Wahoo Wire

Let’s face it: there are a lot of Chumps roaming the sports landscape. In the past week alone, baseball teams have choked away seemingly cushy division leads, college football refs have helped decide conference contests with unforgivable penalty calls, and cryogenics lab employees have swung at a deceased baseball legend’s severed head with a mechanical wrench (some crimes are weirder than others). And those weren’t even the worst offenses. Unfortunately, their collective sports malevolence has grabbed some of the attention away from those who deserve it. So we’re here this week to dish props to some very deserving people, in addition to calling out those who need to get their act together. Let’s get on to it.

Champ: Rio de Janeiro

Last week, the Brazilian city beat out Madrid, Tokyo, and Chicago for the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. This will mark the first time the Olympics will head to South America. Despite the presence of Barack Obama in Copenhagen, Rio won by appealing to the International Olympic Committee members’ sense of fairness. After all, a continent full of underdeveloped countries South America deserves a few breaks thrown its way.

Courtesy of bbc.co.uk

Honorable Mention: Alexis Thompson, Brett Favre, Jimmy Clausen

Chump: Florida State football

You know it’s been a bad week in Tallahassee when a semi-embarrassing 28-21 loss at Boston College qualifies as good news. In the days since last Saturday’s loss, controversy has consumed the Seminoles program. After a top FSU booster announced his wish that long-time head coach Bobby Bowden step down after this season, Bowden refused to acknowledge the comments publicly in an exceedingly awkward interview. Bowden’s wife countered public criticism of her husband by lashing out to a newspaper outlet. And the university’s administration can’t seem to make a decision one way or another: President T.K. Wetherell insists that Bowden’s title is safe, yet athletics operations seem intent on increasing Offensive Coordinator Jimbo Fisher’s sway over the team (which may not be a good idea). While fellow former power Miami has picked itself off the mat, it seems a hostile and self-destructive internal environment have helped cost FSU a chance at the 2009 ACC Title.

Courtesy athensgrease.files.wordpress.com

Honorable Mention: Alcor, Detroit Tigers, Dez Bryant, SEC Refs