Guyism » Books

Enter to win over $250 in sports books for the new year!

DC Scrap — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:00:09 +0000

We’ve got the ultimate prize pack for the sports fans out there who loves to read about the history of the games they follow (and even some they don’t). 13 books… over $250 in value… are up for grabs today, beginning with these two choice titles below… Happy New Year to you!

Since 1890, the Army-Navy football game has been an iconic rivalry game that provides bragging rights for the men in trenches or on boat decks around the world. It is one of the rare sporting events that transcend the arena in which it’s played. It is the essence of sport, and in 1963, it was played two weeks after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

The events leading up to this iconic game — “to those immortal Saturdays of autumn 1963, when the Navy team left its mark on both the campus of the Naval Academy and the sport of college football itself” — are chronicled in the new book THE PRESIDENT’S TEAM: The 1963 Army-Navy Game & the Assassination of JFK, by Michael Connelly. The book is a masterpiece of both sports and historical non-fiction.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy—Navy hero, husband, father, and 35th President of the United States—was a Navy man through and through. Although he went to college at Harvard, he was extremely proud of his service and loyal to his friends still in the Navy. In turn, the Navy football squad—the 44 men from across the country who represented the U.S. Naval Academy on the gridiron—was his team. JFK kept a close eye on his beloved Midshipmen, and in 1963 — as Kennedy dealt with the Soviets, Cubans, social unrest in the South, and a coming presidential election — Navy was being hailed as a “Team of Destiny.” The president and the team would be eternally and inextricably linked together.

A GAME PLAN FOR LIFE: The Power of Mentoring, by John Wooden and Don Yaeger is Wooden’s tribute to those men and women whose lives, philosophies, and faith all shaped his own. Whether they be those who mentored him on a personal level—his father, his coaches and his wife, Nellie—or those who mentored him with greater ideals and achievements during difficult circumstances—Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa, Wooden culls life lessons from the words, teachings and actions of those who made an impact on him.

In his 27 years at UCLA, Wooden coached an elite roster of All-American and Hall-of-Fame basketball players and their accomplishments on the court are still the gold standard for team play in sports. From 1964-1975, Coach Wooden’s Bruins dominated NCAA basketball with 335 wins, ten national champions and four undefeated seasons. These teams included basketball greats like Jamaal Wilkes, Henry Bibby, Marques Johnson, Walt Hazzard, Larry Farmer and Gail Goodrich. The second half of of the book is for those who have had there their lives enhanced with John Wooden as their mentor. The two most prominent players of the Wooden era, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton, lend their voices and memories to the book, as does one of his lesser-know UCLA players—bench-warmer Andy Hill.

Other people whom Wooden mentored add their thoughts in chapters, including the extraordinary coaches Roy Williams and Dale Brown, Wooden’s great-granddaughter Cori Nicholson, and Bob Vigars, a Canadian special education teacher, basketball coach and Wooden admirer whom the coach has never met in person. The change in point-of-view expands the work to an all-encompassing study on the methods to becoming a wise mentor and the results of having one.

Also included in this prize pack:
Hard Work: My Life On and Off the Court by UNC Coach Roy Willams
That First Season by John Eisenberg
The Beckham Experiment by Grant Wahl
On The Line by Serena Williams
The Great Book of Cleveland Sports Lists
The Great Book of Denver Sports Lists
The Great Book of Detroit Sports Lists
The Great Book of Philadelphia Sports Lists
The Great Book of Washington, DC Sports Lists
The Great Book of Los Angeles Sports Lists
The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists

To enter just leave a comment telling us why you think you, the great sports fan that you are, deserve these books. We’ll pick the best, most creative answer to win this great prize.

The drawing will be held on Sunday, December 27. Good luck and happy holidays!

Enter to win one of two terrific NFL books!

DC Scrap — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:30:44 +0000

Today we have two great prizes to give away! Both are tremendous coffee table books featuring dozens of amazing full-color images of two of the classic teams of the National Football League. These books are without a doubt must-haves for any Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants fan. To be entered into the drawing for each book just leave us a comment listing your top five all-time favorite Steelers players and/or your top five all-time favorite Giants players. You are allowed to enter for both books, but you may only win one, so if you have a preference be sure to make a note of it in your comment.

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Pittsburgh Steelers: The Complete Illustrated History documents the great moments in a tradition that stretches back more than seventy-five years and offers an unmatched legacy of success. Fresh on the heels of a record sixth Super Bowl victory, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a team steeped in history and accomplishment. The roster of players who have donned the black and gold reads like an all-star team, and the 1970s dynasty alone featured nine players currently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This book celebrates the players, the teams, the legendary coaches such as Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, and the legions of passionate fans throughout western Pennsylvania and across the nation who cheer the black and gold. Lavishly illustrated with vivid color and classic black-and-white images from throughout the team’s history, Pittsburgh Steelers brings to powerful life the on- and off-field exploits and achievements of this iconic franchise.

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Purchased in 1925 for $500 by bookmaker and businessman Tim Mara, the New York Giants were New York City’s introduction to professional football. The National Football League was a mere five years old, and for almost a century since, the history of football, the city, and the Giants has been inextricably linked. New York Giants: The Complete Illustrated History is a thorough and thoroughly entertaining illustrated chronicle of the New York Giants football team, telling the full story of the seasons, players, coaches, teams, and moments that have made history decade after decade. Filled with player statistics and team records, and brilliantly illustrated with vintage and contemporary photographs, this book is a fitting celebration of a team whose name is synonymous with football in America.

