Before his death of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2007 at the age of 69, Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel apparently endorsed this Legend 2000 model motor scooter (PDF) from Pride Mobility Products Corp.

Obviously there’s something kind of funny about Evel Knievel, of all people, endorsing a vehicle that can’t even jump.

Here’s the famous Wembley jump from 1975 in which he attempted to vault over thirteen London buses. The clip is long, but the buildup is worth it.
 

This image adorned a special commemorative bag that Mets/Spider-Man fans received on the big day.

Comic book fans will well remember the 1987 storyline in which Peter Parker/Spider-Man married Mary Jane Watson. Pete’s proposal to Mary Jane occurred in The Amazing Spider-Man #290, and the marriage took place in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21.

It was a controversial storyline. David Michelinie, the writer who executed the script based on a story by editor-in-chief at the time, Jim Shooter, in 2007 commented that he disagreed with the move: “I didn’t think they actually should [have gotten] married. ... I had actually planned another version, one that wasn’t used.” In a storyline called “One More Day” published 20 years later, editor-in-chief Joe Quesada contrived to “erase” the marriage, saying, “Peter being single is an intrinsic part of the very foundation of the world of Spider-Man.”

Be that as it may, in 1987 the Spider-Man wedding was such a big deal that … it just could not be contained in the 2-D medium of comic books! Or at least so thought the PR people at Marvel, and probably Stan Lee himself—as we shall see. On Friday, June 5, 1987, Spider-Man and Mary Jane were actually married at Shea Stadium before a sellout contest between the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates. (Update: This incident is covered in the PBS special Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle, which aired on October 15.)
 

Fans at the game received this swell heart-shaped Spider-Man pin as well. Or is that a patch or even a… cookie?

The wedding—or, if you like, “stunt”—was a news story of note. Not only did it receive coverage by the likes of AP and Good Morning America and who knows who else, but the lofty New York Times itself actually ran a tongue-in-cheek announcement in its “Weddings and Celebrations” section, in which they printed Mary Jane’s admission that she is a total slut:
 

Spider-Man To Wed Model

by Michael Gross

Friday night at Shea Stadium, Mary Jane Watson—an actress, model, and computer businesswoman—will be married to the Amazing Spider-Man, a superhero also known to comic-book cognoscenti as Peter Parker, a freelance photographer for the mythical Daily Bugle in Manhattan. Stan Lee, publisher of Marvel Comics and creator of Spider-Man, will officiate.

The mock ceremony, to promote a special wedding issue of the Amazing Spider-Man comic book, which goes on sale next Tuesday, will take place at home plate in front of more than 45,000 fans just before the New York Mets play the Pittsburgh Pirates.

All this is something of a fashion event. Ms. Watson’s wedding gown was designed by Willi Smith. The form-fitting white lace, satin and tulle gown was the designer’s last project. Ms. Watson’s wedding ring will feature a black widow spider setting.

Ms. Smith—whose image appears several times in the special comic book—also designed the groom’s black tail coat, which is buttoned with the masks of Comedy and Tragedy. Spider-Man reportedly gained superpowers as the result of a bite by a radioactive spider.

The couple, played by models, will be attended by other models portraying the Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Ice-Man, Fire-Star, Green Goblin and Dr. Doom.

At the final fitting of her gown, Ms. Watson (actually Tara Shannon, a model) said the wedding had to be held in Shea Stadium to accommodate all her previous beaus. This might explain Spider-Man’s recent behavior. ”He’s been pacing the ceiling for weeks,” she said.

 

 
Here were the wedding vows, delivered and presumably written by Stan Lee—you have to hand it to him, they’re pretty good:

“Do you, Spider-Man, being of sound mind and superbody, take Mary Jane to be your lawfully wedded bride, forsaking all other superheroines? Do you promise to never leave footprints on the walls or ceilings, or cobwebs in the corners? And do you agree to pinch-hit for the Mets if they ask you?”

and

“Do you, Mary Jane Watson, being of sound mind and spectacular body, agree to forsake other masked Marvelites, to never, ever swat a spider and to hug, comfort, and kiss away any bruises incurred after a long day of bashing bad guys—and to stay out of the Mets’ locker room?”

Rather than say “I do,” Lee, Spidey, and Mary Jane all intoned the words “I thee web.”

In the AP report on the wedding, Mary Jane, asked about the possibility of having children, is quoted as saying, ‘‘As long as they are healthy, have two arms and eight legs, I’ll be happy.’‘
 

 
Actor Stephen Vrattos, who was the man in the costume for the photo shoot that produced the commemorative poster above featuring Spider-Man and some of his Marvel superhero friends alongside Mets players Roger McDowell, Darryl Strawberry, Wally Backman, and Lee Mazzilli (he was not the man in the Spidey costume for the wedding), reminisced:
 

Trudy, aka Firestar, had her hands full trying to politely shake off the roaming hands of Roger McDowell who followed her like a stray puppy and persistently tried to pick her up. There is a reason why the former pitching ace has the biggest grin in the poster.

