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Monday, September 19, 2011

Brad Pitt on the Cover of This Week’s Sports Illustrated

Throws Cher.

Brad Pitt, the star of the upcoming movie Moneyball, doffs an Oakland A’s hat and graces the cover of this week’s September 26, 2011, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands Wednesday. Pitt joins an exclusive group of non-athletes and non-coaches to be so honored — a list that includes Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, Stephen Colbert, Bob Hope, Ed Sullivan, Steve McQueen and Arnold Schwarzenegger in addition to former presidents John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan (appearances on the 11/26/84 and 2/16/87 covers) and Bill Clinton.

...Pitt’s background (or lack thereof) in baseball: “It’s shameful how little I know about baseball…. I’m amazed they let me do this movie…. Baseball and I didn’t get along that well. I wrestled one year [in high school]. I dove one year. Everything but baseball.”

...Michael Lewis, on not getting too involved with the film adaptation of his book: “Nobody really gives a s??? what I think. And I don’t either! … They shouldn’t care. I’m glad they don’t care. It suggests a certain level of initiative on their part. Having said all that, I’d say they got my book on the screen about as well as you can get my book on the screen.”

Repoz Posted: September 19, 2011 at 08:07 PM | 41 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: athletics, business, media, sabermetrics

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1. TerpNats Posted: September 19, 2011 at 08:19 PM (#3929925)

Meanwhile, there are the Rays, the real-life "Moneyball." A few years ago, they undermined the book by actually beating the evil empires, unlike the Beane A's. Now, they're undermining the movie.

2. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: September 19, 2011 at 08:25 PM (#3929935)

Brad Pitt - JINXED. I bet he tears his ACL on the set of his next movie.

3. boteman Posted: September 19, 2011 at 08:25 PM (#3929938)

I used to look like that.

4. Benji Gil Gamesh is not being paid to be that guy Posted: September 19, 2011 at 08:26 PM (#3929943)

Billy Beane should never have published that magazine.

Am I the only one that thinks Pitt looks kinda Werth-esque there?

EDIT: Unless he was wearing two of them at the same time before the cover shoot, Pitt *donned* an A's cap.

5. bobm Posted: September 19, 2011 at 08:28 PM (#3929946)

Brad Pitt, the star of the upcoming movie Moneyball, ~~doffs~~ dons an Oakland A’s hat and graces the cover of this week’s September 26, 2011, issue of Sports Illustrated

Is there some other collectible cover this week where he doffs an A's cap?

EDIT: Brown carbonated drink in a red and white can to Benji

6. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: September 19, 2011 at 08:55 PM (#3929991)

Gerald Ford was actually quite an athlete, as I'm sure most on here know. He played football at Michigan, was recruited by NFL teams and I believe coached some college ball.

7. Misirlou's got a busy day, he's wearing a vest Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:00 PM (#3929999)

Gerald Ford was actually quite an athlete, as I'm sure most on here know. He played football at Michigan, was recruited by NFL teams and I believe coached some college ball.

Easily the best athlete to become president.

8. dlf Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:07 PM (#3930008)

Easily the best athlete to become president.

And despite that, as President, he was portrayed as a monumental clutz for falling down the steps of AF1 and hitting spectators with golf balls.

9. Don't want the truth; just wanna see some dingers Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:07 PM (#3930009)

Who's Ford's competition-the first Bush? Didn't Bush I play college baseball at Yale?

10. Harmon "Thread Killer" Microbrew Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:16 PM (#3930016)

For organized sports, Bush Sr. seems to be the clear second choice, though Eisenhower, Reagan, Nixon all played college football at various levels.

11. Swedish Chef Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:16 PM (#3930017)

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Bet he ingested more steroids as a professional bodybuilder than any athlete ever appearing on the cover.

12. Pat Rapper's Delight Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:21 PM (#3930024)

Throws Cher.

I'd rather see him try to throw Chastity.