Winners will be drawn on November 14, 2009.

Enter to win Roy Williams’ new autobiography

DC Scrap — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:00:20 +0000

We have a sweet prize to give away today. Roy Williams’ new autobiography Hard Work: My Life On and Off the Court won’t hit stores until November 3, but you can enter to win a copy today.

All you need to do is drop us a comment naming who you think are the five best players to ever play for the University of North Carolina. On November 7 we’ll randomly pick one of the entries and that person will win a free copy of Roy’s new book, which Kirkus Reviews calls “A near-perfect embodiment of the American Dream…”.

Hard Work covers, among other things, the tenets of his coaching system, how he sold calendars to supplement his income when given the chance to work under Dean Smith for $2,700/year, Michael Jordan at UNC and the ‘82 National Championship, his face-to-face Final Four games against Dean Smith in 1991 (win) and 1993 (loss), how the morning after winning the 2005 Championship he met his assistant in the parking lot at the Smith Center at six in the morning to go recruiting, his rivalry with Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the most political pick-up game, he has ever been a part of: UNC vs. Obama, and much more.

Contest! Win a great prize!

DC Scrap — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:40:00 +0000

WE HAVE OUR WINNER! I will have some more stuff give away real soon so be sure to come on back!

NOTE — IF ANY PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED FOR TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER CONTEST TO DETERMINE A NEW WINNER.

Time for another great contest from on205th.com! All you have to do to enter is make a comment about the photo below and we will draw one random winner from the group of comments. It’s that simple!

(NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes. Anonymous entries will be ignored.)

Prize: Shooting Stars
List price: $26.95

While the name “Shooting Stars” refers to LeBron James’ youth basketball team, this book is the account of five talented young men — Romeo Travis, Willie McGee, Sian Cotton, “Little Dru” Joyce and LeBron James — who were all searching for something as children in Akron. Theirs is a story of commitment, love, fun and friendship that lead to three state high school titles and a national championship.

LeBron shares the worries and dreams that each boy brought to the group, and revisits a time period when he strode onto the national stage with the help of four brothers supporting him every step of the way. Amid the distractions (ESPN cameras at practice, LeBron on the cover of Sports Illustrated), pressure (Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson in the stands at their games, talk of LeBron being a #1-caliber pick as a high school junior) and media attention (invitations for interviews from David Letterman, Regis and Kelly and Oprah Winfrey), the bond between these five friends grew stronger. Nobody could beat them. They had heart. They had character. They were invincible.

Wonderful story that gives us a look we’ve never seen before behind the scenes of the craziness that was LeBron James’ high school basketball career. A must-read for any basketball fan. – on 205th magazine

Here’s your picture… Get to commenting!

This contest ends Sunday, September 27.

[Total value of prizes given away by on205th.com: $2,421.12]

Contest! Win a great prize!

DC Scrap — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:30:00 +0000

WE HAVE OUR WINNERS! I will have some more stuff give away real soon so be sure to come on back!

NOTE — IF ANY PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED FOR TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER CONTEST TO DETERMINE A NEW WINNER.

We have two terrific prizes to give away today! Top two captions to the photo below win a prize. First place gets first choice, second place gets second choice.

(NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes. Anonymous entries will be ignored.)

Prize #1: Role of a Lifetime
List price: $24.99

Millions of viewers know James Brown as a sports commentator and former athlete. With Role of a Lifetime, James reveals a different side of his character. Brown rose from a middle-class home to earn a scholarship to Harvard and a chance at a professional sports career before moving on to broadcast journalism. Part memoir and part self-help, this book draws on James’s lessons from his faith and life experiences to guide readers to find fulfillment and significance.

Wonderful book that will inspire anyone who reads it. – on 205th magazine

Prize #2: The Beckham Experiment: How the World’s Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America
List price: $24.99

With an intricate marketing plan, a brilliant media roll-out for Becks and Posh–which included an SI cover, an NBC special, a glitz-laden Hollywood party “welcoming the Beckhams to the upper stratosphere of Hollywood”, and a Galaxy debut in front of 19 ESPN cameras—the Beckham Era would test the soccer star’s unique blend of raging celebrity and athletic virtuosity. The Beckham Experiment would pit the entertainment world against the sports world and heap magnificent amounts of pressure on the man who stood with one cleated foot in each arena. Unbeknownst to all but the icon himself, the fate of the Beckham roll-out rested on the damaged left ankle of the English superstar. His slow start would be a recipe for disaster and, as the world watched, a highly-orchestrated three-ring circus began.

I hate soccer and even I couldn’t put this book down. Fascinating stuff. – on 205th magazine

Here’s your picture. Get to captioning!

This contest ends Sunday, September 20.

[Total value of prizes given away by on205th.com: $2,394.17]

Amish romance novels? Really?

Chris Spags — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:00:19 +0000

Looking for a lucrative market that you would have never thought of in a million years? Amish romance novels! Oh it was so obvious! A bizarre feature about this trend was in this morning’s Wall Street Journal and it is SPECTACULAR.

