickets cost?

That’s steep, but it’s the price you pay to have a camera man sit on your feet.  New fetish of mine. His name is Bruce. I’m seeing him tomorrow night so he can sit on my feet..while he’s naked…and holding a camera.

Do you mind? Trying to watch a game here pal.

He was only there for a moment. Maybe because I kept kicking him and spilling beer down his shirt.

It’s also the price you pay to share the same floor as the players. Is there any other sport where you can get so close to the action?

Looks like Williams is a giant and he's petting little Bargnani's head. "Good Boy, Barns, good boy!" (Truth is, Bargnani is 7 feet tall).

I also got to share the floor with the newest Leaf defenseman, Dion Phaneuf and star winger, Phil Kessel (not pictured). They both acknowledged me when I drunkenly declared my love for them as they walked by.

Dion, I love you!

More importantly, I got to see Vanilla Ice. He’s the real reason I went to the game.  His set-list included Play That Funky Music, and you guessed it, Ice Ice Baby.

I actually have a personalized autograph from Vanilla Ice when he visited Fanshawe in London, Ontario. Jealous?

Oh right, I also got to meet Canada’s 18th Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney!

I bet Brian is telling everyone about how he met Me at the Raptors game. In case you didn't notice, I am on a first name basis with Bri Bri.

Seems like a cool night, but to cap it all off I found this:

People must've thought I was nuts (HA!) taking a picture of a peanut on the subway, but that's one beautiful triple peanut. By the way, this peanut is currently for sale on Ebay - the price: $1,100.

I hope you enjoyed my courtside photo adventure. In case you’re wondering, the Raptors were playing the lowly New Jersey Nets and won 108-99.

What are the best tickets you’ve ever had to a event? Does a camera man sitting on your feet turn you on? Do you like Brian Mulroney?