F

Flavorwire

Sports

Advertising

The Most Controversial Super Bowl Ads of All Time

By Chloe Pantazi on

In an advertising landscape that’s run by (and caters to) the Don Drapers of the world, it’s hardly surprising that we’re seeing commercials like this one from Volkswagen, set to air next Sunday at the Super Bowl. Various critics have been attacking and defending the ad, which likens driving a Volkswagen with being more chilled out – a trait that’s illustrated by characters emulating Jamaican accents. The commercial signs off with the closer, “Get in. Get happy.” The emergence of this spot, along with CBS’ rejection of a SodaStream commercial earlier in the week, got us thinking about other controversial Super Bowl ads over the years — including some that didn’t even make it to game day. … Read More

Partner Buzz

How to Fake Like You Know About Sports

By Tom Hawking on

New episodes of USA Network’s White Collar — our favorite series that follows the exploits of a con man’s (Matt Bomer) adjunct assignment with an FBI Special Agent (Tim DeKay) — are right around the corner, and to celebrate, we’ve been amusing ourselves of late composing guides to conning your way through various conversational topics. This time around, it’s sports, a topic that can be downright intimidating if you find yourself stuck by the fridge at a party with a couple of avowed sports fanatics. But never fear, because we’re here to help — so if you don’t know your first down from your first base or your offside from your backside, then read on! … Read More

Film

Watch Errol Morris’ ESPN Doc About Sports Superfan Funerals

By Judy Berman on

You know there are obsessive sports fans out there, the kind who paint their faces in team colors even when they’re just going to watch the game in their living room. But were you aware the some mega-enthusiasts (and their families) even pay tribute to their favorite team after death? Oh, yes. And who better to explore this phenomenon than Errol Morris, the documentary filmmaker who’s given us non-judgmental, in-depth profiles of pet cemetery owners, naked mole rat experts, and Robert S. MacNamara? In the eight-minute short below, produced for ESPN, Morris introduces us to a funeral director who stocks Orioles-branded caskets and another who arranged to display a body in a recliner facing a TV with the game on, and even tells the story of a guy whose friends arranged for his ashes to take a ride around a NASCAR track. Click through to watch the fascinating video. … Read More

Art

Jens Ullrich’s Sublime Mashups of Classical Statues and Sports Photography

By Emily Temple on

In Jens Ullrich’s wonderful series Pilots, which we recently spotted over at Junk Culture, the Düsseldorf and Berlin-based artist combines photographs of great sports moments plucked from the newspapers, which images of classical sculptures. Some of the collages remind us of the excellence of the athletic body — the chiseled stone abs a reflection of their hard-won fleshy counterparts — and some seem stranger than this, a sort of halting in midair, a Medusa effect. As the artist explains, “Because I love figurative sculpture, I forced them into symbolic reparations, by hustling their divided bodies into new action and by violating their authorship, so that free spirit, which is known to fly like a dove, can finally take possession of them.” Click through to see some of our favorites from Pilots, and then be sure to head here see more images from the series. … Read More

Television

Jimmy Fallon Revives Tebowie: The Rise and Fall of Tim Tebow

By Judy Berman on

Once again, Jimmy Fallon has forced us to Google a sports thing. As we’re sure about 90 percent of the United States already knows, someone named Peyton Manning has signed with the Denver Broncos, leaving “Muscular Christian” and temporary pop-culture sensation Tim Tebow high and dry and likely to get traded. (Did we get that right?) To commemorate this turn of events, Fallon reprised his Tebowie character — yes, that’s Tebow mashed up with David Bowie — for an incredibly appropriate “Ziggy Stardust” parody tracing the quarterback’s rise and fall. We’re not even going to quote any of the lyrics because they’re too good to ruin. Just watch it, OK? … Read More

Photography

Captivating Portraits of Impressive Athletic Feats

By Alison Nastasi on

Photographer Tomasz Gudzowaty searches the globe for highly disciplined athletes that practice the art of acrobatics, yoga, Kung Fu, and more. The demanding and impressive physical feats are the subject of his captivating black and white photo series that makes human beings look like impossible, surreal beings. Check them out for yourself past the break, and lament the lack of headstands in your life. … Read More

Celebrity

Jay-Z Will Help Design Brooklyn Nets Jerseys, Choose Team Colors

By Judy Berman on

Some Brooklyn residents — especially those who were kicked out of their apartments by the eminent domain regulations that allowed for the stadium to be built — aren’t so thrilled about the Brooklyn Nets arena moving into their neighborhood. But Bed-Stuy’s favorite son, Jay-Z, is totally on board with the former New Jersey basketball team’s… Read More

Partner Buzz

Evening Endeavors at the Country's Best Nighttime Sporting Spots

By Whitney Eden on

We love breaking a good, clean sweat, but what happens when you’re stuck at the office all day? Going to the gym after work is all well and good, but sometimes you want to do something a little bit more fun. We’ve got your back with this roundup of the hottest spots around the country where you can burn that competitive fire into the night in unique ways.

It’s inspired by Armani Code Sport’s Dive into the Night Foursquare competition, which rewards the person with the best late-night itinerary each day with a free bottle of Code Sport. Plus, the grand-prize winner will score a trip for two to NYC, including airfare, luxury hotel accommodations, and a $2,000 shopping spree at the Armani store. So be sure to check in and take part in the challenge while you’re gearing up, and let the games begin! … Read More

Books

10 Sports-Related Books You Don’t Have to Be a Fan to Enjoy

By Tom Hawking on

You may well have seen the posters for the upcoming film Moneyball and wondered, “What on earth is Brad Pitt doing in a movie about baseball?” But don’t be too quick to judge — because, while we can’t comment on the merits of the film as yet, we can definitely vouch for the book on which it’s based. It’s that rarest of beasts — a sports book that’s worth reading. But still, despite the market being dominated by tedious, ghostwritten autobiographies and badly written, stats-heavy snoozefests, Moneyball isn’t the only great sports book out there — if you’re willing to dig deep, there’s a decent amount of goodness to be had. So here’s Flavorpill’s choice of 10 sports-related books that are worth a look whether or not you’re interested in the sport concerned. Are there any on your bookshelf we’ve missed? … Read More

Film

10 Great Sports Scenes in Non-Sports Movies

By Emily Temple on

Here at Flavorpill, we can’t help getting a little excited about the US Open, even though we’re not usually particularly sports-focused. However, what with all the action going on right now, we’ve been noticing just how ingrained sports are in our daily lives, even when we’re not noticing it — we hear sports metaphors daily, look out our windows to kids playing ball on the street, and even engage in some healthy activity ourselves every once in a while. To that end, we’ve collected ten great sports scenes from movies ostensibly not about sports, so we can feel inspired to incorporate our US Open mania into our lives with no guilt. Click through to watch our ten favorite sports scenes from dramas, comedies, and other non-sports-based films, and let us know if we’ve missed any of your favorites in the comments! … Read More