McDowell seemed to be the only Met enjoying the situation—albeit for reasons other than comic-book appreciation. Mazzilli, Backman and Strawberry only ceded their looks of scorn to smile when the photos were being taken. And if you look closely at their visages on the poster, you’ll notice those smile are forced. Perhaps they thought we couldn’t hear clearly in the costumes, because their under-the-breath grumblings about having to participate in the shoot were easily audible.

 
Vrattos describes this crazy event in exhaustive detail here. Be sure to click through, because there are tons of amusing pics and anecdotes.

As it happened, Spidey’s wedding also coincided almost perfectly with the Mets’ finally getting their act together in the 1987 season. People forget, but from 1984 to 1988, the Mets were the shit—they, not the Yankees, were the talk of New York City during those years. They were exciting, they were controversial, and they generally kicked ass. The Mets had won the World Series the year before, but in the spring of 1987, their star pitcher Dwight Gooden tested positive for cocaine use and entered rehab, causing him to miss a good chunk of the season. His first start in 1987 was that very same day, June 5. The Mets, who were a foregone conclusion to run away with the National League East, were stumbling along at just 25-25 entering the game. Gooden pitched a solid 6.2 innings to win the game 5-1—Gooden won a fairly astonishing 15 games the rest of the way (in only two-thirds of a season, remember), and the Mets went 67-45 after Gooden’s return, only to finish second behind their hated rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Here’s a Good Morning America report on the wedding with a quick clip of Entertainment Tonight’s John Tesh at the very end:

 
Here’s an old Spider-Man bit from The Electric Company in which Spider-Man takes on “The Wall” while attending a Mets game (since the Mets are in the field during the top of the 6th, the game must perforce be taking place at Shea)—as a special bonus, the umpire is played by none other than Morgan Freeman.
 

 
Thanks to Rachel Jensen!

Tee-hee!

An attorney and loyal Atlanta Braves fan by the name of Paul J. Kaplan, outraged at his team’s loss to “a bunch of California liberals,” penned an absolutely hilarious letter to his representative, Rep. Jack Kingston, demanding that congressional action be taken to reverse the results of the score.

As Kaplan is aware, his proposed solution “may sound unconventional, but we can no longer afford to play baseball as usual…. Allowing (the Los Angeles Dodgers) to impose their left-coast values on our post-season play is ruining America.”

From the letter:

“This outrage cannot be allowed to stand. But the system has failed us. We tried to resolve this issue through traditional means: In last night’s game alone, we must have sent batters to the plate at least 40 times. But just because we couldn’t score enough runs, the Dodgers refuse to relinquish the title—and worse, they won’t even discuss it….

LA’s stubborn refusal to even talk to us about reversing the results of this series is unsportsmanlike and unAmerican. But there is an answer: If the Dodgers won’t listen to the cries of average Americans like you and me, then Congress should outlaw Major League Baseball until the Dodgers cave….

Just because the Dodgers had more hits, scored more runs and won more games doesn’t make them right. You can help them see that. And if that means the country will be deprived of its national pastime—well, the Dodgers will have only themselves to blame.”

Naturally, Fox Sports sought a response, and the conservative Congressman or someone on his staff took a swing at it… and missed the ball entirely.

“I agree with you that Republicans and the Braves have much in common. You could say that the Republicans ‘Bravely’ take on tough issues such as defunding Obamacare and trying to curtail runaway spending. And we don’t mind clearing the dugout for a good brawl. We also agree that Dodgers is a fitting name for the Democrats as they often ‘Dodge’ serious issues such as balancing the budget or cutting spending.”

 

 
You find a larger version of Kaplan’s full letter here.

 
A few assertions about this video.

This video is designed to puzzle stodgy old people—I include myself in that group. This video has everything that appeals to youth in it, and nothing that makes sense to old people. We have finally attained maximum youthiosity.

This video is mildly NSFW unless you work in an anime production shop.

If this video is any indication, vogueing is one part breakdancing and one part being a spaz.

The world sorely needs more dancing competitions that involve cosplay.

The only word that adequately describes this video is “COMMITMENT.”
 

 
(via Lost at E Minor)

 
The well-known Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei has just released three gorgeous skateboard decks in association with the Dutch skateboard company The Sk8room. Each of the models is a limited edition of 150, is hand-numbered and signed, and costs 300 Euros (about $400). Proceeds from the sale of the decks will go to Skateistan, a nonprofit NGO that promotes skateboarding and educational activities.