Rachel Esh, owner of an Amish dry-goods store here, was giddy as customers kept arriving. Cars spilled out of the dirt parking lot onto the hay and potato fields, crushing a few of her neighbor’s potatoes.
She ushered the crowd of 40 people swarming in front of her cash register into a line that snaked out the door of Rachel’s Country Store. The cause of the commotion: novelist Cindy Woodsmall, who had stopped by to autograph books.
Ms. Woodsmall writes “bonnet books,” or Amish love stories, which are a booming new subcategory of the romance genre. The books, written by non-Amish writers, are aimed at a mainstream audience. But Ms. Woodsmall researches her stories among the Pennsylvania Amish, and she has a loyal Amish following.
The plot of her 2006 novel, “When the Heart Cries,” revolves around Hannah, a young Amish woman who falls in love with a Mennonite and hides her plans to marry him from her strict parents. The lovers struggle to overcome the cultural divide, and actually kiss a couple of times in 326 pages: “His warm, gentle lips moved over hers, and she returned the favor, until Hannah thought they might both take flight right then and there. Finally desperate for air, they parted.”
“I can’t stop reading them,” said Mary Ann Blank, an Amish woman with a wide smile and graying hair she wears neatly parted under her prayer cap. She clutched her signed copy of the third book in Ms. Woodsmall’s “Sisters of the Quilt” series, published by WaterBrook Press, a Random House imprint. “I usually better not start in the morning because then I sit around too long,” she added.

That’s just shoddy reporting. By “sit around too long,” she clearly means sitting on the butter churn, wooden phallus providing her a pleasure not often felt by a woman religiously barred from using batteries.

I also like how this article goes out of the way to point out that these books weren’t written by Amish people. No crap they weren’t. I could hardly justify carrying around a “paperback” written by some inbred who can’t even staple the pages together out of fear that the devil may leap from the staple tray and steal her soul.

[Wall Street Journal]

Contest! Win a great prize!

DC Scrap — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:30:00 +0000

WE HAVE OUR WINNERS! I will have some more stuff give away real soon so be sure to come on back!

NOTE — IF ANY PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED FOR TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER CONTEST TO DETERMINE A NEW WINNER.

Time for another great contest from on205th.com! Two prizes up for grabs today with the first place winner getting his choice and second place getting the second prize!

(NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes.)

Prize #1: Ripped Off: Madoff and the Scamming of America
List price: $19.95

See the personal chaos brought onto individual investors by Bernie Madoff, a popular and trusted investor from middle-class Queens, New York – and alleged Ponzi schemer – as experts dissect his $65 billion scam, from its humble beginnings to its stunning downfall, in RIPPED OFF: MADOFF AND THE SCAMMING OF AMERICA. With the help of expert commentary and firsthand accounts from Madoff’s victims, HISTORY™ compares and contrasts this most recent fraud with other Ponzi schemes throughout history, while exploring the economic and historical climates in which they appeared.

Wanna know the stories behind one of the greatest scams in American history? This will fill you in, disgust you and amaze you all in one story. A fascinating DVD. – on 205th magazine

Prize #2: A Few Seconds of Panic
List Price: $16.00

In his New York Times bestseller Word Freak, Stefan Fatsis infiltrated the insular world of competitive Scrabble players. With A FEW SECONDS OF PANIC: A 5-Foot-8, 170-Pound, 43-Year-Old Sportswriter Plays in the NFL, Fatsis raises the ante (and his risk of injury) by infiltrating a strikingly different subculture—the NFL. With unprecedented access to the Denver Broncos’ players, coaches, and facilities, Fatsis not only provides a fascinating inside-look at a storied sports franchise but also an insightful glimpse into the life of a professional athlete.

Not only does Stefan Fatsis live the dream of many NFL fans by having the opportunity to play with the Broncos, but he takes readers to the places usually forbidden to them: the locker room, the offices where key decisions are made, and into the minds of the players and coaches. A FEW SECONDS OF PANIC unveils the life of a modern pro athlete and the workings of the NFL as no book has before.

Boy, times sure have changed since George Plimpton played with the Lions over 45 years ago. This is a must-read for any football fan. – on 205th magazine

Caption this photo. Top two captions will win a prize.

This contest ends Sunday, August 30.

[Total value of prizes given away by on205th.com: $2,258.21]

Contest! Win a couple of great prizes!

DC Scrap — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:30:00 +0000

WE HAVE OUR WINNERS! I will have some more stuff give away real soon so be sure to come on back!

Time for another contest from on205th.com! Today you have a chance to win a great book about a legendary man and a video about a legendary (albeit fictional) student! Cool, huh?

(NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes.)

Prize #1: Rick Rubin: In the Studio
List price: $17.95

There is no greater enigma than Rick Rubin working in record production today. As mysterious personally as the Buddhist religion he practices, Rubin has made one thing crystal clear: the records he produces are sonically and stylistically beyond reproach. MTV has called Rubin “the most important producer of the last 20 years,” while Rolling Stone ventured even further, deeming Rubin the most successful “of any genre.”

This book chronicles his meteoric rise, from his early days as DJ Double R in the early ’80s, founding and running Def Jam Records alongside Russell Simmons from an NYU dorm room, discovering and producing the Beastie Boys and LL Cool J, to his transition in the early ’90s into a successful independent record executive, signing and producing the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Johnny Cash, to his role as the most influential producer of all time (currently as the co-head of Columbia Records), and his continued successes with rock/metal supergroups Audioslave, Linkin Park, and Metallica.

