Latest Update: November 18, 2000

The End of the Marcus Trail
Ben Marcus is back in the continental United States. He's at him mother's in Sequim, Washington. The time there has allowed him to reflect on his trip to Alaska. He's $15,000 in debt and he's over drawn on his bank account and, well, you really should hear the rest from him.

DynoComm Buys the PSTA
Alan Gibby and the crew at DynoComm have purchsed the PSTA Surf tour and have big plans to bring it back to it's glory days and then some.

Broadband Sports Acquires Action Sports Network
The company that owns the Athletesdirect.com site has apparently purchased Action Sports Network (creators of surflink.com, snowboardlink.com, and skateboardlink.com). ASN was the first surf site on America Online, however, its stangely industry-outsider positioning stunted any major online success or relevance the network should have had over the past five years.

RSN Signs Conent Deal with AOL
Resort Sports Network the creators of the Resort Cam Nework and the RSN cable channel have entered into an agreement to supply winter sports content to several AOL and Compuserve channels.

SSM Does $12.5 Million Deal with ASP
According to a story by Transworldsurf's Sean O'Brien the new deal "grants Sportsworld exclusive marketing and media rights to the ASP brand," and will "re-launch pro surfing as a globally competitive sports and lifestyle property." Well, we've heard that before, but hey, maybe this time it will work.

Dr. Gonzo Writing For ESPN
In what appears to be the high-water mark for Hunter S. Thompson's return to sports writing, the famous doctor is penning a column for ESPN's Page 2 section entitled, "Hey, Rube." This week he tears apart the new Oakland Raiders. Thompson knew the old Raiders. "The Raiders of old were vicious and crazy and cruel," he says. "Hanging around their locker room was like hanging around the weight room at Folsom Prison." His first piece centered on what's wrong with MLB.

Nixon Goes E-Commerce
The boys who know what time it is may not have stepped up to online sales, but they've at least shuffled up with their completely redesigned website. To buy Nixon watches online consumers can now click through from the Nixonnow.com site to an authorized online retailer. Not a bad way to get their e-commerce pinkie in the water.

Get Sacklunch Delivered To Your PDA
With the amazing technology provided by AvantGo, you can now get the Sacklunch front page (what you're reading now) loaded into your Palm, CE, or WAP enabled device each time you sync. How tech are we now? Just click here for the complete instructions on setting up the AvantGo Sacklunch Channel on your PDA.

G-Shock Hawaiian Pro Kicks Off
ASP super scribe Jesse Faen serves up the goods from day one of The 2000 Vans G-Shock Triple Crown of Surfing at the G-Shock Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa's Ali'i Beach Park. Faen does the right thing by hyping locals Jason Shibata and Fred Pattachia as the "stand out surfers of the day." No doubt. Andy Irons advanced also. Photo: Pierre Tostee

Surfcheck.com is No Longer Hardcloud
The guys at Surfcheck.com have had a good time with the old "now called Hardcloud" page thanks to a can of virtual spray paint. The work perfectly captures the irony of their current situation.

Loony Millionaire To Surf Ferry Wake
"Surfing the unbridled wave behind a ferry of at least 11,500 horsepower requires analysis and a strategy," says the Seattle P-I. And that's just what Microsoft millionaire Rowland Hanson plans to get before living his dream of surfing on the wake of a Washington State Ferry. "His reconnaissance so far has revealed that he'll need to drop in quickly after the ferry first shoves off, when the wave is biggest. The greatest danger will be to not get sucked under the stern of the boat." Rowland, can we be in your will?

Ben Stumbles Into Chevrolet Commercial
In his never ending search for nothing, Ben Marcus, famous surf journalist and damn fine caption writer wanders onto the set of a car ad being shot in Tofino, B.C. The shoot includes models, a convertible, and surfboards. Then he goes back to his motel room and watches Ally McBeal. Or was it the other way around?

US Snowboard Team Ready for World Cup
Olympic bound? "To a certain extent, everything we do is aimed toward that goal," said head coach Peter Foley in the Deseret News. Big points also go to Deseret News writer Dennis Romboy for including key snowboard phrases like "throw down big tricks" and "catch big air."

Tony Hawk at San Diego Hall of Champions
The San Diego sports museum wanted to make up for lost time in the alternative sports arena and did they ever with Bird Watching -- Tony Hawk in Flight. The show, which is the largest ever done for a single athlete, documents Tony Hawks career. It includes photos from Grant Brittian as well as the helmet and skateboard Tony used nailing his first 900.

Workers Continue at Austrian Cable Car Disaster
Fighting fumes and unstable wreckage, workers in the Austrian Village of Kaprun fight off fatigue and remove remains of at least 155 killed in tunnel.

Malibu Septic Tanks to Blame for Pollution
Flush a toilet in the Colony tonight and surf in the shit tomorrow at Malibu Lagoon and Surfrider Beach. That's what the experts are saying is happening because of Malibu's militant anti-sewer stance.

US Average Internet Usage Drops One Hour
Call out the dot.com warning bells, a recent study shows that average weekly Internet usage in the US has dropped one hour since 1999. The study also warns that "Broadband use is growing, but not at the rate once anticipated, particularly in the U.S." Who would have guessed?

Times Mirror's Mags Below Par on Profits
Time Inc. CEO Don Logan says the profit margins on Times Mirror's vertical interest sports magazines are "not up to Time, Inc. standards" and he's not sure they'll get there. But he's not that worried about it.

Austrian Cable Car Kills 170
-New York Times coverage.
-Families of the missing gather at site.
-Families wait as rescue is delayed.
-Skiers/snowboarders trapped on burning tram.
Marcus Road To Nowhere Continues
Surfing: The Fountain of Youth?

Previous Bags o' Crapola:
-November 9, 2000
-October 30, 2000
-October 25, 2000
-October 12, 2000

Special thanks: to Jim Romenesko's MediaGossip.com.