The sporting contests that never ended

You can only imagine what they felt like when the woke up the next morning.

The epic final set between American John Isner and France’s Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon — which finished 70 games to 68 Thursday — has ripped up the game’s record books. The set alone is longer than any match in Wimbledon’s history.

Isner beats Mahut 70-68 in fifth set of Wimbledon epic

But Isner and Mahut will have to go some way to match CNN’s 10 epic sporting battles. They aren’t playing with broken hands, after all…

Boxing: Andy Bowen vs. Jack Burke (1893)

Some people may balk at the brutality of boxing these days, but back in the 19th-century the sport was a vicious endurance match, where round limits were dismissed as the effeminate ramblings of molly coddled liberals. Nature would take its course and the weak would eventually succumb.

But when Andy Bowen and Jack Burke took to the ring at New York’s Olympic Club in 1893, both men staggered on through 110 rounds of brutal pugilism.

By the end of the fight Burke had broken all the bones in both of his hands. His wrists were broken too. In the end, the referee declared a draw, telling the crowd that the men could split the purse having “earned their money”.

Still, not everyone was happy. “There were thousands of people there, many of them laboring men,” wrote the New York Times’ boxing reporter. “And it was almost time for them to go to their breakfast. Men were asleep in their seats and the disgust was general.”

Soccer: KK Palace vs. FC Civics Windhoek (2005)

The Namibian football league isn’t renowned for producing many moments that reverberate around the world, but that changed after a Namibian Cup tie in 2005. When the cup holders FC Civics Windhoek took on KK Palace, the match ended in a 2-2 draw. It was time to decide the match by penalties. Designed as a quick — if painful — way of deciding a tie, it took 48 kicks to separate the teams.

“The penalties were going on and on and on and on and on and on,” recalled Titus Kunamuene, head of competitions at the Namibian Football Association, who was at the match. “Civics had the national team goalkeeper you see, and KK Palace were in the second division at the time so had nothing to lose.”

In the end it was the underdog that prevailed, KK Palace squeezing through 17-16. Did Kunamuene feel he had just witnessed a little slice of footballing history? “We didn’t think it was record but I am very proud,” he told CNN. “But, really, at the end of the game everybody was more relieved than anything else”

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Fans Pitch a Tent for ‘Twilight: Eclipse’ Premiere

The “Eclipse” premiere isn’t until Thursday night, but rabid “Twihards” were already camped out at the Nokia Plaza in downtown Los Angeles on Monday.

Original Posted: tmz.com

Joe Jackson Linked to Unauthorized MJ Memorial

The Michael Jackson estate and others have been asking … who’s behind an unauthorized MJ memorial set to go down Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton — now, there’s a smoking gun pointed at Joe Jackson.

As we previously reported, the bash is being thrown by a website called VoicePlate.com — but no one could identify the person responsible for pulling the strings. It’s also unclear who convinced Katherine Jackson to record that awkward, scripted promotional video for the tribute.

But now — a clue … and it all has to do with the featured entertainment at the MJ tribute  … a band called the Chi-Lites — they had a couple of hits in the ’70s, including “Oh Girl” and “Have You Seen Her.”

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Five Celebs Who Had Farrah Fawcett’s Bad Luck

A year ago, Farrah Fawcett‘s passing was the biggest entertainment news of the day. For about four hours.

It’s nobody’s fault our heads were turned by the sudden death of Michael Jackson. The truth is, these things happen. And they’ve happened to these star-crossed notables, too:

1. Mother Teresa: When Princess Diana‘s death prompted global mourning in 1997, it was asked if the grieving would be as great for the sainted nun of Calcutta. The answer came just days after Diana’s death when Teresa passed away at age 87. And, suffice to say, Elton John didn’t rewrite any of his songs for her. (Not that he was obliged to, miind you. We’re just saying.)

2. Brad Renfro: It was one thing for the promising actor’s overdose death at age 25 to be overshadowed exactly one week later by Heath Ledger‘s own overdose death. It was another to be excluded from the following year’s Academy Awards’ tribute segment, despite solid credits and solid work in everything from The Client to Bully.

3. Vaughn Meader: If you have no idea who Vaughn Meader, that’s why he’s on this list. In the early 1960s, Meader released what would become the best-selling comedy album of all-time, and won two Grammys, including Album of the Year. Then on Nov. 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated, and Meader, who was famous for imitating JFK, “died,” too. At least that’s what Meader said right up until the day he really died—in 2004.

