Scoreboard Gourmet

Sports Spelling Bee at ESPN Zone

This is a great idea...

You know all the stats, but can you correctly spell Krzyzewski or Lemieux?

ESPN Zone's first Sports Spelling Bee is timed in conjunction with the Scripps National Spelling Bee, slated for May 29-30.

Six ESPN Zone locations (Anaheim, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and New York) are seeking competitors to go head-to-head in proving their sports spelling acumen on Wednesday, May 28. The two remaining locations – Baltimore and Denver – will hold their Sports Spelling Bee on May 29. Quarterfinal rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee are scheduled for May 29, and Semifinal and Final rounds of the Scripps Bee will be televised on ESPNHD.

Each ESPN Zone location will accept up to 50 Sports Spelling Bee competitors for the single-elimination event. Spellers ages 21 and over will attempt to spell the names of local and national and past and present athletes and coaches. The challenge level ranges from Easy to Difficult, and the competition will continue until there is one champion speller left standing in each location.

Each Sports Spelling Bee competitor will have 30 seconds to correctly spell the given name, which can include a first or last name. The first round will kick off with local names; the second round will include national names; and the third round and beyond will include both local and national names. Contestants are only allowed to ask what team the athlete/coach is/was associated with, as well as one repeat of the name.

To enter ESPN Zone’s Sports Spelling Bee competition, send name, address, phone number, year of birth and the ESPN Zone location at which they’d like to participate in an e-mail to: SportsSpellingBee@espnzone.com. You can also register at your local ESPN Zone retail store.

Politics and Pantry, I told you

It's no surprise to me that the NYTimes ran a piece entitled Studying the Intersection of Politics and Pantry. As you know, I've already considered that intersection; I consider intersections with food daily. But I've been focusing on the candidates and neglecting the voters.

Here's the link to Kim Severson's article. Actually, she has two. here's the link to the Bigger Kim Severson article. That one has a great line: Republicans are not necessarily red-meat-eating bourbon swillers, and not all Democrats are carrying their lattes to the farmers’ market.
I also love the bit about Obama having the arugula vote.

I'd also like to give credit to Robert Grossman for that little illustration, which I enjoy very much.

So here's the Scoreboard Gourmet Question of the Day: is James Carville right? Is microtargeting a waste of time and money?

I want to disagree but I know that people buy/eat the same foods for different reasons (as Kim mentioned) which makes this information difficult to analyze. Plus, there's got to be a ton of crossover. Consider me...my favorite supermarket cookie is a crunchy chocolate chip, and I shop at Whole Foods and my local farmers' market and I cook with butter and olive oil...for whom will I vote?

DELI PIGOUT A CLINTON GUT BU$TER, from the NYPost

You know I love these stories...this one is by Geoff Earle...

Hillary Rodham Clinton's free-spending campaign blew a whopping $95,000 at a low-end supermarket-deli chain last month in Iowa - a telling sign of why she can no longer cut the mustard financially against Barack Obama in critical states.

Clinton's latest campaign filings reveal how a sprawling, top-heavy campaign organization splurged on posh hotels and pricey consultants but still struggles to define its message against Obama, a charismatic opponent whom Clinton's camp now calls the front-runner.

The $95,000 charge came at the Hy-Vee store in West Des Moines, a grocery and deli chain that is a fixture in the state, on Jan. 1, just two days before Obama stunned Clinton by beating her in the Iowa caucuses.

The campaign didn't confirm what the charges were for, but it bragged just a few days before the new year about a plan to provide deli sandwich platters at caucus sites across the state in order to get Clinton's supporters to come early.

remainder of story here.

 

 

Cupcake Used In NBA Slam-Dunk Contest Inducted Into Cupcake Hall Of Fame

completely lifted from the Onion:

COOPERSVILLE, NJ—The pink-frosted single-candle cupcake used in the second place-winning slam-dunk contest routine of Timberwolves guard Gerald Green has been inducted into the National Cupcake Hall of Fame by unanimous vote, the Cupcake Hall of Fame committee announced Tuesday.

"We are proud that our favorite confection has once again appeared in the national spotlight and made us proud," said NCHOF Director of Selection and nationally recognized pastry chef Meg Charleton. "It has earned its place among such moist, delicious luminaries as the cupcake that went into space with John Glenn, the cupcake that flew with the crew of the Enola Gay over Hiroshima, and the cupcake Lincoln was eating that fateful night at the Ford's Theatre."

Green himself will give the presenter's speech at the ceremony in March, provided he has not already eaten the cupcake.

