Imp’t Historical Site To Be Discussed

Comcast-Spectacor will unveil preliminary plans for development of the South Philadelphia sports complex — including issues regarding the demolition of the Spectrum — today at a news conference. The news conference by Comcast will be broadcast on Comcast SportsNet, which you can only get in the city by subscribing to Comcast cable. The media will then write about Comcast afterward.

Early last week, the Delco Times broke the story of the Spectrum’s possible demolition, leading locals to reminisce about their favorite Spectrum moment. Some of we yokels probably even would say “Wing Bowl” when asked their favorite Spectrum event. Indeed, the Spectrum has been home to many events, none greater than Bill “El Wingador” Simmons’ first Bowl victory in 1999.

The plans involve the Baltimore-based Cordish Co, which has opened several “Live!” entertainment chains in the U.S. and wants to open its newest branch down in South Philly. I think the conference is at 2 p.m., but Peter Lukko isn’t going to say anything concrete, so whatevs.

Mistakes Not Tolerated In Wing-Eating

Today’s Daily News correction.

The name of the Philadelphia Developmental Disabilities Corporation was misidentified in yesterday’s Wing Bowl Extra.

And the integrity of the Wing Bowl Extra section is forever tarnished.

In other correction news, Metro apparently accidentally called Rep. Patrick Murphy a former lieutenant instead of a captain yesterday. Dun dun dun!

Correction 1/17 [Daily News]

‘Daily News’ Can’t Tell Joey Chestnut 2006 From Joey Chestnut 2007

A correction from today’s Daily News:

Three Wing Bowl photos that appeared in Saturday’s Daily News were taken at last year’s event - the Page 1 picture of a victorious Joey Chestnut, who also won this year’s competition, and photos of Elliott Maruffi-Cowley and Tara Lynch.

I know it gets pretty tough when you have about seven years of digital Wing Bowl photos in your system, but it’s not like the event didn’t end in time for the editors to take their time. Just wait until Rick Santorum runs for something again and loses; the Daily News can run this popular photo again.

Correction 2.5.07 [Daily News]
Nov. 8, 2006: He Has One Thing: Rick Santorum’s Family Is Cute-Ish

Reason #48 To Love Philadelphia: Our Commitment To Journalistic Standards

You may remember the uproar a few years ago over a Mitch Albom column allegedly written from the Final Four. His column described two ex-Michigan State players courtside cheering on their alma mater at the Final Four. Of course, they were never there.

Albom based the column on what they said they were going to do; he had to turn in his column for the Sunday paper before the game was played. And when they didn’t attend the game, he looked foolish, etc., etc.

One could imagine our own local scribe, Dan Gross, feeling the same temptation in this article about Wing Bowl winner Joey Chestnut in today’s paper. He most likely interviewed Chestnut after the Wing Bowl Friday morning, and got some information on what Chestnut was going to do over the weekend.

But instead of pulling an Albom, our boy Dan Gross used this instead:

While in town over the weekend, Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif., was hoping to catch the Franklin Institute’s King Tut exhibit - and to get his first glimpse of snow.

Excellent! Strong journalistic standards, especially in stories relating to something as important as chicken wings.

As to why the citizens of Philadelphia would be interested in what the Wing Bowl champion would be doing in town over the weekend, well, that’s a question to be left to the philosophers.

Dan Gross | Wing King talking trash [Daily News]
Mitch Albom - Controversy [Wikipedia]

Reason #48 To Love Philadelphia: Wing Bowl

I’m not saying I like it enough to go down there and cover it today — Please. — but it’s nice to know that it’s there every year. Ya dig?

Anyway, Philly.com, naturally, has tons of coverage of this radio station promotion. Tune in next week when they cover four men who have to keep their hand on a car for three hours to win a free coupon to Denny’s and then one where 15 college kids have to fit themselves into a phone booth in order to win a keg of beer.

Oh, yes, and the Philly.com coverage includes exclamation points:

1. Gentleman Jerry, 112!!!

Update: Oh, and not to be outdone, Philebrity has Sean Agnew covering it. This will be the only coverage with a sighting of ECW’s Sandman. Do you think he carries around that bamboo stick (or whatever) all the time in real life?