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Kim Kardashian has a new man

After her split from football star Reggie Bush earlier this year, Kim Kardashian was in no rush to find love again as she focused on her career. Then love found her.

After briefly being linked to Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Rinaldo, Kardashian is going out with another football player, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin.

“They met at a restaurant in L.A. a few months ago and exchanged numbers and have been talking ever since,” says a source of the couple. “They’ve had a few dates and it’s going really well.”

While the pair are officially dating, “he’s not quite her boyfriend,” the source says. “They’re taking it slow. She thinks he’s a really good guy. He’s really sweet to her. … He thinks Kim is his dream girl.”

Before Kardashian, 29, met Austin, she had been trying to live thesingle life, but the source says, “They just really connected.”

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Michael Jackson: The final 24 hours

On the one-year anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, there are still many questions left unanswered. But older brother Tito Jackson boils it down to one: “Why him?”

“Sometime there’s no answers,” he added. “And maybe the answers will come later in life.”

But some details surrounding the pop star’s death have already emerged. Interviews with members of the “This Is It” tour provide insight into his last rehearsal. The timeline from a search warrant affidavit also tells the story of Jackson’s final hours.

The affidavit was based on evidence and eyewitness accounts, including that of Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson’s personal physician, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s death. However, Murray’s attorney disputes its accuracy.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

As the sun rose above the exclusive Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Bel Air, Michael Jackson began the morning inside his mansion doing what he loved: preparing for a show.

“I would start around about noon or 1 o’clock at his home. We would dance a few hours and stretched,” said Travis Payne, Jackson’s longtime choreographer. Payne was also associate director for the upcoming “This Is It” concert series, which Jackson was scheduled to begin July 13 at London, England’s, O2 Arena.

On the afternoon of June 24, Jackson arrived at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles to rehearse.

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Seinfeld calls Lady Gaga a “jerk”

Lady Gaga may have millions of fans, but Jerry Seinfeld isn’t one of them.

In a recent interview with WFAN radio, the comedian took the controversial singer to task for the June 10 baseball brouhaha in which she flipped the bird at the New York Mets game before moving from her front-row seats to an empty luxury box owned by Seinfeld.

“This woman is a jerk. I hate her. I can’t believe they put her in my box, which I paid for,” joked the 56-year-old Mets fan. “You give people the finger and you get upgraded? Is that the world we’re living in now?”

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Jake & Vienna’s split: He said, she said

For two people who said they’d appreciate privacy after their breakup, neither of them have been very private.

Both Jake Pavelka, 32, and Vienna Girardi, 24, are on nearly every celebrity weekly magazine cover, supposedly spilling details about where it all went wrong.

But it seems, just like with most break-ups, there isn’t a lot of consensus on why it ended, and each weekly is telling a slightly different story. Read on for who said what in which weekly.

Ok!: “Vienna & Jake: It’s over!”

First, there’s the story that Vienna cheated with some guy from “Greek” while Jake was working, but Vienna told Ok! – through a source close to her – that she didn’t do it.

“Greek” actor Gregory Michael told Ok! he had no idea who Vienna was until later, but added that yes, he’d like to hook up with her again.

Us Weekly: “Bachelor Backstabber: Vienna cheated!”

Then, there’s the story that Vienna not only cheated, but broke up with Jake over the phone, according to Us Weekly. (At least she didn’t text? Or worse – leave a PostIt note!)

Jake said he was “shocked” when Vienna did her “it’s not you, it’s me” speech via phone, since he had no idea she was enjoying the company of the “Greek” actor, Gregory Michael.

Gregory Michael told Us that they made out over the weekend, and she was clear she wasn’t with the “Bachelor” guy.

Vienna had no comment.

Life & Style: “Vienna caught with another man!”

Once again, Vienna is the one who reportedly was unfaithful, but this time, not with the “Greek” guy: Life & Style reports that Vienna actually still had feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Lee Smith. Vienna’s stepmother denies the cheating allegations, saying the only proof Jake has is an “innocent” photo of Vienna at an event, and he just wants to play the victim role.

Vienna, Jake and the guy from “Greek” had nothing to say in this one.

Star: “‘Jake’s a Monster!’”

In Star, Vienna provides an “exclusive tell-all” interview saying they hadn’t been intimate in months and that Jake was “cruel” to her puppy. She claims Jake made light of her Pomchi’s dire health conditions, which were brought on when Vienna sent the dog to her parents house because Jake complained it was too noisy and shed too much.

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