New Orleans Sports Bars -and- NBA All-Star Stuff

Does anyone care about the NBA All-Star Game? It's this Sunday. It's in New Orleans which I guess means good eats? I think the Slam Dunk Contest, the Three-Point Shootout, and the Skills Challenge (a sort of obstacle course)  are more fun. They're part of the All-Star Saturday Night.
Another Saturday night event is Shooting Stars. I'm not exactly sure what that is.

btw, that pic on the right is by Victor Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images. can you figure out why I chose it? (besides it being a very cool shot)?

In case you don't have a ticket, or don't want a ticket, here - thanks to Sharon Keating (about.com) - is a list of New Orleans Sports Bars:
-Cooter Brown's
509 S. Carrollton Ave.

-Bruno's
7601 Maple Street.

-Friar Tucks
5130 Freret Street

-Finn McCool's Irish Pub
3701 Banks Street

-Johnny White's Sports Bar
720 Bourbon Street

-Kabby's Sports Edition
Hilton Riverside Hotel (where Poydras Street meets the Mississippi River)

-Ugly Dog Saloon
  401 Andrew Higgins Drive

-Gordon Biersch Brewery
200 Poydras Street

All-Star Saturday Night
Saturday, 8p
on TNT

NBA All-Star Game
Sunday, 8 p
on TNT

Hot Peppers to Rock the White House, maybe

from Tara Parker-Pope's Well blog in the NYTimes:

During a recent “60 Minutes” interview, Senator Hillary Clinton unveiled a surprising weapon in her fight to become the Democratic presidential nominee: hot peppers.

“I eat a lot of hot peppers,'’ she told CBS News anchor Katie Couric, who had asked her how she maintains her stamina on the campaign trail. “I for some reason started doing that in 1992, and I swear by it. I think it keeps my metabolism revved up and keeps me healthy.”

Nutritionists say Mrs. Clinton may be on to something. Although the scientific study of hot peppers is limited, there are some suggestions that capsaicin, the active ingredient in peppers, has numerous health benefits.

you know I can't help myself when it comes to sports-like events and the mention of food, especially when what is mentioned is something with which I agree. hmm. should have had this info out sooner, Hil. click for the rest of the post

Another Fantasy Sports ESPN Zone Event; this time in Denver

the other one was in Vegas, by the way

WHAT: Four-time Fantasy Sports Writer Association award winner and ESPN’s Senior Director of Fantasy, Matthew Berry (a.k.a. “The Talented Mr. Roto”) will appear at ESPN Zone for a Q&A with fans to discuss the world of fantasy sports. Joining Berry will be ESPN.com fantasy injury analyst Stephania Bell.

Berry and Bell will discuss fantasy fantasy strategy for the upcoming NASCAR and MLB seasons and the ongoing NBA and NHL seasons. Fans are invited to enjoy dinner at ESPN Zone while asking all of their burning questions about the world of fantasy sports.This Q&A event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Monday, February 11th, 7p

WHERE: ESPN Zone
1187 16th Street
Denver, CO

Fantasy Sports Experts at Vegas ESPN Zone tomorrow

no one can argue placing Fantasy info in my "sports" category, right? I wonder. anyway, here's are the details for tomorrow's Vegas Quickie Fantasy Q&A:

WHAT: Four-time Fantasy Sports Writer Association award winner and ESPN’s Senior Director of Fantasy, Matthew Berry (a.k.a. “The Talented Mr. Roto”) will appear at ESPN Zone for a Q&A with fans to discuss the world of fantasy sports. Joining Berry will be ESPN.com fantasy baseball, football and racing analyst Christopher Harris.
Berry and Harris will discuss fantasy strategy for the upcoming NASCAR and MLB seasons and the ongoing NBA and NHL seasons.
Fans are invited to enjoy dinner at ESPN Zone while asking all of their burning questions about the world of fantasy sports. The Q&A event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Saturday, February 9th
6:00 to 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: ESPN Zone (New York-New York Hotel & Casino)
3790 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas

Courting the Fat Vote

one of my favorite topics, as covered by the good people of the Onion. It's a podcast: As Obese Population Rises, More Candidates Courting The Fat Vote

Beers of Newark at the Rock

are people actually calling Newark's Prudential Center "the Rock"? Did that catch on?

TFMJ went to some UFC match (game? event? wasteoftime?) at the Rock and was kind enough to do some reporting for Scoreboard Gourmet. Thank you, TFMJ.

Look (left) at the bland and dreary interior of the Rock. Stick a damn Devils poster on the wall. Even the Mrs. Fields sign looks dull. Sheesh. Anyway, Beers of Newark, who knew? The Beer Trayman did. Check out his cool list of New Jersey Beer Trays.

Can someone tell me about the Beers at Beers of Newark? TFMJ didn't want to stand on line and miss any of the nearly-naked men "grappling" action.

the Devils, by the way, are home v the Islanders on Wednesday 1/16 at 7p. In case it's not clear, the home of the Devils is the Rock.