Wing Bowl [Philly.com]

Jewelry Store Owner Relies On Wings For Sales

We’re only one day to Wing Bowl 15, the annual celebration of all things breasts and wings, held annually by the 610 WIP Morning Show. Inquirer writer Jeff Gammage writes today about the reasons why the event doesn’t attract much, if any, national advertising, leaving the sponsors to be the usual radio station sponsors: Matt Blatt auto dealerships, Steven Singer jewelers, Apple Vacations, etc.

Now I always thought the event didn’t get much national advertising because it was a promotion for a radio station. But apparently national advertisers are wary of sponsoring an event celebrating gluttony and the like.

So the Wing Bowl will have to be content with the local advertisers. And those local advertisers, boy, do they make a killing.

Steven Singer, owner of the Jewelers’ Row emporium that bears his name, is a longtime Wing Bowl sponsor. Singer said he loves the excitement, loves Cataldi, loves how the event attracts both neurosurgeons and pole-dancers.

But as a businessman, Singer said, the bottom line is that the Wing Bowl drives sales.

“We get a ton of business from it,” he said. “That day, the next day, that weekend. And that leads right into Valentine’s Day for us.”

And what, really, is more romantic than a bunch of fat guys stuffing their faces full of food while butterfaces with implants cheer them on?

Why won’t the Wing Bowl sell? [Inquirer]

Leftovers: Plan A: Go Get Plan B

• If you’re planning on having some sweaty, condom-free sex on Tuesday night, then do the five branches Bucks County Planned Parenthood have a deal for you! The ‘Hood will be giving out free Plan B on Wednesday morning, so you can look just as serene as the official model for the drug. [Bucks County Courier Times]

• With Scott Graham gone in the Phillies’ booth next year — who will do Graham Slam commercials? — the Phils have added a new analyst: None other than Gary Matthews! Welcome back, Sarge! (Apparently I’m the only one who will miss Scott Graham, though. I thought he had really improved over the past few seasons.) Wheels is still around, so the Chris Wheeler Glossary will certainly be expanding. [Beerleaguer]

• Jerry Mondesire, head of the NAACP in Philly, says Jonathan Saidel dropped out of the mayor’s race due to Bob Brady. Then again, he also said that Donovan McNabb was a race traitor or something for not running the ball more, so we all know how accurate he is. [KYW 1060]

• Why are men bigger than women? Why, Faye Flam reports, men are violent assholes, that’s why. However, men, be glad you’re not a deep-sea angler fish, where the woman is 500k times heavier than the man. I bet both genders of that fish have issues. [Inquirer]

• A pair of employees — how surprising — have been arrested in a heist of nearly $300,000 from a Wal-Mart yesterday. If Wal-Mart workers aren’t smart enough to pull off a robbery undetected, then who is? [6 ABC]

• Ex-Phillies pitcher Don Carman found a bunch of old fan mail and recently answered it. Yeah, I can’t think of any joke but “Don Carman got fan mail?!” either. [Slate]

• Pat Croce has been named Wing Bowl Commissioner. He’ll be in charge of making sure all the models (”models”) 610 WIP hires are C-cup or better. [Inquirer]

Making amends for my Wing Bowl slacking

No, I’m not making any amends. Fortunately, PW’s finest photographer (Jeff Fusco) and associate editor (Jeff Barg) went down to the Wachovia Center and took some photos and wrote some words. Brilliant!

All the wings, boobs and butts you can handle are on PW’s website. And unlike family-friendly Philly.com, we have nakedness! Wahoo! It’s fanastic.

All Wings and Breasts [PW]

Tornado in a toaster oven!

Yeah, I know what you’re saying. “Dan, why didn’t you liveblog the Wing Bowl? Hell, you liveblogged an episode of 10!” Well, I’ll tell you: I just woke up. Okay, not really. But, well, this year’s “Virgin Wing Bowl” theme kind of ruined any interest I had in it.

Now, you’re probably wondering why said theme ruined it for me. To be honest, I have no idea. It just did. But that doesn’t mean I’m not interestd in the nice amount of unintentional comedy in the Inquirer recap of the event, won by Joey Chestnut (who ate a record billion wings):

The half-capacity, near-rapacity crowd, which was loud as a tornado in a toaster oven, saw the likes of a man with a gigantic meatball, a dragon led by horned helpers, military costumes, a White Widow, and much more during the opening procession of contestants.

According to Google, the Inquirer’s award-winning headline writer Peter Mucha — who did liveblog the event — has invented a new cliche! Congratulations, Peter!

Early Word
Joey Chestnut wins Wing Bowl [Inky]
“Tornado in a toaster oven” [Google]