11/17/24
May 01, 2008
10 Sports Heroes You Won’t Find on a Wheaties Box.: Mental Floss magazine gives us a list of 10 people that are not, but should be, on a Wheaties box.
I confess, I always feel inspired after reading articles about folks who made a huge impact in their sport, well known in the USA or not. I agree that it would be fun to celebrate some of the lesser known sports heroes for a while!
posted by Joey Michaels at 02:54 PM on May 01, 2008
I would so love to see Akebono on a box of Wheaties! I remember watching him when Channel 4 in the UK used to air Sumo. Loved watching that. Didn't read beyond the first page as I despise these sites that split articles over
posted by Drood at 02:55 PM on May 01, 2008
multiple pages.
posted by Drood at 02:56 PM on May 01, 2008
A fun list. I'm surprised John Harkes hasn't already been on a cereal box. I assumed he'd be highly marketable - and quite a good looking chap. I found the cricket one very amusing, but not for the reasons you might think. 'Strike out'? Indeed.
posted by owlhouse at 04:43 PM on May 01, 2008
John Barton King would have been a world famous cricketer if he had not been an American.
posted by dave2007 at 12:15 AM on May 02, 2008
Back in '78 or '79, I can't recall which, my father was gracious enough to take me to a pool competition in St Louis, Missouri which concluded with a five game set between the legendary Minnesota Fats and Willie Mosconi. Our family had played billiards for years, including my sister, who adds to her income in Las Vegas on the Semi-Pro circuit even today through tournaments, and suckers who still think women can't shoot pool despite Eva. the Black Widow and others. Back to the MF vs WM battle...irregardless of Fats' endless chiding and verbal distraction, I personally witnessed Willie Mosconi (in an 8 ball competition, not some 9 ball luck show)run the table two times in a row, make five shots in a row, only to miss a DOUBLE BANK shot. He then waited quietly and patiently as Fats won two games in a row. As calm as ever, Willie broke in last game...obviously he won...Fats never shot...Willie never commented...the best ever...there was not a shot he could not make with practice...he feared no one. and revered almost everyone reputable in his profession with awe. Legend has it he once beat 102 men in a row over a weekend to free one of his friends from a debt with a bookie...I have no actual proof, but I believe it. Wheaties, you missed this one... no steroids, no cheating, no adultry, no attitude.....just the best billiards player ever. No BS, just victory after victory..look it up if you dispute me...
posted by knowsalittle at 07:12 AM on May 02, 2008
knowsalittle- Thanks for a very cool story. Just as an fyi- there's no such word as "irregardless." The word you're looking for is either plain old "regardless" or in this case "irrespective". Just one spofi helping out the rest. "Irregardless" is one of the more commonly used non-words.
posted by DudeDykstra at 07:53 AM on May 02, 2008
Thank you...'irregardless" was the most poingant point of my story, and I must commend you for taking the time to point that out.. There is no way my point had been interpered had you not taken then the taken the time out of your busy day to disect the English grammar instead of the meaning...Thank godness you weren't around when Shakesspear or Edgar Allen Poe composed their sonnets...what would we have ever done without them? You could have corrected over 2000 gramattical erors betweeen the two of them in their first five years of work....heavean a typo...what then?
posted by knowsalittle at 09:27 AM on May 02, 2008
And yes, heavean was on purpose....
posted by knowsalittle at 09:29 AM on May 02, 2008
Hello! Welcome to Sportsfilter. Please give this a look when you have a moment. Again, welcome!
posted by jerseygirl at 12:39 PM on May 02, 2008
This is a fun post, NoMich. Phil Hill and Keeth Smart have certainly earned some recognition of the cereal variety. I think Akebono and the Elephant Polo team (all Republicans, I presume; the Democrats would have to play donkey baseball) would have to grace the giant economy size boxes. Thanks for a whimsical look at some sports that aren't regularly heard of.