13. Joe OBrien Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:22 PM (#3930025)

It's hard to compare the athleticism of presidents across eras. Lincoln, for one, was probably athletic but how does one compare his wrestling to modern college football?

14. phredbird

Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:26 PM (#3930030)

Lincoln, for one, was probably athletic but how does one compare his wrestling to modern college football?

well he's easily our most athletic gay president.

15. Vance W Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:37 PM (#3930041)

Eisenhower's abilities as a football coach threatened to eclipse his military career at one point.

I once read a funny article in Atlantic Monthly purporting to show Millard Fillmore as the great statesman of the Nineteenth Century. In this reimagined history, Fillmore was super-adept at a wrestling game known as "Whigs and Masons."

I'm guessing that Washington, with his size and stamina, would have been a fine athlete.

16. SteveM. Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:41 PM (#3930045)

Easily the best athlete to become president.

If Eisenhower hadn't blown out his knee at West Point, we might be making the same statement about him. And given that Washington was considered the finest horseman in his day, he probably would have been a superb athlete. And lets not forget Lincoln as a low post player. Or William Howard Taft as a noseguard (he had the heft for it).

17. Joe Kehoskie Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:45 PM (#3930051)

I guess Pitt isn't big into sports, but an SI cover has to rank fairly high on the list of "What do you give a guy who has it all?"

18. Harmon "Thread Killer" Microbrew Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:49 PM (#3930056)

Teddy Roosevelt was also an avid boxer, rower and horseman.

19. Slivers of Maranville (SdeB) Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:54 PM (#3930060)

Lincoln, for one, was probably athletic but how does one compare his wrestling to modern college football?

Well, we know Lincoln could outwrestle Kahless the Unforgettable. That's a start.

20. TerpNats Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:55 PM (#3930062)

Teddy Roosevelt was also an avid boxer, rower and horseman.

Yet still always loses the presidents' race. What did Stan Kasten have against him?

21. The Long Arm of Rudy Law Posted: September 19, 2011 at 09:55 PM (#3930063)

well he's easily our most athletic gay president.

Maybe, but Van Buren was more athletically gay.

Is the "A's" really big in the picture, or is Pitt's head smaller than what's usually under an A's cap?

22. i'm not STEAGLES and you shouldn't be either Posted: September 19, 2011 at 10:28 PM (#3930090)

Is the "A's" really big in the picture, or is Pitt's head smaller than what's usually under an A's cap?

the hat looks photoshop'd. it's a particularly awful effort, too.

23. asinwreck Posted: September 19, 2011 at 10:37 PM (#3930098)

William Gladstone probably could have beaten any American president in a display of strength.

24. Gotham Dave Posted: September 19, 2011 at 11:40 PM (#3930164)

Few people know that Grover Cleveland, in 1868, was a semiprofessional pitcher in the fledgling game of Base Ball, and was particularly known for his talent in pitching the end of games, or "closing" them.

This idea didn't catch on at the time, largely due to Cleveland's inability to pitch on consecutive days.

25. True Blue Posted: September 20, 2011 at 12:14 AM (#3930237)

Don't know if it counts as an athlete but as a young man Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard who saved about 70 people from drowning. Tip O'Neill in his book "Man about the House" remarks how he once felt Reagan's biceps and it was very strong. He asked him how and Reagan replied he chopped wood at the ranch. O'Neill got an axe, chopped wood for about 15 minutes and was sore all over. He asked Reagan how long he cut wood and Reagan replied about two hours at a time. Reagan was almost two years older than O'Neill.

26. The Long Arm of Rudy Law Posted: September 20, 2011 at 01:10 AM (#3930322)

This idea didn't catch on at the time, largely due to Cleveland's inability to pitch on consecutive days.

I enjoyed this comment an unhealthy amount.

27. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: September 20, 2011 at 01:16 AM (#3930327)

Who was the least athletic President? James Monroe? Millard Fillmore? William Howard Taft? John F. Kennedy was the Nick Johnson of Presidents.

