This Week in Non-Sports News: HuckaChuck

This Week in Non-Sports News: No One Over 150 after 1:50

According to the Miami Student, the oldest university newspaper in the United States since 1826 and the newspaper of record of my alma mater, Miami University (the real Miami, not that fake place down in Florida), a slogan incorporated on the Delta Chi fraternity’s rush T-shirts has kicked up quite a storm within the Greek community in Oxford, OH.

While D Chi chapter president Anthony DePine insists that the meaning of the slogan “is to be left up to the person reading the shirt,” that explanation fell on the deaf ears of several Miami sororities, as well as the Panhellenic Association (the governing body of sororities).

The slogan in question—“No one over 150 after 1:50”—which was printed on the backside of the D Chi rush shirts, has been interpreted by some to mean “No girl over 150 pounds after 1:50 a.m.”

Imagine that.

Now the Interfraternity Council (IFC) has gotten involved and has met with D Chi to discuss repercussions. In response, D Chi leadership has largely folded, issuing a formal apology and agreeing to sign a contract “ensuring IFC that they would not be wearing the shirt anymore in public or in view of anyone,” according to Michael Simon, vice president of public relations for the IFC. Delta Chi also agreed to work with student ambassadors from the Women's Center on “issues of programming.”

According to Claire Dickerson, vice president of public relations for the Panhellenic:

“We feel that wearing this shirt undermines the message of self-acceptance we hope to cultivate in all our chapter members and forces women to unfairly question their body image… The Panhellenic community is working hard to instill confidence in women and celebrate the beauty of being a woman, independent from the number she sees on the scale. We are disturbed that a Greek chapter would work against our goal of self-acceptance and inner beauty.”

Rebecca Bailey; president of the Kappa Delta chapter at Miami, a leading voice against the slogan, said that at least 90 percent of the members of KD signed a petition against D Chi’s slogan. According to Bailey:

“We decided not to invite Delta Chi to help us with (our) philanthropy…before their shirts came out, but once I learned about the shirts it definitely reinforced the decision not to help us.”

Another voice of opposition, Katherine Ruhl of Gamma Phi Beta has signed on to the petition, saying:

“We previously thought really highly of Delta Chi…we were just really shocked they would have a shirt that had such an offensive slogan on it.”

This incident begs several questions:

1. Rather than admitting guilt, why didn’t Delta Chi come up with a plausible excuse for the slogan? Like, “Oh that. Yeah, we’re sorry about the misunderstanding, but it was due to a misprint. There was supposed to be a period before the first ‘150’, meaning, “No one over .150 (blood alcohol level) before 1:50 (a.m.)” We encourage our pledges to sober up before getting some shuteye. We stand by our slogan.”
2. Or even better, why not simply alter the existing slogan into a truism that Delta Chi should have used in the first place? It only takes a Sharpie and a carrot: “No one over 150 [INSERT: until] after 1:50.” It makes more sense that way anyhow, because at that hour, who really cares what she looks like and with an appropriate thickness of beer goggles, you can’t really tell anyway. Plus, rather than saying (as their existing slogan suggests), "You can party with us, but ya gotta leave before 2", this new message sends a positive message to women of all shapes and sizes: "Give us time, ladies, you'll do the trick. Oh, and bring more beer."
   
3. And finally, why isn’t anyone stating the obvious? The two leading opposition voices are from KD and Gamma Phi Beta—two sororities notoriously known at Miami as “hit or miss, at best.”

Don’t take my word for it. Take theirs:

Here's some of Miami's own KDs at their annual "Luck be a KD" party:

Here again, some KDs gather at a toga party (like I said, hit or miss):

Here are some pledges of Gamma Phi Beta:

And finally, here’s Gamma Phi Beta’s “1^st place dance competition video” (granted, this is from USI, but it was too good to pass up):

I recently spoke with an ’05 alum of Miami—who also happens to be a Delta Chi alum—to see how he felt about the slogan. His only complaint? Why not go with a slogan touting Delta Chi’s long tradition of mediocre athleticism during Greek Week? In his words:

“What about, ‘Win or lose, we’ll probably lose.’ Or better yet, ‘If you can’t beat us on the field, you can always beat us off.’”

