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Monday, August 06, 2007

Philly To Welcome Russian National Baseball Team With, Uh, Vodka

Nizhny Novgorod?...Which, if Babelfish is to be believed, means…“A-Rod of NY is a no-goodnik”

“Russia’s national baseball team, on a U.S. tour as it preps for the Beijing Olympics, will visit Friday to play a 1 p.m. game against the Greater Philadelphia Men’s Adult Baseball League Stars at La Salle University. Two players are from Philly’s sister city of Nizhny Novgorod, so the International Visitors Council of Philadelphia will extend an official welcome. Golden Gate restaurant in the Northeast will host a postgame dinner, and the IVC seeks a “vodka sponsor” to donate 45 bottles. Tax-deductible, says the IVC’s Nancy Gilboy.”

Need I remind you that we, America, inventors of base ball, did not qualify for the most recent Olympics, though we’ve apparently qualified for 2008 in Beijing. The team attributed its success to having the right whiskey sponsor.

Also, forty-five bottles? Each player in this game is going to get his own bottle.

Repoz Posted: August 06, 2007 at 07:39 PM | 15 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: international, phillies

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1. Crispix Attacks Posted: August 06, 2007 at 07:57 PM (#2474066)

If there's one thing that Russian people will enjoy taking home as a memento of the US, it's...vodka? Usually local bigwigs don't screw up the "token gift symbolic of our city", but this is a stupid idea. How hard is it to just give them all one of those pork sandwiches with the garlic and greens?

I saw the Russian national baseball team play in an exhibition once. They looked a lot better than the Allentown Ambassadors, but the game was close.

2. Los Angeles El Hombre of Anaheim

Posted: August 06, 2007 at 08:01 PM (#2474072)

In Russia, bottle gets you!

3. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: August 06, 2007 at 08:02 PM (#2474074)

To make them feel at home, each player should get a Nikolai Volkov bobblehead doll and a laserdisc copy of Rocky IV.

4. Swoboda is freedom Posted: August 06, 2007 at 08:04 PM (#2474082)

Knowing the rep of the city of Philly, the visiting team is likely to be welcomed with a shower of vodka bottles.

5. Swedish Chef Posted: August 06, 2007 at 08:06 PM (#2474085)

Absolut ought to sponsor it. Show the Russians which country makes the best vodka.

6. Bobby Bonilla's Annuity (Matt) Posted: August 06, 2007 at 08:08 PM (#2474089)

I thought no Russian national team would return to Philly ever again.

7. The Polish Sausage Racer Posted: August 06, 2007 at 08:14 PM (#2474103)

I met cosmonaut Alexei Leonov last summer in San Antonio; he was inviting all comers to join him to do shots of vodka in his hotel room with him. He unsurprisingly outlasted me and was still going strong hours later, as I understand it.

8. rLr Is King Of The Romans And Above Grammar Posted: August 06, 2007 at 08:16 PM (#2474107)

9. Swedish Chef Posted: August 06, 2007 at 08:19 PM (#2474113)

Perhaps they should greet the team with commemorative replacement livers.

As of 2007, the average life expectancy in Russia was 59.12 years for males and 73.03 years for females.[22] The biggest factor that contributes to low life expectancy is high mortality among working-age males due to preventable causes (alcohol, smoking, traffic accidents, violent crimes, etc).

10. The Polish Sausage Racer Posted: August 06, 2007 at 08:32 PM (#2474138)

General Alexey Arkhipovich Leonov, Soviet Air Force (Ret.) (born May 30, 1934 in Listvyanka, USSR). Not bad for a 72 year old man.

11. joker24 Posted: August 06, 2007 at 09:46 PM (#2474224)

Absolut ought to sponsor it. Show the Russians which country makes the best vodka.

Absolut wouldn't exactly be doing that. I can make better vodka with Popov and a water filter.

12. Sexy Lizard Posted: August 06, 2007 at 10:07 PM (#2474235)

The biggest factor that contributes to low life expectancy is high mortality among working-age males due to preventable causes (alcohol, smoking, traffic accidents, violent crimes, etc).

In other words, alcohol, smoking, alcohol, alcohol, etc.

13. McCoy Posted: August 06, 2007 at 10:37 PM (#2474250)

I think donating 45 bottles of Finlandia vodka would be a nice touch.

14. akrasian Posted: August 07, 2007 at 06:10 AM (#2475078)

They should be giving the gift of American alcohol - say, fine Bourbon whiskey. I'm sure the Russian livers could adapt to that.

15. ChadBradfordWannabe Posted: August 07, 2007 at 06:24 AM (#2475080)

I saw the Russian national baseball team play in an exhibition once. They looked a lot better than the Allentown Ambassadors, but the game was close.

Must've been in 2003 because I was at that game as well, in the Ambassadors dugout, as I didn't pitch that day. Ugly game with lots of errors on both sides. I don't know if any Russian pitcher broke 80 though.

We did a little gift exchange. We gave them some crappy U.S flags or something like that. They gave us really cool stuff. I got a little bottle of vodka that I didn't drink til this year.

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Monday, August 06, 2007

Philly To Welcome Russian National Baseball Team With, Uh, Vodka

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