Obama vs the Special Olympics

[Naked Gents Rut]

This just officially became too hilarious to not post about.

A bowling phenom in the Special Olympics has just challenged Prez Barack Obama to a White House roll-off ... and he'll probably kick Barack's butt.

Kolan McConiughey, a Special Olympics competitor who has bowled three perfect 300 games, tells TMZ that the Prez has to score a lot higher than 129 to beat him. Kolan says he bowls an average of 266.

Kolan -- who works at a grocery store in Ann Arbor, Mich. -- said he'd love to go to the White House to beat Barack on his own lane. Kolan said, "He's cool, but he can't beat me."

We posed the challenge to the White House. They said "no comment."

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/20/special-olympics-champ-to-barack-bring-it-on/

Not to beat this one to death, but it appears that President Obama's high bowling score of 129 wouldn't get him a medal in the Special Olympics.

According to a quick scan of Google results, one well-known Special Olympian, Loretta Claiborne, reportedly bowled a high of 178 in 1995. Rachel Register of Virginia bowled a 212 in 2006. Team Kentucky's top bowler, Keith Cotrell, boasts a 150 average.

Tim Shriver also noted on GMA this morning that a Detroit Special Olympian has bowled three perfect games.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0309/Obamas_129.html

[The Mad Monk]

Arguing on the internet is like competing in the Special Olympics -- you'll still wind up performing better than Obama.

[Naked Gents Rut]

I don't understand why this is hilarious?

You don't find it funny that a grocery store employee in Michigan is challenging the President of the United States to a bowling showdown because the President made a joke about handicapped people on national TV? This is completely surreal.

[a.kitman]

maybe you should include said "joke about handicapped" for us out of the loop

[Naked Gents Rut]

President Obama Jokes About Being a Bad Bowler: 'It's Like the Special Olympics'

The first appearance by a sitting president on "The Tonight Show" may well end up being the last.

President Obama, in his taping with Jay Leno Thursday afternoon, attempted to yuk it up with the funnyman, and ended up insulting the disabled.

Towards the end of his approximately 40-minute appearance, the president talked about how he's gotten better at bowling and has been practicing in the White House bowling alley.

He bowled a 129, the president said.

"That's very good, Mr. President," Leno said sarcastically.

It's "like the Special Olympics or something," the president said.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/03/president-ob-15.html

[The Mad Monk]

Obama Apologizes for Calling His Bad Bowling 'Like the Special Olympics'
President Apologizes Before Wisecrack Even Airs
By JAKE TAPPER and HUMA KHAN
March 20, 2009

His controversial joke hadn't even aired yet when President Obama got on the phone from Air Force One Thursday night to apologize for comparing his notoriously bad bowling skills to the Special Olympics.

The president's late-night gaffe comes as he faces criticism over AIG."He expressed his disappointment and he apologized, I think in a way that was very moving," Tim Shriver, the chairman of the Special Olympics board, told "Good Morning America" today.

"He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population, certainly didn't want to embarrass or give anybody any more reason for pain or just suffering I would say," said Shriver, who received the call from Obama as the president was flying back to Washington.

"He was very sincere, expressed an interest and an openness in being more engaged in the movement and said he was a fan of the movement and I think importantly he said he was ready to have some of our athletes over to the White House to bowl or play basketball or help him improve his score."

It began with the president joking about how bad a bowler he is.

Toward the end of his approximately 40-minute taping on the "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," Obama talked about how he'd gotten better at bowling and had been practicing in the White House bowling alley.

"I bowled a 129," he told Leno.

"That's very good, Mr. President," Leno said sarcastically.

But then came the foot-in-mouth moment: "It's like the Special Olympics or something," the president said.

Shriver told "GMA" that these moments can worsen the stereotypes of people with special needs.

"I think it's important to see that words hurt, and words do matter and these words can in some way be seen as humiliating or [a] put-down to people with special needs. [They] do cause pain and they do result in stereotypes and they do result in behavior that's neglectful and almost oppressive moment of people with special needs," Shriver said.

"This kind of language needs to be a teachable moment for our country, I think. I would hope every parent that's at home this morning watching this show could turn to their children and say, 'This is a chance for us to recognize that when we talk about Special Olympics, when we talk about people with special needs, let's make sure we talk about it in an affirming way," he said.

Shriver said there is someone who might be able to help the president with his bowling: a special Olympian in the Detroit area who has bowled three perfect games

Haunted by AIG
The president called even before the show had aired, knowing that his words could open a controversy on a whole new front.

The White House released a statement shortly after the gaffe Thursday night to clarify the president's comments and said Obama did not mean to offend.