I’m sure one of those suggestions would be taken with less severity than the “150” slogan.

Fortunately, all those D Chi rush t-shirts won’t go completely to waste. Apparently girls from the Theta sorority—well known for their hotness—have taken up wearing the “150” shirts. How’s that for justice, ladies?

(If anyone has any photos of hot Thetas wearing the "150" shirts, please send them to this site and we will update this post. Thanks.)

This Week in Non-Sports News: Reason #346 Why Lohan Should Have Died Immediately Following Mean Girls

#346: Referred to rehab as a "sobering experience."

This Week in Non-Sports News: Pacman Goes Hip-Hop

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Serving a season-long suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy for being arrested six times, Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones continues to look for ways to stay busy. Last month, there was his pro-wrestling career. This month: hip-hop. According to the AP article on Foxsports.com:

[Pacman’s] National Street League Records, based in Atlanta, announced Wednesday that Jones will team with producer Spoaty in a duo called Posterboyz with their first single "Let it Shine" being released Aug. 27. The song talks about big money, cars and jewelry.

The hip-hop community responded with understandable outrage. “How dare Pacman attempt to sabotage our industry by writing songs about the three subjects we have yet to cover,” an industry rep told Vibe. “We feel that we have done everything possible to diversify our subject matter to the point where no two hip-hop songs are about the same thing. Clearly, to achieve this diversified goal, we had to cover a lot of subjects. Nearly all of them, in fact. We only had three left: big money, cars and jewelry.”

“It’s true,” fellow rapper Lil’ Embryo echoed. “Just the other day Nas released a new track. It was about, quote unquote, ‘livin’ it up gangsta style.’” He said, using “bunny ears” to emphasize the quotes. “It was the first hip-hop song of its kind. Revolutionary.”

The industry is unsure how it will bounce back from such a devastating blow, which it is viewing as a proverbial slap in the face. “We always attempt to cover new ground in hip-hop, but Pacman? How dare he,” the industry rep said. “He’s got a lot of nerve covering our last three subjects—and to do it all in the same song? That’s just criminal.”

The industry is hoping that the NFL steps in to stop Pacman’s musical ambitions by filing a lawsuit alleging that the name of the former first round draft pick’s record label, National Street League Records, infringes on the league’s trademark. Otherwise, there might be no hope for the struggling industry.

“Honestly,” Lil’ Embryo said, “Who’s gonna buy a hip-hop record that’s about the same subject matter as one that came before? That’s not what hip-hip is about.”

It is still unclear where Pacman’s wrestling league, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, stands on the athlete’s musical career.

This Week in Non-Sports News

Now the World Don’t Move!

Gary Coleman Cited for Disorderly Conduct

PROVO, Utah – Former child star Gary Coleman was cited for disorderly conduct after witnesses said they saw him in a heated argument with a woman in a parking lot.

Gary Coleman, 39, and the woman were in his vehicle discussing their relationship Friday night when two eye witnesses reported seeing him hit the steering wheel with his hands.

When police arrived on the scene, Gary Coleman was noticeably excited and loud. “At one point he exited his vehicle, waving his arms, yelling, ‘No, seriously! What are you talkin’ ‘bout, woman?!’” Capt. Cliff Argyle said.

With vehicles unable to exit the parking lot due to Gary Coleman’s actions, motorists became irate, and were like: “Honk, honk! Get out the way, Gary Coleman!”

Once officers were on the scene, Gary Coleman cooperated, moving his car. When officers pointed out that he cannot block traffic “like he owns the place,” Coleman responded, “Hey, what might be right for you, may not be right for some.”

