Collectively, sports are an enormous part of our lives.
Our Sundays revolve around football, and for the month of March we devote our undivided attention to college basketball.
We look to athletes as role models and heroes. Why does America take sports so seriously?
D.J. Gallo, creator of www.sportspickle.com, likes to look at the lighter side of sports. This site is very similar to the immensely popular Web site and publication The Onion. SportsPickle.com was described by Gallo, a recent graduate of Towson University, as “the sports humor and satire site of the Internet; we don’t take sports too seriously.” The site pokes fun at infamous athletes like John Rocker, Ray Lewis, Allen Iverson and Alex Rodriguez.
Gallo started this Web site last November, and it has been growing steadily ever since. On average, the site receives around 300 hits a day. Recently, advertisement spots have been sold for this Web site.
“I haven’t really had anything significant yet,” said Gallo, “but at the rate this site is growing at, I think we will make more of a profit.”
With headlines like “Buddha Seeks to Distance Himself from Phil Jackson” and “A-Rod Giggles Himself to Sleep Remembering He Doesn’t Pay State Taxes,” one is sure to find laughs at SportPickle.com.
People who have experienced the site have expressed mixed reviews.
One person wrote, “Some pretty funny stuff — [the Trent] Dilfer piece is really funny satire.”
An Internet surfer who had less positive things to say wrote, “There are a couple of semi-humorous things on here — I liked the Stuart Scott bit — but overall this is a pretty dumb site that will fail miserably.”
On a local note, Philadelphia’s beloved Allen Iverson was “pickled” by Gallo’s Web site. A quote from this satirical article, “Iverson Releases Album with Modified Lyrics,” published Jan. 9, 2002, reads, “Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson will finally release his long-delayed rap album. Originally scheduled for release in 2000, the album will hit the stores next week with lyrics deemed to be less offensive to women, homosexuals, and blacks. All references to ‘bitches’ and ‘ho’s’ will now be changed to ‘occasionally immoral ladies’ or ‘misguided hussies.’ ‘Faggots’ are called ‘alternative lifestylerz’ and ‘niggaz’ are re-named ‘pals.'”
SportsPickle.com has created a place where a sports fan can take a different look at athletics in America.
Andrew Monaghan can be reached at Actmono@aol.com
Be the first to comment