The slogans directly reference Weiwei’s ongoing struggles against the Chinese government, which has repeatedly harassed the whimsical and outspoken artist and even arrested him for “economic crimes” in 2001. The three slogans are: “There Are No Outdoor Sports as Graceful as Throwing Stones at a Dictatorship in the World,” “Maybe Being Powerful Means to Be Fragile,” “The World Is Not Changing If You Don’t Shoulder the Burden of Responsibility.”

Weiwei paid homage to his own artworks for the decks. One of them uses an image from his installation Sunflower Seeds, which was shown at London’s Tate Modern in 2010, and another borrows from his work He Xie, which featured a group of ceramic crabs and was displayed at Washington D.C.‘s Hirshhorn Museum.
 
After the jump, some close-up views of the three Ai Weiwei decks….

 
Well this is something I can get behind. GWAR fans have started an online petition—it already has over 20,000 signatures, btw—to Greg Aiello, Senior Vice President of Communications for the NFL, to allow the band to perform at the 2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

It was started in retaliation against next year’s scheduled performer Bruno Mars because… “boring.”

NFL must listen to the people. GWAR is more American than apple pie.

You can sign it here.

Below, GWAR covers Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son”:

 
With thanks to Matty Granger!

Pete Townshend
 
Did you know that the use, ownership, and sale of skateboards was banned in Norway from 1978 to 1989? With hooligans like these constituting the public face of skateboarding, it’s easy to see why.

I’m pretty sure Kate Hepburn is about to do a kickflip there. 
 

Brooke Shields
 

Katherine Hepburn
 

Chuck Norris
 
More photos after the jump…
 

 

 
Here we find a couple of shaggy hippies playing a bit of tennis. They are not dressed for the occasion, to say the least. Dylan’s form on his serve (possibly a smash—he’s positioned in front of the baseline) looks quite all right, while Harrison’s forehand looks a bit desperate. Both men are playing right-handed.

In The Mammoth Book of Bob Dylan, edited by Sean Egan, we find the following remarks:

Rikki Farr (co-promoter): “One moment I shall treasure for the rest of my life was at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival. We had been trying to convince The Beatles to get back together and play, but it never quite came together. What did happen, though, was a kind of spontaneous superstar jam session in the afternoon at a mock Tudor house where Bob Dylan was staying.

The Beatles came down to watch the show, but in the afternoon they all got together in the house and I saw on stage the most incredible supergroup you could imagine. Dylan, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Jackie Lomax, all just jamming. Ginger Baker would get off the drum stool and Ringo would step in. Eric Clapton would take a solo, and then George Harrison would take the next one. It was amazing.

Al Aronowitz (journalist in Dylan entourage): Dylan then invited The Beatles to a game of tennis on the Forelands Farm courts. “I’ll play on condition that nobody really knows how,” quipped John and, as Bob and John teamed up against Ringo and George, Pattie Harrison giggled, “This is the most exclusive game of doubles in the world.

And how!

Via Retronaut

 
If you follow baseball, it’s probably come to your attention that the Yankees under the Steinbrenner family are one of the most conservative and “wholesome” teams in the sport. When first baseman Jason Giambi left the Oakland A’s to join the Yankees for the 2002 season, there was a whole big story about whether he would cut his facial hair off to meet the Yankees’ ridiculous 1950s-era standards. (He did.)

But it wasn’t always so: the Yankees were once the most out-there team in the league. They had freethinker Jim Bouton in the early 1960s; his 1970 memoir Ball Four is one of the essential baseball reads—Bouton would do things like ask his teammates if there were really a good reason for the U.S. to be in Vietnam—rest assured that he was one of the few guys in conservative major-league clubhouses to be wondering about such things.

But in 1972 the Yankees set a whole new standard in terms of departing from regular family values, because that was the year that lefthanded pitchers Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich swapped not just wives but their whole families.
 

 
Kekich and Peterson were very close. They both pitched for the Yankees, and they became inseparable friends in 1969. They both lived in New Jersey, and their families did things together all the time, like go to the Bronx Zoo together. In 1972, the couples went out together to see The Godfather, and someone brought up the subject of wife swapping. That summer, after a party at the home of sportswriter Maury Allen, Marilyn Peterson and Susan Kekich agreed to go home with the other woman’s husband. By October it was definitely official, the two men had traded houses, but the news hadn’t reached the media—that would have to wait until spring training the next year. On March 5, 1973, Peterson and Kekich made the announcement to the press. “We didn’t trade wives—we traded lives,” said Kekich. They swapped not just wives, but children, houses, cars—even pets. Lee MacPhail, general manager of the Yankees, joked (probably through gritted teeth) that “we may have to call off Family Day.”
 

Story from the Los Angeles Times, March 6, 1973
 
In David Fischer’s book 100 Things Yankees Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Jake Gibbs, a catcher for the Yankees and caught both pitchers, is quoted as saying, “They were fun-loving guys. Fritz and Mike were good friends. They were really close, and their families were close. I guess we just didn’t know how close. … Of course, they were both left-handers. You can never tell about lefties.”