Shortly thereafter, Gary Coleman’s female companion blurted out several obscenities, to which Gary Coleman responded, “I’ma man of means, baby! You got nuttin’ but your jeans!”

The disorderly conduct citation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in jail and a $750 fine.

Gary Coleman moved to Santaquin, about 55 miles south of Salt Lake City, in 2005, around the time he starred in “Church Ball,” a comedy based on basketball leagues formed by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Coleman once fought a bitter legal battle with his parents over whether he was fit to handle his own affairs. In 1999, he pleaded no contest to disturbing the peace after he punched an autograph-seeker he claimed insulted him.

With that, let’s take a stroll down memory lane with Gary Coleman.

(A special thanks to Alan Thicke, who co-wrote the theme to “Diff’rent Strokes”—guess we know where his son Robin gets his musical genius.)

This Week in Non-Sports News

Yesterday, The Associated Press quoted Keith Richards as claiming to have “snorted (his) father” in an interview with NME. Reported the AP:

In comments published Tuesday, the 63-year-old Rolling Stones guitarist said he had snorted his father's ashes mixed with cocaine.

"The strangest thing I've tried to snort? My father. I snorted my father," Richards was quoted as saying by British music magazine NME.

"He was cremated and I couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow. My dad wouldn't have cared," he said. "... It went down pretty well, and I'm still alive."

Richards' father, Bert, died in 2002, at 84.

However, today Richards’ spokesman came forward to clear the air, saying he was only joking about the snort.

LONDON -- Keith Richards was joking when he claimed to have snorted his father's ashes along with cocaine, a spokesman said Wednesday.

"It was an off-the-cuff remark, a joke, and it is not true. File under April Fool's joke," said Bernard Doherty of LD Communications, which represents the Rolling Stones.

Perhaps Richards feared reprisals for desecrating a corpse, or perhaps he really didn’t snort his father as he previously claimed, but we here at SteelSkins are still left wondering, “What’s his dad’s street value?”

In an effort to shed light on this snorting debate, SteelSkins took a quick office poll to determine if Richards was joking or if he really did snort his dad. The results:

Richards was only joking. 0%

Richards actually snorted his dad. 0%

Richards was only joking, but had his dad
died in the ‘70s, he would have snorted him. 100%

This Week in Non-Sports News

Actor Jeremy Piven has a tip for his sushi waiter: “Watch Entourage.”

The New York Daily News reports Piven has been blacklisted from restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa’s chain of sushi eateries due to his “boorish behavior” at one Aspen outlet.

According to a source: “He came in with a large group of 12 or more without reservations and asked for a table. It was a very busy night, but a table, although cramped, was provided,”

Don’t they know this guy makes or breaks careers with a phone call? Sheeesh.

The source added: “On his way out, [Piven] made a nasty comment to the manager: ‘Thanks for nothing.’”

Duh! This is Jeremy fuckin’ Piven we’re talking about! Cramped table? The nerve!

But the best part of the evening came when the waiter returned to collect his gratuity. Apparently, Piven “left a DVD of the first year of Entourage [for] one of the waiters,” alleges the source. “[An employee] ran up the stairs and hurled it at him as he was leaving.”

So much for the taste of sushi cooks. He could have at least waited until after he watched the iconic Episode 6: “Busey at the Beach.” Duh.

Always the consummate professional, Piven sent his rep out to counter, telling the paper, “I'm such a fan of Nobu and all of his restaurants. I had a great dinner at the Nobu in Aspen. As always, the meal was excellent and the service was great.”

Meanwhile, Piven’s PR team has released the hounds by floating a story to illustrate the actor’s approachability—complete with blatant product placement. According to the New York Post, Piven is a “well-mannered gentleman,” who recently demonstrated this by being the only Entourage castmember “thoughtful enough” to send a thank-you note to the marketing geniuses at Altoids for the gift package the cast received containing its new curiously strong chocolatey-minty offering.

Said Piven, “They’re delicious. Can’t stop eating them!”

And some things you can’t make up. It’s true.