Amazing story about an amazing man and the people he worked with. Great read! – on 205th magazine

Prize #2: Van Wilder: Freshman Year (Unrated)
List price: $29.99

The long-awaited story of the legendary party animal’s uproarious introduction to Coolidge College is finally here, revealing for the first time his rise to become the man, the myth…the seven-year college senior. Van Wilder: Freshman Year features a red-hot, young cast including Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls) as “Van the Man” and Kristin Cavallari (Laguna Beach), as well as Steve Talley (American Pie Presents Beta House), Kurt Fuller (Wayne’s World) and Linden Ashby (Resident Evil: Extinction) as Van’s partners in mayhem. Make sure you get some on DVD on July 14th!!

Funny and interesting to find out how our hero Van came to be! Well worth a watch! – on 205th magazine

Name the three celebs that make up each photo to win that prize.
(after the jump)

Prize #1

Prize #2

This contest ends when all six celebs are identified.

[Total value of prizes given away by on 205th: $2,132.27]

CONTEST! Win one of two great prizes!

DC Scrap — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:30:00 +0000

WE HAVE OUR WINNERS! I have some more stuff give away this week so be sure to come on back!

NOTE — IF ANY PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED FOR TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER CONTEST TO DETERMINE A NEW WINNER.

UPDATE #3: MORE HINTS ADDED… Jeesh… UPDATE #2: More clues added… UPDATE: Since no one obviously has a freaking clue on the celebs below I have added some hints.

And finally, here are The Great Book of Sports Lists from the great cities of Washington D.C. and Detroit that I promised to give away this week. And don’t forget the other two contests still going on here and here as well! (NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes.)

The books in this series don’t just entertain. These provide in-depth sports writing that will resonate with the hardcore sports fan as well as the sports neophyte looking for a quick study. From Super Bowls to Stanley Cups, Joe Louis to ‘The Drive’, Wilt ‘the Stilt’ to the Ryder Cup, these books are as informative as they are funny.

These are a blast to read even if you aren’t from the city being discussed. Fantastic trivia and memories abound.
–on 205th magazine

Be the first to name the three celebs for each book and you win!

1) For the D.C. book…

(left) Skank, 29 years-old, born in California
Name (mixed up) : S R D A I N K K A I M H

(Middle) Actress, 22 years-old, born in New York
Name (mixed up) : U R S M M O S M R E Y

(Right) Actress, 28 years-old, born in Massachussetts
Name (mixed up) : D A U U Z S E L I H K

2) For the Detroit book…

(Left) TV Show Host, 26 years-old, born in Oklahoma
Name (mixed up) : I M A O M N L I V N U

(Middle) Actress, 25 years-old, born in New York
Name (mixed up) : I A W I I V O L L E D

(Right) Actress, 29 years-old, born in the Ukraine
Name (mixed up) : R Y G L K U E N O O L A K

This contest ends when all six celebs are identified.

[Total value of prizes given away by on 205th: $1,692.34]

CONTEST! Win one of three great prizes!

DC Scrap — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:30:00 +0000

WE HAVE OUR WINNERS! I have some more stuff give away this week so be sure to come on back!

NOTE — IF ANY PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED FOR TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER CONTEST TO DETERMINE A NEW WINNER.

UPDATE #3: MORE CLUES ADDED… UPDATE #2: More clues added… UPDATE: Since no one obviously has a freaking clue on the celebs below I have added some hints.

Just because I am away on business doesn’t mean I can’t give more good stuff away… So, as promised in the contest that is still going on here, I have three more editions of The Great Book of Sports Lists to give away. This time we have books from Denver, San Francisco, and Philly up for grabs! And remember, books from D.C. and Detroit will be given away later this week so be sure to come back! (NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes.)

These are a blast to read even if you aren’t from the city being discussed. Fantastic trivia and memories abound.
–on 205th magazine

Be the first to name the three celebs for each book and you win!

A) For the Denver book… WE HAVE A WINNER!

Actress, 23 years-old, born in Tennessee
Actress, 33 years-old, born in New Jersey
Actress, 26 years-old, born in Canada

B) For the Philly book… WE HAVE A WINNER!

(Left) Actress, 31 years-old, born in Canada
Name (mixed up): E R L L C H E E U I M M Q A N I U

(Middle) Actress, 25 years-old, born in the Ukraine
Name (mixed up): N U A K S M I I L

(Right) Actress, 33 years-old, born in Lousiana
Name (mixed up): P R R S O O T H W I E E E E S N

C) For the Bay Area book… WE HAVE A WINNER!

(Left) Actress, 29 years-old, born in Maryland
Name (mixed up): E S R E I K C T A B L Y

(Middle) Actress, 36 years-old, born in Puerto Rico
Name (mixed up): A C H N E R N L Y Z O S S E

(Right) Actress, 21 years-old, born in Texas
Name (mixed up): D Y R U H I F L A F

This contest ends when all nine celebs are identified.

[Total value of prizes given away by on 205th: $1,662.44]

CONTEST! Win one of three great prizes!