Fritz Peterson and the former Mrs. Kekich—named Susan, who had two daughters at the time of the swap—are still together to this day; they have had four children together. Mike Kekich and the former Mrs. Peterson—named Marilyn, who had had two sons with Fritz—didn’t last as long. According to Dan Epstein’s book Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging 70s (which looks like an awful lot of fun), Kekich said later, “All four of us had agreed in the beginning that if anyone wasn’t happy, the thing would be called off. But when Marilyn and I decided to call it off, the other couple had already gone off with each other.” Susan Kekich said, “A lot of people get divorces. We didn’t do anything sneaky or lecherous. There isn’t anything smutty about this. We were all attracted to each other and we fell in love.”

Around 2010 there were stories that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were planning to do a movie version of the Peterson-Kekich story called The Trade, but Affleck decided to win a few Oscars and take on the role of Batman instead. Honestly, I can’t figure out why HBO didn’t make this movie ten years ago.

There’s hardly any coverage of this on YouTube, but here’s Fritz Peterson pitching in the 1970 All-Star Game, giving up a base hit to Willie McCovey—Roberto Clemente and Earl Weaver also appear in the clip.
 

 
On July 12, 1979, the schedule called for a twi-night doubleheader between the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers took the first game 4-1 on the strength of a Tom Brookens triple in the second inning that drove home Jerry Morales for what would prove to be the winning run (boxscore). As it turned out, the second game never got played, resulting in a forfeit by the home White Sox and a sweep of the doubleheader for the Tigers.

Thing is, an anti-disco riot broke out in between the two games. A large collection of disco LPs was detonated in an explosion—this part was planned—but it tore a large hole in the outfield grass and eventually turned into a bonfire. The game was attended by many thousands of disco-hating baseball fans—actually a lot of them probably didn’t care much about baseball—a good percentage of whom would take the field during the insanity. It’s one of the most memorable promotions that baseball ever threw.

The director of promotions at that time was Mike Veeck, son of Bill Veeck, longtime owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, and the White Sox. Bill Veeck was a genius deployer of gimmicks, including, when he owned the Browns, the stunt of hiring a midget named Eddie Gaedel to lead off a game in August 19, 1951, for a guaranteed base on balls. Mike’s decision to host a Disco Demolition Night would prove every bit as memorable.

Wikipedia supplies some background:

Chicago disc jockey Steve Dahl was fired from local radio station WDAI on Christmas Eve 1978 when the station switched formats from rock to disco. The 24-year-old DJ was subsequently hired by rival album-rock station WLUP, “The Loop.” Sensing an incipient anti-disco backlash and playing off the publicity surrounding his firing (Dahl frequently mocked WDAI’s “Disco DAI” slogan on the air as “Disco DIE”), Dahl created a mock organization called “The Insane Coho Lips,” an anti-disco army consisting of his listeners. According to Andy Behrens of ESPN, Dahl and his broadcast partner Garry Meier “organized the Cohos around a simple and surprisingly powerful idea: Disco Sucks.”

According to Wikipedia, the capacity of Comiskey Park at that time was only 44,492, yet estimates of the crowd that night range from 50,000 to 90,000. (As with the Beatles’ 1965 concert at Shea Stadium, the number of people who claim to have been in attendance is probably several hundred thousand by now.)

An air of menace permeated the first game:

Tigers outfielder Rusty Staub remembered that the records would slice through the air, and land sticking out of the ground. He urged teammates to wear batting helmets when playing their positions, “It wasn’t just one, it was many. Oh, God almighty, I’ve never seen anything so dangerous in my life.” ... Mike Veeck later remembered an odor of marijuana in the grandstand and said of the attendees, “This is the Woodstock they never had.”

Tigers outfielder Ron LeFlore said afterward, “It seemed like there was kegs in every aisle of the ballpark that night, you know, because everybody was drunk.”

Attendees would pay an admission fee of 98 cents (!) provided they brought at least one disco LP with them; Dahl would then destroy the pile of recordings in an explosion. (Many people got into the park without paying, however.) Dahl took the field in an army jeep wearing an army helmet to lead his anti-disco “army” and led the crowd in a rousing chant of “Disco Sucks!” “This is officially the world’s largest anti-disco rally!” cried Dahl to the crowd. And then things totally got out of hand.

The detonation scattered the broken album shards all over the outfield. Several thousand disco-haters took the field, some of them carrying banners with slogans like “LONG LIVE ROCK & ROLL.” The explosion quickly became a bonfire, and there was at least one similar fire in the upper deck of the stadium. Reportedly, 39 people were arrested (looking at the footage, that figure seems remarkably low).

Here’s a great little documentary from ESPN about the mayhem: