NEWS FLASH
Associated Press Reports:
San Francisco, CA.
At a press conference held at the start of stage 1 of the Amgen Tour of California, Michael Ball CEO of Rock and Republic Jeans announced his companies acquisition of urban cycling clothing/hard goods manufacturer Swobo Inc.

In what Ball described as a perfect marriage between "The soul of the new cycling movement and the soulless", Ball hopes, with the implementation of guerilla business practices and the use of sub-par materials to increase the brands profits "at least 10 fold."
Ball's first move as CEO was to fire longtime Swobo employee/acquaintance Stevil Kinevil from whatever it was that he did, and replace him with Rock Racing team member Tyler Hamilton, who needs the work and with any luck will go the fu*k away and never show his face at or around a cycling event ever again.
How much the actual look and attitude of Swobo Inc. will change under the guidance of Ball is yet to be determined, but the company's ever popular blog www.howtoavoidthebummerlife.com has been "pulled indefinitely" and restraining orders have been filed against all contributors.
As for the newly unemployed Kinevil, it seems as if his dreams and aspirations remain unswayed....all he wants to do is dance.



Comments
I'll send you a short-handled shovel and you can finally get busy on those ditches your mother prophesied for you.
Posted by: freebird | February 21, 2008 06:57 AM
Is Sky gonna get some time trial bikes together before the ITT for the Rock rolla's?
Posted by: sumadis | February 20, 2008 09:49 AM
"just another one of Andy Kaufman's personas"?
EXCELLENT.
Are we all agreed then that any/all roadside signage during this year's ATOC will reference the undesirability of Rock Racing and doping in general? I remember last year's classic (vis. "climb, bitches."). Come down to Big Sur on Thursday, and we'll drink until it seems like a good idea.
Posted by: reverend dick | February 20, 2008 06:08 AM
Michael Ball is just another one of Andy Kaufman's personas - like Tony Clifton wearing bitch jeans.
Oh, and Sean, why you gotta dredge up that ancient history about the Firebird decal? I paid my debt to Robert with that "LT-1" engine block I got off the speedfreak for $76.
Posted by: Loudass | February 20, 2008 05:25 AM
oh yeah! I knew a guy that did two laps at the Sea Otter on a Toys R Us 16" coaster bike half drunk from the night before. Not for girls, free jeans or fame. Just a Fire Bird decal that I'm sure he never received.
Posted by: Sean Hurl | February 20, 2008 03:11 AM
Is it true that Stevil turned down the role of Little Daddy?
Posted by: Sean Hurl | February 20, 2008 03:02 AM
Nobody is more bad ass than Aron Ralston (if you don't know google him)
Whatever anybody did that they consider bad ass, this guy did something way more bad ass!
Tyler is a girlie man compared to this dude.
Posted by: Funky LaneO | February 20, 2008 02:02 AM
Where do I return my recently received Swobo order?
"When is Rock gonna make a men's jean?" - LOL maybe they'll make a snuggie, euro shant.
Posted by: Mike | February 20, 2008 01:07 AM
When is Rock gonna make a men's jean?
Posted by: JP | February 20, 2008 12:23 AM
King George,
Youre right. Tyler has accomplished some pretty amazing things in his career, and I will be the first to admit that.
However, as far as people I know or have heard of who kick ass..
I have both heard of and know Pineapple Bob.
Or how about this one?. Steve Garro. Hes cut of the same steel that Bob is, and hes got the unblinking horror of going toe to toe with his own excruciating demise not once but.. what.. three times, to back that up.
That man has taken the ultimate of lickings, and with honor, strength and grace continues ticking.
I dont care if Tyler finished the tour in an iron lung..
Personally speaking, P.A.B and Garro are the kinds of heros Im able to wrap my mind around, and am proud to do so.
Now if youll excuse me, I have to go put my meager belongings in a bandana, (which includes my severance package of an ill fitting pair of $250.00 jeans), tie it onto a stick and wander the rail lines in search of work.
Respectfully,
S.K.
Posted by: Stevil | February 19, 2008 08:23 PM
Well it’s about time! Now I’ll finally be able to score some sweet wool NASCAR apparel. A Budweiser #8 cycling jersey will soon be hanging in my LBS window at an unreasonably marked up price, then soon after that I’ll buy it on Ebay.
Posted by: cary | February 19, 2008 07:38 PM
yeahyeah whatev.. he's got his hands full with people who like pants, hands in the pants and that sort of thing dirty non escalade drivers are of no interest.. unless of course you gots an escalade?
Posted by: slappy | February 19, 2008 02:30 PM
R&R was a joke...the team bus was like a mobile overpriced cocktail lounge, black coated doorman, velvet rope and all (ok, maybe no velvet road). Hamilton looked like a jackass dressed up in his "special" barbed wire kit and aviator sunglasses, looked like some junior high kid trying to be cool.
I've got to go, the Mrs. to be told me to turn off the pork product battle training vid...she said "I dont like you watching stupid stuff...it makes your brain soft"
Posted by: LJ | February 19, 2008 01:54 PM
While were at it, you really need to stop bagging on Tyler, I don't care how doped up he was, the man raced a fricken tour with a broken collar bone and almost podiumed against a bunch of other just as doped racers. I don't care if he killed tugboat with his bare hands and then injected the dogs blood in his veins to win... he still kicks more ass than most of the people you know or have heard of.
And Eddy doped to so what?
Posted by: King George | February 19, 2008 01:43 PM
The next time I see you in MPLS I'm going to punch you in the balls from behind (the Roddy Piper, I call it) for making me spit gin on my computer.
Posted by: JIM | February 19, 2008 12:46 PM
Are you forking serious?! And this was one of the few blogs/companies/kick-ass places left that I actually took the time to read. Man tipping a 40 for you bro. Sad day...really sad day.
Posted by: Jester | February 19, 2008 11:54 AM
Im a slow person, does that mean my mentor/thorn in my paw/hemorhoid on my... needs a jobby-job?
WTF?
Posted by: patbastard | February 19, 2008 11:40 AM
You had me going on that first paragraph before I clicked to read the rest of it. I was like "NO WAY!!"
That Ball is something else -- personal bodyguards and an entourage of lovely young ladies. (and no, of course I'm not jealous. Just because he's rich, attractive, somewhat flamboyant and owns his own cycling team means nothing at all to me.)
Posted by: Fritz | February 19, 2008 11:02 AM
Mark Cuban!
Posted by: -kw | February 19, 2008 10:39 AM
Are you sure thats not the new voice of KITT.
Posted by: Gregg White | February 19, 2008 10:01 AM
I for one welcome our new Rock Racing overlords.
Posted by: King George | February 19, 2008 09:39 AM
Then dance like nobody's watching you.
Posted by: Erik | February 19, 2008 09:38 AM
I seriously hope this is a joke.
Posted by: Ashley | February 19, 2008 09:37 AM
Is it just me or does Ball look like Kim Jung Il?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18923894/
Posted by: Frank | February 19, 2008 09:35 AM
This make scare.
Better now.
Ok.
Posted by: Bren | February 19, 2008 09:20 AM