DC Scrap — Sun, 31 May 2009 13:30:00 +0000

UPDATE #4: We have all our winners! UPDATE #3: MORE HINTS ADDED! UPDATE #2: More clues added… UPDATE: Since no one obviously has a freaking clue on the celebs below I have added some hints.

Contest time again! Here’s your chance to win a sweet prize! Feel free to enter each contest… (NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes.)

Prize #1: Cooperstown Confidential
List price: $25.00

Celebrated author and journalist Zev Chafets stirs the echoes at the Hall and exposes the revealing anecdotes and gross hypocrisies of this sacred American institution in his controversial new book Cooperstown Confidential: Heroes, Rogues, and The Inside Story of The Baseball Hall of Fame. It is a book so thoroughly researched, deftly crafted and brilliantly delivered that you know it will draw defensive criticism from all corners of the baseball world.

Chafets breaks through the bronze facades and discusses the true nature and questionable character of Hall-of-Fame trailblazers like Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Rogers Hornsby, Cap Anson and Babe Ruth, while he celebrates the exploits of honorable early Hall-of-Famers like Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, and Connie Mack. He exposes the anti-heroes of sportsmanship like Grover Cleveland Alexander, Dizzy Dean, Gaylord Perry and Mickey Mantle, while praising Ted Williams and Hank Greenberg. He sheds light on the dubious integrity of a host of others including Lefty Grove, Jimmie Foxx, Joe McCarthy, John McGraw, Hack Wilson, Leo Durocher, Kirby Puckett, and the quintessential saint of Americana, Joe DiMaggio, while he examines the true integrity of men like Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn.

A must-have for every baseball fan. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. –on 205th magazine

#1) Be the first to name the three celebs below and you win!
WE HAVE A WINNER!

(Left) Model, 28 years-old, born in Brazil
Name (mixed up): B M R A A A L E R D O S I S S A N O

(Middle) Skank, 27 years-old, born in Singapore
Name (mixed up): Q U I T T E A I L L A

(Right) Fighter, 27 years-old, born in Texas
Name (mixed up): A R G C N A O I N A

Prize #2: The Great Book of Los Angeles Sports Lists
List price: $14.95

NOTE: We’ll also be giving away The Great Book of Sports Lists for D.C., Denver, Detroit, San Francisco, and Philly all this coming week, so come on back tomorrow!

As the title suggests, this book is a compilation of lists from some of the greatest sports luminaries this city has to offer. Respected and knowledgeable authors collaborate with a who’s who of local journalists, broadcasters, icons, athletes, politicians, movie stars and other roustabouts looking to see their names in print who provide sage and subjective Guest Lists. Everyone contributes to the fun. Within these pages every significant game, player and felony is listed and explained with due detail and scrutiny.

#2) Be the first to name the three celebs below and you win!
WE HAVE A WINNER!

(Left) Actress, 29 years-old, born in Panama
Name (mixed up): T J S O W E E R R R D B A A N

(Middle) Model, 23 years-old, born in California
Name (mixed up): R W A K N K E I L E S N O N D

(Right) Actress, 35 years-old, born in Spain
Name (mixed up): U R P C P Z E E N E L O

Prize #3: The Great Book of Cleveland Sports Lists
List price: $14.95

These are a blast to read even if you aren’t from the city being discussed. Fantastic trivia and memories abound.
–on 205th magazine

#3) Be the first to name the three celebs below and you win!
WE HAVE A WINNER!

(Left) Actress, 34 years-old, born in California
Name (mixed up): O L J A N A E N I G E L I

(Middle) Actress, 26 years-old, born in New York
Name (mixed up): K O I D N A E V O

(Right) Actress, 33 years-old, born in Oman
Name (mixed up): R H E I S S A L F I

This contest ends when all nine celebs are identified.

[Total value of prizes given away by on 205th: $1,617.59]

CONTEST! Win one of three prizes!

DC Scrap — Sun, 17 May 2009 13:00:00 +0000

UPDATE #2: We have all our winners for this round! Well done, folks! Another contest coming up soon so check back!

UPDATE: I have added a few clues to the second set of celebs in The Man’s Book contest below.

Contest time again! Here’s your chance to win one of three sweet prizes… Feel free to enter to win each contest… (NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes.)

Prize #1: Bert Sugar’s Baseball Hall of Fame: A Living History of America’s Greatest Game
List price: $35.00

Legendary sportswriter Bert Sugar has a great passion for baseball and for its Mecca in Cooperstown, a passion that fills every page of his new book: Bert Sugar’s Baseball Hall of Fame: A Living History of America’s Greatest Game, by Bert Randolph Sugar. Beautifully envisioned, designed and executed, Bert Sugar’s Baseball Hall of Fame is as informative and emotive as a stroll through that museum in Cooperstown.

The Baseball Hall of Fame opened its doors on Monday, July 12, 1939, and has since undergone three major expansions, including a recent $20 million renovation, in order to better entertain and educate 14 million visitors over the past 70 years. Though there are parts of Cooperstown that must be experienced in person—the tranquility of the town, the glory of induction weekend, the serene art of searching for greatness in the visages in bronze—Bert Sugar’s Baseball Hall of Fame is as close as you can get to the real thing.

(Superb book. Any baseball fan will love it! –on 205th magazine)

Be the first to name the three celebs below and you win!