28. Kiko Sakata

Posted: September 20, 2011 at 01:23 AM (#3930341)

Who was the least athletic President?

While President, I'd think FDR would have to be in the conversation.

29. Transmission Posted: September 20, 2011 at 01:34 AM (#3930375)

27 - James Madison. 5 ft 4 and bookish.

George Washington also needs to be on any list of most athletic.

Andy Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt on any list of presidents who were willing to play hurt.

30. Swoboda is freedom Posted: September 20, 2011 at 01:50 AM (#3930408)

Andy Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt on any list of presidents who were willing to play hurt.

I think Jackson was more likely to hurt you. FDR was clearly the one willing to play hurt.

31. retro-shiite Posted: September 20, 2011 at 03:16 AM (#3930547)

Brad Pitt on the Cover of This Week's Sports Illustrated

There goes his shot at the Oscar.

32. JE

Posted: September 20, 2011 at 04:15 AM (#3930572)

George Washington also needs to be on any list of most athletic.

Andy Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt on any list of presidents who were willing to play hurt.

Abe seems to win a plurality of the Presidents Races every year so that ought to count for something. Teddy falls down fairly regularly but, in his defense, I can't recall him missing a single contest.

EDIT: A Pepsi Max to TerpNats.

33. DCW3 Posted: September 20, 2011 at 04:44 AM (#3930581)

34. Fancy Pants is braggadocious about his Handle Posted: September 20, 2011 at 09:04 AM (#3930609)

I have a hard time counting bodybuilders as non-athletes.

35. ray james Posted: September 20, 2011 at 11:12 AM (#3930624)

Lincoln would have been awesome in those lumberjack competitions.

Grant was also a superb equestrian.

36. ray james Posted: September 20, 2011 at 11:15 AM (#3930626)

Who was the least athletic President?

While he loved sports, Nixon was really bad at them. He couldn't even start on his high school football team. And he didn't attend a big school either.

37. Infinite Yost (Voxter)

Posted: September 20, 2011 at 11:59 AM (#3930636)

We've had this conversation before. I remember because I used the word "shortarse", which I'm always trying and failing to find an excuse to use.

38. Up2Drew Posted: September 20, 2011 at 01:00 PM (#3930661)

Is the "A's" really big in the picture, or is Pitt's head smaller than what's usually under an A's cap?

It might have a lot to do with the fact that baseball players are generally larger than you would think in real life, and movie stars are generally remarkably small and slight. We're accustomed to a certain proportionality and relationship of size in our images. It's that way with rock stars, too. You see a photo of a tall guy playing guitar, and the guitar looks like a toy in his hands.

39. phredbird

Posted: September 20, 2011 at 04:37 PM (#3930886)

didn't like reagan's politics, but he was pretty built. he was voted 'best physique' or something like that when he was in college.

40. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: September 20, 2011 at 04:50 PM (#3930892)

Don't know if it counts as an athlete but as a young man Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard who saved about 70 people from drowning. Tip O'Neill in his book "Man about the House" remarks how he once felt Reagan's biceps and it was very strong. He asked him how and Reagan replied he chopped wood at the ranch. O'Neill got an axe, chopped wood for about 15 minutes and was sore all over. He asked Reagan how long he cut wood and Reagan replied about two hours at a time. Reagan was almost two years older than O'Neill.

I'm sorry, but I have to call out these statements. Maybe its just semantics. Anyway, aside from the guys who work at historical village theme parks and lumberjack competitors, nobody has "chopped" or "cut" wood with an axe in 50 or 60 years. That's what chainsaws are for. Lots of people (myself included) still split wood with an axe or maul.

41. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: September 20, 2011 at 04:52 PM (#3930894)

Put a sparkly mask on him, and James Madison would have been a star in Mexican wrestling.

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Monday, September 19, 2011

Brad Pitt on the Cover of This Week’s Sports Illustrated

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