Bunker Spreckels – Sports Bizarre

One of the most challenging athletic feats in human history is to swim the English Channel. It’s 34 kilometres of open sea between England and France, which also happens to be the busiest sea lane in the world, with water temperatures hovering between 14 to 18 degrees Celsius in summer. For your swim to be officially recognised, wet suits or any thermal protection are not allowed. It’s just you against the ocean. Tides will also sweep you kilometres off course, you’ll almost certainly be stung by jellyfish, and even while swimming, the churning waves can make you seasick. So why does anyone do it? Who was the first? And just how dangerous is it? Mick and Titus look at the history of swimming the English Channel. Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 7 June. You can get tickets here. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Maj 202448min

Mick and Titus pay their respects to Magawa the rat who dedicated his life to detecting landmines. Plus, they discuss the Bahraini seagulls that are too fat to fly; loud cicada sex parties and the monotreme with four penises. Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here. If you’d like more Animal Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Maj 202434min

By the 1930s, SP bookies were everywhere, with investigations discovering that every pub had an SP bookie, and the rare one that didn’t wasn’t economically viable. After the radio had changed everything, the next bit of technology was about to change the life of the SP bookie in ways they couldn’t begin to imagine, the telephone. Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Maj 202445min

In their first episode of Animal Bizarre, Mick and Titus discuss a bear that invaded a Japanese military base, penguins that get too cold and a woman breastfeeding a cat on an aeroplane.  They then cover a man who while fleeing a swarm of bees jumps into a lake, only to be eaten by piranhas. Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTube  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Apr 202436min

At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia decided to do something against its nature, ban gambling. The result was the rise of the SP Bookie, illegal bookmakers based in pubs, barber shops, pool halls and anywhere people wanted them. The result was a cat-and-mouse game between the police and the bookies; if the cats weren’t interested in capturing the mice and were willing to take bribes. Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28 Apr 202450min

Mick and Titus are thrilled to announce a new show, Animal Bizarre, which will be released each Wednesday, starting next week. Sports Bizarre will remain the same, out every Monday. “From seagulls who are too fat to fly, drunk echidnas, a crypto-investing hamster, racoons hell-bent on disrupting a ‘gender reveal party’, and a bear who invaded a military base, every week we will be looking at the most bizarre stories from the animal kingdom,” said Mick. “We’ve been thrilled with the ongoing success of Sports Bizarre – and we will continue to find the weird stories from the sports world, but we’ve always wanted to branch out with other topics. When it comes to the stories we tell about animals, we are like David Attenborough, if he didn’t fact check and had an incredibly poor understanding of wildlife,” said Titus. Animal Bizarre and Sports Bizarre will both be released on this feed so there's no need to change anything. The feed will be renamed 'Bizarre with Mick Molloy and Titus O'Reily'.  If you have any questions, please email us at info@sportsbizarre.com        See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

26 Apr 20243min

With their first season at the top level in the bag, the Crazy Gang set their eyes higher, but not before a key member announces he is leaving. Before the season is over, the team will achieve something special, but it will also contain the seeds of their destruction. Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets This story I had to piece together using a lot of different sources but a good overview is The Crazy Gang by Dave Bassett and Wally Downes which aims to set the record straight from two men who were in the Crazy Gang.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 Apr 202444min

Unfortunately Mick was unwell last week, so we bring you one of our most popular episodes. Wimbledon will be back next week. On 4 June 1974, the Cleveland Indians decided to host a ten-cent beer night to attract fans; beer at the stadium normally cost 65 cents, so ten cents was a real incentive.  The Indians were in a 30-year slump at the time, as was the city, their river would catch fire with alarming regularity, so the scene was set for trouble. Oh, and it was a full moon. The result was pure, unbridled chaos. There were streakers, firecrackers, a woman trying to kiss the home plate umpire and eventually, a full-scale riot. Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine a night that started badly and then got worse. Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Apr 202458min