Prize #2 & #3: The Man’s Book
List Price: $23.99

Being modern and manly in today’s world isn’t always easy. Do you know how to tie a bow-tie, mix a martini, or make a potato gun? Do you know when to get married and how to break up, or the difference between a bock beer and a bitter? Do you know which urinal to choose or how to start a fire with a Coke can? The answers to every man’s burning questions are within these pages, from the morning wet shave to the whiskey night-cap, from hunting deer with a .30-06 to wooing women like 007. At a time when the sexes are muddled and masculinity is marginalized, The Man’s Book unabashedly celebrates maleness. Organized by subject in a man-logical way, it’s the go-to guide for anyone with a Y chromosome.

(Every man should have this. –on 205th magazine)

We have two copies to give away…
Name the either set of three celebs below and win this prize*.
(*You must be within the continental United States to be eligible to win this prize.)

Clues (left to right, second set):
1: Singer, actress, 20 years old
2: Singer, 34 years old
3: Actress, 40 years old

Contest ends when all nine celebs are identified.

[Total value of prizes given away by on 205th: $1,578.54]

Contest! Win a couple of great prizes!

DC Scrap — Sun, 03 May 2009 14:00:00 +0000

UPDATE #2: We have our winners! Be sure to check back soon as I have more stuff to give away shortly. Thanks to all for playing.

NOTE — IF ANY PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED FOR TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER CONTEST TO DETERMINE A NEW WINNER.

UPDATED – See below

Contest time again! Here’s your chance to win one of two sweet prizes… Feel free to enter to win each contest… (NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes.)

Prize #1: The Wrestler
List Price: $29.98

Mickey Rourke gives the performance of a lifetime as pro wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a former superstar now paying the price for twenty years of grueling punishment in and out of the ring. But he’s about to risk everything to prove he has one more match left in him: a re-staging of his famous Madison Square Garden bout against “The Ayatollah.” Darren Aronofsky directs a powerful cast in this action-packed saga of guts, glory and gritty determination that is “as irresistible as a headlock” (New York Post).

– Awesome! (on 205th magazine)

Name the three celebs below and win this prize…

UPDATE: Hint – the middle celeb is a model.

Prize #2: Parables from the Diamond
List Price: $9.95

These fifty short meditations use real world examples from the history of the game to illuminate practical not preachy lessons to help you through life’s ups and downs. Parables from the Diamond calls on memories of fathers and sons, of the innocence of youth, of the camaraderie of the neighborhood gang, of the excitement of a winning season to help men see through the worldly concerns that can obscure the common-sense wisdom learned so long ago on the playing field. Christopher and Dromgoole use straightforward prose to help men think about integrity, family life, loyalty, risk-taking, focus, setbacks, successes, and more. Each piece is followed by “the 3-2 pitch,” a question that asks readers to apply the principle of the parable to their practice in life.

– A great read. Really enjoyed it. (on 205th magazine)

Name the three celebs below and win this prize…

Contest ends when all six celebs are identified.

[Total value of prizes given away by on 205th: $1,420.60]

Contest! Win a couple of great prizes!

DC Scrap — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 11:00:00 +0000

UPDATE #2: We have our winners! Thanks for playing…

NOTE — IF ANY PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED FOR TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER CONTEST TO DETERMINE A NEW WINNER.

UPDATE: I have added some clues below since no one is winning these prizes. I have put each person’s name all jumbled up below each picture. Now get to guessing!

Contest time again! Here’s your chance to win one of two sweet prizes… Feel free to enter to win each contest… (NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes.)

Prize #1: As They See ‘Em: A Fan’s Travels in the Land of Umpires
(List Price: $26.00)

As They See ‘Em is an insider’s look at the largely unknown world of professional umpires, the small group of men (and the very occasional woman) who make sure America’s favorite pastime is conducted in a manner that is clean, crisp, and true.

Bruce Weber, a New York Times reporter, not only interviewed dozens of professional umpires but entered their world, trained to become an umpire, and then spent a season working games from Little League to big league spring training.

Name the three celebs below and win this prize…

Picture #1 (left): A T R H G R E A E A M H H
Picture #2 (center): H H B A T U T E R C E I S L
Picture #3 (right): C T H R E E H O Z N I R L A

Prize #2: The Long Fall (Leonid McGill Series #1)
(List Price: $25.95)

Walter Mosley’s back. A new character. A new city. A new era. Meet Leonid McGill, an ex-boxer, hard drinker, old-school private investigator working a twenty-first-century Manhattan that’s gotten fancy all around him. The world in which McGill plies his trade is the city behind the city – the old-time mobsters clinging to their last bits of power, the hidden fixers who play city politics like a puppet show, the livery driver who’s really a fearsome hitman, the corrupt cops, the compromised bankers, and the doormen-on-the-take whose negotiations really make the town operate. As soon as The Long Fall begins, with McGill calling in old markers and greasing NYPD palms to unearth some seemingly harmless information for a high-paying client, he learns that even in this cleaned-up city, it’s clear that a commitment to the straight and narrow is going to be a tricky proposition.

Name the three celebs below and win this prize…

Picture #1 (left): N E L C E C M E A A R T R
Picture #2 (center): E R E C L L I Q N U I U E M M A
Picture #3 (right): B L S I T E E R K Y A C

Contest ends when all six celebs are identified.

[Total value of prizes given away by on 205th: $1,283.77]

Contest! Win a couple of great prizes!

