TNN invents first-ever extreme team 'sport' - the word 'sport' now meaningless

Philadelphia Daily News ^ | 6.21.02

[mhking]

In a profile on former Philadelphia 76ers' owner and NBA televison analyst Pat Croce, the Philadelphia Daily News' John Smallwood details Croce's role in the newest made-for-TV sport. The National Network (TNN) debuts the extreme sport called Slamball on August 3rd.

Excerpt: "It's pretty wild," Croce said. a minority owner in the project. "It's the first extreme team sport. It's four-on-four basketball on a spring-loaded court. Inside the three-point arch are trampolines. These guys kill each other. It's like the ['Air Bud' guys] playing basketball. We got the players from inner-city LA and Chicago. They wear skateboard gear and helmets, and there are no fouls. These guys are flying in the air above the rim."

Smallwood: Because Slamball is definitely sports-entertainment, it only makes sense that TNN would have a sneak preview on July 29 following the ultimate sports-entertainment show, "WWE Raw."

"This is crazy," Croce said of Slamball. The boards are up like in hockey because you can whack a person into them if a guy tries to juke you. You can dribble, but when you hit the three-point arch, you are the dribble. It's going to be a lot of fun." - Full story from Philadelphia Daily News

[mhking]

Just damn.

[goodieD]

some wierd cross between Baseketball (yes, ok, I'll admit, I watched that movie), and Basebrawl (can't remember, either Mad or Cracked magazine came up with that one). Personally I dug Basebrawl, where the basemen were armed with bats as well.

[Mr. Bird]

I think I'll check this out.

[Minnesoootan]

MAD,and your own pitcher pitched to you,and you had blockers while base running..... ;-)

[goodieD]

kudos to a fellow Mad reader!

[Minnesoootan]

I loved MAD-TV when it first came out,now it has fizzled a bit,but I love the reruns!!!

My favorite in the mag was the little cartoons in the margins and on the fold,who was that cartoonist? I still have Fester and Karbunkle paperbacks on my book shelf,they were just joined by Ann Coulters "Slander" last night ;-)

[goodieD]

I believe you are referring to Sergio Aragones..and I too, have Fester and Karbunkle paperbacks! I loved when they attached an antique Mad with a regular one. Those were great.
I also dig Mad TV, I especially love watching Michael McDonald and Mo Collins try to make each other laugh every time they appear together.

[Sci Fi Guy]

the word 'sport' now meaningless

Actually I think that we have to give the credit to the Olympics with their "let's see how many new competitions we can create for television" attitude.

[Looking for Diogenes]

"There are only three sports - mountain climbing, bullfighting, and motor racing - all the rest being games."
Ernest Hemingway

[Ku Commando]

"They wear skateboard gear and helmets, and there are no fouls"

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Sounds like that old James Cann movie ROLLERBALL.

[mamelukesabre]

Ever see Baseketball? My favorite scene was where the blond actually sucked the chrome off the trailer hitch.

[mindprism.com]

Ain't 'bout nuttin.

We had an in-ground trampoline as kids back in '78 and had a game we called 'bolts, short for 'lightning bolts'.

The idea is to kick the other guy off the tramp, so you would have two people bouncing, facing each other, trying to achieve the right synchronization that would allow you to launch yourself feet first into the other guy while he was in the air and helpless. So you had to have some enertia and make solid contact with his body with your legs coiled and then EJECT him, making him land on the ground and not the tramp.

The trick is, for every action, theres that opposite and equal reaction. Most times both would lauch into each other and try to eject the other and finding they did not have the energy to displace the other without also displacing themselves, so both would end up landing barely on the edge of the tramp or partially in the springs.

It was yummy-teenage-dangerous fun. We often fantasized about playing football on a huge tramp, because on a tramp you can travel like a wheel - landing on your back each revolution. I swear you could achieve 40 mph or more speeds that way given a proper tramp.

Dont play this game drunk =) you get too crazy.

[goodieD]

Yep, see my first post on this thread. I sheepishly kinda liked it.

[goodieD]

you could be correct.. I don't remember which one it was.. I read both.. I even dabbled in Sick magazine on occasion, but that was just too wierd. I can't read any of em anymore..they've changed so much.