The “Florida Man Games” Will Include Beer Belly Sumo Wrestling and Evading Arrest Obstacle Course
Looks like the summer Olympics has some competition next year because the inaugural “Florida Man Games” have been announced. The event is happening in St. Augustine, Florida on February 24th. …
The Florida Man Games have fun with the folklore of the Florida Man stereotype.
(Photo by Stephen Morton/Getty Images)Looks like the summer Olympics has some competition next year because the inaugural "Florida Man Games" have been announced. The event is happening in St. Augustine, Florida on February 24th. As you might imagine, the Florida Man games are a bit of a red necked fun that tries to poke fun at what has become a household name. Today's No Sweat News covers it.
If the words, "Florida Man" were in the Webster dictionary this is probably what the definition would be: "Stupid actions committed only by people in the Sunshine State, usually criminal."
Therefore, the "Florida Man Games" will have a certain air of criminal behavior as their main draw. Some of the events that they've announced include:
- Beer Belly Sumo Wrestling. Basically sounds like sumo wrestling, but without the training, prestige history and tradition.
- The Evading Arrest Obstacle Course. Sounds like you'll be jumping fences, climbing over dumpsters, trying not to be bit by dogs while being chased by security guards.
- Catalytic Converter, 2 Bikes, and A Handful of Copper Pipes. This one is described as a, "Day in the life of a Florida Man headline". Must be some kind of timed thievery event.
- Weaponized Pool Noodle Duel. This one could be fun.
Not only that, they'll have a beauty contest that they're calling a "Florida Ma'am Pageant". Plus, they've announced something called "Chicken Coop Bingo" which must be where the chickens pick the winning numbers.
The whole event wraps up with something they're calling the "911 Fight Night: Brawl of the Badges" which is a bunch of boxing matches set up between first responders like cops and firefighters.
Tickets to the event will set you back $45. VIP tickets are $145, which seems pretty steep. They've enlisted two former American Gladiators to be their judges, which is a nice touch.
According to their flyer, the "Florida Man Games" are the most insane athletic showdown on Earth.
8 Albums That Had Hard Acts To Follow
One of the biggest challenges for any band is releasing a successful album that breaks them into the mainstream. However, perhaps an even bigger challenge is following up said successful album with another successful album.
This is certainly not a unique problem. Many bands in rock history have been faced with the daunting task of trying to follow up a super-successful album. These bands range from straight-forward rockers to metal giants to pop-rock heavyweights.
Some of these bands managed to follow up a successful album with an even greater success. Def Leppard is a great example of a band that managed to accomplish this feat.
Other bands took a chance and decided to pivot and experiment with their sound. Fleetwood Mac is a prime example of this, even though it was met with mixed results upon release.
Meanwhile, some bands double-downed on their chosen musical style to deliver more hit songs, like Aerosmith and Bon Jovi.
Without further ado, here are eight albums that had hard acts to follow. There's a good chance you own an album or two from the list below.
Bon Jovi – 'New Jersey' (1988)
IslandWhen you think about the success of 1986’s 'Slippery When Wet,' it’s amazing just how strong its follow-up 'New Jersey' is. From “Bad Medicine” to “I’ll Be There For You” to “Lay Your Hands On Me” and “Born To Be My Baby,” Bon Jovi really had no business releasing a follow-up this good!
Aerosmith - 'Rocks' (1976)
ColumbiaConsidering the breakout success of 1975’s 'Toys in the Attic,' pressure had to be high on Aerosmith to deliver, but they did that and then some with 'Rocks,' which yielded classics like “Back in the Saddle” and “Last Child.”
Def Leppard – 'Hysteria' (1987)
Mercury'Pyromania' was a massive hit and breakthrough for Def Leppard. So, how does a band top it, especially after their drummer gets into a car accident that resulted in the loss of his left arm? Write an album so good it pretty much reads as a greatest hits album.
Pearl Jam - 'Vs.' (1993)
EpicThey say you have your whole life to write your first album, and in rock and roll, the “Sophomore Slump” is a very real thing, especially when you release a critical and commercial smash like 'Ten.' However, Pearl Jam more than managed to deliver an incredible second studio album.
AC/DC – 'For Those About To Rock We Salute You' (1981)
AtlanticWhen an album sells four million copies, you’d think it would be a big deal. But when it follows an album that has gone on to sell 25 million copies like 'Back in Black,' it’s a different story altogether. Regardless, we salute this AC/DC LP with all cannons in existence.
Fleetwood Mac – 'Tusk' (1979)
Warner Bros.Similar to 'For Those About To Rock…', 'Tusk' had a nearly impossible task in following 'Rumours.' Sure, reception was mixed back in 1979, but history has been a little kinder to Tusk than most were when it was first released.
Metallica – 'Load' (1996)
Elektra'Metallica' (“The Black Album”) was some kind of monster. (Thanks! We’ll be here all week, and don’t forget to tip your server.) Following it was going to be difficult for any band. While 'Load' would go on sell five million copies in the U.S., it’s still one of Metallica’s most controversial albums since it’s more hard rock than metal. Of course, it didn’t help when people bitched and moaned because of their new haircuts.
Linkin Park – 'Meteora' (2003)
Warner Bros.Think of 'Meteora' as the 'Vs.' of the rap rock/Nu metal genre. The band’s debut 'Hybrid Theory' was a massive success selling 11 million albums in the U.S., and thanks to songs like “Numb” and “Breaking The Habit,” 'Meteora' debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 charts moving 810,000 in its first week of release.