DC Scrap — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:30:00 +0000

UPDATE: We have a winner of both prizes. Lostastic Work got all six celebs correct. #1 was Demi Moore, Amanda Bynes and Anna Kournikova. #2 was Hayden Panettiere, Eva Longoria and Britney Spears. Well done. We’ll have another contest coming up soon, so check on back.

Contest time again! Here’s your chance to win one of two sweet prizes… Feel free to enter to win each contest… (NOTE: Winners in the last 30 days are ineligible to win these prizes.)

Prize #1:

Breaking the Slump: How Great Players Survived Their Darkest Moments in Golf – And What You Can Learn from Them
(List price: $24.99)

The nearly 37 million people in the United States who play golf probably all have one thing in common: At some point they have contemplated giving up the game because they were frustrated with the way they were playing. When those blissful moments of precise drives and perfect putts disappear, when the ball seems to have a mind of its own, and when well-grooved swings become totally unhinged, we find ourselves in that panicked state known as a “slump.”

With stories from greats Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Dottie Pepper, Greg Norman, George Herbert Walker Bush, Paul Azinger, and many others, this is an emotional and spiritual first aid kit for anyone who plays the game and even those who don’t. As the 41st president says, the way we handle adversities in golf can provide a template for how to handle the challenges in life: Golf lessons can sometimes be life lessons too.

Name the three celebs below and win this prize…

Prize #2:

Biggio: The Final Game
(List price: $24.95)

One of baseball’s renowned photographers captures this future hall-of-famer in this commemorative keepsake, recording Craig Biggio’s last game in the major leagues. Unlike many current ball players, who rarely spend their careers with a single club, Biggio spent his entire 20-year career with the Houston Astros. He is a sports treasure in Houston and a baseball great, who racked up more than 3,000 hits and was selected as a National League All-Star seven times.

Displays, besides expert craftsmanship, the closeness and affection of a family album. — Spitballmagazine

Name the three celebs below and win this prize…

Contest ends when all six celebs are identified.

[Total value of prizes given away by on 205th: $1,231.82]

This is what your dad pole-dancing would look like

Chris Spags — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:00:11 +0000

Or, more appropriately, your creepy uncle attempting to seduce you through the magic of sensual dance.

Old guys are gross. That’s why it always kind of skeezes me out to see a hot chick with some old guy and you’re like, “Come on, I know you’re just with him for the money,” and she’s like “Nooo really I love old balls that look like they’re made out of rotting silly putty.” Women will tell you all sorts of sweet nothings about your balls just to lure you into their tangled web. Seriously. You can read all about it in my book, “The Things Women Will Say About Your Balls to Lure You Into Their Tangled Web (And Cooking Recipes)”. I don’t expect it to sell many copies but the people who buy it are really going to care a lot about those two topics.

[via]

Special Super Bowl Caption Contest!

DC Scrap — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:00:00 +0000

UPDATE: This contest is complete. We have another contest starting up very soon so come on back!

The winners of this round are Chip and GMoney, with Chip getting first choice. Chip, send your mailing info and your choice to excusemedougefresh[at]gmail[dot]com.

NOTE — IF ANY PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED FOR TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER CONTEST TO DETERMINE A NEW WINNER.

Time for another Caption Contest from on 205th magazine for a couple of great prizes! Top two captions get one of the following prizes with first place getting first choice…

Passing Game: Benny Friedman and the Transformation of Football
(List price: $26.95)

First-time author Murray Greenberg chronicles the overlooked football career of one of the sport’s genuine innovators. Just as Paul Arizin’s perfection of the jump shot changed the game of basketball, Benny Friedman’s invention of the forward pass changed football. During the sport’s first Golden Age, when names like Grange, Nevers and Nagurski glittered, and the melon-sized ball made it difficult and the rules made it risky, the forward pass played a distinctly minor role in any team’s offense. Friedman repeated his college success in the nascent professional game, leading the league in 1928 in both passing and rushing touchdowns, a feat never accomplished before or since. Giants’ owner Tim Mara purchased the entire Detroit Wolverines team just to get Friedman to New York, where his ethnicity and exciting brand of play had special box-office appeal.

How Football Explains America
(List price: $24.95)

How Football Explains America shows how at the heart of this country’s real pastime is an insatiable need for storytelling and mythmaking, how Johnny Unitas is like John Wayne and Joe Montana is like Luke Skywalker, how the game grew up when pioneers and cowboys set out to write America’s story across the West, and how football was a game that perfectly explained that march across the continent.

“Football explains America,” says NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, “because the game is about teamwork and camaraderie, competition and passion, strategy, and energy, strength and emotion. You can look at football and see the heart of America.”

How Football Explains America takes you through a fascinating historical and cultural journey, using the intrigue, skullduggery, and drama of the 2007 NFL season–the quest for perfection and triumph of an underdog against all odds–to tell the story of a game and a nation that have been sewn together and explain how we live, work, and play.

Here’s your pic…

H/T: DeadDog

Contest ends Sunday, February 1, 2009.

[Total value of prizes given away by on 205th: $890.04]

Barbie's creator is a creep

Chris Spags — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:38:36 +0000

I have a thing for Barbie. She’s made out of plastic, she never says no, she may be the perfect woman. So it’s kind of disconcerting to see all the fed up things going on behind the creation of Barbie in a new book.