"The president made an off-hand remark making fun of his own bowling that was in no way intended to disparage the Special Olympics. He thinks the Special Olympics is a wonderful program that gives an opportunity for people with disabilities from around the world," said White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton.

The Special Olympics wasn't the only controversy to dog Obama on his West Coast trip.

Despite being 3,000 miles away from the center of the AIG controversy, the president could not escape the heat coming from the furor over fat bonuses paid to executives of the bailed-out insurance giant.

"Stunned. Stunned is the word," said the president on his two-day campaign-style swing through California.

"The immediate bonuses that went to AIG are a problem, but the larger problem is we got to get back to an attitude where people know enough is enough," Obama said. "And people have a sense of responsibility and they understand their actions are going to have an impact on everybody."

He also touted his $3.6 trillion budget and advised Congress to find a permanent fix so that such scandals are avoidable in the future.

"I understand Congress' frustrations, and they're responding to, I think, everybody's anger. But I think that the best way to handle this is to make sure that you've closed the door before the horse gets out of the barn. And what happened here was the money has already gone out and people are scrambling to try to find ways to get back at them," he said.

Before his Special Olympics crack, the president was criticized for being in California for an entertainment show and not minding the store.

"He flies off to Los Angeles to be on the 'Jay Leno' show. My suggestion is he come back, since he's taken the full responsibility" for the AIG controversy, "to get his people together and say, 'All right, I want to know exactly what happened and who did what when and how are we going to prevent this from ever happening the future,'" said Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
In Washington, Everybody Is Simon Cowell
The president tried to laugh off the criticism when he was with Leno.

"I do think in Washington it's a little bit like 'American Idol,' except everybody is Simon Cowell," Obama said.

Critics also took a swing at the president for filling out his NCAA picks on ESPN.

"The AIG bonuses make the president subject to the charge that he's living above the store but he's not minding it," said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. "He's even found time to fill out his NCAA basketball brackets, which is a healthy thing to do in my opinion."

They seized on comments made by Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, who jokingly pretended to be perturbed by the president picking rival North Carolina to go all the way and not tapping Duke to even make it to the Final Four.

"Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four," Krzyzewski said from the Blue Devils' first-round site in Greensboro, N.C. "And as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets."

What Republicans did not quote was Coach K's follow-up comment: "Why would I care about that? I love the guy and I think he's going to be great."

Obama replied to the joking jab on "Leno," saying his right-hand man Reggie Love -- who played basketball and football for Duke -- gave him a hard time about the picks.

"I got a hard time from Reggie, because he played at Duke, and you know, Coach K, being competitive, I think was a little -- you know, pushed back a little bit today. And I understand that. That's what you want. You want everybody to be competitive. I think these are all great teams," he told Leno.

The White House says these other issues being raised are just noise and what the president will continue to push is his agenda to fix the economy.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=7129997&page=1

[Naked Gents Rut]

You need to learn to appreciate the absurdity of life.

[Lorizael]

This is kind of silly.

[Japher]

In a no holds bar cage match between the kids in the special Olympics commercial and Obama I would pick the kids; they gots teamwork!

[Theben]

Somehow I knew Drake would be the one to post this.

That said Obama should've realized his f'up the second after he said it. A true "whoops, I'm a dumbass" moment.

[Tuberski]

This just officially became too hilarious to not post about.

A bowling phenom in the Special Olympics has just challenged Prez Barack Obama to a White House roll-off ... and he'll probably kick Barack's butt.

Kolan McConiughey, a Special Olympics competitor who has bowled three perfect 300 games, tells TMZ that the Prez has to score a lot higher than 129 to beat him. Kolan says he bowls an average of 266.

Kolan -- who works at a grocery store in Ann Arbor, Mich. -- said he'd love to go to the White House to beat Barack on his own lane. Kolan said, "He's cool, but he can't beat me."

We posed the challenge to the White House. They said "no comment."

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/20/specia...k-bring-it-on/

No one averages 266.

ACK!

[Naked Gents Rut]

Somehow I knew Drake would be the one to post this.

I didn't post about the initial comment; it wasn't funny and the outrage over it is stupid. The hilarious aftermath is definitely post-worthy, however.

No one averages 266.

He's mentally handicapped, dude. Cut him some slack.

[David Floyd]

A bunch of Special Olympics bowlers is a perfect photo op for a "FAIL" picture

And really. This is ridiculous. Who gives a ****? Obama shouldn't have to apologize for making a joke. This country is ****ed up if you have to be too afraid to offend someone to make a simple joke - especially when you are JOKING ABOUT YOURSELF!

[SlowwHand]

If this was Bush, I doubt you people would have the same comedic outlook.

[Naked Gents Rut]

I would.