In “Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel,” out next month, Jerry Oppenheimer reveals that Jack Ryan, the Yale-educated designer who popularized Barbie, was a “full-blown seventies-style swinger” with “a manic need for sexual gratification.”
Staging orgies at his Bel-Air mansion, Ryan, whose wives included Zsa Zsa Gabor, surrounded himself with busty Barbie clones, including Gwen Florea, who was the “voice of Barbie” in a line of talking dolls. The book quotes her: “He once said to me he loved me being tall so he could stick his nose in my boobs when he hugged me.”
Ryan’s friend, Stephen Gnass, confides to the author: “When Jack talked about creating Barbie . . . it was like listening to somebody talk about a sexual episode, almost like listening to a sexual pervert . . .” Ryan took calls at Mattel from a madam and patronized “high-class call girls to streetwalkers,” including a “very thin and child-like” hooker. The book claims that Ryan “somehow rationalized that he was the only man in her life” until he was diagnosed with gonorrhea.
Barbie and Ken were named after the kids of Mattel founders Ruth and Elliot Handler – an honor that plagued Ken, who “grew up embarrassed and humiliated by having an anatomically incorrect boy doll named after him . . . [with] no hint of genitalia.”
Despite marrying and having three kids, Ken was a closeted gay, Oppenheimer says. “To all those who knew him Ken Handler was a wonderful father, a loving husband . . . But there was another side to Ken. And in 1990 he was formally diagnosed with AIDS. His parents and wife were shocked.” He died in 1994 in Greenwich Village, but obits didn’t mention the disease.

Barbie is supposed to be a bastion of innocence but then there’s whores and boob sniffing and AIDS and oh my what a twisted web. The only way this could be creepier is if Jack Ryan has masturbated on every 500th Barbie. Which would theoretically make them very rare though I’m not entirely sure how Creepy Doll Guy Splooge would technically add to the value of a doll.

Do girls these days even still play with Barbies? It seems to me with all the Hannah Montanas and Bratzzzzz and whatever that Barbie’s kind of a relic of the past, like polio or protected sex…with all the pill cocktails and voodoo and iPhones we have today, there’s no reason not to dip your wick wherever you please!

Super Extra Special Christmas Caption Contest!

DC Scrap — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:56:00 +0000

UPDATE: This
contest is complete. We have another

contest
starting up very soon so come on back!

The winner of Poolside Pong is MMayes with “Isn’t it about time Santa got to open up a (fun) bag or two?” MMayes, please email us your mailing info.

The winner of How Football Explains America is Oscar Ponce with “HO HO HO WANNA SEE MY STOCKING STUFFER?!”

Well done again folks!

NOTE — IF ANY PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED FOR TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER

CONTEST TO DETERMINE A NEW WINNER.

Time for another Caption Contest from on 205th magazine for another great prize! Here’s what’s up for grabs…

1st Prize: Poolside Pong
($62 value)

Poolside Pong is the only inflatable beer pong table complete with all the traditional features of Beer Pong. It comes complete with a drawstring tote-bag, and is equipped with a multi-chamber nozzle, allowing you to inflate and deflate in 30 seconds or less. Ideal for when your on the go (or need to get rid of evidence when the RA knocks on your door). It was was the winner of the “Million Dollar Idea” on CNBC’s Big Idea with Donny Deutsch in September. This is a must have.

Even if you don’t win, on 205th readers can can log onto www.poolsidepong.com/maxim and receive a $10 discount on your purchase. They also do overnight shipping, if you need a late Christmas gift idea!

Besides, any product that is presented like you see below has to be great.

2nd Place: How Football Explains America
(List price: $24.95)

“Football explains America,” says NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, “because the game is about teamwork and camaraderie, competition and passion, strategy and energy, strength and emotion. You can look at football and see the heart of America.”

This was an awesome read and would be great for any football lover.

Here’s your picture! Get to captioning!

H/T: Eat Liver

Contest ends Sunday, December 28, 2008.

[Total value of prizes given away by on 205th in 2008 now $608.29]

Caption this… and win a prize!

DC Scrap — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:29:00 +0000

UPDATE: This contest is complete. We have another
contest
starting up very soon so come on back!

The winner of Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0 by Rick Pitino is Epic with “The Spider-Woman sex doll also doubles as a coffee table so not only will you entertain yourself for hours, but also your house guests.” Epic, please email us your mailing info.

Well done again folks!

NOTE — IF ANY PRIZE GOES UNCLAIMED FOR TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER
CONTEST TO DETERMINE A NEW WINNER.

Time for another Caption Contest from on 205th magazine for another great prize! Here’s what’s up for grabs…

Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0 by Rick Pitino
(List: $25.95)

The failures and tragedies he recounts make this book unique. More than just a recitation of what works and why, it’s about how to succeed after you’ve failed; how to pick yourself up after being knocked down; and how to reframe yourself and see the world in a new light. This is a comeback story, a manual for overcoming life’s difficulties.

The stories he tells from his personal life and his time as a coach and the lessons he teaches by using those stories make this an interesting, easy read. I think you’ll enjoy it, even if you aren’t a big basketball fan.

Here’s your picture! Get to captioning!

H/T: Dead Dog

Contest ends Sunday, December 21, 2008.